From the Desk of the Director – Please Vote No on Prop 314
As I go through my ballot and read Prop 314, I am reminded of my immigrant ancestors and the American Dream. An American Dream that my family was able to achieve through the generational contributions they made to Arizona, fundamentally rooted in my great-grandparents’ immigrant story in Chandler at the turn of the 20th Century.
The American Dream seems to be more out of reach for so many, even as our economy grows and becomes stronger. The United States is experiencing lower unemployment and higher wages than before the Covid-19 pandemic, but yet in Arizona and elsewhere the costs of housing and child care have grown exponentially. According to the most recent American Community Survey, roughly 54 percent of Arizona's renter households are burdened with housing costs. They are paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Furthermore, according to analysis from consulting firm KPMG, between 1991 and 2024, the costs for daycare and preschool rose at nearly twice the pace of overall inflation. As a result, families with young children may be paying 10-20 percent of their income on child care.
Yet, during a time when state government investments can be made to make our economy more prosperous and secure investments in our roads, water, and care infrastructure, Arizona voters are asked to approve an unfunded state immigration policy that fails to consider the burden it places on local law enforcement and lacks understanding of Arizona’s economic and immigration narrative.
Let’s state up front, immigrants are contributing significantly to the Arizona economy. According to the Immigration Research Initiative, immigrants contribute $71 billion in economic output to the state economy. Furthermore, according to the Economic Policy Institute, without immigration, the prime-age workforce (between the ages of 25 and 54) would have seen essentially no growth at all in the past quarter century, dramatically constricting the ability to grow our economy and staff key industries. From this narrative must be constructed a comprehensive, economically reasoned immigration policy.
Immigration enforcement must be viewed as any other investment made by the will of the people but based on a cogent understanding of how such policy will be funded and executed. Prop 314 utterly fails these requirements.
Prop 314 is a completely unfunded mandate. More egregious, Arizona voters are being asked to expand the role of local law enforcement at the exact time when the state is providing significantly less revenue to cities and towns. Due to the enactment of the state’s flat personal income tax, cities are likely to receive between 15-20 percent less in their share of state income tax revenue this fiscal year as compared to last.
Furthermore, it was only this past legislative session that the Arizona Legislature had to resolve a $1.6 billion budget deficit. According to recent revenue and spending projections, there is little to no additional money to spend on any items not already in next year’s budget. Consequently, if Prop 314 were to pass, the state funds needed to meet its mandate will have to compete with items such as free school meals, child care assistance, and new investments in roads and infrastructure projects.
Lastly, even proponents of Prop 314 have expressed concerns as to the severe burden it will place on law enforcement, especially if there are no additional state or local funds to meet its mandate. Law enforcement officials have identified that the execution of Prop 314 will require significant resources and training for local police to take on this new immigration enforcement role. Consequently, some law enforcement officials have expressly come out against Prop 314 for the very reason that it could divert resources and place strain on meeting other public safety priorities.
Built into the Arizona Dream is a belief that our state and local governments will provide a certain level of security and support so that any individual can utilize their merit and hard work to build a better life for themselves and their family. Prop 314 does not make us more secure, and it could force the state to delay the investments that could make us more prosperous.
Please vote no on Prop 314.
Sincerely,
Joseph Palomino
Director of Arizona Center for Economic Progress
