Gov. Brewer Campaigns Hard for Prop 100

PHOENIX - Arizona's special election is May 18. On the ballot is Proposition 100, which would increase the sales tax by one cent, from 5.6 cents on the dollar to 6.6 cents starting June 1.

The 1-cent sales tax would stay in effect for 3 years, and supporters say it could generate $1 billion a year. Money will be split between education, public safety, and health and human services.

Tuesday, Gov. Jan Brewer cast an early vote yes for Prop 100, and she's urging Arizonans to do the same.

Brewer says it will be a lifeline for our state, helping to avoid deeper cuts to schools and public safety. But opponents of the tax hike say it will be a huge blow to small businesses.

"It is always a difficult thing to vote for an increase in taxes but it is the right thing to do," said Brewer Tuesday while casting her ballot. "Prop 100 is not a cure all but it will get us through. If we don't get the revenue we will have to cut another billion dollars."

Attorney General Terry Goddard, also running for governor on the Democratic side, is also backing Prop 100.

"Prop 100 is necessary, it’s the only choice given and Arizona needs to change course and get serious about educating kids," he says.

Still, there's lots of opposition.

Thousands of small business owners around Arizona don't support Prop 100. Neil Jacques is the founder of In Position Technologies in Chandler, a robotics company. He is worried about what will happen if the sales tax goes up.

"People stop buying that product, they go elsewhere and my concern is that it will hurt business," he says.

Jacques says the state should look at more spending cuts before they ask the public to fork over more money.

"Tell the state, tell the governor to live within your means like we have to. Whether you're a business owner or a family, we all have to live within our means and state has to learn to live within its means instead of cranking our sales tax up."

The governor is making it clear she will not support tax cuts for businesses while citizens have to pay more sales tax.