For Star subscribers: Democrats argue the proposed bill, with a $700 million price tag, is a fake effort that Republican lawmakers can't fund in the long term.
Bob Christie Capitol Media Services PHOENIX — Arizona House Republicans on Monday gave preliminary approval to $10,000 per year raises for public school teachers over the objections of Democrats who say the plan is a fake effort they know GOP lawmakers can’t fund in the long term.
“I think it is incumbent upon this Legislature to do all they can to support teachers to make sure that teachers are paid what they deserve, paid for a good job that they are doing,” Martinez said. “We cannot stand by as a Legislature and say that our teachers are paid so much that they would not value a $10,000 raise, and we need to do everything we can to attract teachers.”
Adopted in 1980, it adjusts for inflation and student growth. But the costs of education have grown so much that the state has bumped up against that cap repeatedly.Lawmakers for the past two years agreed to one-year waivers of the cap to deal with prior increases in education funding. Democrats, however, say that’s hardly an assurance and proposed an amendment, defeated by Republicans, to put the question of repealing the cap on the 2024 ballot.
Gress said in an interview after the bill received initial approval that he joins with Democrats in seeking a change to the school spending limit. And he said he was actually heartened to see the contents of that failed Democratic floor amendment because it lays the groundwork for an eventual compromise that would both boost teacher pay by using a dedicated fund and increase transparency.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Poll: 2 in 10 Democrats Support Biden in Hypothetical 2024 Primary MatchupOnly two in ten Democrats support President Joe Biden in a hypothetical 2024 primary matchup, a March survey from McLaughlin & Associates found.
Read more »
New York Democrats Propose 'Netflix Tax' to Bail Out Failing Subway SystemDemocrats in New York are reportedly weighing a new four percent tax on streaming entertainment subscriptions like Netflix and Hulu to help bail out New York City's failing subway system, which is facing a $2.5 billion budget deficit by 2025. | Entertainment
Read more »
Top Democrats warn Biden: Don't restart family detentionsAs he prepares for an expected 2024 presidential campaign, Biden has tried to distance himself from the left. The letter from Sens. Durbin, Schumer, Sanders, Warren and others amounts to a warning.
Read more »
Afflicted Democrats just can’t stop targeting TrumpThe dormant but deadly disease has sprung back to life — not COVID-19, but Trump Derangement Syndrome.
Read more »
Gun reforms pass Colorado House after Democrats limit Republican filibusterNEW: Colorado lawmakers passed two gun reform bills Sunday after three days of Republican filibustering that only ended after House Democrats dusted off a rarely used rule to accelerate votes and end what they described as stall tactics.
Read more »
Senate Democrats ask military to protect abortion access for service membersThree-quarters of the Senate’s Democrats have sent a letter urging Defense Sec. Austin to continue to protect access to abortion care for service members and their families.
Read more »