A judge Wednesday ordered lawyers for Arizona public schools, the Legislature, the governor and the state to conduct settlement talks over a court case that could cost the state treasury nearly $3 billion over five years.
Within hours, though, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper rescinded the order and said instead she was urging the parties to cooperate and reach a settlement.
Cooper had issued the order in a hearing, despite statements by the Legislature's lawyer that he wasn't allowed by his clients to engage in talks and was not certain the judge had the authority to issue the order.
Cooper has ordered schools to be paid $331 million this year and going forward to make up for inflation boosts lawmakers failed to provide during the Great Recession. She also is considering ordering up to $1.3 billion in back payments.
State officials have said the treasury can't afford the payments, but schools have said they need the funding to make up for more than $1 billion in cuts they absorbed during the recession.
Gov. Doug Ducey in his State of the State speech Monday called on all parties to come to a reasonable settlement so the state can spend money in classrooms and not on lawyers.
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