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Mulish Budget Battle Unique In Arizona, another of the three states requiring a two-thirds majority to pass a budget, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano has outraged the Republican majority in the Legislature by refusing to make the cuts they think necessary to eliminate a $1-billion gap. An alternative budget crafted by GOP lawmakers failed to win two-thirds approval last month after two Senate Republicans broke ranks and voted against the bill. Still, even amid that partisan hostility, Arizona party leaders began meeting last week to reach an agreement, in contrast to their California colleagues. "I think everybody has gotten to a point they've given up some stuff and gotten some stuff, and they're not happy," said Nick Simonetta, spokesman for Senate Republicans in Arizona. The contrast to California couldn't be greater than in Delaware, where lawmakers take palpable pride in their bipartisan tradition. After a divisive budget crisis in the late 1970s undermined the state's credit rating, the Delaware Legislature set up an economic forecasting committee and a joint House-Senate finance committee that tackles each year's budget in a cooperative atmosphere. More important, legislators say they are determined not to let partisan differences get in their way. And they're honoring that pledge this year, even as the Republican-dominated Legislature considers $145 million in tax increases proposed by Democratic Gov. Ruth Ann Minner.
"Even though we might yell and scream, we do recognize we've got to come out of this with something that represents a balanced budget that puts us in a position of strength," said House member Joseph G. Di Pinto, a Republican and co-chairman of the joint finance committee. "So we always end up where we need to be, and we come out being friends."
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