Stacey Barchenger
Arizona Republic
A GOP-backed bill to extend a transportation sales tax in Maricopa County has officially died with Gov. Katie Hobbs’ veto, as proponents of the tax gear up to find another way to get their version of the proposal before voters.
The Democratic governor said immediately after lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1246 on June 14 that she would veto it. The bill was Republican lawmakers’ response to a breakdown in negotiations with the governor about how to extend the half-cent tax that expires at the end of 2025.
In a statement Tuesday announcing her veto, Hobbs again urged Republican legislative leaders to put up for a vote a version of the extension agreed to by Hobbs and the regional transportation planner the Maricopa Association of Governments. The GOP’s bill doesn’t meet Hobbs’ aims to grow the economy, draw business and create good-paying jobs, the governor said.
“This partisan bill does none of those things,” she said. “I encourage legislators to vote on the compromise that is supported by a bipartisan majority in the House and Senate, community leaders, and cities in Maricopa County. Stop playing partisan politics, stop holding Arizona’s economy hostage, and put the bipartisan compromise up for a vote.”
