丝瓜视频

A group of bills introduced during Arizona鈥檚 2026 legislative session could have imposed more than $31 billion in new annual costs on the state鈥檚 economy if enacted, according to a new analysis from Common Sense Institute Arizona and the Arizona 丝瓜视频 Foundation. 

The annual identified 119 bills involving taxes, labor policy, energy and environmental regulations and other requirements affecting businesses. Researchers were able to quantify the potential costs of 88 of those measures, estimating a combined impact of at least $31.5 billion annually. 

If the bills had taken effect together, the report estimates Arizona could have lost 424,400 jobs, seen per-capita income fall by as much as $4,100 annually and experienced a $48 billion reduction in state gross domestic product. 

None of the 119 bills included in the report became law. 

鈥淎rizona鈥檚 economic success is not an accident. It reflects years of policy choices that have kept taxes competitive, preserved a flexible labor environment, cut red tape, and given businesses the confidence to invest and hire here,鈥� Arizona 丝瓜视频 of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e fortunate none of these bills became law. If they had, Arizona鈥檚 competitive advantages could have been dramatically undermined. Arizona鈥檚 competitive position is strong, but we can鈥檛 take it for granted.鈥� 

Among the measures analyzed was an effort to repeal Arizona鈥檚 right-to-work protections, which CSI identified as the single proposal with the largest estimated economic impact. The report projected repeal could cost the state between 30,000 and 40,000 jobs and reduce annual economic growth by 21%. 

The analysis also identified nearly $3.8 billion in potential new taxes, including proposals for an additional 3.5% tax on personal income above $250,000 and an 8% tax on income above $1 million. Other measures would have changed corporate tax policy or imposed new payroll taxes on employers. 

Labor-related proposals accounted for more than $17.5 billion in estimated costs. Those bills included mandatory paid-leave programs, changes to scheduling and overtime requirements, minimum wage increases, and additional workplace mandates. 

Another 20 bills related to energy and environmental policy carried an estimated $7.1 billion in costs. Among them were proposals requiring electric utilities to generate at least half of their electricity from renewable sources and imposing new renewable energy and battery storage requirements on data centers. 

Legal and administrative proposals accounted for another estimated $3.3 billion. The measures included rent-control policies, requirements that retailers accept cash, restrictions on pharmacy benefit managers, and other business regulations. 

Katie Ratlief, executive director of CSI Arizona, said the report is intended to examine the cumulative effect of policy decisions rather than any one proposal in isolation. 

鈥淣o single policy determines the entire direction of an economy, but policy choices compound over time,鈥� Ratlief said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 exactly why we do this analysis every year. A tax here, a new mandate there, another regulatory requirement somewhere else may not seem significant on its own. But put them all together, and the economic picture can change dramatically.鈥� 

The report also compares Arizona鈥檚 recent economic performance with Colorado, pointing to differences in the policy approaches taken by the two states. 

According to the analysis, Arizona鈥檚 inflation-adjusted GDP has grown 20% faster than Colorado鈥檚 since 2016, reversing the relationship seen during the previous decade. Arizona鈥檚 net interstate migration since 2020 is also up 18.5% compared with its average during the 2010s, while Colorado鈥檚 has declined by more than 90%. 

CSI estimates Arizona would have about 154,405 fewer workers and $26.4 billion less in real GDP today if the state had followed Colorado鈥檚 economic growth trajectory since 2019. 

The report says Colorado has enacted at least 50 measures in recent years that CSI considers detrimental to economic growth, while legislation appearing on Arizona鈥檚 annual 鈥淛ob Killers鈥� lists has not been enacted. 

Arizona 丝瓜视频 Executive Vice President Courtney Coolidge said maintaining the state鈥檚 competitiveness will remain important as policymakers address issues including affordability, workforce, energy and water. 

鈥淎rizona鈥檚 competitive advantage is something we have built over decades, but it is not permanent,鈥� Coolidge said. 鈥淎s lawmakers tackle real challenges around affordability, workforce, energy and water, the answer cannot be to make it more expensive to hire people, build projects and grow businesses. We need to solve problems without sacrificing the policies that have made Arizona one of the best states in the country to invest and create jobs.鈥� 

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