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TUCSON – As Washington’s cost-hiking policies continue driving up prices for Arizona families and small businesses, Gov. Katie Hobbs today hosted an affordability roundtable in Tucson alongside CD6 candidate JoAnna Mendoza to hear directly from Arizonans about the impact of tariffs, healthcare cuts, and rising costs.
Joined by small-business owners, healthcare advocates, food bank workers, and school and community resource employees, Hobbs and Mendoza discussed how Washington’s reckless tariffs are raising the price of groceries and everyday goods, how healthcare cuts are increasing insurance costs, and how conflict in Iran is driving up gas prices for Arizona families and businesses.
Throughout the conversation, participants shared firsthand accounts of how rising costs are straining household budgets, increasing demand for food assistance, and creating new challenges for small businesses already operating on thin margins. Business owners discussed rising costs of materials and supplies driven by tariffs and economic uncertainty, while food bank and school support workers described growing pressure on working families struggling to keep up with the costs of groceries, childcare, healthcare, and housing.
Katie also spoke about the steps her administration has taken to lower costs and support Arizona families, including cutting prescription drug costs, eliminating medical debt for hundreds of thousands of Arizonans, expanding access to school meals, reducing childcare costs, and slashing taxes, while acknowledging that there is still more work to do as Washington policies continue driving up costs for working families and small businesses.
“I grew up in a working-class family in Tempe. I know that every time costs went up on gas or groceries, I saw my parents have those really tough conversations about what has to give. My husband and I have had those same kind of conversations around our kitchen table; I’m sure a lot of you have as well,” said Gov. Katie Hobbs. “And I take it really personally when politicians in Washington play games with tariffs and trade wars because I know who is going to pay the price for that, and it’s families like mine and like all of yours, small businesses that are trying to stay open. So I am committed to keep fighting to make Arizona more affordable, and I know you all are, too.”
“There’s so much happening in the nation right now, and I think it’s really hard for a lot of us to feel like things are normal without getting overwhelmed,” said JoAnna Mendoza. “I mean, it’s one thing right after another, from, you know, the rising grocery prices to gas now to a conflict or war in Iran that hasn’t been approved by Congress, and yet we have representatives like my opponent, Juan Ciscomani, who refuse to talk to the constituents and hold town halls.”
The roundtable is part of Katie’s continued commitment to hear directly from Arizona families, workers, and local businesses about the economic challenges they face as Washington policies continue driving up costs across the state. Katie has had conversations with business owners, brewers, agricultural leaders, and food truck owners in communities including Yuma, Flagstaff, and Tucson to discuss how reckless tariffs and economic uncertainty are driving up costs for Arizona families and local businesses.
