By Nicole Ludden | Arizona Agenda
Earlier this year, Gov. Katie Hobbs’ staff warned Democrats not to make summer vacation plans. Budget negotiations had already gone off the rails, and there was no sign of agreement any time soon.
In March, Republicans accused Hobbs of throwing a tantrum after she walked away from negotiations. They passed their own veto-bait budget, then bitterly left the Capitol for a month with no progress on budget negotiations.
The tone changed last week, when Hobbs and Senate President Warren Petersen suddenly sounded weirdly agreeable in radio interviews, and both suggested they’re close to a deal to prevent the state government from shutting down.
So when lawmakers returned from their self-imposed spring break Monday, there were high hopes that budget bills would be waiting for them.
Instead, they handled leftover bills on squatters, vapes, divorces and other non-budget business, and recessed indefinitely.
The general Capitol chatter is that budget bills will drop next week, roughly three weeks before the June 30 constitutional deadline to pass a state budget.
And while there are finally signs of an actual deal, lawmakers are not exactly inspiring confidence.
