STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Arizona State Representative James Taylor has introduced House Bill 2492 today to strengthen the voter-protected 1998 Growing Smarter Act and disqualify any rule or law that has the effect of establishing or maintaining urban growth boundaries in this state. In introducing the bill, Representative Taylor said the following:

Urban growth boundaries are imaginary lines drawn on a map. They can be buffer zones around designated areas or represent the boundaries of incorporated towns themselves. Any policy or proposal that has the effect of preventing new housing development, trade, or commerce outside of such boundaries—or of limiting new development to only areas within those boundaries—is, in effect, one that establishes urban growth boundaries.

 Corporate investors know constraining supply reduces competition and induces artificial scarcity, benefiting incumbents over new market entrants, creating bidding wars, and artificially inflating prices for the corporate elite. Land within the boundaries becomes more expensive, while land outside the boundaries cannot be touched. For working families striving to afford their first home, this makes the price of new homeownership unattainable. Working families need rural and exurban options to maintain affordability, and not everyone wants to live in the city.

 In 1998, Arizona voters rejected urban growth boundaries, passing a ballot measure preventing Arizona lawmakers from requiring cities or towns to adopt them. In 2000, environmental activists tried to undo the law, but Arizona voters spoke again—defeating the hostile amendment at the ballot and demonstrating for a second time that Arizonans support freedom and the American Dream. This fight was about defending people’s right to live and work where they choose, and supporting the development of new jobs and housing in the places people can afford.

 The 1998 law is still on the books and voter-protected, but through a series of internal policies, the Governor has found a way to circumvent the will of the voters and advance the 1990s agenda. Thousands of acres of land are ripe for development, but the Hobbs administration has locked them away. Millions of acre-feet of groundwater are available for growth, yet the administration has kept them off limits to development. These aren’t minor mistakes; they are part of a deliberate effort.

 By limiting new home construction to private land within a few select cities, the Governor has effectively imposed urban growth boundaries in this state. This anti-growth agenda restricts our supply, increases scarcity, and drives up the cost of new homes for hardworking families. For the first time in years, Arizona is seeing net outmigration and a slowing job market, while housing costs and evictions continue to climb.

There is a better path. Our land and natural resources must be effectively managed to ensure we can maintain a robust economy and a low cost of living. Arizona cannot afford to constrain its supply. If vacant land and replenished groundwater are available, we should not let them sit idle when we could put them to economic use. We must use them to unlock our economic potential and restart growth, allowing new homes to be built and jobs to be created, expanding where families can live.

 Arizonans did not vote for artificial restrictions, constraints, and scarcity. They voted for growth, freedom, and the American Dream. It’s time to lift the urban growth boundaries that are currently holding our economy back. It’s time to build. Let’s unleash the shackles and work together to help lower costs, create jobs, and make homeownership affordable again for our great state.

James Taylor is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 29 in the West Valley, Goodyear, and Surprise.