Budget Night: Part 2

Budget Night continued: Many Arizona politicos and concerned citizens watched closely as different tweets came out from the various AZ Capitol reporters, closely watching where the vote would go that night. Rumor had it that Senator Carlyle Begay, a Democrat from the Navajo Nation, was to join the Majority Republican caucus in their efforts to pass this hastily assembled budget package. With a varying degree of cuts to higher education, and K-12 not getting the increase that they felt was needed, much of this budget remained highly contentious, and highly along party lines—as per usual.

Alas, the rumors were true, and Senator Begay disappointed many of his party and fell to the pressures that Republican Leadership was pressing on him, and the vote went with the Republicans, 16-14, with one Republican Senator, Bob Worsley, voting against. While many criticized this move by Begay, in a strange way, I kind of respect him for it. The man broke with his party in an effort to do what was best for his district—an estimated $5 million in grants were to be spent in the Navajo nation on infrastructure— something desperately needed on much of the reservation lands. So, while in the end, Senator Begay voted to inadvertently raise my tuition, I will tip my hat to him for doing what was best for his constituents, and that to me is what his role is all about.