Arizona Supreme Court/Cronkite News
By Mary Jo Pitzl | Arizona Republic
The Arizona Supreme Court will hear arguments on Nov. 2 in an appeal challenging the constitutionality of state budget procedures.
The case hinges on whether the long-running practice of adding policy matters to the annual budget meets constitutional requirements.
This year, lawmakers folded a bevy of laws into the budget process, including a much-disputed provision that would bar school districts from imposing mask mandates.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper on Monday struck down parts of three budget-related bills as unconstitutional. She also ruled Senate Bill 1819, which contained 83 separate policy matters, in violation of the constitution’s single-subject rule for legislative bills.