I’ve had the privilege to visit several times recently with Matthew Earl Jones, the new head of the Arizona Office of Film & Media, also known as Studio 48. Matthew has deep roots in all aspects of the film industry and is taking a practical approach to running an office that was shuttered for six…
Read MoreAs budget negotiations over the Fiscal Year 2018 spending plan begin in earnest, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry has shared its Fiscal Policy Task Force budget recommendations with Gov. Ducey and the Legislature. As we do each year, the Chamber has assembled this document to give the governor and lawmakers a sense of where…
Read MoreArizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry President and CEO Glenn Hamer takes a look at his recent trip to Hermosillo, Sonora as part of a trade delegation led by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. Pacific Paper is a successful Mexican small business based in Sonora that manufacturers paper products. Included in its line of products is…
Read MoreSen. Jeff Flake’s Boots on the Border Act takes a major step toward reducing the consistent staffing challenges plaguing our land border ports of entry. I’m pleased to share this column by my friends from across the state who are so appreciative of Sen. Flake’s work in this space. Earlier this month, Senators Jeff Flake…
Read MoreA bill making its way through the legislative process that is touted as a way to increase transparency over tax credits won’t do much to inform the debate over tax policy, but it will negatively impact Arizona’s economic development efforts. The only question is by how much. HB 2422 would have the state Department of…
Read More“The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry appreciates Gov. Ducey signing HB 2404 into law. The initiative process should be one Arizonans can trust. Thanks to the leadership of state Rep. Vince Leach, Speaker of the House J.D. Mesnard, Senate President Steve Yarbrough and Gov. Ducey, we have added a needed level of accountability and…
Read MoreI hope you’re making plans to join us on Thursday at the Montelucia Resort for the first Arizona Tech Innovation Summit. The event is sold out, but if you’re not already registered, please add your name to the waiting list; it will be worth it. The demand is so high because the agenda we’ve put…
Read MoreBelow is a letter authored by the Chamber President and CEO Glenn Hamer and Tucson Hispanic Chamber President and CEO Lea Márquez-Peterson. This letter was distributed to state legislators in support of Gov. Doug Ducey’s proposed K-12 education budget and results-based funding. Dear Legislators, As leaders of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and…
Read MoreThe airline business is a tough one. Rising fuel costs. Government regulations. Mechanical breakdowns. Expensive equipment. Labor negotiations. Weather that doesn’t cooperate. Carriers are doing all they can to squeeze out profits in the face of an operating environment that is by no means easy. Meanwhile, cities and states around the country are in a…
Read MorePrescott rancher and former state Senate President Steve Pierce weighs in on the lack of safeguards to ensure that the integrity of the citizen initiative system is upheld, and why the current system can be so detrimental to rural Arizona. This piece is important. We’ve already seen the damage a poorly constructed initiative system…
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