Arizona lawmakers approve $1.1 billion in budget cuts

[JonLP24]

Source: azcentral.com

The 2012 Arizona budget, heavy with cuts but light on gimmicks, will make a lasting imprint on residents, services and the economy, both advocates and critics say.

For supporters, especially the Republican majority in the Legislature, the fiscal 2012 budget is a major step toward ending the state's recent cycle of ongoing deficits and debt financing. It puts the budget on stable footing and will open a new, positive chapter for Arizona's economy, they say.

But critics, from city and county officials to parents and advocates for the poor, say the budget's $1.1 billion in cuts and shifts to local governments will write a sad sequel to several years of belt-tightening in the state.

The Legislature gave final approval Friday to an $8.3 billion budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. It's on its way to Gov. Jan Brewer, who is expected to sign it next week.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/04/02/20110402arizona-lawmakers-approve-budget-cuts.html