By Jordan Gerard | State Affairs
The wheels of state government are set to move a little bit faster next week, with legislative Republicans and the Governor’s Office confirming new movement on the budget and predicting a timeframe for its approval.
The keyword is “agreement,” Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh told the Legislative Report today. He and Senate President Pro Tem T.J. Shope said lawmakers, the Governor’s Office and other stakeholders could agree on a budget package after Memorial Day weekend, with the Legislature potentially voting on the proposal during the first week of June.
The timeline represents forward progress for state officials after Gov. Katie Hobbs imposed a month-long bill moratorium and vetoed a previous Republican budget package earlier this month. Budget negotiations stalled for nearly two months before the veto after Hobbs halted talks over disagreements on extending the education funding measure Proposition 123, and how to address declining state revenue and conformity to federal tax cuts.
