http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/knau/local-knau-934801.mp3
Phoenix, AZ – The fight goes back two years to when lawmakers, short of tax
revenues, took more than $161,000 from three special funds. The
cash came from what lettuce, grain and citrus growers agreed to
tax themselves for research and marketing. The Arizona Farm
Bureau Federation sued on their behalf, saying while the money
was collected by the state, it was being held in trust. Last year
a trial judge ruled in favor of the group. But the appellate
court disagreed. Farm Bureau lobbyist Joe Sigg said he is
disappointed.
(From our perspective, when you collect funds for specific
purposes and the Legislature has agreed that those are the
specific purposes, to have the Legislature come back and sweep
them creates concern.)
The appellate judges acknowledged the funds did come from the
farmers. But they rejected arguments that the state was simply
holding the dollars in trust for the special councils that
decided how best to use them. And they specifically pointed out
that nowhere in the statutes themselves does it spell out that
the only use of the funds is to benefit the farmers who provided
them. Sigg said he fears the ruling will only create more
problems as the state's budget woes -- and need to find more cash
-- are only increasing. For Arizona Public Radio this is Howard
Fischer.