The Gang of Eight’s immigration proposal not only repairs our broken immigration system, but it will also help strengthen our economy and reduce the national debt, according to former Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Chief Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who is now president at the American Action Forum, a Washington–based think tank. Holtz-Eakin’s study suggests that passing comprehensive…
Read MoreThe Arizona Chamber sent the following letter to state senators today indicating the broad support across the state for more rigorous education standards and an improved assessment.Dear Members of the Arizona State Senate: The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry applauds you for your recent passage of legislation that will retire the AIMS exam in…
Read MoreI want to pass along this important new website from our friends at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as part of their “Making Immigration Work” campaign. The site features an inspiring video, which contains footage of Sen. Marco Rubio’s recent comments before the US Chamber’s Committee of 100 meeting in Florida that I was fortunate…
Read MoreThe annual Heritage Award honors a distinguished individual whose accomplishments and commitment to Arizona are recognized within the state, nation and world. Past recipients include Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Bil Keane, Senator John McCain, Ambassador Bob Fannin and Frank Kush to name a few. This year’s Heritage Award will be presented to Alice Cooper on…
Read MoreSen. Jeff Flake this Thursday, Apr. 4 will appear at a special discussion on the national debt taking place at the Fairway Center in Sun City. The forum is a presentation of the Arizona arm of the national Fix the Debt campaign. I sit on the Arizona steering committee along with other business and political…
Read MoreSens. John McCain, Jeff Flake and fellow Gang of Eight members Sens. Chuck Schumer and Michael Bennet will be using some time during the spring congressional recess to tour the Arizona-Mexico border as part of their work to sell their comprehensive immigration reform package. According to recent polling data, the senators have hit the sweet…
Read MoreThe Senate Education Committee yesterday saw a display of just how critically important the Arizona’s education environment is to the state’s business community. Anyone watching the hearing now knows that a state’s tax, labor, regulatory and legal environments are all important to companies considering investment, but a quality K-12 education system can be the ultimate…
Read MoreRepublican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus just released a 100-page reporton how the Republican Party can attempt to win back the large swaths of the electorate that has abandoned it over the last few election cycles. The report contains discussion of the party’s posture towards women and minority voters, how young voters view the party…
Read MoreA state’s legal environment is a major contributing factor in its attractiveness to business. If you’re in the job creation business, you don’t want your state to show up on the American Tort Reform Foundation’s list of Judicial Hellholes. The Arizona Chamber this session has joined with Sen. Kimberly Yee on Senate Bill 1452, an…
Read MoreAs we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sen. John McCain’s release as a prisoner of war, I wanted to update you on the Chamber’s efforts to help our veterans transition back into the civilian workforce. During Governor Brewer’s State of the State address she mentioned, among her Four Cornerstones of Reform, the importance of helping…
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