PHOENIX—At the Arizona Republican Party’s mandatory meeting today, state committeemen voted overwhelmingly to support legislative referendum bills that would allow voters in November to lower the state’s constitutional spending limit and institute a ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying. Both bills are championed by the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers, a state chapter of Americans for Prosperity.

“One party down, two to go,” said AFT-AFP state director Tom Jenney. “The passage of these resolutions greatly strengthens the state GOP’s claim that it is a party of fiscal conservatism and fiscal responsibility,” he said. “We hope to achieve similar support from Arizona’s other political parties.”

If passed by a majority of legislators during the current legislative session, HCR 2038 would give voters in November an opportunity to amend Arizona’s constitutional spending limit to cap spending by the state government at no more than 6.4 percent of state personal income. (The current constitutional limit is 7.41 percent.)

URL for text of the spending limit resolution:

http://www.americansforprosperity.org/index.php?id=4795

If passed by a majority of legislators during the current session, SCR 1009, also known as No Taxpayer Money for Lobbyists, would allow Arizona voters in November to prohibit the use of public funds for lobbying, while safeguarding the ability of public agencies, departments, boards, commissions, and political subdivisions to provide expert testimony and information to members of the Legislature.

URL for text of the ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying:

http://www.americansforprosperity.org/index.php?id=4794&state=az

Contact: Tom Jenney, Arizona state director, Americans for Prosperity

tjenney@afphq.org (602) 478-0146