Republicans are accusing Governor Katie Hobbs and the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) of limiting voters to a singular choice in the wake of Hobbs’ veto of Prop. 400 “extension” bill. Hobbs vetoed the bill on Monday, adding to her record-breaking list of vetoes.
Republican legislators allege that Hobbs and MAG opposed the bill because it did not advance an “inefficient, big government agenda.”
“I just vetoed the partisan Prop 400 bill that fails to adequately support Arizona’s economic growth and does nothing to attract new business or create good-paying jobs,” said Hobbs in a tweet. “I strongly encourage the Legislature to vote on the compromise supported by a bipartisan majority in the House and Senate, business and labor leaders, and Maricopa County Mayors.”
Republicans argue that the MAG Prop. 400 “extension” proposal killed by Hobbs “prioritized the use of revenues for freeways and roads, while requiring MAG to justify their worst-in class transit programs to voters in order to receive increased funding, which would be up to 37% of revenues, if voters approve both questions presented to them within our proposal.”
A taxpayer watchdog group, the Free Enterprise Club claims that under the governor’s favored “Momentum Plan,” MAG “wants over 40 percent of the tax to go toward transit, siphoning off billions from much needed freeway and roadway projects throughout the valley. MAG and Valley Metro claimed that demand for expanded bus service was the rationale for taking a larger share of the Prop 400 pie, but that wasn’t it. Through record requests and inquiries by State lawmakers, it was discovered that (unsurprisingly) the Valley Metro bus system is bankrupt, and that billions are needed to make up the shortfall.”
Public testimony and lobbyists for the trucking industry supported the Republicans’ version. However, on Tuesday, during MAG’s Regional Council Executive Committee meeting, following 45 minutes of public testimony supporting the Republican legislators’ bill, SB 1246, and opposing MAG’s revised comment process, MAG leaders escaped to Executive Session and never resumed their open meeting.
What Laurie concedes, on purpose or not, is that voters do not want light rail. Period. And that the only way they will vote for it is if they have to because roads/highways and the things they want are held hostage for it. I'm just surprised Laurie thinks forcing voters is good.
— Constantin Querard (@CQuerard) June 16, 2023
If you have been following @LaurieRoberts with her OPINION on Prop 400 you will see her bias, hypocrisy and hatred of Republicans. First she said to put up 400 so the voters can decide. We put it up but split the questions. Suddenly she doesn't seem to trust the voters. https://t.co/gYuOs9ZUgt
— Warren Petersen (@votewarren) June 16, 2023
Critics say this proves MAG clearly does not want to defend their inefficient programs at the ballot box. The Free Enterprise Club goes further. The Club claims that MAG’s “plan prioritized ideological agendas over the interests of motorists.”
“Last year we failed to recognize why there was such a radical shift in the kind of transportation policy being funded by MAG’s 400 extension plan. Only after broader investigation did we realize that an ideological agenda has infiltrated all levels of transportation planning, MAG’s plan being no exception,” noted the Club.
“That is why MAG doesn’t want to build new freeways, at least not the way normal people think about freeways. The only new freeway considered in the current MAG plan is the construction of SR30 in the west valley, a project that was supposed to be built under the existing tax but was scrapped because transit funding was prioritized instead,” explained the Club. “MAG has begrudgingly included funding for the SR 30 in the new plan, but only for a portion of the freeway and only in the 25th year (all but certain to be deferred, again).”