STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Senate Democratic Leader Katie Hobbs (D-24) and
House Democratic Leader Rebecca Rios (D-27) released the following statements
on Governor Ducey's budget proposal:
Senate
Democratic Leader Katie Hobbs (LD24):
“At
the beginning of this legislative session nobody thought we'd be talking about
giving educators a 20 percent raise. The credit for making that happen rests
entirely with Arizona's dedicated and passionate educators who made their
voices heard.
“After
years of neglect and empty promises, our educators deserve an iron-clad
commitment that their raises will be delivered and be permanent, but Governor
Ducey's plan to pay for them raises serious sustainability concerns and forces
other state services to suffer.
“Right
now we have the opportunity to sit down with legislators, the governor and,
most importantly, educators to find a way to fund a 20 percent raise as quickly
as possible and not subject to the whims of legislative appropriation or
economic fluctuations. This increase should also cover other instructional and
classroom support personnel.
“We've
been advocating for meaningful increases to K-12 funding and educator pay for
the decade since Republicans started slashing education funding. Now that
Republicans finally agree with the goal of increasing educator pay, we must
work together to ensure the execution of that goal is done sustainably and
responsibly.”
House
Democratic Leader Rebecca Rios (LD27):
“Make
no mistake, Democrats strongly support 20 percent pay increase for our
public-school educators, and doing it without shifting funds from other
education priorities. We have been pushing for a real, meaningful, sustainable
pay increase for our educators for years. We stand with all educators --
teachers, counselors and all support staff – who have led the incredible Red
for Ed movement.
“Thanks
to them, the Governor has made an abrupt about face on this issue in the right
direction. However, as details of his proposal emerge, it's clear he is not
having an honest conversation with Arizonans. We must raise educator salaries
in a sustainable way without taking much-needed money away from universities
(that are training our workforce), environmental protections (that keep our air
and water clean), healthcare and other services for Arizona's most vulnerable
populations.
“We
need to bring educators to the table with all stakeholders to find a reliable,
dedicated and sustainable funding source for education. We need all revenue
options on the table to do this right, not simply robbing Peter to pay Paul. We
are ready to make the tough decisions to do this correctly.
“As
it stands, Governor Ducey is cutting vital services and making a risky bet on
perpetual revenue growth in a state with a historically cyclical and sometimes
volatile economy. If Arizona experiences an even slight downturn, the demand
for AHCCCS and other vital services will go up, pitting those services against
education and throwing this budget out of balance. There are better options.”