Arizona Senate still stuck in limbo on budget deal

PHOENIX (AP) — The leader of the Arizona Senate said Friday that she's still negotiating with Republicans holdouts amid hopes a deal can be struck on an $11.8 billion state spending plan for the budget year that starts July 1.

GOP Senate President Karen Fann said she still has members holding out for changes to the budget she and House Speaker Rusty Bowers negotiated with Gov. Doug Ducey.

"We're trying to find good legislation," Fann said. "We're working on everything - nothing's done until it's done, right? You know how that goes."

House lawmakers worked into the early morning hours Friday to pass several bills that are part of the state budget package before calling it a night. The Senate, meanwhile, took Thursday night off because it lacked the votes to enact budget legislation.

Lawmakers returned late Friday morning to continue working on the budget that has solid majority Republican support in the House but falls far short of enough GOP backing for the Senate to act. Minority Democrats do not support the GOP plan.

Republican holdouts who forced Thursday's Senate delay sparked anger among GOP House members that was caught on an open microphone during a closed evening caucus meeting. Reps. Ben Toma and Kelly Townsend threatened to retaliate against two GOP senators who do not support the budget, with Toma saying he would not hear bills by Sens. Paul Boyer or Heather Carter in the next session. They also discussed an ethics inquiry.

Carter and Boyer are demanding changes to laws that limit lawsuits by child sex assault victims, and Carter also objects to the lack of funding for several of her key priorities that received broad support earlier but are not included in the final budget deal.

Boyer has vowed not to vote for the budget until his child sex assault bill...