By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
A Republican budget plan set for its first vote today would give Arizona teachers a pay hike more than double what was proffered by Gov. Doug Ducey.
But Democrats want to double that again. And they may just have the leverage this year to get their way.
Related: House Republican leader: Teachers get second jobs to buy boats, enjoy finer things in life
Ducey had sought a state-funded pay hike of just 0.4 percent this year for teachers, with a promise of similar increases for the following four years. That proved a non-starter, even for GOP leaders, who said that amount — about a dollar for each day in the school year, before taxes — was insufficient to deal with the teacher shortage.
Their plan is simpler: An immediate 1 percent pay hike, with an identical amount again next year.
