Arizona Senate president can’t contain frustration over House budget behavior
Jun 26, 2025, 12:12 PM
PHOENIX – With the state budget in limbo and a potential government shutdown just days away, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen is expressing frustration with his Republican counterparts in the House.
“This whole session — I’ve been down there 13 years — this whole session feels like we’re in a nonstop negative hit piece campaign, and it frustrates progress,” the Republican leader told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Thursday.
“It’s all political. There’s no there’s no substance. There’s just talking points. There’s misinformation.”
Petersen said the Legislature should have finished its duty to complete budget for the next fiscal year, which starts Tuesday, and ended the session a long time ago.
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“Let’s stop wasting people’s time. Let’s stop sending out mass confusion. Let’s get the work done and let’s wrap this up,” he said.
Arizona Senate president apparently calls House leaders ‘charlatans’
Petersen said he’s more frustrated with the actions of seasoned lawmakers than freshman legislators who “get hoodwinked by charlatans.”
He didn’t name names but appeared to be talking about leaders in the Republican-led House and how they have handled the budget process.
“What I had found really baffling to me was the number of more experienced legislators who let the emperor wear no clothes,” he said.
For example, Petersen said it was “insane” to present a spending plan that has no chance of passing, something House Speaker Steve Montenegro has done twice. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed both House budget packages Wednesday after the Senate sent them to her desk — as she previously made clear she would do.
Will Arizona budget pass in time to thwart government shutdown?
Meanwhile, the Senate passed a $17.6 billion budget last week after negotiating the proposal with Hobbs.
The House hasn’t yet voted on the Senate package but is expected to this week. However, if the House amends the plan, the Senate would have to approve it again before Hobbs could sign it.
If the deal isn’t done by midnight Monday, the Arizona state government would shut down for the first time.
“I don’t think the House wants to be the reason why we have a shutdown. That doesn’t look good for them. It doesn’t look good for Republicans,” he said.
Petersen said he’s been working with House leaders to avoid or minimize changes to the Senate budget. He said they proposed nearly 20 revisions, but that is now down to a few items.
“I’m optimistic we can wrap this up either today or tomorrow as far as a deal, and then you would vote out the next day and the Senate would quickly follow,” he said.
