Arizona could be headed toward an unprecedented government shutdown over a stalemate on the state’s budget.
The Arizona Senate negotiated its $17.6 billion budget with Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ), approved it, then promptly ended its legislative session without giving the Arizona House an opportunity to debate the matter. The move left the lower chamber with just one option: approve the Senate budget.
If a new budget is not in place by July 1, the start of fiscal 2026, the Arizona government will shut down.
The Arizona House had adopted its own $17.3 billion spending plan, which was approved by only Republican votes because Democrats, who were not involved in negotiations, boycotted the vote. Hobbs has described that version as being “dead on arrival.”
But hard-line conservatives in the Arizona House have criticized the Senate text, saying it does not go far enough for their causes. Republican Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro said in a statement that the lower chamber would pass a short-term “continuation budget” to avert a shutdown and fund the government past June 30 to continue negotiations.
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Author: Dillon B
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