Budget bills pass House, Senate Appropriations Committees

by David Safier

Six budget bills have made it out of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to go to the floor, and they plan to move them forward with lightning speed.

Republicans were expected give preliminary approval to the $1.6 billion budget plan Thursday night and could work into the wee hours to get final approval and have the bills on Gov. Jan Brewer's desk early Friday.

Russell Pearce calls them "modest cuts," promising, "Next year is going to be a lot tougher and these cuts are going to be deeper." Stop drooling all over yourself, Russell. I know you're excited, but it's embarrassing.

Here are some of the highlights:

• KidsCare stays intact.
• $135 million cut from universities. 
• "K-12 funding would be cut by $98 million in state aid and another $21 million in soft capital funding for things like books, buses and teacher aides."
• $9 million cut from community colleges. 
• $98.5 million cut from the Department of Economic Security, "most of it in lump sum reductions, but also likely including child welfare, aging services, early intervention and general assistance."  
• $13 million in "disproportionate share payments" cut from hospitals serving lots of low income patients 
• $37 million from the Department of Health Services, including the creation of a statewide poison control center. 

Democrats will do whatever they decide to do knowing they might as well stay home for all the effect they'll have on the outcome. I hope they let the press and their constituents know what they think of the all-Republican-all-the-time budget.