Ellen O’Brien/Cronkite News
By Jakob Thorington | Arizona Capitol Times
Key Points:
- House approved Senate’s bipartisan budget
- Two previous House budgets have failed
- Senate and the governor expected to approve the budget proposal
The Arizona House of Representatives has finally passed a bipartisan budget that Gov. Katie Hobbs can sign, possibly averting a government shutdown that would have occurred if no deal were struck by June 30.
It is the third spending package the chamber has passed and the first with Democratic support. Senate Bill 1735 passed with a supermajority of 40-16 despite significant efforts from some House Republicans to reject and replace the proposal with their own packages.
“We have been hard at work for months. In fact, the House has led every step of the way,” said Speaker Steve Montenegro, R-Goodyear. “We come together because we have a divided government and what we can do, as Republicans, we have done. We’re holding the line, and I’m proud of that. We’re holding the line on spending. We’re holding the line on school choice. We’re holding the line on the values that matter to us.”
The House-approved $17.6 billion bipartisan budget was passed by the Senate on June 20, with some minor amendments to bring House members into agreement.
