Pinal Today

Arizona State Sen. Wendy Rogers criticized the passage of Senate Bill 1102, which has passed both houses of Congress and will now be placed on the ballot in Maricopa County, where voters will decide whether to extend Proposition 400, a tax aimed at funding public transportation.

"I voted against this because it’s still a $20 billion dollar tax," Rogers wrote July 31 on X, formerly known as Twitter. "And this bill is still full of holes."

Rogers and other conservatives have criticized Proposition 400, which is being sent to voters for the third time since 1984, and was last approved in 2004. The bill's approval followed Arizona's longest-ever legislative session, lasting 204 days, surpassing the previous of 173 days in 1988. 

New tax revenue is intended to be put toward street, highway, and public transportation projects in Maricopa County. However, without Hobbs' endorsement, the entire state risks competing with Maricopa for "limited state transportation funding,'x according to AZ Mirror.

"Today, bipartisan leaders invested in the future of Arizona families, businesses, and communities," Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs wrote on the X platform on July 31. "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, AZ Mirror reported. The bill secured House approval with a vote of 43-14 and gained Senate endorsement with a vote of 19-7. The bill consists of a $24 billion allotment that spans 20 years, 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, Hobbs vetoed that version.

Arizona Rep. Austin Smith voiced his displeasure on Twitter as well.

"I voted NO on the prop 400 transportation excise tax for Maricopa County," he wrote. "Taxpayer dollars are not ours to dish out haphazardly - especially to the tune of 20 BILLION dollars with potential consequences that ruin valley transportation."