Organizers behind Proposition 208, or the Invest in Education initiative, are attempting to bring the Arizona legislature’s recent tax decisions to a vote via referendum.
They are challenging three measures, including the creation of a flat tax rate.
The state legislature’s recent decisions also include a capped tax rate of 4.5%, and a separate tax category for small businesses to avoid the Prop 208 business surcharge.
David Lujan is one of the organizers of Invest in Arizona that was also involved in promoting Prop 208. He believes there is strong public opposition to the tax changes.
“This is a tax give-away to the rich. And it's giving away Arizona's future in the form of tax cuts to the rich. Close to $2 billion once they're all phased in will be revenue that will be lost,” said Lujan.
Backers need about 119,000 valid signatures before September 28 to force a vote.
If they reach that goal, the three challenged measures would be put up to a vote, and would not take effect until after the 2022 election.
