In the last two years, Katie Hobbs has failed to make good on any of her top priorities, and after spending millions to flip the legislature, she was only left with more Republicans in both chambers and being called the “biggest loser” of this last election. Back this year with new goals outlined in her State of the State address and budget proposal, the legislative majority must ensure that, once again, the Hobbs agenda is stopped dead in its tracks. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club is committed to helping lead the fight to block all of Hobbs’ priorities.

Reckless Spending & A Broken Budget Proposal

First and foremost is Hobbs’ budget proposal. Last year, the legislature crafted a budget that finally slowed the spending growth in the state, but now Hobbs is proposing a $1 billion+ spending increase, representing 7.5% growth in spending over last year. If that wasn’t bad on its own, Hobbs’ proposal is a broken deficit budget. Hobbs failed to account for any formula growth in the Medicaid program, which is completely unheard of. Once included, the Hobbs budget proposal results in a $192 million deficit in 2027, growing to a staggering $390 million deficit in 2028.

Housing Costs

Included in her broken budget is one of Hobbs’ top priorities: extending and expanding the state level low-income housing tax credit, a program that is rife with fraud and abuse and comes with a $600 million price tag. Hobbs is the one who unilaterally shut down single family house development last year because of a manufactured water crisis and took illegal actions late last year to further limit homebuilding in the state, for which she is being sued. Hobbs has only added to the rise in housing costs, and her “solutions” will only continue to drive them up further. They should receive no consideration by the legislature.

Attacking School Choice

Hobbs, unsurprisingly and predictably, is back again attacking the widely popular universal ESA program, continuing to spread the lie that the program is “bankrupting the state.” The ESA program has resulted in savings for taxpayers as more and more students benefit from the program, evidenced by the fact that the state once again has a surplus. Last year she tried (and failed) to regulate the program out of existence, and this year her plan is to place income caps to kick more than 12,000 students currently benefiting from ESAs off and force them back into government schools. Hobbs calling for “accountability” in the program is especially hypocritical considering that, just a week after her State of the State address, a public school district went into state receivership for a $12 million budget shortfall after running up a debt of $28.5 million. Hobbs should start with cleaning up fraud in the public school system before taking shots at the ESA program.

Border

Though Hobbs talked tough on the border in her State of the State address, just days later she vowed not to assist the federal government in deporting illegals. This is not shocking considering that last year she vetoed the Border Security Act, which would have empowered local law enforcement to apprehend and deport individuals who enter our country illegally outside of a lawful port of entry. But the voters spoke. After being vetoed, the legislature placed it on the ballot, where it was overwhelmingly approved in November.

Hobbs’ priorities should be a nonstarter for the legislature. Her number one enemy, the ESA program, is not bankrupting the state, but her broken budget proposal certainly would. Her handout to developers by extending the low-income housing tax credit program won’t lower housing costs, but abandoning her manufactured water crisis would. And her border proposals won’t protect Arizona, but working with the Trump administration would.

Help Block the Hobbs Agenda

The Katie Hobbs Agenda should be entirely dead on arrival at the legislature.

Please SIGN THIS PETITION to urge the legislature to stand firm against the Hobbs agenda entirely!