Coalition launches initiative drive for Arizona road building

The centerpiece of the “Transportation and Infrastructure Moving Arizona’s Economy Act” is the one-cent increase in the state sales tax.

By PAUL DAVENPORT
The Associated Press

5/7/2008

PHOENIX — An initiative campaign launched Tuesday would put a $42 billion, 30-year transportation funding plan on the books, boosting the state’s sales tax by a penny.

The initiative filed with the Secretary of State’s Office is a complex measure 15 pages long. Backers need to collect signatures of roughly 154,000 voters by July 3 to get it on the ballot in November.

The centerpiece of the so-called “Transportation and Infrastructure Moving Arizona’s Economy Act” is the one-cent increase in the state sales tax.

Supporters say it would raise $42.6 billion over 30 years. The money would pay for highway construction projects as well as rail, transit and other transportation-related work.