Not wanting to prolong the juvenile political games instigated by the MAGA Arizona House “Free Caucus” Republicans, the State Senate quickly voted the two dead on arrival lower chamber budgets bills and sent them up to Governor Katie Hobbs where she, with veto pen in her eager hand, were waiting.
After taking a grand total of 15 minutes to veto both of the House Republican “Sham Starvation” Budgets, Governor Hobbs issued a statement that read:
“For months, I worked with leaders of both parties, in both chambers, to craft a bipartisan, balanced, and fiscally responsible budget that the majority of Senate Republicans support. That budget has pay raises for State Troopers and firefighters, cuts taxes on small businesses, invests in combatting Veterans homelessness, and makes childcare more affordable and accessible. It passed the Senate and should be voted on by the House.
“I have long made clear that both of the partisan and reckless House Republican budgets are unacceptable. They gut public safety, slash health care for Arizonans, harm businesses, fail to lower costs, and leave our Veterans out in the cold. These unserious budgets are wrong for the people of Arizona.
“Now, it’s time for House Republican leadership to move past their political stunts and work productively with their colleagues before they force an unnecessary state government shutdown of their own creation.”
Please click here to read the Governor’s veto letter on the MAGA Sham House Budget passed last week.
Please click here to read the Governor’s veto letter on the MAGA Starvation House Budget passed yesterday (June 25.)
Governor Hobbs Communications Director Christian Slater released the below post:
Democratic House Leader Oscar De Los Santos posted:
BOOM. As I said, these budgets had 0% chance of being signed into law. Thank you @GovernorHobbs
Assistant Democratic House Leader Nancy Gutierrez responded to a request to comment by stating:
“The veto was expected and warranted. We are airing to first read the bipartisan budget bills and move forward in the process to pass a budget and sine die.”
Arizona House Democrats issued a group response to Governor Hobbs’s veto, conveying “Now let’s get the real budget done!”
Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan commented to Blog for Arizona:
“House Republicans have allowed their Freedom Caucus to take the state budget hostage. Speaker Montenegro must lead and pass the Senate-passed budget immediately. Although there is much I dislike in that budget, it was negotiated by both parties and received a bipartisan vote in the Senate.”
Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Catherine Miranda also commented to Blog for Arizona, offering:
“I’ve been transparent since day one. I’m happy she vetoed both bills. Both bills still contain the support for immigration enforcement through the GIITEM funds. In the environment we live in today with a broken immigration system, I refuse to contribute in supporting these bills that continue to fuel the fire.”
According to reporting from NBC’s Brahm Resnik, Senate President Warren Peterson, no ones poster board for modern liberalism, reportedly said of the House Republicans antics: “Let’s stop wasting our time. Let’s end the chicanery.”
Peterson and all the Democrats are right. Time to pass a compromise budget that will serve Arizonans and enable the state government to function.
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