NEWS UPDATES
Free Enterprise Club Announces 2018 Legislative Scorecards
Today the Arizona Free Enterprise Club released its Legislative Scorecard for both the 2018 session as well as a rolling 2-year snapshot. In preparing the scorecard, the Club conducted a thorough review of all legislative action and key votes taken by lawmakers...
Arizona Free Enterprise Announces 2018 Candidate Endorsements
Today the Arizona Free Enterprise Club announced its first slate of candidate endorsements for the 2018 election cycle. The endorsed candidates represent individuals who align with the organization’s principles and key policy goals. Club President Scot Mussi...
Small Businesses Organize Against Income Tax Increase Initiative
A group of Small Business Owners have filed paperwork to oppose the recently filed ballot measure that would dramatically increase income taxes on small employers. The proposed “Invest in Education” initiative would impose a new income tax bracket of 9 percent,...
City of Phoenix Railroading Small Business Owners and Residents in South Mountain Community
When the City of Phoenix was considering the transit sales tax increase in 2015, hidden in the noise of the campaign was a proposed transit project to extend the light rail line along Central Ave. from Washington/Jefferson South to Baseline Rd. Throughout the entire...
Radical Soak the Rich Initiative will Derail Arizona’s Economic Recovery
Looking to exploit the momentum created by the recent school strike, a small coalition of liberal organizations and labor unions have launched a ballot initiative that would permanently damage Arizona’s economy. The proposed “Invest in Education” proposition would...
Arizona Teacher Pay: Separating Fact from Fiction
Last Thursday 50,000 individuals descended on the Arizona Capitol in support of a teacher’s strike; the state’s school districts shut down and turned away roughly 800,000 students. According to the narrative surrounding Arizona’s education system, nearly everyone is...
Possible Funding Options and Reforms for Ducey’s Teacher Pay Plan
It has been a week since Governor Ducey announced his “20 by 20” plan for Arizona teachers, and suffice to say there are more questions than answers on the long-term financial sustainability of the proposal. According to the latest JLBC estimates, if the Governor’s...
Income Tax Hikes to Fund Teacher Pay Raise?
Late last week the simmering dispute over teacher pay finally boiled over, and now the legislature and Governor Ducey are racing to meet the demands of angry educators. On Thursday, the Governor held a press conference announcing his commitment to fund a 20 percent...
Maricopa County Community College District Board Streamlines Faculty Benefits Negotiation Process
In a historic vote, the Board for the Maricopa County Community College District voted to end “meet and confer” process at their meeting in February. Meet and Confer is a form of collective bargaining by which the district’s faculty association has input into faculty...
SB 1146 Would Allow Unelected Bureaucrats to Raise Your Taxes
What is worse than your elected legislators voting for a tax increase? Your elected legislators voting to allow an unelected bureaucrat to raise your taxes. SB 1146 and HB 2166 would do just that. Both bills would grant the Director of Arizona Department of...
Unpacking the Local Control Debate
Each year there is a constant debate at the Legislature centered around a bevy of bills that preempt the authority of local government. For the most part, the proponents of “local control” for cities and counties hang their hat on the explanation that the superior...
Out of State Billionaire Pushing Renewable Mandate Initiative in Arizona
A liberal San Francisco billionaire has decided to bring his radical environmentalist agenda to Arizona. Earlier this month a group called NextGen announced their plans to fund a ballot initiative to amend our state constitution requiring non-governmental utility...