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Senate Passes Budget That Addresses Governor's Priorities, Leaves Dems In The Cold

The Arizona Senate has approved a $9.2 billion state budget. The measure contains a bit more money than the original senate version, with Senate Republicans finally giving Gov. Jan Brewer $20 million of the $25 million extra dollars she wanted to create a new child welfare agency. 

They also agreed to more money, though not as much as she wanted, for testing to implement the new Common Core standards. Senate President Andy Biggs thinks it’s a package the governor can sign. But her press aide, Andrew Wilder, said not so fast.

“We're identifying our priorities, letting them know what we'd like to see. They come in and don't necessarily give us what we're asking for on something. On some things we get some better progress, on other things they don’t," Wilder said.

But while the governor got some of what she wanted, Democrats were essentially left out in the cold, complaining about too little money for K-12 education and subsidized child care.

Dennis Lambert was a morning host at KJZZ.