While a judge has said the tax cut is subject to referendum, there is still a challenge to whether there are sufficient signatures on the petitions. Watch a non-stop stream of breaking news, live events and stories across the nation. Strictly speaking, the state gets no property tax revenues. Phoenix lawmaker said that gun safety equipment would also be sold free of sales tax. DeSantis, Cabinet members and other state leaders also were helped by budget-writers Tuesday, who agreed to spend $31.3 million to buy two Embraer Phenom 300E executive jets, each with an 11-seat capacity, under legislation awaiting final approval. Gov. State employees will get a raise, many for the first time in a decade. The Arizona Freedom Caucus announced it would be filing a lawsuit challenging Gov. 5 min read Despite failing to meet a late Tuesday deadline to finalize a 2022-23 state budget, House and Senate negotiators did manage to approve a 5.38% pay raise. Lawmakers in the House and Senate ended a months-long impasse, working through the night to approve the budget shortly before sunrise. The firings of more than 100 auditors and collectors, who were among the lowest-paid employees at Revenue, ended up costing the state $83million in lost revenue. There also is a separate and as of yet undefined plan to cut business property taxes. The budget is not sound and its not reflective of my conservative values, Ugenti-Rita said. Doug Ducey highlighted border security as one of his main priorities for 2022. She says one day, federal money will run out, so states need to start thinking long-term. GOP and Democratic leaders agreed to add $526 million in new ongoing funding for K-12 schools, a substantial increase from the GOPs initial proposal. has given 44 of his staff members raises of up to 20 percent each. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. FY 2022 Appropriations Report - General Fund Salary Adjustments for State Employees Since FY 2012 and Salary Adjustments for Elected Officials Created Date 8/4/2021 4:55:37 PM After firing auditors, state's Revenue agency gave raises to select employees. Any existing additional dollar amounts an employee had chosen to be withheld will not be changed. The Pima County Board of Supervisors had eight pay raise proposals to choose from, ranging from a low of 5% to a high of 10%. Ducey is seeking similar permanent raises for troopers and at other agencies in the budget proposal he released on Friday. Instead, they are looking at a chain-link fence, similar to what is around state prisons. By Associated Press Originally Published: June 23, 2022 10:52 a.m. PHOENIX - Arizona's legislature approved a bipartisan $18 billion spending plan early Thursday that will make substantial. The improbable bipartisanship was enabled by an unprecedented surplus topping $5 billion, allowing for a broad array of new spending and savings. The budget has nearly $600 million in new, permanent funding for public schools, up from about $330 million in the original proposal. Reach the reporter at craig.harris@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8478 or on Twitter @charrisazrep. The budget is not sound and its not reflective of my conservative values, Ugenti-Rita said. They apparently succeeded Tuesday, but still unclear in negotiations was whether teachers and staff in these districts would be eligible for the new school recognition awards. Nursing home employees also would reach $15-an-hour minimum pay as part of a 7% increase in Medicaid rates paid nursing homes that was also agreed to Tuesday. But the fate of dollars for the rural and family lands program remained in flux late Tuesday. Prior efforts to stabilize Arizona's water supply have come up short. PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Gov. "Arizona is resilient, and we . "So yeah, well deserved and hopefully it does what the intent was, to try to stop the high number of regrettable attrition that we have, increased retirement, guys going out earlier than they probably would have.". It raises pay in January 2022 to $300 and raises employer premiums. It creates a state version of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit that targets low-income households where someone is working and, in most cases, where there is a child. Arizona's legislature approved a bipartisan $18 billion spending plan early. As of last summer, the state workforce is down by 4,862 employees since Ducey took office, to 33,222. But for Democrats, this may have been the last chance for the foreseeable future to make an imprint on the state budget. And just over a month ago, this is exactly what happened in Arizona, as former state CIO Aaron Sandeen passed the torch to our new state CIO Morgan Reed. Pursuant to State laws and rules, state employees may receive paid leave in order to exercise their voting privileges under certain conditions. I had a bill I really cared about that I wanted included in the budget, a tax cut for low-income working families, Bowie said. Retired state employees would get another one-time, 1% cost-of-living bonus on top of the 3% already approved for this year. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Virtual meetings will be held at various times throughout February, March and April 2023. ADOA Human Resources . Jun 10, 2022 Updated Jan 20, 2023. With COVID still an issue and continued sentiment by many Republicans against mandatory masks or vaccinations look for early debate on ree, Governor says his final year will be to "cement our successes.''. All rights reserved. Arizonas legislature has approved a bipartisan $18 billion spending plan making substantial investments in public schools and new highways. It would raise payments from $240 to $320, with a second increase to $400 when the state's unemployment fund is back to its normal level. SB 1411 was introduced by Republican State Senator Karen Fann. While adults may find that sports gambling is a way to enhance the experience with more than just fandom on the line, it can be a dangerous proposition if children get involved in the activity. Hundreds of millions are set aside for water infrastructure as the state faces prolonged drought. It also eliminates the state equalization tax, a property tax for education, and backfills it with $330 million from the general fund. Pass it along to the KTAR News team here. Cities and counties in Arizona are also struggling to fill positions because of low pay, and Ducey said in his state of the state address last week that his 15% pay hike would make troopers the best paid officers in the state. "Arizona came in second to last. Find in Google Maps Jeffrey Hawkins, president of the Arizona State Troopers Association, said the premium pay is sorely needed at the agency that not only patrols state highways but does investigations, runs a crime lab and does many other law enforcement jobs. May 6, 2022 Updated May 7, 2022 0 As part of House Bill 1, also known as the executive branch budget, state employees will receive an 8% across-the-board raise in the next fiscal year.. The bill now heads to the Governors desk to await his signature to become law. Arizona state employee raises 2022. Also on Thursday evening, Senate made its way through its calendar, completing action on six additional bills and passing 11 others that will need to be finalized by the House. About one-third of the top positions for Arizona state agencies received a boost in pay for 2015, with many of Governor Doug Ducey's new hires now getting paid substantially more than their . State employees will get a raise, many for the first time in a decade. But that $150 is less than Ducey wants to give schools that already have an A rating, up to an extra $429 per student for schools with a high number of children in poverty and $241 for those with fewer students in need. The budget is not sound and its not reflective of my conservative values, Ugenti-Rita said. Republicans are widely expected to expand their majority in the 2022 election thanks to new district boundaries that appear to favor the GOP. That includes money for grants to schools for needed repairs as well as cash to begin three new high schools at Marana, Pima and Nadaburg school districts. Nobody loves a budget once all the compromises are made, said Senate Majority Leader Rick Gray, R-Sun City. Rick Scott, a multi-millionaire, who had sold the states former air fleet and paid for and used his own jet for state travel. Arizona state employees get raises without needed OKs, Domestic partners employed by state gain win at Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court rejects Arizona gay rights case, YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS/PRIVACY POLICY. Excess annual leave must be used on or before Friday, January 6, 2023 to avoid forfeiture of excess hours. For more information, refer to the web story from AZDOR:Arizonas Employees Have New Tax Withholding Options. Lawmaker said 2016 legislation pushed by Airbnb and signed into law by Gov. GOP leaders decided to just take the easy road out, the path of least resistance and give up and just spend, said Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, a Scottsdale Republican who voted against the budget. AZPerforms was successfully upgraded and is now available. That includes $544 million for border security, roughly half of it for a wall, and $1 billion for highway construction, including widening Interstate 10 north of Casa Grande. Gov. 1/. The package of budget bills passed with overwhelming support, highly unusual in the modern era. Using the money to provide premium pay for essential workers is allowed under terms of the virus relief law signed by the Democratic president last March. House budget chair Jay Trumbull, R-Panama City, and his Senate counterpart, Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, agreed to the pay raise before getting bogged down amid a host of big ticket items still unsettled across a proposed budget topping $100 billion for only the second time in state history. Please take this into consideration when planning for the avoidance of forfeiture of excess hours. Senate Bill 531 applies to teachers, school counselors, school service personnel and State Troopers. And it puts another $425 million in the rainy day fund to help the state weather a potential recession. 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All rights reserved. Only a handful of dissenters from each party voted against the package of bills, and Republican Gov. And even if that fails, GOP legislative leaders are planning a maneuver that effectively would quash a public vote by repealing last years version and reenacting something new and possibly different this year. John Kennedy is a reporter in the USA TODAY Networks Florida Capital Bureau. PASSED Over the last eight years, Arizona has made responsible decisions to live within our means, reduce burdensome government regulations and increase trust in our citizens and the result is a booming economy with record revenues. But lawmakers have reduced that amount, targeting $209.5 million for housing initiatives, but limiting rental assistance efforts to about $100 million, with another $100 million establishing a hometown heroes program helping first responders, teachers and nurses with down payment assistance. Tax cuts and revisiting voided pandemic restrictions also top agenda for new session. The Cigna DHMO Dental plan is changing to the UnitedHealthcare Solstice S800B DHMO (UHC Solstice). Districts lose dollars because of masks: GOP lawmaker aims to strip state funding from school districts that defied Gov. The Parks and Revenue departments both gave select staff members significant pay raises after mass firings at both agencies. Both measures will allow laid-off workers to take on more part-time work. In his last budget plan, Gov. He citied Boyers leadership, your stubbornness, your perseverance, for reaching the deal. Few events have the potential to impact technology and the government like the appointment of a new state CIO. With this budget, were putting those dollars to good use and investing in priorities that Republicans and Democrats alike can agree on.. DeSantis on masks, Districts rebelled against DeSantis: Florida school districts rebel against governor's mask order, presenting political test, What DeSantis wanted: Helped by federal aid, Gov. "But Id say that Arizona in general has not followed the market trend when it comes to police pay.". Best States is an interactive platform developed by U.S. News for ranking the 50 U.S. states, alongside news analysis and daily reporting. Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. Lawmakers in the House and Senate ended a months-long impasse, working through the night to approve the budget shortly before sunrise. Updated: 6:21 AM MST June 23, 2022 ARIZONA, USA Editor's note: The above video aired during a previous broadcast. 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Most of the spending increases that were included in the FY 2022 budget are one- time (versus ongoing), which ho nors a core tenet of the Governor's focus on fiscal sustainability and avoiding over-burdening the State's budget, as was done in the mid -2000s with disastrous fiscal consequences. So, what's the best way to get a raise if you work for the state of Arizona? Instead, a proposal that looked close to being accepted by the two sides would put the $200 million into a school recognition program that would reward faculty and staff in "highly productive" schools that excelled even amid the challenges of the pandemic. PHOENIX Arizona Gov. The proposal also has $80 million in a salary reserve allowing. Ironically, it was the Legislature's most conservative lawmakers who forced the hands of GOP leaders when they balked at initial, smaller spending proposals. After losing support on the right, House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Senate President Karen Fann had to look elsewhere for votes, and they found them across the aisle. Over the last eight years, Arizona has made responsible decisions to live within our means, reduce burdensome government regulations and increase trust in our citizens and the result is a booming economy with record revenues. Doug Ducey is proposing a $14.25 billion spending plan for the new fiscal year, about 8.6% more than this year,. The Arizona Board of Regents approved the University of Arizona's . Learn about Deferred Compensation and how this important employee benefit can assist you in Saving for the Future. Ducey, who last year offered teachers raises ofless than1 percent,has given 44 of his staff members raises of up to 20 percent each.