Democrats bring a new agenda to the Arizona Legislature, starting with school vouchers and abortion defense

Arizona Democrats, who will take control of the Arizona Legislature in January, said Tuesday they plan to stop defending the state’s abortion laws in court, overhaul the school voucher program and target tax breaks for data centers.

The plans came a week after Democrats won both chambers of the Arizona Legislature for the first time in 60 years.

With Gov. Katie Hobbs reelected, the party will control the governor’s office and Legislature for the first time since 1966.

Hobbs put the shift in personal terms.

“When I co-founded the (Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee) in 2014, there were so few Democrats in the state Senate that we joked we could all share one pizza,” she wrote on X. “Now, Arizona will have a Democratic trifecta for the first time in 60 years. We’re going to need a lot more pizza.”

The Republican-led Legislature has defended several abortion laws that are being challenged in court.

GOP legislative leaders took up that defense after Attorney General Kris Mayes declined to, and they appealed after a judge struck down several of the laws in February.

Incoming Senate President Priya Sundareshan said that defense will end.

“We will certainly be ending the litigation,” Sundareshan said, adding that Democrats will work with partners to decide which laws to repeal.

Democrats also set their sights on the state’s school voucher program, which Sundareshan said has cost more than projected and has seen “significant examples of fraud and abuse.”

“So not only from a budgetary perspective, but also from a good government perspective, we must address the voucher program,” Sundareshan said.

Asked whether Democrats would revive the voucher changes Hobbs proposed last year, Sundareshan said those proposals are “absolutely on the table.”

Arizona Legislature math: Senate supermajority, but not House

Paying for more school funding could be tougher.

Sundareshan said Democrats “absolutely must invest more in public education,” but the state’s flat income tax has left it with less revenue than in previous years, and Democrats can’t raise taxes on their own.

Democrats are on track to hold a 20-10 Senate supermajority, enough to pass tax increases, which require a two-thirds vote in each chamber. But their projected 37-23 House majority falls short.

Instead, Sundareshan pointed to ending tax breaks for data centers as something both parties might support. She has said Democratic control of both chambers will let the party deliver on issues with bipartisan support.

“We know the voters of Arizona are not thrilled with how fast data centers have expanded and that they are enjoying tax breaks,” she said.

Hobbs and the Republican-led Legislature agreed in June to pause the data center sales tax break for three years. The Arizona Commerce Authority approved 107 applications in the two weeks before the pause took effect.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Kevin Stone contributed to this report.

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