Katie Hobbs’ ‘Affordable Arizona’ Plan Puts Money Back in Pockets
“Arizona’s working families are the backbone of our economy.”
“The bottom line is we have to put our partisan politics aside to work on these issues that really matter to struggling and everyday Arizonans.”
PHOENIX — After announcing her Affordable Arizona plan yesterday at a press conference at the Carpenters Local Union 1912, it is clear that Secretary of State and candidate for governor Katie Hobbs is focused on providing much-needed economic relief to all Arizonans and making the state the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
Hobbs outlined her agenda to lower costs for families with children, help Arizonans get back to work in good-paying jobs, and protect the health and well-being of Arizonans.
Here’s what Arizonans are reading:
Arizona Capitol Times: Katie Hobbs revs-up campaign, releases economic plan
Nick Phillips
Katie Hobbs’ economic plan consists of tax credits, tax exemptions, a tax holiday, and permanently extending a child care assistance program that’s currently funded by one-time federal grants.
In a press conference at Carpenters Local Union 1912, 4547 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix, Thursday, the Secretary of State and Democratic candidate for governor said the measures will “ensure that Arizona can be an affordable place to live, work, start a business and raise a family.”
“We have a billion-dollar surplus right now, and we should be using some of those funds to help Arizona families who are struggling to make ends meet,” she added.
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The plan includes: a child tax credit for families earning below $100,000; permanent child care assistance; a refundable tax credit for career and technical education; exempting diapers, baby products, over-the-counter medicines and feminine hygiene products from sales tax; and a sales tax holiday for school supplies.
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In an election year that’s looking gloomy for Democrats, even if Hobbs can win the governor’s office, she might not have the luxury of working with a legislature controlled by her party.
As for how she’ll accomplish her priorities if Republicans maintain their legislative majority, Hobbs said she’s counting on working across the aisle. “The bottom line is we have to put our partisan politics aside to work on these issues that really matter to struggling and everyday Arizonans.”
Jeremy Duda
Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Katie Hobbs is calling for a handful of new tax credits and sales tax exemptions aimed at helping working families, including child care assistance and a state-level version of a recently expired federal child tax credit.
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“Too many people can’t afford to take the necessary steps to protect their health and well-being, or that of their children. Working families across Arizona have been feeling the strain of inflation and broken economic policies on their pocketbooks, and our leaders are not working in the best interests of all Arizonans to tackle these challenges,” said Hobbs, a former legislator who has served as Arizona’s secretary of state since 2019.
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“Arizona’s working families are the backbone of our economy. They have faced compounding challenges long before the pandemic. But COVID laid bare just how invisible and underappreciated child care efforts can be for so many families,” Hobbs said at a press conference Thursday to announce her plan at the Carpenters Local Union 1912 in Phoenix.
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The other big-ticket item is the child care tax credit. Under the proposal, families with incomes of up to $100,000 would get $250 per child each month. Hobbs estimates that the program would apply to about 600,000 children, at an annual cost of about $147 million.
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If Hobbs is elected governor, she’ll likely face an obstacle in a Republican-controlled legislature. Republicans have controlled the Arizona House of Representatives since 1967, and have only lost control of the Senate for a total of six years during that same period.
Nonetheless, she expressed confidence that she’d be able to get needed support from Republican lawmakers.
“There are no guarantees in life, but I certainly have a track record of working across the aisle and getting things done,” she said.
12News: Katie Hobbs Announces Affordable Arizona Plan
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