Arizona beef prices could ease under a bill introduced by Rep. Chris Lopez. House Bill 2152 would exempt water and infrastructure upgrades on grazing lands from the state transaction privilege tax, a move intended to support ranchers, according to AZLeg.gov.
These infrastructure improvements, essential to the ranching operation, include items like fence lines, fence posts, drinking troughs, water lines and storage tanks. Not just to keep the cattle within confines and hydrated, the installations have the double duty of often benefiting wildlife too.
Lopez told AZLeg.gov, “Families are paying more for beef every time they check out at the grocery store.” He said the bill aims to reduce costs that are passed on to consumers and provide financial relief for families.
Current law further complicates the issue by treating improvements made on federal grazing land as federal property once installed, even though ranchers pay for them. According to AZLeg.gov, the lawmaker said ranchers receive no reimbursement after ownership transfers, yet Arizona still collects state sales tax. “At a time when federal land policies already make ranching harder, Arizona should not be adding another layer of cost,” he said.
The proposed legislation by Rep. Chris Lopez, a Republican who represents parts of Pinal and Pima counties in Legislative District 16, aims to support ranchers who manage public grazing lands and infrastructure used across Arizona.
