Here’s my quick take on the budget request Gov. Ducey released last Friday: It is a responsible, serious start to the budget process.
The governor’s budget rejects calls from some corners to raise taxes or prevent the implementation of previously-enacted competitiveness reforms from going forward. Gov. Ducey isn’t putting our pro-growth policies on hold, in fact the governor is enhancing our competitive standing by proposing to index our tax brackets to inflation.
The governor’s request also seeks to direct more dollars to Arizona’s K-12 classrooms, thus protecting an important core government priority and a critical element of our overall economic development strategy.
Bringing the state budget into balance isn’t easy. Gov. Ducey’s budget request makes some tough calls, something as a candidate he promised he’d do. As The Arizona Republic editorial board found, “So Ducey’s first budget proposal, released Friday, is the outcome Arizonans expected — or should have expected — on Election Day.”
The budget request sets the stage for what should be a productive dialogue with the legislative branch. That Senate President Andy Biggs, Speaker of the House David Gowan, Senate Appropriations Chairman Don Shooter and House Appropriations Chairman Justin Olson stood alongside Gov. Ducey when he unveiled his proposal to the media is a hopeful sign of how the negotiations might progress.
