The deadline for Arizona to waive a cap on school spending is coming up in less than a month, but lawmakers have started to take some steps to do that.
A House committee has approved a version of a measure to lift the cap for this coming year, and today the Senate is expected to take a vote on its version — without the proposal having gone through a committee.
The state Senate has rescheduled a vote on waiving the education spending limit and is now set to vote Tuesday.
The Legislature has less than a month to waive that limit, or else schools would be unable to use nearly $1.4 billion approved for them in last year’s budget.
Sen. Ken Bennett (R-Prescott) says Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, a fellow Republican, has helped persuade some GOP lawmakers to lift the spending cap.
Still, the party’s far-right freedom caucus opposes the move and calls for spending accountability.
The vote was delayed because of a key supporting senator’s absence. The bill needs 20 votes to pass.
For more on what to expect this week at the state Capitol, The Show spoke to Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services.
