Issue: The Legislature and Governor’s Office swept $7,560,695 dollars from Arizona Game & Fish to balance the 2008 budget deficit. Another $5.6 million was taken from State Lake Improvement and Off Highway Vehicle funds from State Parks. Negotiations between the Legislature and the Governor’s Office are occurring as we speak to address the projected $2.2 Billion budget shortfall for 2009. AGFD is again being considered for more funding sweeps.
While $13 million was swept from the AGFD and State Parks 2008 Budgets, some agencies were not swept or only minimally affected and others appeared to have actually received net increases. The difference between the Arizona Game & Fish Department (AGFD ) and other state agencies is the manner in which it is funded. As noted in the most recent edition of The Sportsmen’s Connection, the AGFD does not receive one penny of general fund revenues.
It is time for the sportsmen and women
of this state to stand up and say
“no more AGFD fund sweeps”.