Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

The FY19 budget is the first payment to settle a tab that was due years ago. As education advocates, we are now faced with protecting these from Arizona’s favorite political pastime — finding ways to give away revenue. Together, we must continue to do what is right for all kids in Arizona.

Solutions require a lot of different minds addressing the problem for a lot of different reasons. Recognize when you’re facing a “golden moment”–a time and place where everyone wants to see the same outcome, even if they weren’t working for the exact same reasons or in the exact same way. If the problem is addressed, recognize that as a win. You don’t all have to attend the same victory party, but you may end up inviting more new friends than you ever imagined.

The biggest victory was a grand compromise on GPLET (Government Property Lease Excise Tax) reform. A unanimous deal was struck between developers, cities and tax watchdogs on the long-term retention of the 8-year property tax abatement and narrowing the application in the future to a capped land mass contained in a central business district (CBD) within a city. HB2126 passed virtually unanimously and was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey on April 17. The Arizona Multihousing Association, a key coalition partner with CRE, also played an instrumental role in advancing the compromise by proposing land mass percentage boundaries for a CBD, rather than dwelling on subjective “slum” and “blight” definitions in the eyes of the beholder.

That access to counsel is one of the hallmarks of a free country. John Adams, before he was president, became a target for ridicule after he defended British soldiers charged in connection with the Boston Massacre. He knew that the rule of law would be a farce if people facing serious government action couldn’t have counsel. He lost half his clients and endured popular scorn to do the right thing. John Adams was a patriot.

Raytheon Missile Systems is proud to call Arizona home. We’ve helped to make the world a safer place for more than 60 years. Cutting the ribbon to expand our Arizona footprint is a win not only for southern Arizona, but also for the entire state and this great nation.

For Arizona, investing in computer science education is more than an economic imperative. It is an opportunity imperative. And our legislators can now seize that opportunity to build critical capacity among our educators and new career pathways for our students. Together, we can ensure that our students are prepared for success today and the jobs of tomorrow.

Let’s be clear. Canvassing is not soliciting. Still, many remain confused over the difference between the two, including the Phoenix Police Department.

With pro-business, pro-job creation, and pro-worker policies already being implemented over the course of the last year and with many more on the horizon, the future for small business in America is looking bright. Hopefully, plans to derail the progress burn out before coming to fruition.

I’m happy to see the conversation finally turning to revenue. I hope that you will join me to keep the pressure on your representatives to do what needs to be done.

Discussions at the Capitol surrounding public education have largely been about funding — and with good reason. But too often these conversations turn into partisan talking points, and students are the ones who pay the ultimate price. Yet there is a piece of legislation that serves as an example of what can happen when lawmakers and community members come together.