Arizona Legislature: Doug Ducey Vetoes 22 Bills, Says Nothing Will Be Signed Until Budget Is Approved

By Jeremy Duda, Arizona Mirror

Gov. Doug Ducey is ratcheting up the pressure on GOP lawmakers to reach an agreement on the budget, vowing not to sign any other legislation that reaches his desk until he gets a budget, and backing up his threat by vetoing 22 bills.

Ducey made the announcement in response to both the House of Representatives and Senate adjourning until June 10 after Republican legislative leaders failed to round up a majority to pass the budget deal they forged with the governor. The GOP has only a one-vote majority in both legislative chambers and Democrats oppose the proposed budget, meaning Republican lawmakers must vote unanimously to approve the plan.

“We have the opportunity to make responsible and significant investments in K-12 education, higher education, infrastructure and local communities, all while delivering historic tax relief to working families and small businesses,” Ducey wrote on Twitter on Friday afternoon. “Once the budget passes, I’m willing to consider some of these other issues. But until then, I will not be signing any additional bills. Let’s focus on our jobs, get to work and pass the budget.”

The governor wasted no time acting on his ultimatum, vetoing all 22 bills that were on his desk. That list of bills included legislation to ban certain kinds of anti-racism training for government employees, a bill that would make it a felony for election officials to send early ballots to voters who don’t request them, a bill that make it easier for some low-level sex offenders to remove their names from the state’s sex offender registry and legislation improving treatment for pregnant prison inmates.

“Some are good policy, but with one month left until the end of the fiscal year, we need to focus first on passing a budget. That should be priority one. The other stuff can wait,” Ducey wrote on Twitter.

Budget negotiations fell apart this week when both the House and Senate were unable to muster the votes to pass the $12.4 billion budget deal reached by Ducey and GOP legislative leaders. House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Senate President Karen Fann opted to adjourn their chambers until June 10, though they could come back sooner if they get enough votes to pass the budget.

Probably the biggest sticking point is a proposal to eliminate Arizona’s graduated income tax brackets and replace them with a 2.5% flat tax rate. Some GOP lawmakers have balked at both the size of the cuts, which could cost as much as $1.9 billion when they’re fully phased in, as well as the money it would cost cities and towns, which get a share of state income tax revenue.

Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale, and Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, have both said they won’t vote for such a big tax cut, and won’t vote for any cut unless the state compensates cities for the lost revenue. Both lawmakers have other concerns, as do other Republicans in both chambers.

Ducey’s moratorium on non-budget legislation evokes memories of his predecessor, Jan Brewer, who issued similar ultimatums in 2012 and 2013.

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