Education Groups Demand More K-12 Funding While School Districts go on Administration Spending Spree
Here is an under-reported education fact: K-12 schools in Arizona have received over $1 Billion in new funding from the state over the last two years. This infusion of cash is the largest education spending increase in state history, boosting per pupil funding by 20...
$700 Million and Growing: Arizona Enjoying Another Huge Budget Surplus
The Joint Budget Legislative Committee released their October Fiscal Update, and it was more good news for the state budget coffers. September tax receipts were $120 Million above the adopted budget forecast, an 8.7% increase over the prior year. The explosion in tax...
Proposal to Increase Property and Sales Taxes Would Derail Arizona’s Economic Boom
Arizona’s economy has been on fire. In just the last year the Grand Canyon state has created 75,000 jobs and Maricopa county leads the nation in population growth. The state is more productive than ever too. Arizona now ranks third fastest growing GDP in...
Getting Conform and Reform Right
As the Club has covered for over a year, Arizona taxpayers are facing the largest income tax increase in state history if a proper federal tax conformity plan is not adopted by the legislature. The department of revenue estimates that the conformity tax increase would...
Arizona GOP Goes All-In on Job Killing Tax Hikes
The Arizona Republican Party has decided to become the party of tax hikes. Yesterday, party Chairwoman Kelli Ward announced that the GOP is officially backing an amendment to the Arizona Constitution to impose a permanent $500 Million dollar sales tax increase for...
Why are Lawmakers Pushing Billions in Tax Hikes Despite Record State Revenues?
An interesting paradox has developed at the legislature this year. Even though state policymakers are sitting on record tax revenues and a robust Arizona economy, they seem more obsessed with tax increases than ever before. So far this session there are efforts by...
Legislature Must Act Quickly to Stop Conformity Tax Hike
For over a year, the Club has been urging policymakers to address the looming tax conformity crisis. After the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in Congress in 2017, it was realized that Arizona taxpayers could pay as much as $300 million more in FY2020 as a result...
Arizona Taxpayers Get Hit with New Vehicle License Tax
Lawmakers can’t say they weren’t warned. Last year, when the Arizona legislature proposed giving their taxing authority away to the Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), we fought hard to stop what the Club considered one of the worst...
Lawmakers Must Act on Conformity Now to Avoid Chaos and Tax Hikes for Arizona Taxpayers
Arizonans have won BIG since Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in December 2017. At the end of April of this year, over $215 Million dollars has been returned to taxpayer and rate payer pockets. Raises, utility rate cuts, bonuses and expanded...
Proposition 126 Doesn’t Deserve Voter Approval
Proposition 126 is arguably the most difficult proposition to contend with on the November ballot for conservatives. On the one hand, the initiative shuts the door on a potential tax grab in the future – taxes on services. It creates predictability for...
Prop 207 Inflation Tax Estimated to Exceed $1.2 Billion Dollars
Budget analysts have completed their projections of the tax increase Proposition 207 will trigger by eliminating inflation indexing, and it’s not a pretty picture for low income families and seniors. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimates that Arizona...
Prop 207 Includes Hidden $300 Million Conformity Income Tax Hike
The Washington DC Labor Unions financing Proposition 207 told voters that the tax increase on small businesses included in their measure would only be 4.46 percent. Turns out that the actual tax hike will be 98 percent and will give Arizona the 4th highest small...