Opinion: Arizona can support a tax cut and a sizable increase in K-12 funding, if both sides can stop fighting long enough to see the opportunity.
By Robert Robb | Arizona Republic
(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Ann Siner of My Sister’s Closet and Judge John Buttrick in their litigation efforts against 208.)
Arizona is in the midst of a disruptive and untimely political standoff over taxes and K-12 education spending.
On one side is the Invest in Ed crowd, which wanted an income tax surcharge on the wealthy deposited in a funding pot for schools that the Legislature couldn’t touch.
On the other side is Gov. Doug Ducey and GOP lawmakers, particularly J.D. Mesnard in the Senate and Ben Toma in the House. They want to protect the state’s economy against the potentially adverse effects of having one of the highest individual income tax rates in the country.
Meanwhile, state government is swimming in cash. In reality, there’s enough money that both sides could have most of what they want, and in a way that should be sustainable over time. The fight could be settled with everyone a winner, including the state.
