Budget fight pushes Arizona closer to shutdown

Catch up quick: Senate Republicans and Hobbs negotiated a $17.6 billion bipartisan plan, which the Senate passed Friday before voting to adjourn for the year.

• House Republicans had voted the previous week to unilaterally approve a $17.3 billion budget, which Hobbs declared "dead on arrival."

The latest: After a lengthy, closed-door meeting of House Republicans, Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear) issued a statement Friday afternoon saying the chamber would pass a short-term "continuation budget" to avert a shutdown and fund the government past June 30 while negotiations continue.

• He said the Senate and Hobbs' budget didn't have the votes to pass the House, which Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) disputed.
• The governor's office on Saturday met with House Republicans to discuss the continuation budget, which she pledged to veto, calling it "pointless political grandstanding."
• Petersen on Sunday posted that if the House passes a new spending plan, "the Senate will reconvene to receive their budget proposal." It's unclear whether he would support a continuation budget, and he did not respond to a request for comment from Axios.

The intrigue: Senate Republicans and Hobbs both pointed fingers at House Republicans, stressing their leadership's refusal to participate in budget negotiations with them.

• Senate Republican chief of staff Josh Kredit posted on X the text of an email he sent to House Republicans, saying the Senate and Hobbs administration negotiated a budget after the House ignored an invitation to join the talks.
• Senate Appropriations Committee chair Sen. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) told Axios nearly three weeks ago that it was unusual the House hadn't joined budget discussions, adding, "It's never happened before in my time."

What's next: The House meets Monday at 1:15pm.