AZ Governor Janet Napolitano late today vetoed most of the eight-point-two billion dollar budget package approved by the Republican-led Legislature.
The budget bills arrived in Napolitano's office shortly before 5 p-m, and spokeswoman Jeanine L'Ecuyer says Napolitano vetoed 16 of them and signed three others within 15 minutes.
Four other budget bills remain at the Legislature awaiting House action on changes made by the Senate.
The Legislature approved the budget Friday morning.
After working three months on the budget, AZ Senate President Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, and House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix, delayed sending the package to Napolitano, hoping they could discuss possible disagreements with her Monday afternoon.
But after a brief private meeting in Napolitano's office, the two men said the governor refused to talk about specifics until after she received the bills. Later, Bennett and Weiers objected to Napolitano's immediate veto of a budget proposal that was crafted over three months.
"It's purely politics at this point," said Bennett. "She couldn't have read all of the bills and she couldn't have thoughtfully directed a veto message on each of the bills as is required by the (state) constitution."
Pure politics it is...this governor is smarmy and insincere...the only pet projects that apparently will get her nod of approval are going to be the ones that will help get her re-elected so that the Arizona citizens can have four more years of her vacuous "leadership"...
DR
