By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX — Gubernatorial hopeful Andy Biggs made a series of promises Tuesday of what he intends to do if elected as governor.
In a press conference on the lawn of the state Senate, where he had previously served as president, Biggs vowed to totally eliminate tax incentives for data centers, allow Arizona restaurants to serve raw milk, limit the number of short-term rentals that can be owned by investors, support more nuclear power in Arizona, and limit the use of food stamps to purchase "junk food'' and soda.
He also wants to increase the scope of the already universal Empowerment Scholarship Account program, finding way to increase the grants to provide more accessibility to students in inner-city and rural areas who do not now have easy access to private and parochial schools.
And with just slightly more than two weeks until early voting starts, he also vowed to do something that so far incumbent Gov. Katie Hobbs has not done: Allow Arizona students to take advantage of a new federal tax credit program to fund scholarships for not just private schools but that also could be used in some cases by students in public schools.
But while providing a laundry list of what he will do in the future, the current Republican congressman would not answer questions about what he actually has done as shown by his record. That includes his repeated support for an increasingly unpopular war in Iran and the extensive tariffs imposed by President Trump, both of which already have had an economic impact on Arizonans.
"Tell me when I voted for it once,'' he said in response to a question about his support for the war. And Biggs quickly sought to change the subject from what he has done in the past to what he says he will do in the future.
"We're talking today about a positive, optimistic vision for the state,'' he said.
But the record shows that Biggs voted six times this year against a House resolution directing the president to withdraw U.S. forces from hostilities in Iran.
Several of these measures actually were approved as several House Republicans, concerned about the length of the conflict and the lack of clear goals, sided with Democrats. They all stalled in the Senate.
Pushed further, Biggs did not dispute that war has driven up the price of gasoline and diesel. But he said there wasn't much he could do about it.
"I expressed myself to the president, I expressed myself to his team,'' Biggs said, calling all the higher fuel prices "an unfortunate reality.''
But here, too, he deflected.
"That's not why Arizona's not affordable, solely,'' Biggs said.
He said the same high gas and diesel prices affect residents of every state. And Biggs said that can't be blamed for the fact that Arizona, once considered one of the most affordable states, now ranks near the bottom.
Biggs did not answer questions about his support of the presidentially imposed tariffs.
Some of what the GOP nominee promised Tuesday to do if elected lacks specifics.
For example, he wants to eliminate the state income tax.
That currently generates an estimated $6 billion, about a third of the nearly $18 billion in tax revenues. It is exceeded only by sales and use taxes at about $8.7 billion.
Biggs insisted that his plan does not mean other taxes will go up or that services will need to be cut. He said the record in Arizona has shown that tax cuts stimulate the economy, with no decline in overall state revenues.
Still, he said, any changes would be done "incrementally.''
Campaign aides to incumbent Hobbs have countered by suggesting that Biggs' actual plan is to institute a 23% sales tax on all items. And Biggs did in fact sponsor such a plan — but at the federal level.
But the Fair Tax Act also would have replaced taxes on income, payroll, estate and gift taxes.
Among the decisions made by Hobbs during her four years in office that Biggs promised to reverse was her refusal to opt-in to a federal program that would allow Arizona parents and students to have access to an additional source of free educational funds -- all at no cost to the state.
That stems from one provision of the "One Big Beautiful Bill'' approved by Congress last year.
It allows individuals to contribute up to $1,700 a year — double that for married couples — to organizations that would grant scholarships that could be used not just to pay tuition at private schools but also could be used by public school students to cover the cost of tutoring, after-school programs and transportation costs. Donors get a dollar-for-dollar credit against any federal taxes owed.
Only thing is, the law requires the governor of reach state to agree to allow its students to benefit from what are formally known as Education Freedom Tax Credits. Hobbs not only refused to opt in but actually vetoed legislation in April approved by state lawmakers seeking her to force her to join.
And without that, Arizona students will be ineligible for the scholarships that begin in January.
Hobbs said in April it would be "irresponsible'' to sign the bill before the federal government has released any regulatory guidance.
In June, the Department of Treasure issued a "preview'' of that guidance. It includes income eligibility limits, what the scholarship funds can be used for, and how it it up to each state to designate organizations that would administer the scholarships. There even are requirements for those organizations to use at least 90% of what they get for such aid.
But gubernatorial press aide Christian Slater said that's still not enough. He said Hobbs wants to wait until there are final rules.
"She wants to know what kind of guardrails and guidance will be issued by the federal government,'' he said.
All that parallels the governor's criticism of Arizona's own Empowerment Scholarship Account program.
With a price tag for Arizona taxpayers exceeding $1 billion, she has pushed state lawmakers to make changes. Those included mandating minimum education requirements for teachers at schools getting ESA funds, requiring public reports of graduation rates, and even requiring students to have attended a public school for at least 100 days before becoming eligible for ESA dollars.
None of those proposals went anywhere.
In the case of the Education Freedom Tax Credits, however, there are no Arizona dollars involved.
In fact, if Hobbs does not opt in, Arizonans still will be able to contribute to scholarship organizations — but only those in the more than two dozen participating states — and still get the $1,700 federal tax credit. But no Arizona students would benefit.
Slater dismissed the lack of impact on the Arizona budget as irrelevant.
"She believes taxpayer dollars should be used efficiently and effectively,'' he said, regardless of whether those are federal dollars.
And what of the fact that, absent gubernatorial action, Arizona students won't be able to take advantage of the program when it begins Jan. 1?
"The statement that I gave and the answer we have been giving on this question is the same,'' he said.
While most of the 30 states that have opted in are headed by Republican governors, that is not universally true. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis already has agreed to join.
And even without final rules, New York's Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed just last week she will have her state join the program.
That came despite objections from Mike Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, who echoed some of what Hobbs is saying here.
"It's a bad thing when we're going to take taxpayer dollars and give it to folks with no accountability,'' he said.
Hochul, however, said this program is different than vouchers because it can be used by eligible students in public schools. And Hochul said there would be no diversion of funds from public schools because the money all comes from donations from private individuals who then can reduce their federal tax liability.
