Arizona has led the nation in economic growth for several decades. This success was not by accident. When confronted with the direst of economic challenges, our leaders pushed for policy changes that allowed the state’s economy to survive, then thrive. Once again, we are faced with such a situation.
Read More »Like perfect pie, preparation crucial to successful grassroots effort
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.
Read More »Shannon Schell: Fighting for the poor with a Rebel Alliance tattoo 
Shannon Schell is the new executive director of Protecting Arizona’s Family Coalition, a group that advocates for human services programs at the GOP-dominated Legislature.
Read More »Arizona school funding still lagging, report shows
The study by the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan research institute showed that even with an infusion of money since Gov. Doug Ducey took office in 2016, the state's per-pupil spending is well below its 2008 funding levels when adjusted for inflation.
Read More »Wendy Baldo 
Few provide a stabilizing presence at the state Capitol like Wendy Baldo, the Senate’s longtime chief of staff, who offers not just knowledge, but institutional knowledge, and not just any counsel, but counsel rooted in experience.
Read More »Education funding deal reached, special session likely 
Lawmakers have been summoned to the Capitol Monday and Tuesday to be briefed on a deal on K-12 funding in advance of a special session later in the week.
Read More »Brewer leaving legacy of fighting Obama, federal government
Gov. Jan Brewer fought President Barack Obama on immigration and border security for most of her tenure, earning national prominence by enacting tough laws that were mainly struck down by the courts and famously wagging her finger in the president's face during a meeting on an airport tarmac.
Read More »Forecast: Arizona 2015 job growth unspectacular
Arizona will likely see lackluster economic growth in the coming year as the hangover from the housing bust continues to dampen the economic recovery, economists presenting at an annual forecast meeting said Wednesday.
Read More »Risk of child hunger grew most in suburbs during recession 
A new report points to the suburbs as the place in the state where the risk of child hunger grew the most during the recession.
Read More »Arizona’s economic development leaders seek to compete in a global marketplace 
The Great Recession left many of Arizona’s growth-dependent industries in the dust, pushing economic development leaders to take a hard look at the state’s boom-and-bust past as they reinvent its future.
Read More »