PHOENIX — Voters in Arizona will decide Tuesday night whether a tax increase will be placed on the top 1% of earners in the state to fund public education through Proposition 208, also known as the Invest in Education Act.
As of Wednesday morning, 53% of voters were in favor of passing the initiative.
The measure is proposing a 3.5% tax “surcharge” to be added on individual earnings above $250,000 and joint earnings above $500,000, with the revenue from the increase fully going towards funding Arizona public schools.
The measure is proposing a 3.5% tax “surcharge” to be placed on the top 1% of earners in the state, with the revenue fully going towards funding Arizona public schools.
You can see the results for Proposition 208 below:
The increase would raise the maximum income tax rate for high earners to 8%.
The initiative was created by Invest in Education Political Action Committee (PAC) in order to economically assist public schooling in the state, which ranks near the bottom nationally when it comes to education. The PAC has received over $4.67 million in contributions.
Amber Gould, a high school teacher at Glendale Union High School District and the Arizona director of the National Education Association, is chairperson of the Invest in Education PAC.
Opponents of the proposition argue that the proposition would hurt small businesses economically, while supporters deny this, saying that the tax would only affect the highest-earning individuals while boosting pay for teachers, classroom support staff and school support staff.
More 12 News coverage of Election Day:
Gov. Doug Ducey and the Arizona chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Development Association have been vocal in their opposition of the proposition.
You can read more about Prop. 208 and Prop. 207, the initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana, in the Arizona Secretary of State's "What's On My Ballot" pamphlet.
Results are not made official on Election Night. 12 News will primarily use NBC News as our guiding source in reporting results for the presidential election and all other races. We will use The Associated Press in some situations.
Stay tuned into 12 News for the latest information on whether Proposition 207, and the legalization of recreational marijuana, is passed or rejected by voters in the state tonight during our Decision 2020 election night coverage.
