PAUL DAVENPORT
Associated Press Writer
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``We're not going to take that,'' Napolitano said. ``It needs to be a good, thought-out bipartisan budget. They have the numbers _ get to work.''
Legislators, meanwhile, appeared to be opening a new phase of work on the budget, with Republicans inviting Democratic leaders to meet on Thursday for their first bipartisan negotiating session in more than a month.
The state faces an estimated $2 billion revenue shortfall in the 2008-2009 fiscal year's budget, projected at $10 billion.
However, lawmakers worry that continued weakness in the economy could increase the amount of red ink that they have to erase when they approve a spending plan by the end of the current budget year on June 30.
Lawmakers are mulling budget-balancing options that include spending cuts, borrowing for school construction and transferring what money remains in special-purpose funds and the state's rainy day reserve. Both have already been raided for a $1.2 billion fix of the current year's budget.
The Legislature, Napolitano told reporters, ``isn't getting to the work they were sent here to do and they're wasting a lot of time, and I for the life of me cannot figure out what their plan of action is.
``They have had lots and lots and lots and lots of time,'' she added. ``What they don't have is a sense of organization, drive, purpose and urgency and this to me is really getting to the stage of the ridiculous.''
Senate Majority Leader Thayer Verschoor, R-Gilbert, later said the Legislature has been working hard on the budget and said it's not unusual for lawmakers' work to extend into late May and June.
Republican leaders' recent efforts had been focused on gauging their rank-and-file members' priorities, Verschoor said. ``I think we're getting close to having something that we can perhaps bring and present to everybody.''
Regarding the planned Thursday negotiating session, Verschoor said he hopes each party's leaders would present their counterparts with their respective priorities for balancing the budget.
Verschoor indicated that no decision had been made on whether the Legislature would open direct talks with Napolitano before lawmakers act on a proposed budget.
``I don't play what-ifs,'' Napolitano said when asked what she'd do if an unacceptable budget reached her desk right before the start of the next budget year.
Senate Minority Leader Marsha Arzberger voiced frustration with the lengthy interruption in bipartisan talks when asked about the planned resumption.
``Does that mean another month of the same kind of thing we've been having? That doesn't make me very happy,'' the Willcox Democrat said. ``We haven't received anything from them for five weeks. I don't know what we're going to receive (Thursday).''
Also Wednesday, Napolitano asked top House and Senate leaders to meet with her on the budget.
Arizonans already face serious economic concerns, Napolitano said in a letter to the leaders. ``Let us not add to their worries, particularly the worries of Arizona state employees, by delaying passage of a budget for fiscal year 2009.''
House Speaker Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix, responded with a letter of his own, acknowledging that legislative Republicans disagree on budget details but proclaiming a consensus on ``reducing unnecessary spending from our currently unbalanced budget.''
The Senate took no action on other legislation Wednesday, a day after an aborted floor session left Democrats frustrated when Republicans blocked action on a Democratic proposal to ban text messaging on cell phones while driving.
``Democrats did feel like they were disrespected on the floor,'' Arzberger said, referring to most Republicans' failure to return for an evening floor session.
Asked about the texting proposal and other pending legislation, Verschoor said all attention was being focused on the budget.
``We're getting to the point now where we really need to focus in on the budget and get it done,'' he said.
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