Legislative Leadership Establishes Their 2012 Priorities
By Steve Pierce (R-Dist 1)
Senate President
As we wind down this year and look forward to 2012, it’s a great time to look at what has been accomplished in Arizona and what will be done soon to get our economy cranking again. We’ve just lived through the deepest recession in our lifetimes, but the worst is behind us and some of what we are doing here at the Legislature is going to accelerate an outstanding comeback.
First, a quick look back at 2011. After years of delaying inevitable cuts, Senate and House leadership committed to a truly balanced budget. We were done with the gimmicks and rollovers. If you had to live within your means, the state needed to also.
Leadership did everything possible to hold the line on cuts to K-12, and the budget signed by the Governor reduced education funding by just one percent. Given the headwinds of a once-in-a-generation economic downturn, I am proud of that accomplishment.
By biting the bullet and straightening out our books, Arizona is primed for recovery. Other states are still playing games with their budgets, running up massive deficits and raising taxes. We are reducing taxes in our state.
The Arizona Competitiveness Package signed into law this year includes bold tax reforms that make this a much better climate for existing businesses and those outside the state that may want to relocate. California is doing everything it can to run out businesses, and Arizona stands to its east with open arms.
Earlier this fall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Arizona had the second best rate of job growth in the entire country. Fiscal discipline by the state is starting to be reflected in the confidence of businesses to grow. My family has been here for three generations.
You and I know how great this state is: now we need to let others outside the state know.
We are hard at work looking at new ideas for the next legislative session. Unlike the federal government, we are not going to spend millions of your dollars to create jobs and grow the deficit. Government doesn’t create jobs, but it can create the conditions to help the private sector expand.
Finally, I want farmers and ranchers in our state to know you have a voice at the Capitol. With a Senate President and a Speaker of the House from rural Arizona, it is safe to say you will be heard. My door is open to people with good ideas on how to keep this recovery going. I look forward to hearing from you.
By David Schapira, (D-Dist 17)
Senate Minority Leader
Starting January 9th the Legislature has an opportunity to get our state back on track, setting us on a path to recovery and renewal. To achieve this goal, we must be focused on good ideas to help businesses prosper and get folks back to work. Now that our revenue is stabilizing, we also need to focus on improving our kids’ schools.
A lot has happened during the time between the end of the last legislative session and now, including a change in Senate leadership. I truly hope that with this change we can put an end to the partisanship that held us back in the past and work together to solve the serious problems that face our state.
Over the past few years, the Tea Party-controlled Legislature has enacted unprecedented cuts to our kids’ schools and sold our state buildings to big banks.
It’s time for the Legislature to stand on the side of middle-class families. Every day, hard-working Arizonans are struggling to find jobs, keep their homes and pay their bills. With so many challenges facing us, our Legislature and governor must have better priorities than creating Tea Party license plates.
In order to ensure a strong future for our state, we must begin restoring the more than $2 billion of devastating cuts to K-12 and higher education the Legislature has made over the past few years. Not only will our kids be better prepared for success, but by restoring budgets for school building renewal we can create construction jobs while repairing our crumbling schools.
We must also restore funds crucial to rural Arizonans that have been swept by the Legislature to feed the state’s general fund. Returning Highway User Revenue Funds to counties and towns will help keep our roads safe and create good-paying jobs.
The coming session is guaranteed to generate lively, and hopefully constructive, debate of these issues and more. But one thing is absolutely certain: we cannot let extreme partisan politicians with their divisive agendas once again distract us from the important work that needs to be done to get our state back on track.
It’s time for a new direction for Arizona. It’s time to be willing to work together to get results that will guarantee a strong future for our families and our state.
By Andy Tobin (R-Dist 1)
House Speaker
Let me begin by saying it is a pleasure to address the agriculture communities of this great state. I know agriculture industries are an extremely important and integral part of our state’s economy. The value you bring to the state through your hard work, civic involvement and commitment to families and communities is priceless. Let me assure you, the Legislature is very aware of the important role the agriculture sector plays in sustaining rural communities across the state.
Moving forward, the House Majority is committed to sustainable budget policies, job creation and achieving greater stability in government. We plan to advance new and creative approaches to improve the lives of our citizens and lessen the burdens on all industries. The FY 2012 budget pulled back permanent spending by approximately $1.1 billion dollars. The Legislature expected to begin FY 2012 with a $330 million dollar shortfall; however, we ended FY 2011 with strong revenue growth in capital gains, and now have an unofficial surplus. For the first 3 months of FY 2012, revenues are $126 million dollars above plan and we are seeing major gains in sales tax revenues and individual and corporate income taxes.
Although most revenues are greater than planned, forecasting is difficult for a number of reasons: the unemployment rate has been above 9% for 30 consecutive months, federal mandates negatively affect our industries, and domestic and European fiscal instability threaten global markets. In addition, 3-year budget estimates are highly speculative and subject to considerable change. On top of all that, our debt service now exceeds $300 million dollars a year. So, you will see us work hard to reduce our debt in the coming years.
Basically, we are in a race for jobs. By addressing our unemployment crisis and getting folks back to work, our general economic welfare will improve, and we will begin to rebuild our economy. It does not end there, though; new federal requirements on the Navajo Generating Station threaten to drive up water and power costs for everyone. Our forests desperately need thinning and grazing activities. Our ability to be the best stewards of the lands within the boundaries of our state must prevail. We all need to work together with the collaborative objective of being the best Arizona we can be.
By Chad Campbell (D-Dist. 14)
House Minority Leader
This year is a turning point for our state — we have the opportunity to improve our economy and see middle-class Arizona families prosper once again.
Our rural Arizona families, as the backbone of our state’s economy, need to be supported during tough economic times, not thrown under the bus of partisan bickering.
The past few years have been disastrous for our state. Deep budget cuts to education, health care and jobs have harmed our curb appeal to attract businesses and jobs to Arizona.
Meanwhile, our state lawmakers have managed to do one thing successfully — quarrel over partisan politics without producing results.
I’m sick of partisan bickering at the capitol. Instead of fighting each other, let’s work together to get things done.
Middle-class families, Arizona’s economic engine, deserve our focus on good ideas to put people back to work and improve public schools so our kids can compete for the jobs of the future. It’s time for a new direction.
The Tea Party majority at the capitol needs to focus on creating jobs and improving public schools, not their rigid ideologies molded just for arguing.
We should make government work for us by giving Arizona companies first crack at government contracts so our tax dollars create jobs here, not in China or India.
Last year their solution included selling state capitol buildings to big Wall Street banks.
Taxpayers will have to spend $1 billion to rent those buildings back.
We also need to hold companies that receive tax credits accountable for creating jobs they promised after big corporations were given millions in tax cuts last year and small businesses were given none.
It’s time to draw the line at any further cuts to our schools. We need to invest in our kids' future by putting money into classrooms and making sure education is once again a priority.
And we need to reform our unfair tax code so that middle class families and small businesses have the opportunity to succeed.
A major focus on failed immigration legislation has given us a bad reputation and left growers in a bind. Instead of divisive bills, we should work together with the Federal Government to pass a requirement for those who want to become legal residents of the United States to pay a fine and back taxes, learn English and pass a criminal background check to get a path to legalization.
House Democrats will work in a responsible way to make sure hard-working agricultural and farming families are protected.
With representatives like Lynne Pancrazi, D-Yuma (District 24), Tom Chabin, D-Flagstaff (District 2), Albert Hale, D-St. Michaels (District 2), and many more, we’re fighting to make Arizona work for you again.
Editor's Note: Read Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers' Priorities for the 2012 Legislative Year.
Editor's Note: Read Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers' Priorities for the 2012 Legislative Year.
