Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Glenn Hamer released the following statement regarding Gov. Doug Ducey’s State of the State Address:
“Gov. Ducey today laid out a vision that will ensure that Arizona remains, as he said, ‘a state on the rise.’
“The governor let there be no doubt as to why he enjoys such strong support from across Arizona’s business community. He touched all the bases on the issues important to the Arizona Chamber and the state’s job creators.
“The governor’s focus on education – from K-12 to our universities – and jobs and the economy was music to the ears of those of us who believe Arizona should be the nation’s best place to grow a business and raise a family.
“On education, we were thrilled to hear the governor’s call to make it easier for our best schools to replicate by lowering the cost of capital, something that our A for Arizona project has also recommended. He reiterated his commitment to clear the lists of families waiting to access a great public school regardless of where they live. He focused on college and career readiness by calling for bonuses to schools whose students successfully complete AP and AP-type courses, and he recognized the critical importance of Career and Technical Education, which we in the business community believe is important to ensuring our talent pipeline is ready for the jobs of tomorrow. He also wants to work closely with our universities, which are essential elements of our overall economic development strategy.
“On education funding, Gov. Ducey and the Legislature have done the legwork to get Proposition 123 to the ballot for May’s special election. The governor can count on the Chamber to work side by side with him to ensure that it passes by a wide margin.
“On the economy, Gov. Ducey hit all the right notes. He correctly called out cities that would create a patchwork of wage and labor policies that would harm job creators. On taxes, we share his view that lower taxes make our economy more competitive.
“This was a unifying speech. We look forward to another very productive session.”
