Gov. Doug Ducey signs $12.8 billion budget with big tax cut

PHOENIX (KYMA, KECY) - Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signs a $12.8 billion budget for the state that signifies a tax cut benefiting the wealthy, prioritizing driving taxes as low as possible.

“Each and every Arizona taxpayer, no matter their income, will experience a tax cut under our historic tax reform,” Ducey said in a statement.

The Associated Press reports an Arizona resident earning between $75,000 and $100,000 will save $231 a year in state income taxes. In comparison, the average taxpayer earning between $500,000 and $1 million a year will save more than $12,000.

Arizona’s school vouchers, known formally as empowerment scholarship accounts, allow eligible students to use the money that would otherwise go to their public school for private-school tuition, home-school materials, and other needs.

Here's a breakdown of the budget:

— Bans any instruction that implies that one race is inherently racist, should be discriminated against, or feel guilty because of their race. Another is a series of measures targeting or reacting to the so-called ”critical race theory,” which is not currently being taught in K-12 schools. Teachers could lose their licenses and their schools fined for violations.

— Strips Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs of the power to defend election-related lawsuits against the state and bars Hobbs from hiring private attorneys.

— Creates a $12 million election integrity fund to pay for election security updates and future hand recounts. It also lays out a series of security features for ballot paper, such as watermarks or holograms, though it stops short of explicitly requiring they be used.

— Gives the state police broad power to keep videos from body-worn cameras and dashboard cameras secret. It also requires people seeking copies of videos to know the time and place it was recorded and the names of people involved.

— Requires that police misconduct be investigated only by certified officers from the same jurisdiction, essentially banning civilian-controlled review boards for police misconduct.

Blocks public health measures, including vaccine or mask mandates, to control the coronavirus in schools and universities. Mandatory testing will also be outlawed, except in cases of outbreaks in dormitories and only with approval from Ducey’s administration.