Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey called for tax cuts to help the state recover from the economic impact of the pandemic in the opening address for the 55th legislative session.
For the first time, Ducey delivered the speech remotely due to the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus.
“If there’s an upside to the unique circumstances, it’s that for this year’s address we have more people than ever watching us live from across the state,” he said. “What we’ve lost in ceremony, we’ve gained in citizen engagement.”
Ducey, a Republican in a state whose voters selected Joe Biden as president and elected two Democratic U.S. senators, denounced a riot by supporters of President Trump in the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
“It was a sickening day in Washington D.C. that no American will ever forget,” he said. “In the United States of America, violence and vandalism have no place in the people’s House. Perpetrators should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Let us condemn it and resolve that it never happens again.”
Arizona Democrats criticized the governor for not specifically blaming Trump for the “insurrection.” Ducey, who is facing re-election in 2022, has campaigned with Trump in the state.
“Ducey trying to find the courage to lead is like trying to ‘find the fraud’ for Trump in Georgia,” said Democratic Party spokesman Matt Grodsky. “It’s just not there. Arizonans are no longer taking the governor seriously.”
In a speech short on specifics, Ducey said tax cuts would help stimulate the economy.
Arizona went into the pandemic with a booming economy, ranked in the top five for job creation and personal income growth, he said. Much of the state’s migration has come from neighboring California, which lost population for the first time in 2020.
“And having come this far, as other states chase away opportunity with their new taxes, why on earth would we ever want to follow their failed and depressing example?” Ducey asked. “So I propose, in this session, we work together to reform and lower taxes and preserve Arizona’s good name as a responsible, competitive state. On tax reform, let’s think big.”
A week after announcing a 24-hour vaccination site at the Arizona Cardinals Stadium in Glendale, Ducey called for rapid vaccinations against the COVID-19 virus.
“We need to work faster,” he said. “So now, even more resources will be brought to the fore. Everyone needs this vaccine. And the sooner we all receive it, the more quickly we can get on with life as it should be.”
