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Arizona House GOP limits debate on budget, speeding passage

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Posted at 1:58 PM, Jun 24, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-24 16:58:26-04

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona House Republicans angered at a Democratic walkout earliier in the week limited debate as they began pushing through a Senate-approved state budget that slashes income taxes and contains a conservative wish list of policy changes.

House Speaker Rusty Bowers on Thursday blamed Democratic obstruction for allowing only 30 minutes of debate on each of the 11 bills in the $12.8 billion budget plan. Such debate typically takes up hours on each bill. Minority Democrats were furious but could not block the rule change.

The first budget bill then sped through the chamber with only Republican support. It was the $1.8 billion income tax cut mainly benefitting the wealthy.