Bright future for AZ Business

Guest article contributed by Michele Reagan

There’s never been a better time for Arizona to look at our future than while in a crisis.

We know it is doom and gloom out there, and as Arizona legislators, we have hard decisions to make.  But we would be remiss not to include policies on how to grow our economy into our budget discussion as well. 

What can we do in Arizona to create new business opportunities and how can we put Arizona on a fast track to a healthier, vibrant economy?

What do we want our state to look like in 5, 10, or 20 years?

What can we do now, to help create a vibrant economy later?

These are some of the questions I seek to answer as the Chair of the Commerce committee at the Arizona State House of Representatives.

Arizona faces the largest deficit in our state’s history and the largest deficit in terms of our revenue to expenditures in the entire country, but this does not mean we must lay down and give up!

Take last year’s Research and Development (R & D) bill.  Arizona changed its tax structure to encourage R & D.  Three weeks ago, Intel announced that they plan to spend an additional $3 Billion in Arizona in the next two years.   As legislators, we can encourage more companies like Intel to stay in Arizona, who provide highly skilled positions for Arizona citizens.

Retention of business is important, but we must also encourage new companies to come to our great state.

When companies consider moving to Arizona, they want to know how much they have to invest – both initially and how much they will invest in the long term.  They want to know the cost of taxes, a qualified workforce and government regulation amongst many others. 

State and Federal regulations are cumbersome and complex, which make it difficult for a company to start up a business or for an existing company to grow.

In the meantime, those interested in seeing our economic base grow in Arizona should watch this year’s Solar Initiative sponsored by State Senator Barbara Leff (Senate Bill 1403) that is currently in the Arizona Senate.  This bill seeks to attract companies who manufacture parts for alternative energy sources.  These are high wage jobs from businesses offering full health coverage for its employees.  These companies are able to expand into rural areas who are often thankful for the type of companies that don’t need to be in an urban setting.

This bill is just one of many that the House and Senate commerce committees are reviewing to help Arizona grow.

Please join me in supporting Arizona businesses and a brighter future for Arizona! 

Michele Reagan is a member of the Arizona House of Representatives for District 8, which includes the areas of Fountain Hills and Scottsdale. Rep. Reagan can be reached via email at mreagan@azleg.gov or 602-926-3505.