Arizona Democratic leaders respond to State of the State address

Democratic leadership in the Arizona state legislature responded to the State of the State address made by Governor Katie Hobbs and outlined plans for the upcoming session.

State Senator Priya Sundareshan (D), District 18, and State Representative Oscar De Los Santos (D), District 11, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss Governor Hobbs’ speech.

“I think overall reaction was very much in line with our Democratic priorities,” Senator Sundareshan said, “pushing a lot of policies that will help reduce the cost of living and housing and utility bills, grocery bills; lot of things we know folks have struggled with recently.”

Representative De Los Santos thought Governor Hobbs’ speech hit the nail on all the main priorities for the Democratic Party. He agreed with Governor Hobbs on many of her talking points, including taking out tax credits for data centers that are driving up utility bills, and establishing an Arizona affordable fund.

“What we’re not supportive of is the Republicans’ effort to include those pieces of tax cuts and a tax cut package that will favor corporations and the wealthiest,” Senator Sundareshan explained.

Representative De Los Santos said he will introduce Governor Hobbs’ middle-class tax cut package in the House to bring relief to working families in the middle class.

“They are gonna figure out how to pay for it,” Representative De Los Santos said. “We can think of a couple of ideas, starting with the ESA state program, which is riddled with waste, fraud and abuse.”

Senator Sundareshan said they are open to certain tax cuts but have to make sure the vital services are being funded, including public education.

“Right now, Republicans and Democrats, broadly speaking, agree on those middle-class tax cuts,” Representative De Los Santos explained. “We should pass that now, get it to the Governor, and get it signed into law. What the Republicans are doing is holding that tax package for middle-class families hostage, to leverage that to get tax cuts for the corporations and billionaires.”

Senator Sundareshan emphasized data centers in Arizona should be treated like any other industry and shouldn’t be getting additional benefits that other industries don’t have.

“Especially when we know that data centers are very resource intensive,” Senator Sundareshan said, “we can be protective of our water resources, and our energy resources that data centers use. We welcome them especially if they bring good energy production that’s renewable and provide jobs, those are key criteria that data centers need to bring, and can’t rely on tax exemptions that they currently enjoy.”