Arizona Senate Bill 1271 advanced through both chambers of the Legislature with bipartisan support and was recently transmitted to Governor Katie Hobbs for her signature. The bill would prohibit Arizona cities from fining or otherwise penalizing a business based on how often it requests public safety assistance, like calling the police. This is a commonsense protection for businesses dealing with local crime and other public safety issues, and Governor Hobbs should sign it.

Arizona businesses should not be punished for calling police or emergency services when they need help. Penalizing businesses for requesting public safety assistance creates the wrong incentive. A business owner dealing with shoplifting, vandalism, or other criminal activity should be encouraged to contact law enforcement, not forced to weigh whether asking for help will result in a fine. When cities punish businesses for being victims of crime, they shift the cost of public safety failures onto private employers and property owners. That approach is unfair and is especially harmful for independent businesses that are less able to absorb repeated losses, property damage, or the added risk of operating in high-crime areas.

For several years, businesses have operated under mounting threat from theft and disorder; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that 56 percent of independent retail businesses said they had been victims of shoplifting, 50 percent said the problem had gotten worse, and 46 percent said they had been forced to raise prices because of it. Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation reported a 93 percent increase in shoplifting incidents in 2023 compared with 2019. Punishing businesses for calling for police or emergency help is the wrong response to the concerns.

In this environment, SB 1271 would be a sensible limit on municipal overreach. Importantly, SB 1271 still preserves an exception for businesses that abuse the system. Cities are allowed to fine requests that are malicious, knowingly false, or frivolous once the city gives written notice of the violation. This protects legitimate businesses acting in good faith while preserving tools for local governments to address actual abuse.

SB 1271 also builds on the progress Arizona voters made when they passed Proposition 312 in the 2024 election. Prop 312 allows property owners to apply for property tax refunds if a county or municipality fails to enforce public nuisance laws. As a result, Arizonans are able to recover certain costs associated with unmitigated expenses related to homelessness, vandalism and other property crime, and drug use. There are potentially billions of dollars at risk in lost property values when these laws go unenforced. Arizona voters recognized the importance of the rule of law and private property protections to our free enterprise system, and SB 1271 would do the same.

Arizona businesses should never be put in the position of choosing between protecting their employees or property and avoiding local penalties. By stopping municipalities from punishing legitimate requests for public safety assistance, SB 1271 protects independent businesses and local communities and reinforces Arizona’s reputation as open for business. The bill is a no-brainer, and Governor Hobbs should sign it.

In less than a month, Americans will unify to celebrate the 250^th birthday of our Founding Fathers’ decision to formally declare their independence from England.  As we lead up to the July 4^th celebration, it is good to recall the principles that drove the brave and momentous decision to sign and issue the Declaration of Independence.

The signers of that document wrote: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.  That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Individual liberty.  Property Rights.  Minimal interference in business and personal freedoms by governmental action.  Businesses thriving on the passion, innovation, and vision of the individuals who own them.  These are the principles that were worth fighting for America’s independence from England 250 years ago and they are still worth fighting for, today.

There are so many liberal voices in our country that are clamoring for “free stuff.”  But individual liberty and economic freedoms do not mean “free stuff” – especially when the promises come to fund the “free” benefits for some with the hard-earned taxpayer dollars of others.   Not “free” universal health care from the government.  Not “free” college tuition from the government.  Not “free” teeth – for homeless meth addicts (no joke, check out the recent public interview statement by the current Los Angeles, California Mayor). 

America broke free from government tyranny.  It was a long, arduous, costly fight.  As we look ahead to next month’s upcoming celebration, let’s continue to focus on what really makes us a free nation.

On the list of “Affordability Items,” housing cost is a big player.  Having adequate supplies of available housing helps keep costs affordable.  Recent surveys and economic data are showing that 2026 is finally showing starts of the turnaround in the housing market that many Americans have been waiting for to activate an improved economy and opportunities for home buyers, home sellers, home builders, and apartment home dwellers of any age. Zillow’s March 2026 market report cited over 281,000 new listings pending in March and noted that this is the second highest of any month since August 2022.

In the real estate business, we often hear that a lot depends upon “location, location, location.”  That remains true in the national housing outlook.  In Phoenix, Arizona, for example, the recent desert temperatures remained hot but the housing market there doesn’t share that heat.  After a wave of new construction flooded the area, Phoenix now remains a relatively flat neutral market as of March 2026 when examining U.S. cities for housing heat.  Data from the end of April show that the average home value in Phoenix is down 2.4% over the past year, with listings taking nearly one month to sell.  In Appleton, Wisconsin, April home sales increased with median home prices up 7.4% over the past year.  An analysis of 2025 home sales statewide in Georgia left some analysts and local realtors declaring it to be the strongest buyer’s market in over a decade.  In the country’s Midwest region, a Redfin summary of the Nebraska housing market for March 2026, showed homes prices were up 5.3% year-over-year, the number of homes sold rose 15%, and the number of homes for sale rose 2%. 

There may be good news coming from federal policymakers (we know, good news out of Washington, D.C.?).  While we hear a lot about the controversies and partisan fighting in Congress, earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the “21^st Century ROAD to Housing Act,” H.R. 6644, by an overwhelmingly bi-partisan vote of 396-13.   The bill will next be considered, again, by the U.S. Senate since there are slight differences between an earlier version that was passed by the Senate. 

 If enacted, major provisions of the legislation promise to limit large institutional investors from competing against individual homebuyers, remove federal regulatory barriers in federal programs, and streamline community bank examination and lending rules to provide local banks with less federal mortgage lending paperwork requirements.  Having federal lawmakers making moves to reduce regulatory governmental requirements is rare.  We view this as a positive indicator.

So much of the news media focuses on what the President and the U.S. Congress are doing that it’s sometimes hard to remember that state leaders like Governors and state lawmakers make significant policy and governance decisions that impact main street business owners, their employees, and their loyal customers.  So far this year, 15 states have already held statewide primary elections that will decide who governs at the state level for the next four years.  In the upcoming summer months, before the arrival of Labor Day, another 29 states will conduct their primary elections for these offices.

A quick review of what the candidates for Governor are saying on tax policy in just two key battleground states tells an important story – and shows the stark contrast — about where those states may be headed for the next four years after November. 

In Arizona, the sitting Governor, Katie Hobbs, repeated her prior veto of a proposed $1.1 billion tax relief package earlier this year that had been passed by the Legislature.  Running for re-election, she will face either Andy Biggs or David Schweikert in the general election.  Both candidates openly support tax reductions.  Candidate Biggs is running on a prosperity initiative in support of the $1 billion family tax reduction plan that was vetoed and other tax relief.  Candidate Schweikert promises to push for common sense tax reforms and to ensure that Arizona has one of the lowest tax burdens.

This month’s primary election in Georgia’s open seat for the Governor’s race yielded a run-off between two Republican candidates, Rick Jackson and Burt Jones.  Following next month’s required run-off election, one of them will face Democratic candidate Keisha Bottoms.  Candidate Bottoms has voiced opposition to removing property taxes and has stated her general concerns about broad-based income tax reductions.  In contrast, Candidate Jackson is pledging to freeze property taxes and to cut the Georgia income tax in four years with a goal towards eliminating it in 8 years.  Likewise, candidate Jones supports cutting income taxes and cites his past record of supporting the return of $1 billion to taxpayers in the form of rebates and his support for Georgia’s planned annual state income tax rate toward a 4.99% upper top rate by 2027.

The actions of governors and state legislators make a deep impact on the bottom line of main street businesses, their owners, their employees, and their customers.  While federal elections are important, local elections have vital impacts on state and local economies.  Those impacts hit closer to home and make a real difference to business bottom lines.

Why do some voters show up for presidential elections but sit out races closer to home? New research supported by Citizens for Free Enterprise Action offers an important answer, and a roadmap for 2026.

The study examined Wisconsin voters (who took part in the study from December 16 to 19, 2025) who cast ballots for Donald Trump in 2024 but skipped the 2022 gubernatorial election. This group played a decisive role in the presidential outcome, yet their absence in 2022 highlights a gap in engagement at the state level.

Their concerns are not complicated. Affordability dominates their priorities. From rising grocery bills to housing costs and taxes, voters are focused on the day-to-day realities of making ends meet. While many feel positive about progress on issues like border security and gas prices, they are still waiting to see meaningful improvements in their own financial situations.

At the same time, many voters do not immediately connect those concerns to state government. Federal debates draw more attention, even though state-level decisions often have a more direct impact on cost-of-living pressures.

The opportunity is clear: Voters need greater visibility into how state policy impacts their pocketbook.

When voters understand how state policies affect their finances, schools, and communities, they are more likely to engage. Providing clear, accessible information about candidates and emphasizing the importance of state elections can make a measurable difference.

These voters often aren’t disengaged — they’re disconnected. Make the impact of state government real, relevant, and easy to understand, and greater participation in state-level elections is likely to follow.