Goldwater Institute

Arizona may be a right-to-work state, but a new investigation by the Goldwater Institute shows that public-employee unions still wield outsized influence on elected officials—and they are using that power to feather their own nests.

Engaged citizens make for good governments. That’s the central idea behind the ninth annual Institute Legislative Report Card, which takes into account 375 votes during the first session of Arizona’s fiftieth legislature. The result is a citizen-friendly tool for evaluating legislators’ votes against a simple, important standard: their impact on liberty.

Six years ago, Andrea Weck-Robertson was a single mother who wanted the best for her daughter. She struggled with her 4-year-old's special needs, including the challenges of autism and cerebral palsy. Andrea's experience with her local school convinced her that her daughter's condition was too severe for the care available.

In the last two decades, the Arizona Legislature has sent three measures to the ballot to raise legislative salaries. Only one, Proposition 302 in 1998 passed. Arizona voters have been wise. Although Arizona lawmakers are paid only $24,000 per year, often share staff, and have not had a pay raise since 1998, the state’s inadvertent frugality in this respect has helped protect freedom.

The federal government is tightening its control over the 50 states and the lives of every American. The U.S. Constitution, however, says states are supposed to be equal partners with the federal government. State sovereignty—allowing each state to control its own affairs—is the cornerstone of that equal partnership and critical to protecting Americans' freedom. Below are 10 ways local policymakers and citizens can restore that balance of power and do what's best for the people of your state.