It’s hot in the desert! Arizona’s legislative session ended in mid-June, and MVP partner LUCHA (Living United for Change in Arizona), along with several other MVP partners in the People First Economy Coalition, achieved major policy and budget victories. We’re talking about fighting back against data centers, defending voting rights, securing funding for affordable housing, and more.
The best part: These victories were fueled by people power. LUCHA’s members from across the state got in on the advocacy action, showing up at the State Capitol, providing public testimony, and fighting for the policy solutions they want to see.
The details are sizzling, so we’ll let LUCHA tell you in their own words. Below we’ve included an excerpt taken from a recent email update to LUCHA’s members, congratulating them on their wins.
You can also read more from LUCHA here.
We Won: Historic Budget, Voting Access, & Our Next Steps
Hi/Hola Luchadores -
As we close the book on this year's legislative session, we are filled with pride and gratitude. The work you did packing the rooms, testifying, and showing up in force did not go unnoticed. Because of your relentless pressure, we walked away from the legislature with victories that protect our families’ health, housing, and future. But this is just the beginning. As we look toward the upcoming elections, we are channeling this momentum into building even greater people power across the state.
Here is how we won together, and how we continue to organize.
Photo: LUCHA members advocating for community investment and against ICE funding.
A Budget Built by People Power
When the legislature reached sine die [the last day of legislation session], they did so under the weight of our demands. We secured a budget that reflects what our communities fought for, prioritizing Arizonans over corporate interests.
Most notably, we achieved a historic three-year moratorium on new data centers. This ensures that billionaire corporations cannot extract more tax breaks at our expense while our basic services struggle. Instead, those resources were directed where they belong: protecting funding for healthcare, food assistance, and public schools.
We also secured $15 million for our Housing Trust Fund. This investment is critical for lowering rent costs and providing rental and utility assistance, ensuring that Arizona families can stay housed in their own neighborhoods.
Defending our Community and Our Democracy
These budget wins were earned because our members made their voices impossible to ignore. Throughout the session, you packed the capitol rooms and delivered powerful testimonies that shifted the debate. Those efforts directly led to defeating an “ICE at the polls" bill and stopping 25 other anti-immigrant measures.
Our defense of democracy extends beyond the Capitol. At the Board of Supervisors, we have consistently shown up to demand that our elections remain safe, transparent, and free from the confusion sown by MAGA [Maricopa] County Recorder Justin Heap. Your presence and testimony at these meetings brought us a major victory: the board voted to expand early voting sites from 12 to 16 locations.
Crucially, these new sites are in high-turnout immigrant and Latino neighborhoods, ensuring that voting access remains fair and accessible for everyone.
Growing our Power: From Barrio to Barrio
This legislative session proved that when we organize barrio [neighborhood] to barrio, we win. We are continuing to build this network through team meetings across Arizona, gatherings like our Asamblea [Assembly], and our next event, El Congreso del Pueblo [People’s Congress].
