Arizona’s minimum wage was $13.85 in 2023, up from $12.80 per hour in 2022. On January 1, 2024, minimum wage in State 48 will be raised another 50 cents to $14.35 per hour. This increase will happen despite the fact that Arizona’s inflation rate in 2023 was lower than the national average. That’s because Arizona is a state that raises minimum wage following the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI). This means that our state follows the inflation rate of the entire country instead of the localized state-level inflation rate. But now, a new group is pushing to ensure that Arizona’s minimum wage grows astronomically higher.
Back on November 7, 2022, a group named Raise the Wage AZ introduced a measure called The One Fair Wage Act. This state-initiated statute, which could be on the ballot in 2024, proposes raising the minimum wage to a staggering $18 per hour. Within this act, it explicitly states, “The One Fair Wage Act raises the minimum wage by $1 over cost of living increases in 2025 and 2026 and leaves cost of living increases in place thereafter.” By 2025 and 2026, the cost of living in Arizona could very well be one of the highest in the nation because of the Phoenix metro area.
Another part of the act is something that will leave many small business owners feeling extremely concerned. It states: “The Act gradually reduces the amount of the employer’s offset due to tips until the employer is required to pay the full minimum wage and employees keep all of their tips on top of that wage.” This will diminish profit margins directly for small businesses and therefore increase product costs to consumers.
It’s bad enough that small businesses have been left behind for the past three years because of mismanagement of fiscal policy and ignorance at the highest level within the federal government. They shouldn’t be expected to face another dramatic increase in minimum wage. Our state cannot fall into the same trap that California and New York fell into, letting large cities dominate secondary cities and smaller towns.
On top of this, the Biden Administration’s neglect of the southern border and immigration policy will leave people that are crossing illegally even more dependent on taxpayer-funded programs—pushing overall costs at a local level even higher. Now is not the time to raise minimum wage by such an extreme margin. This is an unfortunate initiative, because it fails to address any of these other concerns that will end up affecting Arizonans.
The reality is that The One Fair Wage Act is bad for Arizona. If this ballot initiative passes, rural Arizona will be left behind as prices increase dramatically. Small businesses will go dormant. Phoenix will become the Los Angeles of the desert. And the bar of entry to start a business in Arizona will continue to grow higher for everyday Arizonans.
Carson Carpenter is a student at Arizona State University, majoring in Political Science. He is the Vice President of ASU College Republicans and has interned for Reps. Gosar and Crane. You can follow him on Twitter here.
Throughout history, wars have been fought over who can control land and what can be done upon the land that is seized. Nowadays, valuable land is often given to foreign adversary powers at the cost of Homeland Security and the good ole American dollar. Arizona is currently one of these battlefields, where foreign powers are trying to seize control within the United States and take away opportunities from domestic businesses.
In 2022, Arizona passed a law stating that China or Communist party officials cannot directly buy land in our state. However, SB 1342 failed to address that anyone who is not a Communist Party member from China can still buy land. While well-intentioned, this bill left a major loophole that can and will be exploited for years to come, especially with heightening tensions across the globe.
China currently has access to 26.2 million acres of Arizona farmland, some of it being close to major infrastructure and military installations. To be clear, all foreign investors from anywhere in China are under the complete and total control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Even if they don’t claim to be members of the CCP, they have access to buy up this land.
In 2021, China owned 30,119 acres within the state of Arizona. This land is held by Walton Industries Group, a company that denied access to NPR about what they are doing with their land. The company also gives access to many other foreign nations to use this land right here in Arizona.
This is a glaring national security risk. These foreign investors’ tactics toward Arizona are not normal business operations. That’s why Arizona needs legislation put forth that will cut off foreign investor access to the farmland mentioned above.
Arizona can be on the cutting edge to put its people first through such legislation. It would be the first of its kind in the country. State Senator Wendy Rogers even advocated for this type of restriction within SB 1342, but unfortunately, it didn’t pass. Since then, the world and state of foreign affairs have changed, allowing for a perfect opportunity to pass this game-changing legislation.
A new bill could be introduced at the legislature, pass both the Arizona House and Senate, and put lots of political pressure on Governor Hobbs to sign. If she did, this legislation would give access to farmland across southern Arizona that would most certainly boost the state economy, especially for the lower and middle classes.
Arizona could be a breadbasket of growth based on a simple release of farmland that right now is open access for foreign investors. There has not been enough economic pressure put upon the Governor in the legislature. Now is the time for the state government to enact legislation before the next election to ensure that Arizona will be playing offense, rather than playing the “bend but don’t break” game that limits enacting effective legislation that helps everyday Arizonans.
Carson Carpenter is a student at Arizona State University, majoring in Political Science. He is the Vice President of ASU College Republicans and has interned for Reps. Gosar and Crane. You can follow him on Twitter here.
