By Bob Christie
and Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX — State lawmakers return to the Capitol Monday with an overflowing list of major issues that need to be addressed, from water to housing to the economy.But first they’ll have to balance a budget with a gaping hole that will require tough choices — and likely cuts to current and future spending plans.That’s a huge change from the 2023 legislative session, when lawmakers were blessed with the largest budget surplus in state history — more than $2 billion.Now, the most recent estimates show the state will end the fiscal year on June 30 about $420 million in the red and have $450 million less than is needed in the coming budget year to fund schools, health care, prisons, universities and other state responsibilities. And tax collections in the first six months of the budget year are coming in so far under projections that the current-year deficit could well double.
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