PHOENIX — Arizona Senator Mark Finchem has introduced SB 1056, a bill aimed at cleaning up Arizona’s budget and exposing where government is carrying positions that never get filled.
Under current practice, state agencies can leave budgeted jobs empty for long periods without any requirement to explain why those roles are unused. SB 1056 changes that. It directs the Arizona Department of Administration to count and publish positions that have been vacant for extended periods and then require agencies to eliminate those slots from their authorized staffing count.
For taxpayers, this matters. Every funded but unfilled position represents money still set aside for government payrolls — even though no one is doing the work. Budgets should reflect real priorities and real activity, not placeholders that obscure waste and inefficiency. SB 1056 brings needed daylight to staffing numbers, trims unneeded budget padding, and reinforces the simple idea that government should earn every dollar it spends.
By forcing agencies to justify their staff counts and cut the dead weight, SB 1056 will make state government more transparent, accountable, and fiscally responsible.
More info: https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/57leg/2r/bills/sb1056p.htm