Arizona Gov. Brewer to convene emergency cabinet meeting to discuss budget deficit

Ariz. gov calls urgent cabinet meeting on budget

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer plans to convene an emergency meeting of her cabinet on Monday to address the state’s still-huge budget deficit.

The budget remains out of whack by a whopping $1.4 billion. That’s despite a series of special legislative sessions Brewer has called since June to address what began as a $3 billion shortfall in the 2009-2010 budget.

Legislators took another whack at the deficit in a session that ended on Saturday. They approved $193 million in spending cuts and other changes that set the stage for service reductions and employees pay cuts of up to 5 percent. The plan cut 7.5 percent from most agencies’ budgets and raided special funds.

Brewer is expected to sign the bill this week. It drew only Republican support in the Legislature.