In his annual State of the State address, Gov. Doug Ducey gave some hints about what Arizonans could expect from his administration and the Legislature in 2021.
Ducey began his remote speech Monday afternoon by condemning the violence at the U.S. Capitol.
“In the United States of America, violence and vandalism have no place in the people’s House,” he said. “Perpetrators should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Let us resolve that it never happens again.”
He struck an optimistic tone about directing resources to increase vaccination capacity.
“If last year was the year of the virus, this year will be the year of the vaccine.”
The state announced that the State Farm Center would be used as a vaccination center.
Ducey said to expect lower taxes in the coming legislative session.
“Every year I’ve been governor, we’ve improved income taxes in the taxpayers’ favor,” he said. “We’ve simplified the code, lowered all rates, protected them from inflation and removed an entire tax bracket.”
Ducey said low taxes, an idea being abandoned in other states, are necessary to maintain the state’s strong population growth.
“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.”
According to a December census data release, the state gained an estimated 130,000 people in the 12 months ending last July.
On education, Ducey said severe learning loss affected low-income minorities the most.
“Kids have missed out on so much,” he said. “With every public-health professional, from Dr. Fauci and the CDC on down, saying that the safest place for kids to be is in school, we will not be funding empty seats or allowing schools to remain in a perpetual state of closure. Children still need to learn, even in a pandemic.”
He called for longer school days, an extended school year, summer school, one-on-one instruction and tutoring with the goal that all graduate on time and at grade level.
Ducey defended the state’s middle-of-the-road reaction to COVID-19.
“Why not ban all gatherings and just lock everything down?” he asked rhetorically. “It’s a question that makes sense if you forget about everything else. … The rest of life doesn’t stop during a pandemic, least of all our basic responsibilities. People still have bills to pay, children in need of schooling businesses to run, and employees who depend on them.”
He didn’t mention them by name, but he did reference a handful of Democratic mayors who have dogged his administration for not implementing a statewide mask mandate.
“I’m not going to hand over the keys to a small group of mayors who have every intention of locking down their cities,” he said.
An Arizona Republic report found few instances of the state’s largest cities enforcing their own mask mandates.
“The critics can say what they want but the path I’ve outlined is the right path for Arizona,” Ducey said, also dismissing Republicans who aim to remove his emergency orders via state legislation.
In response, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said “Mayors won’t give up. During a pandemic, we deserve a governor who will work with duly-elected Mayors to discuss solutions, rather than scoring cheap shots and refusing to work together for the betterment of cities and the state.”
Arizona Democratic Party Director Matt Grodsky responded to Ducey’s speech.
“Ducey trying to find the courage to lead is like trying to ‘find the fraud’ for Trump in Georgia. It’s just not there. Arizonans are no longer taking the Governor seriously. From his failed COVID-19 response, to his weak attempt to rein in the radical elements of his own party, to meddling with the IRC, Ducey has abdicated his responsibilities. The Governor has shown Arizonans why his office should not go to a Republican when his term is up next year.”
