Photo by Gage Skidmore (Retouched) | flicker/CC BY-SA 2.0

The Arizona legislature will once again take a four-week long vacation, including measures ostensibly aimed at allowing voters in Maricopa County to determine the future of the transportation tax and the possible return of the transportation tax. This is to give lawmakers time to step up their efforts on various projects. Act to abolish city rent tax.

After a hectic day Monday, the state House of Representatives voted on more than 90 bills. Gov. Katie Hobbs veto will be stampedThe House and Senate are adjourned until June 12.

Normally, parliamentary sessions take a few days off, but this is the fourth time since parliament began in January that it will take a long break of at least a week. Normally, after passing the annual budget, lawmakers rush to finish the session and get the rest of the work done, but that won’t happen this year.

The most important of the remaining items for legislators to address is Proposition 400, the Maricopa County Sales Tax. The proposal was first approved by voters in 1985, extended in 2004, and is set to expire in 2025. Most of the countywide transportation projects, including the Valley, Subway Light Rail and Loops 101, 202, and 303, are all financed in large part with his Prop. 400 tax dollars.

Republicans outraged by Maricopa County’s transit spending passed a law mandating Maricopa in 1999 — and only Maricopa — can get legislative permission to put the 1985 tax extension on the ballot. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers last year backed efforts to do just that, The proposal was vetoed The governor at the time, Doug Ducey, cited rising inflation.

Since then, the county and Valley municipalities have struggled to find support for the tax extension, but efforts to advance meaningful legislation to continue Proposition 400 are said to be underway. .life support‘, Rep. David Livingston told Axios Phoenix.

Senate Speaker Warren Petersen told Arizona Miller when asked if the Senate plans to work on Proposition 400: We plan to hold more meetings in the You can act by (June 12). ”

There are currently two actions to extend Proposition 400, both of which are uniquely different from the current tax, and neither of which receives county support. one It would allow 39% of the money to be spent on transportation, but would explicitly prohibit spending money on expanding the light rail system, which Republicans have resented for 20 years. the other It allocates only 26% of the funds to public transport and bans light rail expansion.

Lawmakers also want to tackle other issues after their return.

The House passed it amid a flurry of floor action on Monday Senate Bill 1131, a bill to repeal the city and town rental tax in Arizona.Hobbes vetoed an earlier version of the bill But when asked if the possibility of a rent-tax abolition deal could be considered on the Senate floor when it reconvenes in mid-June, Petersen said, “Yes, it is.”

“We are almost done with all the work needed for the floor action now,” Petersen said. “We will have approval hearings and other interim meetings dealing with transportation, borders, inflation, etc. We will continue to work, but no action on the floor is just necessary.”

Petersen also denied rumors that Congress intended to remain in session until the end of the year.

“I don’t plan to stay until November, but I need to see the status of the June 12th appointment and other duties,” Petersen said. The Senate nominating committee can only supervise candidates as long as the legislature is in session.

The parliamentary term will be 155 days before the deputies are reinstated.

post Arizona State Legislature Goes on Vacation Again arizona mirror.