As America250 Approaches, Arizona’s Story Must Include All of Us 

Arizona Center for Economic Progress calls for a tax code and state budget that reflect the people who build Arizona from the bottom up 

PHOENIX — As Arizona and the nation prepare to mark 250 years of America, the Arizona Center for Economic Progress is urging state leaders and the public to reflect on the full American story — one shaped by everyday people, working families, immigrants, teachers, caregivers, small business owners, and communities organizing from the bottom up to build a better future. 

“America’s story has never been written only by the wealthy and powerful,” said Joseph Palomino, director of the AZCenter. “It has been written by people who show up for one another, fight for their communities, and believe the next generation deserves a fair shot. Our tax code and our state budget should reflect that story.” 

The upcoming America250 commemoration offers an opportunity to ask whether our public choices are living up to the country’s promise. In Arizona, the answer is complicated. 

At both the federal and state levels, tax and budget choices continue to favor tax cuts over the public investments families need. Under H.R. 1, the federal tax package passed last year, the richest 1% of Arizonans are set to receive an average tax cut of nearly $80,000, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The lowest-income 20% of Arizonans will receive about $10. 

Arizona’s new state budget includes some important improvements, including steps to protect health care for thousands of Arizonans, targeted investments in food assistance and public K-12 education, and a temporary pause on new data center tax subsidies. But the budget also gives up $1.4 billion in revenue over four years through tax cuts — a significant choice at a time when families need stronger investments in food assistance, health care, child care, housing, and public schools. 

At the same time, more than 450,000 Arizonans have lost food assistance since 2025, leaving families, local economies, and communities across the state to absorb the consequences. 

“This is exactly why America250 matters,” said Geradline Miranda, assistant director of fiscal policy. “If we are going to celebrate the American story, we also have to be honest about who is being left out of it. Families cannot build a good life without the basics: strong public schools, health care, affordable housing, clean water, child care, transportation, and food on the table.” 

For generations, Arizonans have shaped the state through collective action — from workers organizing for fair wages, to parents advocating for public schools, to communities demanding clean air, safe neighborhoods, and a government that respects everyone’s voice. That bottom-up power is the American story. 

But Arizona’s tax code tells a different story. Years of tax cuts and special-interest carveouts have reduced the resources available for the public investments that help families thrive and support long-term economic growth. 

AZCenter is calling for a tax system that matches who Arizonans actually are: A state built by people from every background, race, ZIP code, and income level who all deserve the tools to build a secure future. 

“We should use this anniversary not just to look backward, but to decide what kind of state and country we want to become,” said Gauri Agarwal, state policy fellow. “Arizona can choose a better path — one where everyone contributes their fair share and where our budget funds the things families need to build a good life.”