Common Sense Institute Arizona

Common Sense Institute Arizona Common Sense Institute Arizona (CSI) is a non-partisan research organization dedicated to the protection and promotion of Arizona’s economy.

We believe sound fiscal and economic research is essential to uphold Arizona’s economic vitality, future, and individual opportunity. CSI Arizona is at the forefront of important discussions concerning the future of free enterprise in Arizona and aims to have an impact on the issues that matter most to Arizonans. CSI Arizona’s mission is to examine the fiscal impacts of policies, initiatives, and

proposed laws so that Arizonans are educated and informed on issues impacting their lives. CSI Arizona employs rigorous research techniques and dynamic modeling to evaluate the potential impact of these measures on the Arizona economy and individual opportunity. CSI Arizona is a sister organization of CSI Colorado. CSI was founded in 2010 originally as Common Sense Policy Roundtable in Denver, Colorado. CSI’s founders, a concerned group of business and community leaders observed divisive partisanship was overwhelming policymaking and believed that sound economic analysis could help Coloradans make fact-based and common sense decisions. CSI Colorado has spent the last decade at the intersection of state and national politics, and successfully provided facts to Coloradans to help make common sense decisions about policies that affect their everyday lives. Because of these successes, CSI Colorado is pleased to announce its expansion to Arizona in 2022. To learn more about CSI Colorado’s impact, visit: www.commonsenseinstituteco.org. To help the future of CSI Arizona, please consider becoming a member or a donor! Visit: www.commonsenseinstituteaz.org/donate-now

Arizona's FY27 budget incorporates several federal tax reforms into state law, including full bonus depreciation for qua...
06/17/2026

Arizona's FY27 budget incorporates several federal tax reforms into state law, including full bonus depreciation for qualifying business investments, but overall state spending continues to increase.

Since 2019, total state spending has increased by 86%. CSI Senior Economist Zach Milne discussed what that means for Arizona’s fiscal outlook with The Center Square: https://bit.ly/4grAUrD

Find out more about CSI's analysis: https://bit.ly/4e7wLqh

Arizona's semiconductor boom seems to be creating new opportunities.In recent media coverage, CSI's Zach Milne highlight...
06/16/2026

Arizona's semiconductor boom seems to be creating new opportunities.

In recent media coverage, CSI's Zach Milne highlighted the growing demand for highly skilled workers in the semiconductor industry. That demand comes as Arizona's labor market continues to face headwinds, with job growth remaining historically slow and labor force participation below last year's levels.

Read CSI's latest labor update: https://bit.ly/4v5IEDP
Read the article: https://bit.ly/4eJzpnn

06/15/2026

Arizona's housing shortage isn't slowing down.

CSI's analysis found the state faced an immediate housing shortfall of 55,992 units in 2025, making it a 5.1% increase from 2024. At current permitting rates, it would take more than 119 years to close the gap.

HB 2999 was signed into law with the goal of helping address Arizona's housing supply challenges.

Learn more about the data behind Arizona's housing shortage and what it means for the state's future: https://bit.ly/4tkVLj5

Renovation and reinvestment are important factors in maintaining the housing supply. In Arizona, building permits are ad...
06/09/2026

Renovation and reinvestment are important factors in maintaining the housing supply. In Arizona, building permits are adding an average of 23 days to residential project timelines. These delays mean higher carrying costs, slower housing improvements, deferred maintenance, and fewer homes returning to the market.

Read the full report:
https://bit.ly/4tvnPS3
Read the reporting here:
https://bit.ly/4fBBdjh



🎉 Happy Birthday to CSI CEO Cinamon Watson!Your leadership has helped grow CSI's impact, expand our reach, and bring dat...
06/09/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday to CSI CEO Cinamon Watson!

Your leadership has helped grow CSI's impact, expand our reach, and bring data-driven research to important conversations across the country.

Thank you for all you do to advance common sense policy conversations. Here's to another great year ahead! 🎂🎈

06/09/2026

Today, we welcomed our 2026 summer interns!

We're excited to have an incredible group of Junior Fellows joining us this summer as they dive into research, policy, communications, and economic issues shaping the future.

Stay tuned to see what they accomplish!

Arizona's pandemic-induced revenue boom may be over, but spending growth remains.CSI's latest budget analysis finds loca...
06/05/2026

Arizona's pandemic-induced revenue boom may be over, but spending growth remains.

CSI's latest budget analysis finds local and state governments expanded spending rapidly during and after the pandemic. Some municipal budgets have grown by more than 30% in the last five years. For example, Tempe's General Fund spending is up approximately 50% since 2020.

The report warns that as revenue growth normalizes, maintaining those spending levels becomes more challenging. Check out the full report: https://bit.ly/4e7wLqh

Did you know?Arizona's Medicaid enrollment is falling, but costs keep rising.CSI's new report finds AHCCCS enrollment ha...
06/04/2026

Did you know?

Arizona's Medicaid enrollment is falling, but costs keep rising.

CSI's new report finds AHCCCS enrollment has declined by about 209,000 people (10%) since its pandemic-era peak. Yet average per-member costs have increased 14%.

The result: total program spending remains under pressure even as fewer people are enrolled. Learn more in the full report: https://bit.ly/4e7wLqh

06/04/2026

CSI's Senior Economist, Zach Milne, joined KTAR News to discuss the forces shaping Arizona’s housing market, including mortgage rates, inflation, and housing affordability.

The conversation highlighted findings from CSI’s latest Housing Affordability update, which found that Arizona currently faces an immediate housing shortfall of nearly 56,000 homes. Although home prices fell about 2.9% in 2025, they remain over 11% higher than pre-pandemic trends. High interest rates, gaps in housing supply, and strained mortgage affordability make entering the housing market a daunting task for prospective new buyers.

🏠 Read CSI's report on housing affordability here: https://bit.ly/4tkVLj5
👉 Watch the full segment here: https://bit.ly/4x3y1U1

As part of CSI Arizona’s 2026 Ballot Guide, a new report examines how the proposed “Protect Education Act” could reshape...
06/03/2026

As part of CSI Arizona’s 2026 Ballot Guide, a new report examines how the proposed “Protect Education Act” could reshape Arizona’s ESA program and impact school choice statewide.

One key finding: Arizona families were already moving away from traditional district schools long before universal ESAs were adopted.

➤ District enrollment has been declining since 2008
➤ Charter schools now educate about 1 in 4 Arizona public-school students
➤ Today, fewer than 70% of Arizona school-aged children are in district schools, down from 80% a decade ago

The report finds Arizona’s shift toward alternative education options predates universal ESA expansion.

Learn more : https://bit.ly/493aurN

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2801 E. Camelback Road Suite 29
Phoenix, AZ
85016

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