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Governor sues legislature over budget

By Howard Fischer

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-843916.mp3

Phoenix, AZ – Governor Jan Brewer asked the state Supreme Court today to force
the Legislature to send her the budget they approved.

With only Republicans in support, lawmakers approved an $8.2
billion spending plan on June 4. But GOP leaders refused to send
the governor the package of 10 bills, hoping to use them as
leverage to force Brewer to adopt a deal more to their liking.
But the governor said she sees something more sinister at work.

(I learned at a very young age, people sometimes like to trick
you. Well, I am not going to wait until June 30th to have them,
more or less, trick the governor's office, dropping a budget on
my desk on the 30th and to have government shut down.)

She specifically fears that Senate President Bob Burns wants to
send her the the bills on the last day of the fiscal year,
forcing her to accept their plan or be the one to shut down
government with a veto. Burns insisted that's not his plan.

(My intent is to hang onto the bills as we negotiate. Once we've
reached an agreement, I'll gladly transmit them.)

Burns sidestepped the question of what he will do if the justices
direct him to send Brewer the budget before there is a deal.