Justin Olson

Justin Olson
Arizona House of Representatives District 25
Incumbent
In office
2011-Present
Term ends
January 5, 2015
Years in position	2
Party	Republican
Compensation
Base salary	$24,000/year
Per diem	$35/day for the first 120 days of regular session and for special sessions and $10/day thereafter.
Elections and appointments
First elected	November 6, 2012
Next election	November 4, 2014
Term limits	Four consecutive terms
Education
Bachelor's	Arizona State University
Websites
Office website
Campaign website

Justin Olson is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing District 25 since 2013. Olson previously represented the then-19th district from January 10, 2011 to 2013.

Olson earned his BS from Arizona State University. He has worked as congressional aid for the office of Congressman Trent Franks of the United States House of Representatives. He has also been employed as a senior research analyst for the Arizona Tax Research Association.

Committee assignments

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Olson served on the following committees:

Arizona Committee Assignments, 2013
• Appropriations, Vice Chair
• Federalism and Fiscal Responsibility
• Ways and Means

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Olson served on these committees:

Arizona Committee Assignments, 2011
• Appropriations
• Employment and Regulatory Affairs, Vice Chair
• Ways and Means
• Audit

Issues

Presidential preference

2012

See also: Endorsements by state officials of presidential candidates in the 2012 election

Justin Olson endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

Elections

2012

See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2012

Olson won re-election in the 2012 election for Arizona House of Representatives District 25. He and incumbent Justin Pierce ran unopposed in the August 28, 2012, Republican primary. He won the general election on November 6, 2012.

Arizona House of Representatives, District 25, General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Justin Pierce Incumbent	39.2%	50,017
	Republican	Justin D. Olson Incumbent	37.9%	48,335
	Democratic	David Butler	22.9%	29,169
Total Votes				127,521

2010

See also: Arizona House of Representatives elections, 2010

Olson and incumbent Kirk Adams defeated Scott Perkinson in the August 24 primary. They then defeated Democrat Kit Filbey in the November 2 general election.

Arizona House of Representatives, District 19 General Election (2010)
Candidates		Votes
Kirk Adams (R)		33,972
Justin Olson (R)		31,513
Kit Filbey (D)		19,866

Arizona House of Representatives, District 19 Republican Primary (2010)
Candidates		Votes
Justin Olson (R)		10,783
Kirk Adams (R)		10,722
Scott Perkinson (R)		8,646

Endorsements and Supporters:

Trent Franks, U.S. Congressman (R-AZ) "Justin is the right choice. His conservative credentials are tried and true. Justin’s views are documented by an extensive record of public statements and published research. Justin will protect your tax dollars. He will be a voice for fiscal responsibility. He will support pro-growth policies that will strengthen our economy. The Democrats in Washington have launched a full-scale assault on the limited-government principles that have made our nation great. We must elect experienced conservatives like Justin to our state legislature to defend the state's rights and protect our freedoms."

Chuck Gray, State Senator "Justin is exceptionally well prepared to serve in the Legislature. Justin has spent years on the front lines defending the citizens of Arizona against government intrusion and excessive taxes. He is an expert on public finance and the state budget. With the state’s ongoing structural deficit as the major crisis of our day, legislators with Justin’s knowledge and experience are needed now more than ever! Please join me in voting for Justin on Election Day."

Rusty Bowers, Former State Legislator "Justin has my full support and confidence. Voters deserve a principled leader of his caliber. Justin is trustworthy, honest, and well-respected. He has the character and experience to make a real difference in state politics. Mesa will be well-served with Justin in the Legislature."

Russell Pearce, State Senator "I have worked with Justin at the Capitol and have admired his personal conviction for limited government, the rule of law and his love of this Republic. We need those that are vigilant in the defense of liberty, our Constitutional Republic and our Founding principles. I completely and without hesitation support Justin Olson. If you are a taxpayer and you want a friend at the capitol, vote for Justin"

Laurin Hendrix, State Representative

Sylvia Allen, State Senator

Linda Gray, State Senator

Judy Burges, State Representative

Janie Thom, Former Mesa City Councilwoman, CAWCD Board Member

Stan Turley, Former State Legislator

Pat Oldroyd, LD19 Republican Chair

Chuck Daggs, Former LD19 Republican Chairman

Deborrah Miller, LD19 Republican State Committeewoman

Dan Grimm, LD19 Republican 2nd Vice Chairman

Bill Whitehead, LD19 Republican 3rd Vice Chairman

Brandon Trichel, LD19 Republican 3rd Vice Chairman and State Committeeman

Shane Wikfors, Founder of www.sonoranalliance.com and LD19 Republican Precinct Committeeman

Jerry Walker Committee, Arizona House of Representatives]] of the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board

Verna Nichols, LD19 Republican Precinct Committeeman

Justin Olson is the conservative choice for voters in legislative district 19.

Where he stands on the issues (in his own words):

Low Taxes As a Senior Research Analyst for the Arizona Tax Research Association, I have worked diligently to hold the line against tax increases and to advocate for job-creating tax cuts. As your State Representative, I will continue this effort. I will protect your tax dollars. I will work to reduce the high tax burdens that repel businesses from the state—businesses that would put Arizonans to work. Arizona businesses pay the 10th highest property tax rate. As consumers we are also subject to the 6th highest sales tax. With these high taxes we send a clear signal that Arizona is “Closed for Business.” I will fight to reduce taxes and reverse that message. To strengthen and diversify our economy, Arizona must be known as a freedom-loving state where hard work and ingenuity are well rewarded. We must display a firm commitment to the free market principles that made our nation great.

Fiscal Responsibility From 2004 to 2008 the state’s annual expenditures increased by nearly 62%—a rate that significantly outpaced population growth and inflation. This run-up in expenditures was not sustainable. Yet, this temporary burst in revenues resulting from the housing boom was spent on annually reoccurring expenditures. When revenue growth showed signs of slowing in fiscal 2008, our former governor, enabled by the Democrats in the Legislature and a handful of Republicans, refused to slow the rate of growth in expenditures. Budget gimmicks and borrowing were used to increase spending even further. This fiscal irresponsibility turned what would have been a manageable downturn in revenues into an unprecedented budget crisis. We must demand more foresight and more fiscal responsibility from our elected officials. We must prohibit spending from growing at such unsustainable rates. When the current downturn in the business cycle ends and revenues begin to increase again, inevitably there will be efforts to borrow or use budget gimmicks to increase spending before we have even closed the structural deficit. I offer a firm commitment that I will be fiscally responsible. In recognition that the state cannot continue to spend money that it does not have, I will not support spending increases funded by a budget that is not structurally balanced.

Economic Growth The current recession has eliminated 300,000 jobs from Arizona’s economy. For those families directly affected by these layoffs, there are likely very few issues that require more urgent attention. Serving in the Legislature, I will do everything in my power to remove the government induced barriers to job creation. As mentioned above, Arizona currently ranks 10th in the nation for the highest business property tax rate, 6th for the highest sales tax rate, and 22nd for the highest corporate income tax rate. These unusually high tax rates make up the largest obstacle to job creation. By working to reduce these burdens, our economy will restore these lost jobs and put Arizonans back to work.

Exceptional Schools Elementary and secondary education is a vital service provided by our state and local governments. In Mesa, we have much to be proud of in our school system. For example, Mesa Public Schools has the highest graduation rate among the schools in the nation’s 50 largest cities. In 2009, one out of every four of the district's graduating seniors was offered one or more college scholarships. The average value of the scholarships offered to each of these students exceeded $45,000. Mesa schools have been recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools. Mesa students have been selected as Flinn Scholars. In 2009, 20 Mesa graduates from four of the district's high schools were honored as National Merit Finalists. Each of Mesa’s high schools was recognized in the “2009 Best High Schools Search” by U.S. News & World Report. Mesa students consistently earn ACT and SAT scores that exceed the statewide and nationwide average scores. Mesa students took 2,172 advanced placement tests last year and passed 83% of the exams with scores that qualify for college credit. Teams and individuals from the district’s schools have won countless competitions and championships in academics, athletics, fine arts, and other extracurricular programs. In short, our district has excellent schools and many great choices available for parents and students. Mesa Public Schools is a great place to get an education.

As a state legislator, I will support the excellent work currently provided by our district and charter schools. I will also support statewide reforms that can continue to improve our public school system. I support efforts to improve accountability in our school systems. I support school choice and competition. I support school systems that are more responsive to parents and students' needs than to the demands of labor union leaders. I support directing more of our finite school resources into the classroom where they can have the greatest impact on students. I support removing the inequities in our school funding formulas. Our school systems should reward and retain the best teachers while providing as many students as possible the opportunity to learn from these outstanding educators.

Border Security We must secure our border. The utter disrespect for life and for the law exhibited by the human and drug traffickers across our southern border is appalling. Securing our border is a matter of national security. We need the National Guard on the border to defend the rule of law.

Pro-Life Whether one agrees that the government should protect the life of the unborn or not, all honest readers of the Constitution will see that there is no constitutional right to abortion on demand. When Supreme Court Justices invent constitutional rights to suit their preferences, they abuse their power and make a mockery of our constitutional form of government. As is eloquently described in our Declaration of Independence, protecting and preserving the unalienable right to life is a fundamental reason that governments are instituted among men. I fully support the pro-life movement. Protecting the life of the unborn, the most innocent and defenseless among us, must be a primary obligation of good government.

Pro-Second Amendment “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bare Arms, shall not be infringed.”

The Second Amendment couldn’t be more clear. The founding generation knew all too well that governments can become oppressive and that a free people must always maintain the ability to form themselves into a militia to protect their security and their freedoms. I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.

Campaign donors

2012

Campaign donor information is not yet available for this year.

2010

In 2010, Olson raised $24,375 in contributions.

His largest contributor was the Arizona Association of Realtors, which donated $1,664 to his campaign.

Scorecards

Goldwater Institute

See also: Goldwater Institute's Legislative Report Card

The Goldwater Institute releases its "Legislative Report Card" annually for all Arizona legislators. This report card tracks how legislators voted on key votes and assigns them a letter grade based on how closely their votes agree with the Institute's positions. The primary values emphasized in the ratings are whether votes expand or restrict liberty.

2012

Olson received a score of 69 out of 100 in the 2012 report card for a grade of B+ according to the Goldwater Institute’s grading scale. This score was 2 lower than his score on the 2011 report card. Olson’s 69 in 2012 was tied for the 7th highest grade among all 60 Arizona State Representatives.

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a google news search for the term "Justin + Olson + Arizona + House"

Justin Olson News Feed

• CNN Washington AM Note - CNN (blog)
• AHCCCS might drop coverage for childless adults - Douglas Daily Dispatch
• Could Arizona Medicaid expansion vote go to the ballot? Brewer 'not interested' - Phoenix Business Journal (blog)
• Arizona woman, 2 sons dead in crash north of Vegas - KTAR.com
• Brewer gets bill targeting scrap metal theft through dealers - Arizona Capitol Times
• Governor agrees to block Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds - Verde Independent
• More state money heading to Redistricting Commission - Verde Independent
• Brewer reverses course to appease abortion foes - YourWestValley.com
• Today at the Capitol - AZCentral.com - azcentral.com
• N. Carolina, Vanderbilt head into May among best - Albany Times Union

Personal

Olson and his wife Karyn have four children.

External links

Suggest a link

• Justin Olson's campaign website
• House website
• Project Vote Smart Biography
• Project Vote Smart legislative profile
• Campaign Contributions: 2010

References

Political offices
Preceded by '	Arizona House, District 25 2013–present	Succeeded by NA
Preceded by Rich Crandall	Arizona House, District 19 2011–2013	Succeeded by '

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