Hearings are expected Tuesday on a state budget proposal that will help fund 10 percent raises for teachers and make the first payment toward restoring nearly $400 million cut from school building and maintenance budgets following the Great Recession.
Tens of thousands of Arizona teachers are on strike to protest low pay and school funding, and many schools around the state remain closed.
The Legislature is rushing to pass the plan agreed to by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey and GOP legislative leaders
The overall budget boosts spending for the 2019 fiscal year that begins July 1 by about $200 million from the governor's January spending proposal. The added cash mainly comes from increasing revenue due to an improving economy.
