Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has introduced legislation that would impose accountability on a school voucher system expected to exceed $900 million this year and allow near-free access to groundwater in the state's drought-stricken rural areas. vowed to revise it.
The Democratic governor delivered his second annual State of the State address Monday as the regular session of Congress began, and also took aim at the federal government. She blamed the month-long closure of key ports of entry along the Arizona-Mexico border due to a surge in migrants and touted her own decision to deploy the National Guard to the border in response to the crisis. did.
The state faces a $400 million shortfall in the current budget year and an additional $450 million in the next fiscal year. These numbers are primarily due to higher costs from the 2022 voucher program expansion and the 2021 tax cuts that took full effect last year and reduced tax revenues by about 30% from July to November.
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Budget analysts say the shortfall is likely to widen by the time the state's next revenue projections are released later this month. Democratic lawmakers acknowledge that the tax cuts are unlikely to go away, but they want to overhaul the voucher system.
“We will rein in wasteful spending without sacrificing public safety or public education,” Hobbs said in a prepared statement. “We will establish guardrails against unaccountable programs without hurting hard-working families.”
On January 8, 2024, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs arrives on the House floor to deliver the State of the Union address at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Hobbs also called on the state to create a new department to oversee prescription drug affordability, cap the prices of commonly used drugs such as insulin, and prevent large price hikes. Ta. And he pledged to work to solve Arizona's housing crisis through initiatives such as a new mortgage assistance program for working-class families.
Water will also be a focus for Congress as the arid southwestern states experience a prolonged and severe drought. In Arizona, there are growing concerns about future water shortages from the Colorado River system, which provides about 40% of the state's water.
Hobbs noted that her crackdown on Saudi-run farms last year left residents concerned that precious groundwater for growing thirsty alfalfa crops was being depleted. And she pledged to do more to protect water this year.
“For decades, rural Arizonans who have begged, demanded and fought to protect their groundwater have been ignored,” she says. “After 40 years of waiting, it's finally time to take action and update our Groundwater Management Act.”
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Mr. Hobbs urges the Arizona Department of Water Resources to finalize new alternatives to help water utilities and communities achieve 100-year reliable water supply by reducing groundwater pumping and providing new water sources. He said he gave instructions. That would also impact far-flung communities in the Phoenix metropolitan area, where subdivision construction has been paused due to concerns about groundwater shortages.
Kathryn Sorensen, director of research at Arizona State University's Kill Water Policy Center, said she was struck by Hobbs' promise to lawmakers who refused to act on water issues: “If you don't act, I will.” Ta.
Sorensen also said it was important that Hobbs called for bipartisan cooperation on Arizona's future, saying, “I want to remind everyone that water is a bipartisan issue and that we can accomplish more by working together.” It reminded me of that,” he said.
On education, the school voucher program that Hobbs wants to rein in would allow parents to use public money to pay for private school tuition and other educational costs. He started in 2011 as a small program for children with disabilities, but expanded repeatedly over the next 10 years, making it available to all students in 2022.
The program, originally estimated to cost $64 million this year, could end up costing more than $900 million, budget analysts said. Critics say the expansion is a waste of the state, but supporters say it will allow parents to choose the best school for their children.
Republican Sen. John Kavanaugh, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Hobbs' ideas for voucher changes have no chance of passing Congress.
“We're not going to regulate schools that parents have chosen and that are working well,” Kavanaugh said.
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Hobbs vowed accountability when he began his term a year ago as the first Democratic governor since 2009. Despite her criticism, Democratic lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the budget Hobbs negotiated last year because it did not include a cap on expansion. Lack of action.
She is currently proposing changes such as requiring private schools that receive voucher funds to have minimum education requirements for teachers and requiring students to attend public school for 100 days before being eligible for vouchers. She reiterated her call for accountability and transparency in the program.
Republican Sen. Jake Hoffman said ahead of his speech that Hobbs' approach to vouchers would “destroy an empowerment program that has helped hundreds of thousands of people not just in school but throughout life.” .
Hobbs also accused Washington of “continuing to fail to secure our southern border, a failure that has continued for decades under both Democratic and Republican administrations.”
Hobbs said among the “misguided efforts” by federal authorities was the recent month-long closure of the Lukeville, Arizona, border crossing.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the move was necessary to free up personnel to help Border Patrol apprehend and process hundreds of immigrants who entered the United States illegally. But the shutdown “didn't really solve the immigration crisis and hurt businesses and families,” Hobbs said.
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She has sent the National Guard to the border to assist Border Patrol agents who are overwhelmed with support missions and is currently seeking funding for Operation Secure, an office within the Arizona Department of Homeland Security. said. border issue.
In a video released after the governor's speech, House Speaker Ben Thoma criticized Hobbs' approach to immigration, saying, “Her record is one of transnational.”
The goal is to complete the session within 100 days, but lawmakers typically adjourn until May or June, especially when there are difficult issues to negotiate, such as budget shortfalls.
The governor is expected to release his budget later this week.
