The legislature hit another calendar deadline in session for the last week of bills to go through committees. The House Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved a five-year continuation to the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) through Representative Livingston’s strike everything amendment to SB 1676. The continuation was supported by 15 of the 17 members of the Committee. Sandra Watson, CEO of the ACA, thanked the House Appropriations Committee for their “leadership in establishing Arizona’s premier business environment.” She emphasized, “It is the private sector that creates jobs, [and] government creates the environment that enables those businesses to thrive.”
The House Appropriations’ approval to continue the ACA came after another proposal put forth in the Senate. Last Thursday, the Senate Government Committee voted to approve a strike everything amendment to HB 2471 to significantly alter and transfer the duties of the ACA to the Office of Economic Opportunity. It also outlined provisions that would pull back on qualified facility and research and development tax credits that are utilized by many businesses in Arizona. The bill has not yet been scheduled for a COW or third read vote in the Senate.
It is likely the ACA and other agency continuation proposals will be discussed in budget negotiations amongst the House, Senate, and Governor’s offices leadership. The business community will be actively engaged in these conversations.