Republicans are protecting the Arizona we love

When you think of Arizona, you can’t help but think of freedom.

Freedom to keep the money you earn. Freedom to send your kids to the school you want. Freedom to start a business without layers of red tape. And freedom to work – our licensing reform has become a national model.

As a result, Arizona has been a magnet for people and businesses from everywhere – maybe even for you.

But now more than ever, maintaining the freedom-loving culture of our state won’t happen by accident. It takes work, and Republicans in the state House and Senate are on the front lines of that work every single day.

Whether it’s Democrats in the Legislature, or our new governor – the liberal progressive agenda is more aggressive than ever in Arizona. Much of this is driven by well-funded, out-of-state interests.

Your Republican majority has been working hard to stop this radical agenda that seeks higher taxes, open border policies, allowing boys and girls to use the same showers in schools and legalizing abortion up until the moment of birth. Republicans have had success stopping these bad ideas from becoming law, and we’ve also accomplished important conservative wins along the way for you and your family.

As conservatives, we fundamentally believe you should keep more of the money you earn. Yet there is a constant drumbeat from the Left for raising taxes and more government. That’s why we fought for the Arizona Families Tax Rebate this year – a $260 million tax cut that will provide a rebate of $250 to Arizona parents for each of their children. And despite opposition by the governor and Democrats in the Legislature to eliminate the oppressive rental tax, paid by hardworking tenants, we fought up until the final minutes of this year’s legislative session to cut this tax – finally forcing the issue and getting it done. This is important relief for those who have been hard hit by record inflation and skyrocketing housing prices.

As parents, we know the value of a quality education. And so, we are proud that Arizona is now the number one school choice state in the nation. Parents can send their children to any school of their choice – public, charter, private or even homeschool. The options for your child are not limited to where you can afford to buy a home. Sadly, the governor has called some school choice options a “drain” on the system. Make no mistake – we will continue to protect school choice. We don’t consider any child a “drain.”

We are vocal proponents of expanding and updating our roads and highways. So, when Democrats tried to push through a plan to fund light-rail projects instead of new roads, we stood our ground and said “no.” The result was the passage of a reformed and conservative Proposition 400 extension that respects taxpayers, provides increased accountability, and ensures that your tax dollars are not wasted on niche light-rail expansion and other pet projects for local politicians. Plus, voters in Maricopa County will get the ultimate say at the ballot box.

Often, our job has been to stop bad ideas and provide accountability. Take the governor’s director nominations, for instance. Many were a progressive dream come true, but they would be a nightmare for our economy. For example, her nominee to head the health department was a leader of the lock-down lobby during the days of Covid, and even opposed schools reopening. So, we asked the tough questions on the public’s behalf, and the governor eventually withdrew that nomination. We will continue to press on this front, because we know the impactful role these unelected positions can have on your family, your lives and your livelihood – they can’t be left unchecked.

These are just a few of the areas in which Republicans in the Legislature are working hard to maintain some balance and sanity in our state. These are unprecedented times, but just know, you can count on us to wake up every day and fight to protect the Arizona we all know and love – a place of immense freedom and opportunity. We intend to keep it that way.

Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona Senate and represents Legislative District 14 in Chandler, Gilbert and Queen Creek. Ben Toma is the Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and represents Legislative District 27 in Glendale, Peoria and Phoenix.