Tucson Standard

Arizona's state Republican representatives did a good job of a bad situation with both chambers in the state legislature voted this week to pass Proposition 400 to the voters, freshman Arizona Republican U.S. House Rep. Paul A. Gosar said in a social media post.

In what was widely seen as a defeat for the Arizona Legislature’s conservative Freedom Caucus, the legislature's representatives passed a bill to place Proposition 400 on the ballot in Maricopa County, according to AZMirror's coverage Monday. The proposition would add a half-cent transportation tax to fund roads and public transportation. 

"Great job to the Arizona Republicans and the conservatives for fighting to make it a better bill," Gosar said in his Twitter post the following day. "Even if it never should have seen any floor time."

State conservatives have expressed dissatisfaction with the decision to pass the bill, leading to Proposition 400 being presented to voters for the third time since 1984, AZMirror reported. The bill's approval followed Arizona's longest-ever legislative session, 204 days, surpassing the previous record set in 1988 or 173 days. The tax revenue from Prop 400 is intended for street, highway and public transportation projects in Maricopa County but without Gov. Katie Hobbs' endorsement, the entire state risks competing with Maricopa for "limited state transportation funding," AZ Mirror said in its news story.

"Today, bipartisan leaders invested in the future of Arizona families, businesses, and communities," Hobbs said in her own Tweet. "The passage of the Prop 400 ballot measure will secure the economic future of our state and create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs for Arizonans. I am glad we were able to put politics aside and do what is right for Arizona."

The tax was initially approved in 2004 and is scheduled to lapse by the end of 2025,  according to AZMirror's news story. The bill secured House approval with a vote of 43-14 and subsequently gained Senate endorsement with a vote of 19-7. The bill consists of a $24 billion allotment that spans two decades, designating 40.5% for freeways and highways, 37% for public transit, and 22.5% for roads and intersections. An earlier rendition of SB1102 was previously endorsed by both legislative chambers in June, primarily backed by Republicans. However, Governor Hobbs vetoed that version, according to AZ Mirror.

"I voted NO on the prop 400 transportation excise tax for Maricopa County," Arizona State House Rep. Austin Smith said in a Twitter post. "Taxpayer dollars are not ours to dish out haphazardly - especially to the tune of 20 BILLION dollars with potential consequences that ruin valley transportation."