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Rail and roads
The iArizona Committee is headed by Mesa Mayor Scott Smith and backed by a broad coalition of local politicians, construction contractors and business interests. Their ultimate goal is to boost Arizona’s economy and status as a transportation hub connecting Los Angeles, Dallas and Mexico, as well as linking Arizona’s manufacturing and economic hubs to one another.
Visa backlog from shutdown could cause shortage of farm labor
This month’s federal government shutdown caused a backup in seasonal farmworkers’ visa applications that some groups say could lead to a labor shortage during the coming winter vegetable harvest.
Fed budget deal means AZ DES workers back at work
More than 240 furloughed workers at the Arizona Department of Economic Security are back on the job now that the federal government is back up and running.
Judicial imbalance
Relatively few private attorneys want to become judges in Arizona
Stagnant salaries and diminished retirement benefits keep private attorneys from joining Arizona’s bench, which is becoming unbalanced by increasing numbers of former government lawyers, said a lobbyist for Arizona judges.
Arizona reaps jobs, funds from decades-long boom in federal contracting
Federal contract spending in Arizona grew more than three times faster than the national rate over the past 20 years, according to a Cronkite News Service analysis of government data.
Study: Chances of climbing the economic ladder are mixed in state
Location matters when it comes to the chances that a child born into poverty in Arizona will move up the economic ladder during his lifetime, a recent study shows.
Insiders reveal practices of AZ banks that survived the crash
The old adage — “If it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger” — generally applies to biological organisms. But it could also apply to the financial system in Arizona, which has had 14 bank failures since 2009.
Arizona earns a B on report card for financial literacy requirements
Arizona got a B on a recent national report card that graded states for their efforts to improve financial literacy in high schools.
APS puts plans on hold as talk of deregulation heats up
Arizona Public Service is temporarily halting plans for more than $550 million in investments to secure its power supply after energy regulators opened up the possibility of competition in electric service.
Maricopa County reduced budget by 89 million
I’m fortunate to have many great friends and colleagues at the Capitol and I’m pleased to continue to work with the Capitol community in new ways as an elected official of Maricopa County.
Lawmakers cautiously eye economic gift of higher revenues
The past year gave Arizona legislators the best Christmas gift they could hope for — a much improved economy and stronger revenue collections.
Transparency website casts dim light on government spending
Amid all the dark budget news in Arizona, the recently launched state budget transparency website provides taxpayers with a ray of light. This new website — Arizona OpenBooks (http://openbooks.az.gov) — while far from perfect, should bring transparency and greater accountability to future state budgets.
