[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6190480,"mediaKeyId","5049039-0ab4ae9d03bc7f66e88d8d7e73e23d99","parentId",5049039,"title","Water officials warn budget would sweep more than $70 million from long‑term augmentation fund as committee advances budget","audioSeconds",4887,"startMs",129000,"endMs",5016000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5049039-0ab4ae9d03bc7f66e88d8d7e73e23d99&start=129&end=5016","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5049039-0ab4ae9d03bc7f66e88d8d7e73e23d99/thumbnail_129000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6190480/Arizona/Water-officials-warn-budget-would-sweep-more-than-70-million-from-longterm-augmentation-fund-as-committee-advances-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190480-69bebd03dbfe00a84af60a7745e7350e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773607765&Signature=hBUbpviflC4LVlEr6vFlROhAiNtuLXARItYLR2x~8m104s9EUH2tA36L9RVeWHOi~Kdg57Y8o~VLYNgSy5H0Ol4lviXuuHwwzJx3shkqINIf2ZFNEMpGUETzpLCpepF1wUyENGHy8JNtrVXHESz6xnGG9zJaGYVlbnLL0KrV5ExdT0tmhB4HK00yFJzqTp1Hb3Np0XA5EEFUrxoQXe1CMlmQAr-XiBFC8KQ-lzUuQHhey5G00JZUltii5MR2HO1nwrDbHBQRAyZZXRUNNxvKTMsrTqr-2Vq8lI-J-Ynj-~QK-qtvRZVUR41-vPy44xr3REwUEVKCeGLyO5GZ0b~Udw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arizona Legislature","date","2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced the fiscal‑year 2026 General Appropriations Act (Senate Bill 17‑35) after hearings in which water officials warned the bill would sweep funding set aside for long‑term water projects.

\"I am here today to respectfully oppose the post sweep of over $70,000,000 from the Long Term Water Augmentation Fund,\" Judah Wakselbaum, chief legislative liaison for the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona (WIFA), told the committee. \"This fund remains the only fund in the state solely dedicated to identifying and developing new long‑term water supplies.\"

Wakselbaum said WIFA is running a three‑phase competitive solicitation to identify teams capable of delivering large augmentation projects and that draining the dedicated fund would undercut that work. \"That process will fail if the legislature continues to drain the very fund to make it possible,\" he said. He also told senators the proposal before the committee swept more dollars than the House version and would weaken the state's negotiating leverage with potential private partners.

Why it matters: WIFA and others say the Long‑Term Water Augmentation Fund is the state's principal tool to pursue new supplies and to leverage federal and private investment. Committee members asked WIFA staff how the solicitation is structured and why the fund must remain intact. WIFA staff described a Phase 1 vetting of qualified teams, Phase 2 feasibility and vetting, and Phase 3 build‑out; they repeatedly said potential project details remain confidential while procurement moves forward.

Senator John Kavanaugh, committee chairman, and Senator David Leach pressed WIFA on timing and transparency. Leach said members and constituents see the pace as slow and described the fund's repeated use as a \"piggy bank.\" Wakselbaum said WIFA provided regular updates to nonvoting legislative board members and that the methodical solicitation process is intended to protect the state's fiduciary duty and attract credible partners.

The appropriations bill discussed in the hearing includes multiple FY2026 allocations across state government. Wakselbaum and other speakers singled out the Long‑Term Water Augmentation Fund sweep as particularly harmful to long‑term water planning.

What happened next: The committee moved SB17‑35 with a due‑pass recommendation. The committee vote count on the bill recorded in the hearing was 8 ayes and 2 nays.

Discussion points recorded in committee:
- WIFA: the Long‑Term Water Augmentation Fund is intended as committed leverage in negotiations with private and public partners; reducing it reduces the state's bargaining position.
- Senators: concerns about pace of projects, desire for more information on project types (WIFA said procurement confidentiality limits public disclosure during solicitation), and frustration that the fund has been used for other purposes in prior years.

No final law change beyond the committee action was adopted in the hearing; SB17‑35 will proceed to floor consideration where the full membership will continue debate.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","06/17/2025 - Senate Appropriations","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced the FY2026 general appropriations bill after WIFA officials warned it would sweep more than $70 million from the Long‑Term Water Augmentation Fund, jeopardizing a competitive solicitation to secure long‑term water supplies.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Arizona, Arizona","taxId",78572,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190475,"Prison professionals tell Senate committee staffing shortfalls and assaults have doubled; association seeks 20% pay increase for security staff",471,1074000,1545000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5049039-0ab4ae9d03bc7f66e88d8d7e73e23d99&start=1074&end=1545","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5049039-0ab4ae9d03bc7f66e88d8d7e73e23d99/thumbnail_1074000.jpg","/articles/6190475/Arizona/Prison-professionals-tell-Senate-committee-staffing-shortfalls-and-assaults-have-doubled-association-seeks-20-pay-increase-for-security-staff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190475-c15422d293193438ea4eaca8fef9ca1c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773607765&Signature=KSayAypE5Jx3U5PVH7bwXyVUBl-GcWNc-iCUwEVUyQzaOgY9bZmWUa771~gp4W0qZPdObrvlxP8tKKyhRdZ1rqkxZXJdHnQAbE~QRU4XOSOiHSrOnm1rtT1T-mkZ5dYId64ysn43CgoqnJ-Nj4sRlOughKhbNddttArAfBzbyhHdcdrBpHiZX249DpU5MGsc~gqEby1YET~5eQ6qlVnlrB4I42cBfZJQcnSAG3OoMmq4FL59c27MzJw-2Mqy3IwYrUuhqOz8NRxD0ugBwfgTrjSKZdcwCHWCUB0hjxp9F5WAmsCrxPFRzEInGdrbhacyf60ffWL0fc~YRBoljiWNtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Arizona corrections professionals told the Senate Appropriations Committee that staffing shortages, rising assaults and retention challenges are straining operations and public safety inside state prisons.

\"Our staff levels, our system is stretched to the breaking point,\" Barry DeFeo, executive president of the Arizona Correctional Association and a 25‑year corrections professional, told senators. He said assaults on staff rose from 244 in January 2024 to 480 by January 2025 and that the Department of Corrections faces more than 2,000 vacancies — a roughly 20% statewide vacancy rate.

DeFeo asked the Legislature to approve immediate investments aimed at stabilizing the workforce, including \"a minimum 20% pay increase for security staff and 10% for non‑security staff.\" He described current pay as lagging comparable agencies and private‑sector security work, contributing to retention problems.

Senators pressed DeFeo about retirement windows and retention. DeFeo said many staff in a near‑retirement window have told him they will stay if pay increases are enacted, and that retention gains from a 20% pay raise would extend some staff tenures by at least three years because of pension calculations.

Committee members also discussed geographic differences in hiring and retention. DeFeo said rural complexes such as Yuma and Douglas typically hire above capacity because local options for other employment are limited; those facilities then supply staff to other complexes where vacancies are higher. He characterized the statewide vacancy range at facilities as typically 15%–26% depending on complex.

Context and related proposals: Witnesses including advocates and providers later urged investment in reentry and jail‑based diversion programs to reduce incarceration demand. Supporters of coordinated reentry funding told the committee such county‑level programs can reduce recidivism and lower incarceration pressure on state facilities.

No vote or appropriation specific to corrections pay was adopted in the hearing; the corrections testimony was part of the broader appropriations package under consideration.","Corrections professionals told the Senate Appropriations Committee that assault rates have nearly doubled and staffing vacancies exceed 2,000 employees — about one in five positions — and urged a 20% pay increase for security staff to stabilize the workforce.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190465,"Hospitals warn proposed cuts to assessment could cost Arizona hospitals 'three times' the direct hit after federal match lost",75,1735000,1810000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5049039-0ab4ae9d03bc7f66e88d8d7e73e23d99&start=1735&end=1810","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5049039-0ab4ae9d03bc7f66e88d8d7e73e23d99/thumbnail_1735000.jpg","/articles/6190465/Arizona/Hospitals-warn-proposed-cuts-to-assessment-could-cost-Arizona-hospitals-three-times-the-direct-hit-after-federal-match-lost","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190465-ebe0ac019160b084c2f6b7f0b95584ec/orig.mp4?Expires=1773607765&Signature=ZtCyKTWQKJrGbSlT~4saP3B~FCQX4j5cr~vn9YdRJpgjcywQWvrgUjYebYcvSseEGPsd2XrwIPJW5GCSz4qaVK8ObEjm8PCZEgjRmc8qZTgbZ4gyZ5XpfgwbCoXgnqMQbkFoUXDt6tAvdXrlxWgHrU1gWJMZU1XzS923xVImN2FVhxeeYRUdCju2Cvnz1GS1C1KFqe~j0tRMDHQIJUa7oxW0YkO1rrCOUO6WLieMh8b1ntNhn7U9iMMNRYsfb8U4M8tp5LjFX1Oh5gq6GS7OUZxzfyqqVk6yzwVgv4nnI0IfFFgDT2aWvViIROGNvTjmGMKZ1MojSyqLV2YJYSJuzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hospital advocates told the Senate Appropriations Committee they oppose provisions that would reduce or retool an existing hospital assessment, which they said helped secure federal matching funds to reimburse care for Medicaid beneficiaries.

\"Hospitals agreed to the assessments over 12 years ago to help cover the state's portion for Medicaid beneficiaries,\" Tom Farley of the Health Systems Alliance of Arizona testified. He said the assessments are designed to recoup roughly 80%–90% of costs through a federal match and that reducing the state assessment by $100 million would, in effect, remove the federal match and could amount to roughly a $300 million impact on hospital reimbursements.

Farley told the committee hospitals are already planning contingencies because of possible federal changes to Medicaid reimbursement and urged lawmakers to find ways to reduce the potential impact on hospitals. He thanked senators for language in the Senate budget that would end an annual hospital assessment practice carried in last year’s budget, while urging lawmakers to look for offsets to soften the blow.

Committee members asked whether hospital systems were seeing concrete notices from federal authorities; Farley said national consultants and federal‑level analysis indicate the potential scale of changes and that states are evaluating mitigation strategies.

No formal change to the assessment rate was adopted during the committee hearing; Farley’s testimony was part of the record as senators considered FY2026 appropriations.","Hospital representatives told the Senate Appropriations Committee that trimming a $100 million hospital assessment in the state budget will reduce federal matching dollars and effectively multiply the impact on hospital reimbursements. The Health Systems Alliance said the assessment helped generate federal dollars that reimburse care for Medicaid",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190470,"Families praise budget funding for DDD and ALTCS, urge continued support for lifetime services",1016,1583000,2599000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5049039-0ab4ae9d03bc7f66e88d8d7e73e23d99&start=1583&end=2599","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5049039-0ab4ae9d03bc7f66e88d8d7e73e23d99/thumbnail_1583000.jpg","/articles/6190470/Arizona/Families-praise-budget-funding-for-DDD-and-ALTCS-urge-continued-support-for-lifetime-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190470-e30f5c1a9a50b4be65ccb9bc0ef1d52f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773607765&Signature=LbnSpxc6CMuzGE4CBqiIYHjbDfPLTg4TD7oZX3wmHjTnc1Cnalujw~BqGnpz~1n8YLXsFBjBXEopDxqV0~qqs-taEAFJn7VVwqd6wTG8ELM1t~J5Nui1yGbqY5-ZfvttBlRkn25HC8LPjcmcYKYR~QkDbgN4cNo9UGAcyycijkFY1el4TeEzZB6zbRks5TWzjYYI7bfUcWh-CNtkro7-XZOr2YbJb1J3Q8V90JtvatsZUxnJffTd8Wsx5AT0TsO18Mfu7kfCpFwddHhn6NhTFqj5t8LESxVWaACpc5xn-L9qsq6gebasw72mK0RW4SGKrFa4pfa2wgaSqYdHjV8XnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parents and caregivers testified in support of proposed funding for the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) and the Arizona Long‑Term Care System (ALTCS), telling senators the services funded through the budget are essential to daily life and long‑term care.

\"My son would not be alive without DDD ALTCS access,\" Amanda Lugo said, describing her son Caden as medically fragile and saying DDD services provide the specialists and care needed to sustain his life. Lugo thanked lawmakers for a bipartisan budget that she said preserved funding for DDD and ALTCS.

Rachel Lack, a mother of a 13‑year‑old with profound, nonverbal autism, described habilitation and augmentative and alternative communication devices (AAC) funded through DDD. \"This device...gave him his voice. This was life changing for us,\" she said, describing an iPad with a touch‑chat app provided through DDD that enabled her son to communicate basic needs.

Both witnesses asked the committee to maintain and expand funding so children and adults with developmental disabilities can access therapies, housing supports and services that many families expect will be needed for life. \"Disabilities do not stop at 18,\" Lack told the committee, urging lawmakers to consider the long‑term care needs of adults.

The committee heard multiple family testimony panels over the hearing; the DDD and ALTCS funding discussion was part of the broader appropriations hearings that also included health, education and human services funding requests.

No independent appropriation was enacted during the testimony; families addressed members ahead of the committee's pending decisions on the FY2026 appropriations package.","Parents of Arizonans with developmental disabilities told the Senate Appropriations Committee that proposed FY2026 funding for the Division of Developmental Disabilities and ALTCS is life‑changing. Family witnesses described services including habilitation, occupational and speech therapy and the provision of augmentative and alternative","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Water officials warn budget would sweep more than $70 million from long‑term augmentation fund as committee advances budget

Prison professionals tell Senate committee staffing shortfalls and assaults have doubled; association seeks 20% pay increase for security staff

Hospitals warn proposed cuts to assessment could cost Arizona hospitals 'three times' the direct hit after federal match lost

Families praise budget funding for DDD and ALTCS, urge continued support for lifetime services