State senators are poised to give final approval to restoring funds for Joint Technical Education Districts after Gov. Doug Ducey gave his blessing.
The measure had been set for a Senate vote Wednesday when Majority Leader Andy Biggs got a call to come speak to the governor about the plan. He said Ducey wanted answers not just about the $28 million cost of the measure but how it fits into the entire $9.5 billion spending plan for the coming year. After the meeting, Biggs said Ducey Ducey is comfortable that the Legislature is not on a spending spree-- even though the JTED bill has a price tag nearly three times larger than what the governor wanted.
Biggs said, "I think if you can infer anything from our conversation it's that he wants to make sure that we're all continuing to focus on getting a budget out that's structurally balanced, and in a timely fashion."
The legislation already approved by the House would restore most of the $30 million in cuts to JTEDs, which include high school career and technical education programs, that had been set to take effect this coming school year. That compares with Ducey's offer of just $10 million for three years.
The governor also attached strings, including a requirement for businesses who would be hiring the graduates to provide a dollar-for-dollar match, whether in cash or equipment. Ducey said he values career and technical education. But the expenditure has to be seen in context of the overall budget.
More than 70 of the 90 legislators agreed to sponsor a measure to restore the entire $30 million, more than enough to override any gubernatorial veto if it came to that.