By Hank Stephenson and Ben Giles
Largely along party lines, Arizona lawmakers approved a roughly $9.6 billion budget shortly after midnight Wednesday morning that they credit with increasing spending after years of tough decisions while the state slowly recovered from economic turmoil.
The spending plan for the 2017 fiscal year, which represents about a $80 million increase over the current year’s $9.52 billion budget, now awaits the signature of Gov. Doug Ducey.
Lawmakers will return to the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon in hopes of wrapping up voting on a few key remaining bills and ending the session by week’s end.
Republicans characterized the budget as a good first step toward better funding Arizona’s K-12 education system while maintaining a fiscally conservative approach that will leave the state on good footing, even if the economy takes a downturn.
Information from Arizona Capitol Times
Related: House Republicans reject KidsCare restoration in budget/Arizona Capitol Times
