Joseph Palomino, director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, questioned the financial impact of what Rogers seeks. 

His organization bills itself as supporting fairer tax codes to put more money into education, affordable housing and health care.

Palomino questioned whether any of what Rogers is trying to enact is illegal, predicting it is preempted by federal law and would be overturned. But that is just part of the problem, he said.

"This is just economically disadvantageous,'' he told the House Commerce Committee when it debated and approved the bill. All efforts to try to remove migrants from the state and the country are just harming the economy, he said.

SNAP enrollment has fallen dramatically in Arizona in just three months, according to the latest state numbers.

About 533,000 people received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in January, a 31% decline from October, according to the Department of Economic Security.

Arizona spends less on education than nearly every other state, and Valley schools are struggling to stay afloat.

“We are at the bottom because we’re not investing in schools how the rest of the nation is,” said Geraldine Miranda, assistant director of fiscal policy at the Arizona Center for Economic Progress.

“If Prop 123 were to be expanded, it could free up more budget funds, general fund dollars, that could also go toward schools,” said Miranda.

AZCenter director Joseph Palomino discusses the Arizona Legislature's tax conformity bill. Lawmakers have yet to decide on tax breaks, meaning some people may hold off on filing returns until the deadline.

Instead, to help pay for their tax cuts, many states have already raided their various cash funds. “We’ve sort of maxed out on gimmicks,” said Geraldine Miranda, assistant director of fiscal policy at the Arizona Center for Economic Progress. “There’s nothing left in the couch cushions.”

"Mass deportation is going to ultimately result in job loses for everyone in the US" - Joseph Palomino 

Arizona is the 20th most dependent state that relies on the federal government, according to a new report. ... The Arizona Center for Economic Progress said in fiscal year 2025, 45% of the state’s revenue came from federal funds.

The Arizona Food Bank Network and a coalition of advocacy organizations held a press conference on Wednesday to warn about the impacts of President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which will cut roughly $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.