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By Caitlin Sievers || Arizona Mirror
Republicans in the Arizona legislature want to deal with the state budget, the passage of which is arguably the legislature’s most important annual task, in an unorthodox fashion this year.
GOP leaders in both the state House of Representatives and Senate announced Thursday a plan to focus first on a spending plan that continues funding at current levels before opening negotiations with Gov. Katie Hobbs on a complete spending plan.
The only increases to current spending in their plan would be formulaic, to deal with rising costs or caseloads.
Only after that budget is in place will Republicans consider spending any additional funds that would be allocated through a more traditional budgeting process for fiscal year 2024, which begins in July, Republican Sen. T.J. Shope told the Arizona Mirror.
“With the state of the national economy in limbo, a continuation budget is the fiscally prudent, conservative approach.
