Arizona Public Radio | Your Source for NPR News
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Governor orders another special budget session

By Howard Fischer

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-876568.mp3

Phoenix, AZ – Governor Jan Brewer said today she's calling lawmakers into
special session on Thursday to deal with the budget. But she's missing
something.

That something is votes. Brewer knew all along there weren't
enough Republicans to back her plan. That means she needs
Democrats. But Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, the No. 2 Democrat in the
House, said no one has approached members of her party to see
what they need in the package to support her proposal to send a
one-cent hike in the state sales tax to the ballot. Sinema said
the Democrats, like Brewer, believe more revenues are needed to
balance the budget. But they are cool to simply hiking sales
taxes on consumers.

"Democrats believe that the way to get the revenue we need to
protect schools and kids is to start cracking down on some of
these loopholes we have for big corporations and the rich, you
know."

At the very least, Sinema said Brewer and her GOP colleagues need
to negotiate with Democrats. But Brewer said that's not her job.

"I believe that the leadership in the House and the Senate can
count votes. And the fact of the matter is is that we are in
crisis, that we need to find permanent solutions. And they will
go up on the board. And those responsible legislators will vote
accordingly."

But Sen. Rebecca Rios, Sinema's counterpart in the Senate, said
the votes won't be there until Democrats' concerns are addressed.