Governor’s agenda wanes amid budget crisis

The state’s financial crisis and partisan politics have stymied much of Gov. Janet Napolitano’s legislative agenda this year. Lawmakers, just five weeks away from the start of the new fiscal year, are still mulling options to close a $2 billion deficit in the $10 billion budget.

Napolitano vetoes bill easing right to pull gun

The governor is set to meet this morning with Senate President Tim Bee, R-Tucson, and House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix, to discuss the budget, the first such gathering in more than two months.

While Republican leaders have been crunching numbers behind closed doors, rank-and-file members have used the opportunity to revive pet bills.

But so far, none of Napolitano’s priorities has resurfaced and only one has made its way through the Legislature and to her desk— fixes to the employer sanctions law passed last year.

“The budget is clearly an issue,” said Jeanine L’Ecuyer, the governor’s spokeswoman. “But the session’s not over.”

The Democratic governor outlined a lengthy agenda when she opened the legislative session in January with her sixth State of the State address.

Among other things, she called for expanded health coverage, more data from insurance companies, raising the school drop-out age to 18 and an alternate “3-in-1” driver’s license.

But members of the Republican-led Legislature immediately attacked her plans as too expensive and nonstarters that had been tried and failed. Still, several measures cleared Senate committees, and at least two proposals remain in play.

A measure to license loan officers, for example, has cleared the Senate’s Democratic caucus but awaits action by the GOP. So does a sweeping energy bill that would require efficiency standards for new construction, energy savings for schools and policies on reduced greenhouse gas emissions, held up last week in the Senate Republican caucus.

A few of the governor’s proposals didn’t require legislative action, including a bid to freeze tuition costs (not happening), and a plan to put parents with children in state custody at the head of the line for substance abuse treatment (moving ahead administratively).

Bills that had costs attached, or even the hint of a cost, were instant losers, such as a proposal to refer a statewide transportation plan to voters. Supporters have since launched a petition drive for a plan funded by a 1-cent increase in the state sales tax, but Napolitano’s office expressed frustration that, after many meetings with key lawmakers and other players, it had to come to that.

“We tried very hard to get the Legislature to do something, and they just wouldn’t do it,” L’Ecuyer said. “By the end of March, it was clear that they weren’t going to move.”

But lawmakers are moving on other bills, sending hundreds of measures to Napolitano for her signature. Just not the ones she wanted.

Sen. Carolyn Allen, R-Scottsdale, said there has been time in recent weeks, while legislative leaders have been in closed meetings, for some mischief. Some members are trying to attach lengthy, often unrelated, amendments to bills during floor debate, giving lawmakers little or no time to read the bill before casting their votes.

“We have reached a point where we are just slaughtering the process,” said Allen, who walked off during a recent floor session. “I left. I just got disgusted.”

Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, said individual proposals are insignificant when compared with the budget.

“We are in the most serious financial crisis that I believe this state has ever faced,” Johnson said. “This session will be productive if we can tame this voracious bureaucratic monster that we have done here.”

Johnson and other GOP lawmakers say they won’t support a budget that includes borrowing to finance school construction. Allen said she’s doubtful, however, that House and Senate leaders will be able to get enough votes to pass a budget without it, because the alternative is deeper program cuts.

Meanwhile, Napolitano’s priorities languish while budget talks, stalled for weeks, appear to be gearing up again.

“They have all my numbers. They’ve had them for weeks now. And I keep waiting and I can’t negotiate with myself,” she said last week. “I don’t know what’s taking them so long, but it’s time to get moving.”

How they fared
Here’s a look at how some of Gov. Janet Napolitano’s legislative priorities have fared:

• Raise drop-out age to 18: never got a hearing
• Home equity theft protection act: died in the Senate
• License loan officers: Still in play
• Fixes to employer sanctions law: signed into law
• Direct racketeering money to enforce employer sanctions law: never got a hearing
• 3-in-1 drivers license/passport/proof of citizenship: never introduced
• CPS families first in line for substance abuse treatment: administrative, in progress
• State trust land initiative: ballot drive
• State transportation plan: ballot drive
• Greenhouse gas emissions/building efficiency standards: still in play
• Expand health coverage to dependents up to age 25: never introduced
• KidShare, allowing families to buy coverage from KidsCare plans: died in the Senate
• Require more detailed information from health insurance companies: never got a hearing
• Expand veterans benefits counselors: budget item; in play