Arizona needs Investments in Public Schools and KidsCare, not Open and Hidden Tax Cuts for the Rich

Funny how it is okay for Republicans to plan budgets on their own in Arizona and other states where they control all levers of government but not Democratically run states or Washington D.C.

Republicans in the Arizona State Legislature are working on a 2021-2022 fiscal budget that, wait for it, may provide one billion dollars in tax cuts including the institution of the fiscal conservative holy grail, a flat tax rate for all Arizonans.

Coupled with Republican designs to increase private school voucher scholarships (Empowerment Scholarship Accounts-ESA) for children (SB1041 and 1118) and circumvent the revenue stream toward Invest in Ed (SB1783,) the wealthy in the Grand Canyon State would financially benefit if these measures passed the Legislature and were signed by Governor Doug Ducey.

Consider that these same pro-tax cut Republicans are the same anti-public servants who had no reservations when voting down Kelli Butler’s amendment to enable 30,000 Arizona children to enroll in KidsCare.

Our efforts to help 30,000 additional #AZ children qualify for affordable health insurance through #KidsCare did not pass the House Health Committee today. Truly disappointing. #azleg https://t.co/LEOLN5IDGw

— Kelli Butler (@KelliButlerAZ) March 2, 2021

With the state still combatting the Coronavirus and about to receive several billion dollars in American Rescue Plan aid, now is not the time to enact tax cuts that will disproportionately favor the rich.

Former Democratic Leader and current head of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress David Lujan commented on these Republican misplaced fiscal priorities:

“I cannot think of a more tone-deaf plan during this health and economic crisis than a flat-tax. At a time when thousands of Arizonans are struggling, a flat tax would increase taxes on low and middle-income Arizonans so that upper-income people can pay less. It will make Arizona’s already regressive tax code even more unbalanced. It will also take away the revenue that could be used to help Arizonans recover from this crisis through investments in job training, education, housing, health care, and more.”

It is time to invest in Arizona’s most vulnerable.

It is time to fully fund public schools.

It is time to expand KidsCare.

It is time to rebuild the state’s infrastructure.

How can the members of the former Party of Lincoln be against that?

Voters should ask them.