State government will take $487 million from its emergency rainy day fund, cut $311 million in state spending and divert $297 million from specialized funds to bridge the estimated $1.2 billion deficit in this fiscal year’s budget.
The proposal (HB 2620) was approved April 17 by a 24-5 vote in the state Senate and 53-3 vote in the House. Gov. Janet Napolitano signed it the next day.
|
|
Included in the budget cuts are:
• $64 million from the state Medicaird program Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).
• $54 million from school construction.
• $27 million from state universities.
• $19 million from the Department of Corrections.
State Sen. Paula Aboud, D-Tucson, was the only one of the five senators voting against the plan from Southern Arizona. Aboud told the Arizona Capitol Times the budget fix took too much out of the rainy day fund, potentially putting the state at a disadvantage to deal with an emergency.
Comments