Arizona
Arizona lawmakers face big deficit due mostly to massive tax cut and school voucher expansion
PHOENIX (AP) — Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs and the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature return to the state Capitol on Monday with a nearly $1 billion problem on their hands.
Less than six months after they celebrated passing a bipartisan budget, lawmakers face a steep deficit due mostly to plummeting revenues from a massive tax cut that took full effect last year and skyrocketing costs from a school voucher program expansion.
A year ago, the state had a budget surplus of $1.8 billion. Now, it has a shortfall of about $400 million for the current fiscal year and another $450 million shortfall in the following year. Budget analysts say the shortfall will likely grow when the state’s next revenue forecast is released later this month.
The tax cut approved by legislators in 2021 and signed into law by Hobbs’ Republican predecessor, Gov. Doug Ducey, had eliminated the state’s graduated income tax and replaced it with a flat tax, which was phased in and took full effect during 2023.
From July through November, Arizona saw a decrease of over $830 million in revenues from income taxes, marking a nearly 30 percent decline.
The voucher program lets parents use public money for private-school tuition and other education costs. It started in 2011 as a small program for disabled children but was expanded repeatedly over the next decade until it became available to all students in 2022.
Originally estimated to cost $64 million for the current fiscal year, budget analysts now say it could top $900 million.
Stan Barnes, a political consultant in Phoenix and a former Republican state lawmaker, said it’s hard to say how legislators and Hobbs will confront the growing costs, but he predicted they’ll be forced to compromise.
“It’s going to be one of the most difficult exercises in recent memory, given the Grand Canyon-sized space between the Republican legislature and the Democratic governor,” Barnes said. Sen. John Kavanagh, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, disputed a budget crisis, saying Arizona could balance its books by postponing building projects, having state agencies return unspent state money and other measures.
“In an $18 billion budget, it’s easily manageable,” Kavanagh said. Rep. Oscar De Los Santos, a Democrat who serves as assistant minority leader in the Arizona House, blames Republican policies for the budget problems. The tax cut likely won’t be repealed, he said, but he believes the voucher program can be limited.
“This is a self-created, self-inflicted wound that the Republicans have caused,” he said. “Now we don’t have the resources we need to tackle the important issues in our state.”
The income tax cut championed by Ducey had eliminated the state’s previous graduated tax scale, which started at 2.59% and had a maximum of 4.5% for income over $159,000 a year for a single person. All taxpayers now pay a maximum of 2.5%.
Democrats have criticized the cut as a windfall for the wealthy, while offering fewer benefits for most taxpayers. Supporters have trumpeted the overall effects of the cut on the state’s economy and said citizens want to see lower taxes.
The changes in Arizona’s voucher program led to a sharp increase in the number of participants. Before the expansion, nearly 12,000 students — including disabled children, those living on Native American reservations and children in low-performing schools — took part in the program.
Now that all students can apply for the vouchers, nearly 73,000 students participate. The average scholarship is roughly $9,700 per student.
Critics say the expansion is a drain on the state’s coffers, while backers say the expansion lets parents choose the best school for their children.
About 75% of the students who got vouchers immediately after the program was expanded had no prior record of attending an Arizona public school, according to Department of Education data reported in 2022. That suggests the state subsidies went largely to students whose families already were paying private school tuition.
Water issues will also be key for the Legislature amid a severe long-term drought in the arid southwestern state. Concerns are growing in Arizona about shortages from the Colorado River system, which provides the state with about 40% of its water, and about shrinking supplies of groundwater and regulation in rural areas.
Hobbs has cast drought as the “challenge of our time.” Her administration has limited housing development in parts of metro Phoenix over concerns about water canceled state land leases that for years gave a Saudi-owned farm nearly unfettered access to pump groundwater.
On the voucher program, Hobbs vowed to bring accountability when she began her term a year ago as the first Democratic governor since 2009. Despite her criticism, the budget proposals negotiated by Hobbs last year didn’t include any caps on the expansion, leading Democratic lawmakers to express dissatisfaction with the lack of action.
She’s now proposing changes like requiring private schools that receive voucher funding have minimum education requirements for teachers and that students attend public school for 100 days before becoming eligible for the vouchers. She reiterated a desire for accountability and transparency in the program.
“Arizonans deserve to know their money is being spent on educating students, not on handouts to unaccountable schools and unvetted vendors for luxury spending,” like ski resort passes and pianos, she said.
Kavanagh said controls to the Empowerment Scholarships Account voucher program — such as Hobbs’ idea to require fingerprinting for teachers at private schools that receive tax dollars — make sense. But he believes the program will remain on the books.
“We are not getting rid of ESAs,” Kavanagh said.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Ceremonial procession for fallen firefighter Nick Hutcherson
A ceremonial procession for Nick Hutcherson, a local firefighter who died fighting a Colorado wildfire, arrives at Dream City Church in Phoenix.
A Snoopy sticker on a fellow firefighter’s helmet became part of the last photo fallen firefighter Nick Hutcherson texted to his father, capturing one of their final shared moments.
“I smiled when I saw the picture and texted him back, ‘Thank you and be safe out there.’ And he replied, ‘Will do.’ That evening, I did get a call, but it wasn’t from Nick,” said Ron Hutcherson through tears during his son’s memorial service on the afternoon of July 11 at Dream City Church in north Phoenix.
The brief exchange between father and son happened June 27, when the 27-year-old Nick Hutcherson and two fellow firefighters died as they took on what became the sprawling Snyder Fire in western Colorado.
The “Peanuts” character anecdote offered a glimpse into the man by those who eulogized Hutcherson, remembering him as courageous and intelligent, yet never one to lose his lighthearted spirit.
“Nick could pull all of these facts and quotes out like they were common knowledge. He was incredibly smart, but he didn’t let that get in the way of being goofy and funny. He was so unapologetically himself that you couldn’t help but to like him and get drawn into whatever subject he was talking about,” said Cantene Coker, his friend and crew member.
Wise words, laughter marked memories
Hutcherson served as a firefighter on the Kaibab National Forest after joining the profession in July 2021, according to those who spoke at the service. He was also pursuing a degree in physical therapy with the goal of one day becoming a doctor.
Before becoming a firefighter, Hutcherson served in the U.S. Navy. His father said he enlisted after the U.S. Marine Corps declined to accept him because of his high arches.
“A lot of people would have taken that as a sign to give up, but not you. Instead of continuing to wait, you made up your mind to go and walk through the door of the Navy. You weren’t looking for the easiest path. You were looking for a way to serve. And you did,” Ron Hutcherson said.
The grieving father recalled how he sat his son down to apologize for any shortcomings as a father.
“You explained how you understood there was no road map for being a parent, no blueprint, and that people make mistakes. You expressed you held no resentment towards me, not then and not ever,” Ron Hutcherson said. “For a moment it felt like our worlds had been reversed. I was the child and you were the parent, teaching me one of the most important lessons in life. And I want to thank you for that.”
Brandon Smith remembered Nick Hutcherson before he achieved that level of maturity.
“He was super awkward in his younger years, but then he developed into a man who was incredible,” said Smith as he and Hallie Costa walked to the church.
The two, both 28, had known Hutcherson since they all attended Desert Sage Elementary School in Glendale, where the future firefighter and Flagstaff resident grew up.
“He had a super cute laugh,” Smith added as Costa gave a light chuckle.
Prior ceremonies celebrated life
Many who knew him remembered the amateur Muay Thai practitioner as “a warrior in all respects of the word.”
Those who spoke at a July 5 memorial service in Grand Junction, Colorado, also remembered Hutcherson’s generosity. The service also honored the firefighters who died alongside Hutcherson: Emily Barker, 38, of Michigan; and Sydney Watson, 26, of Alabama.
Hutcherson would try and teach fellow crew members American Sign Language, said Travis Nichols, a unit aviation officer in the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit.
Brian Fennessy, director and fire chief of the United States Wildland Fire Service, said one of Hutcherson’s most valued qualities was his “uncommon ability to face hard things with optimism, humility and a smile.”
His favorite phrase, “easy day,” was emblematic of this, Fennessy said.
Hutcherson’s remains were brought July 2 to Arizona.
“This is the community thanking him for what he did, the sacrifice that he made. The fire service is one big family,” said Phoenix Fire Capt. Rob McDade as Hutcherson’s casket arrived at Deer Valley Airport.
Flags were flown at half-staff on July 11 in accordance with an order from Gov. Katie Hobbs, who attended the memorial service at Dream City Church.
A GoFundMe to benefit Hutcherson’s family had amassed a little more than $84,000 of a $100,000 goal as of July 11.
The Knowles Fire, which claimed the three firefighters’ lives and reportedly injured two others, merged with three fires into the Snyder Fire. Spanning 30,202 acres, the Snyder Fire was 98% contained as of July 8, according to inciweb.gov.
Republic reporters Stacey Barchenger and Christian Cervantes contributed to this article.
ARIZONA — We’re less than two weeks removed from the start of training camp, and the Arizona Cardinals feel oh-so-close to football season.
We’ll probably do one more pre-camp mailbag before things get kicking, but thanks to everybody who answered our call on X.
Before we get started, I did get a few questions on how players looked during minicamp and OTA’s. Reporters are only allowed to view the first 30 minutes of practice, which mostly involves individual position drills, special teams and stretching.
Case in point, we can’t say how somebody like Carson Beck or Isaac Seumalo looked. The questions are appreciated nonetheless.
Let’s get into it, hopefully you guys are staying hydrated:
Which Cardinals position groups are well stocked and worry free heading into training camp? – Ed
Ed, thank you always for the questions.
I think the running back room is the most obvious answer here, where the Cardinals realistically have three backs who could be starters on other teams in Jeremiyah Love, James Conner and Tyler Allgeier.
Offer a bit something different, and if former Day 2 pick Trey Benson is your fourth running back, that’s a pretty loaded room.
Another spot I’m eying for this is cornerback, where all of Will Johnson, Denzel Burke, Garrett Williams, Starling Thomas and Sean Murphy-Bunting could start with Max Melton being another name to provide competition.
The tight end room — headlined by Trey McBride — is also a good one, which bodes well for Arizona’s intentions to utilize 12 and 13 personnel.
What’s the current standpoint on the Jacoby Brissett contract extension? – Ceddy
That’s a great question Ceddy, as there’s been virtually zero info leaked on how talks are going between the two sides.
For what it’s worth, Brissett was spotted working out with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride this week, so his intentions are still to be the starter. Arizona reportedly is committed to him being the starter, too.
The actual divide seems to be guaranteed money, as Brissett has only $1.5 million guaranteed for 2026 — which is the final year of his contract. It doesn’t seem like he wants more years tacked on.
The likely end result? The Cardinals guarantee a few more million to satisfy Brissett right before the start of training camp.
What’s your prediction for running back touches? – Staches
Stache, IF THAT IS YOUR REAL NAME, running back touches in Arizona might not be what people want or think.
Yes, the Cardinals used the No. 3 pick on Love. Yes, he should be featured in the offense.
However, Love has never quite owned a dominant role in a backfield dating back to his Notre Dame days with Jadarian Price.
On the other side of the coin, Mike LaFleur’s tenure in New York/Los Angeles as an OC utilized more of a committee approach in terms of running back usage.
Love, Allgeier and Conner all figure to have some role. By season’s end, Love probably ranks first in total touches, but it won’t be a wide gap barring injury.
Cardinals overperform relative to expectations next year but still need a QB. What avenues could they pursue? – Blake
First of all, Blake does great stuff as the host of Bleav In Arizona Cardinals podcast, so go check his work out.
In this scenario, I think Arizona has two options: Roll with Carson Beck for 2027 or push all of their chips into the coming draft class for a quarterback.
If the Cardinals outperform relative to expectations, you would…. hope Beck at least showed something? At some point? Though nothing is guaranteed.
Also I know the 2027 class has all the hype in the world, though we’re so far removed from seeing that come to fruition. We forget the 2026 class had plenty of quarterback hopes before the dust eventually settled.
This is a very real scenario, but entering LaFleur’s second year, there might also be very real pressure to get a franchise guy and get the program moving in the right direction.
The NFL stands for “Not For Long” and the Cardinals have been losers for far too long. If Arizona outperforms expectations, they need to put the pedal to the floor in 2027.
How much Carson Beck do you think we’ll see on the hall of fame game? – Noah
Noah, I think we saw a lot of Beck.
It’s unlikely any starters will play in the first of four Arizona preseason games, paving the way for Beck, Kedon Slovis and potentially even a drive or two of Gardner Minshew for the Cardinals.
Beck will see plenty of preseason time entering his rookie season. Maybe the third preseason game will feature less since that’s considered a typical “dress rehearsal” for starters that typically play the most.
If I had to guess a split for Beck/Minshew/Slovis in the HOF game, it would look like this:
Minshew: One drive
Beck: Rest of first half
Slovis: Second half
You could flip-flop Beck and Slovis, but you get the idea.
What is the most un-spoken positive change the team’s made since the Mike LaFleur hire? (For me its the defensive staff) – S0N0FDAV1D
That’s along what I’m thinking too, but I would take a bit of a step back to see the bigger picture.
Part of the criticism on Jonathan Gannon’s staff was the lack of experienced and seasoned minds on either side of the ball. Gannon banked on high energy, youthful guys — which ultimately didn’t pan out.
LaFleur acquired names such as Nathaniel Hackett and Teryl Austin to supplement their respective sides of the ball. Both have extensive coordinator experience and carry weight across the league.
That won’t directly translate to wins, but especially for a first-time coach like LaFleur, I do think there’s something to be said about those changes.
If Carson Beck starts half the season, and shows real flashes, do the Cardinals take a quarterback in the 1st round next year? – Holden
Incredible twitter name, Mr. Holden Beers.
I do think a best-case scenario is Beck can clearly show he’s the guy for Arizona, which would save time and money for the Cardinals. That would be massive.
The biggest issue here is the Cardinals have a massive question to answer with Beck on little expected time on task. The sample size we see of the rookie quarterback won’t be convincing enough one way or another.
So if he shows “real” flashes, I think it depends where the Cardinals finish in the standings. If they’re already in pole position to draft somebody, I do think they’ll pull the trigger on somebody like Arch Manning.
If Arizona is out of reach and needing to make a massive trade up, the Cardinals might prefer to stick with Beck.
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Unlike other major pro sports in the United States, Major League Baseball’s annual draft is hardly must-see television. With 20 rounds of picks—it used to be 50—and very few of them household names, only true baseball diehards closely pay attention beyond the first handful of selections.
For college baseball fans, though, the MLB Draft can bring about some stress and uncertainty since both incoming freshmen and existing veterans are eligible to be selected. The best college juniors and seniors are sure to get drafted and sign, while top recruits may be lured into starting their pro careers early via a hefty signing bonus.
Last year the UA saw nine members of the 2025 squad, which reached the College World Series, get drafted and sign. One of its prep signees also took the money rather than come to Tucson.
The 2026 draft, which begins Saturday and finishes Sunday, won’t be nearly as impactful to Arizona’s roster. Only one current Wildcat with eligibility remaining is assured of being drafted: junior right-handed pitcher Owen Kramkowski.
Kramkowski, who struggled in the spring after a breakout 2025 season, is ranked as the 205th-best draft prospect by Baseball America and No. 245 by MLB.com. That would put him in the range of the 6th or 7th round to get selected, though he could go earlier. All indications are Kramkowski will sign.
Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess. No other current or future Wildcats are among BA’s Top 500.
Among Arizona’s outgoing seniors, the top candidate to get drafted is left-handed pitcher Patrick Morris, who is currently playing the MLB Draft League. Infielders Tyler Bickers and Maddox Mihalakis could also get picked late or sign as an undrafted free agent.
Draft-eligible juniors other than Kramkowski include lefty Maclain Roberts, catcher Beau Sylvester and outfielders Andrew Cain and Easton Breyfogle. A couple of Arizona’s 2027 newcomers, such as junior college righty Collin Cobb, prep infielder Ayden Deome and catcher Francisco Rivero, are also at risk of getting picked.
Arizona has had 293 players drafted in its history and has had at least two taken every year since 2011.
The first four rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft are Saturday, with NBC airing the first 10 picks starting at 10 a.m. PT before the broadcast switches to MLB Network and later MLB.com. Rounds 5-20 are Sunday on MLB.com starting at 8:30 a.m. PT.
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