State legislators seek to wrest control of transportation planning from local governments and instead express their own political philosophies.

And now the question is whose vision should be carried out among all these legislators.

Strictly speaking, the debate on SB 1122 deals with whether Maricopa County voters have the opportunity to extend the half-cent sales tax on transportation projects for an additional 20 years.

It can only be done with the permission of the Republican-controlled Congress. Also, some Republican lawmakers said they would only give the go-ahead if the amount set aside for public transportation is cut from current levels.

For now, Monday’s 4-3 vote by the Senate Transportation Technology Committee to repeal SB 1122 invalidates the upcoming election.

But here’s the problem. The Maricopa tax he plans to expire in 2025 unless lawmakers greenlight the election.

More importantly, Monday’s debate and vote indicated that counties wanting to fund transportation projects would only ask their voters if their plans conformed to how state legislators agreed to spend the money. It indicates obtaining the necessary legislative approval to seek approval.

And it’s tainted by a political philosophy that contains certain prejudices in favor of more roads, especially at the expense of public transportation and light rail.

Senator Frank Carroll (R-Suncity) supports a broader approach by continuing to fund alternatives to highway construction. It is a plan prepared and endorsed by the Maricopa Government Association, which consists of cities, tribes, and elected officials from urban areas in Maricopa and Pima Counties from all regions.

Carroll said rising gasoline prices will increase the need for alternatives to driving.

But Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) rejected it as due to “nudge theory.”

“It’s a tactic the left likes to use called ‘choice architecture,'” he says, essentially forcing people to accept the policies they want. Hoffman said it’s happening under President Biden by closing the Keystone Pipeline, closing areas from offshore drilling and refusing to renew lease permits for drilling in Alaska. rice field.

“The left is making a concerted effort to push up the cost of gas,” he argued, advancing the agenda to cut driving and emissions.

But Carroll, who gives more money to public transit, said it was also irrelevant, though that may be true, in part because he sponsored a bill to keep the dollar on light rail. He said gas prices are real for taxpayers.

“They still have to work, they still have to go places,” Carroll said. And it’s logical to assume that public transport ridership will increase as gas prices rise, he said.

A more significant issue is that while legislators, backed by groups like the Central Arizona Home Builders Association, are developing housing projects far from the county’s urban centers, local elected officials It’s more about knowing what voters want.

Avondale Mayor Kenn Weise, chair of the MAG, acknowledged that not all communities will benefit from each part of the plan, which is developed on a regional basis. For example, he said his residents wouldn’t be helped by light rail that doesn’t extend into his community.

But he said the plan was unanimously adopted after “extensive public opinion” as it was in the best interests of all involved.

In fact, state legislators agreed to put it on the ballot last year. However, it was scrapped by the then government. Doug Ducey has even refused to leave the issue to voters.

The result is a new and significantly changed plan for this year, with more shares going to the pavement.

What the legislature wants to do is override locally adopted plans with its own priorities and those of “special interest,” Wise said.

The MAG hopes to give voters the opportunity to approve legislator-made plans, tax-adopted ballots, and the first 20-year plan for 1985 and renewal for 2005.

Weise rejected Hoffmann’s proposal for two separate votes. He said it would destroy the idea of ​​having a plan for everyone to recognize the needs of the larger community.

He said that’s why the MAG plan was able to include funding for an extension of State Route 24 in the Hoffman area (far from Avondale). county.

Hoffman and other legislators also want to insert other political elements before giving local voters permission to vote on public transit funding.

For example, he would like to say, a project cannot be developed to meet a “demand management” policy to reduce vehicle mileage. And he said he doesn’t mind if that means giving up the federal dollars that make up the majority of transportation funding that states and counties receive.

Monday’s vote raises the question of whether Maricopa County voters (and voters elsewhere) will have the opportunity to enact or extend existing taxes for transportation plans if they don’t get the approval of a majority of lawmakers. remain.

Many Valley mayors opposed the bill, including Mesa Mayor John Giles. He spoke to Shaw about the proposal and Monday’s vote.

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