PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has funneled nearly $400 million of federal coronavirus relief funding to state agencies to help pay for operations, allowing them to return some of their original budget allocations to the state treasury.
Arizona has been responsible with our resources, while prioritizing public health. We’ve stretched and strengthened the social safety net and invested significantly to expand testing, enhance contact tracing, add more hospital capacity and staff, purchase PPE and more. 1/2 https://t.co/HHIX6kGjJ3
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) November 27, 2020
Ducey’s office says the move is prudent budgeting that will help Arizona avoid a severe fiscal crunch, but Jared Walczak of the Tax Foundation's Center for Tax Policy calls it's a “very aggressive interpretation" of federal rules. Arizona on Friday reported 4,314 additional confirmed cases and 20 deaths.
