Arizona Legislature Passes $17.6B Bipartisan Budget Boosting Public Safety, Education, Child Care

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has signed the bipartisan Arizona Promise budget, a $17.6 billion plan focused on expanding opportunity, security, and freedom for residents through investments in public safety, education, healthcare, and family welfare. The budget includes a 5% pay raise for state troopers and a 15% raise for firefighters, along with $30 million dedicated to wildfire suppression. It significantly boosts education funding, including $54 million for the Arizona Promise Program scholarships, $297 million for K-12 school construction and improvements, and inaugural funding for community college scholarships. Child care accessibility is enhanced with nearly $126 million allocated to reduce waitlists and eliminate co-pays for reduced-price school meals. Public safety initiatives also include $8 million for the Governor’s SAFE Initiative to combat drug smuggling and human trafficking and $20 million to support victims of violent crimes. Additional infrastructure projects and health care expansions complement these priorities, reflecting strong bipartisan cooperation to avoid a government shutdown and deliver meaningful benefits to Arizonans.