Arizona Speaker of the House Steve Montenegro (R-29) has announced the membership of the recently formed House Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Budget Mismanagement.
Last week, State Representative David Livingston (R-28) issued a statement condemning Governor Katie Hobbs's (D-AZ) supposed mismanagement of Arizona's budget as the Department of Child Safety's (DCS) Congregate Care system is set to go bankrupt.
Gov. Hobbs's office asked for additional funding to the program to be diverted from other sources, to which Arizona Republicans said funds for Congregate Care already exist.
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"Governor Hobbs's repeated failures to manage the budget responsibly have pushed agencies into crisis after crisis. Her administration's approach is to overspend, ignore reality, and then demand a last-minute bailout. That's not leadership—that's recklessness," said Rep. Livingston, adding, "DCS already has the money it needs to address this failure, and today, we made sure it can use those funds."
Speaker Montenegro has formed the House Ad Hoc Committee on Executive Budget Mismanagement in response.
"We're seeing a complete breakdown in basic budget planning," said Montenegro in the press release, adding, "Governor Hobbs' pattern is to overspend, under plan, and wait until the last possible moment to admit failure. House Republicans are stepping in to protect taxpayers, ensure responsible spending, and keep essential services running—not to rubber-stamp more of the same."
Representative Matt Gress (R-4) chairs the bipartisan group. Republican members include Vice Chair Justin Olson (R-10) and Representatives Nick Kupper (R-25), Michael Way (R-15), Neal Carter (R-15), and Selina Bliss (R-1). Democratic members include Representatives Nancy Gutierrez (D-18), Kevin Volk (D-17), and Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D-21).
Rep. Gress expressed gratitude to Montenegro for his appointment as the Committee's chair, further noting that "The Executive's proper implementation and management of the state budget is of critical importance to ensure our investments truly benefit the people of Arizona. Our role is to focus on the facts and the figures and to deliver transparency for taxpayers."
