FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2024
PHOENIX – Earlier today Governor Katie Hobbs released her second-year budget plan to keep our economy growing by continued investment in public education, additional focus on our affordable housing crisis and protecting our most vulnerable Arizonans. The Governor's budget also proposes reforms to an out-of-control Republican ESA voucher scheme for private schools, and strategic budget solutions to address a mounting revenue shortfall driven by Ducey-era tax cuts for the wealthy.
"We applaud the Governor for producing a budget that protects the priorities that will drive our state forward and that our caucus has consistently championed for our communities – public education, affordable housing, childcare for working families and vital services for the most vulnerable Arizonans. She is listening and leading," said House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras. "However, decades of irresponsible Republican tax policies and expansion of ESA vouchers with no oversight have created a revenue shortfall that appears to be ballooning. Even in a strong and growing economy, our job gets tougher every day. We will have to work very hard and together to fulfill our obligations to help our most vulnerable populations, to fund our public-school students and teachers, to ensure public safety, to help our overburdened border communities and to secure our incarcerated populations. We have our starting point and it's time for the adults in the room to get to work on some tough decisions."
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