Look who's now calling the plays in the close contest to pass the budget in The Arizona State House.
After a two-week time-out, let's get a replay of the action from Bowie Fischer House GOP leaders plan to put their state spending plan and tax-cut package up for a vote Monday.
It's unlikely, though, that they currently have the votes — a fact they acknowledge. But the strategy appears to be: Get everyone on record and then figure out where to go from there...
Arizona House GOP Leaders To Force Vote On $12.8 Billion Budget
Published: Friday, June 4, 2021 - 6:22pm
Updated: Friday, June 4, 2021 - 6:54pm
. . .But at some point, Bowers said, the plan needs to be put up for a vote to see if there are the necessary 31 House Republicans willing to adopt it. That could occur on Monday — Bowers issued a notice for all representatives to return to the House at 9 a.m. Monday.
"I'm hoping that it isn't a 'Hail Mary,' he said. "But if it is, it is."
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. . .Bowers agreed that the best move at this point is just to push ahead. An up or down vote would identify who isn't going to go along, putting the onus on them to bring an offer to leadership, he said.
Reaching a consensus among Republican lawmakers has not just been a struggle in the House.
"As of right now we still do not have the needed 16 votes,'' said Senate President Karen Fann (R-Prescott). "We are still working with the members.''
More >> The main provision would alter current law, which imposes a 2.59% rate on taxable income of up to $53,000 for married couples, with increasing rates up to 4.5% on amounts above $318,000. That would be replaced by a single 2.5% rate on all taxable income.
Lawmakers cannot repeal the 3.5% tax rate voters approved in November on incomes above $500,000 to help fund education. But the plan calls for blunting the effect by having an absolute 4.5% cap on all income taxes.
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey apparently is holding out hope the plan holds. 
"We're convinced we have a solid budget on the table,'' said his press aide C.J. Karamargin. Karamargin also defended the governor's decision more than a week ago to veto 22 bills — most of them sponsored by Republicans — after lawmakers failed to send him a budget plan of his liking.
"If these negotiations result in a budget that we believe is in the best interests of Arizona, you will see what we accomplished,'' Karamargin said.
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. . .House Majority Leader Ben Toma, R-Peoria, said legislative leadership is amending the budget bills, in some cases making significant changes — but it’s unclear whether it will be enough to bring the holdouts on board
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At this point, the plan is the plan,
At this point, the plan is the plan, Toma said he hopes that, at some point, people realize the package just isn't going to get any better.
"The budget every year, at least for me — and I assume most legislators would probably say the same thing — is always a certain exercise of holding your nose and voting because there's enough in it that you like that offsets what you don't like,'' he said. "This year is no different.''
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