It's now up to the Arizona House to keep the government running.
The Arizona Senate passed a $17.6 billion 2025-26 budget early Friday morning and voted to end this year's session. The budget now goes to the House, which has until June 30 to approve the spending plan to avoid a government shutdown.
The final of the Senate’s 16 budget bills was passed just before 2 a.m.
The passage of the bills came a week after the House passed its version of the budget, but Gov. Katie Hobbs said the House version was full of proposals that she would reject. Republicans have majorities in both houses, but lack enough seats to override the Democratic governor’s vetoes.
The Senate bill includes raises for state law enforcement and firefighters, along with tax cuts and investments in education, transportation, water and public health. Under the Senate budget, veterans who are 100% disabled no longer will have to pay property taxes.
The Senate’s budget reduces taxes on small business owners and veterans, supports major transportation projects and fully funds K-12 schools while protecting school choice, Petersen, R-Gilbert, said in a news release.
The Senate met its goals without raising taxes or creating new ones, Petersen noted.
