What Happens After Crossover? Budget Battles, Tax Forms & Capitol Negotiations

In this episode of Birdman at the Arizona Legislature, Birdman returns to the office of Representative Walt Blackman for a post-crossover update on where things stand at the Capitol — and why the next phase of the session could be even more intense.   Blackman explains that after crossover week, the House is now dealing with a wave of Senate bills, many of which are being assigned to committees for review. In his Government Committee alone, he says roughly 20 Senate bills are now in play, with only some expected to make it through. From there, the bills move through rules, caucus, and potentially onto the board, where negotiations begin to collide with the state budget.   That's where the real tension starts.   The conversation highlights how Arizona is entering the stage of the session where budget decisions, money bills, and political leverage all begin to intersect. Blackman describes a process in which lawmakers may hold positions on bills while awaiting broader budget outcomes, with the Governor's Office also weighing in as negotiations heat up.   A major focus of the episode is tax conformity — specifically, Arizona's effort to align state tax law with the recently enacted federal tax law. Blackman strongly argues for full tax conformity, saying it would provide multi-year stability and reduce confusion for taxpayers, while partial conformity would only create temporary fixes and force Arizona to revisit the same issue next year.   Birdman and Blackman also discuss the real-world impact on taxpayers, including:   Whether people may need to amend state tax returns How current Arizona tax forms may need to change The uncertainty facing filers who already submitted returns Questions around tax credits, deadlines, waivers, and penalties     Blackman's position is that Arizona should fully conform, waive penalties where necessary, and give taxpayers additional time if the state's own process causes delays.   This episode is a strong snapshot of the Legislature in motion — where procedure, politics, budget strategy, and tax policy all collide in real time.   If you want to understand what happens after crossover, why the budget gets more complicated, and how tax conformity could affect everyday Arizonans, this is a conversation worth hearing.