Economy - AZ FREE NEWS

Small Business Tax Break Advances Out of Arizona Legislature

Apr 21, 2022

By Corinne Murdock | On Wednesday, the State Senate approved legislation lowering the percentage of assessed valuation for commercial property to 15 percent. SB1093 would reduce the property assessment ratio gradually over the next five years. According to the...

Arizona Ranks First in Economic Performance, Third in Economic Competitiveness

Apr 20, 2022

By Corinne Murdock | Arizona ranked as the top state for economic performance and third for economic competitiveness according to a nationally-renowned, conservative model legislation nonprofit. Those numbers come from the American Legislative Exchange Council’s...

New Affordable Housing Projects Announced Although Demand Still Outpaces Supply

Apr 19, 2022

By Terri Jo Neff | Last October, the Arizona Department of Housing published a Notice of Funding Availability which resulted in more than 20 developers expressing interest in sharing $24.5 million which came available to help fund affordable housing projects. Nine...

Marana’s Development Fees To Be Heard By Arizona Supreme Court

Apr 16, 2022

By Terri Jo Neff | How to interpret changes enacted in 2011 to Arizona’s development impact fee law will be heard by the Arizona Supreme Court, it was announced last week. At issue is Arizona Revised Statute 9-463.05 which was amended in 2011 to redefine the...

Movie Tax Credit Bill Passes House Committee

Mar 26, 2022

By Corinne Murdock | A controversial bill to offer up to $150 million in tax credits to filmmakers, SB1708, passed the House Appropriations Committee on a divided vote: 8-5. The bill reads like a promotional deal for a store: if a company spends up to $10 million,...

Yee Pushes U.S. Energy Financing While Advising State Vendors Of Russia Sanction Obligations

Mar 5, 2022

By Terri Jo Neff | Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee wants to ensure all State vendors understand their obligations in light of economic sanctions put on the Russian Federation by the U.S. and E.U. following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. On Tuesday, Yee...

Closing Businesses During Local Emergencies Would Be Prohibited Under Bill

Mar 2, 2022

By Terri Jo Neff | A municipality’s mayor or the chairperson of a county’s board of supervisors would not have the authority to order any business closed during a declared local emergency, if a bill introduced by House Majority Leader Leo Biasiucci is signed into law....

House Bill Ensures More Training Options To Address Healthcare Workforce Shortage

Feb 26, 2022

By Terri Jo Neff | State lawmakers continue to propose ways to rectify Arizona’s severe healthcare workforce shortage, including a bipartisan vote on House Bill 2691 to increase collaboration among the state’s education and healthcare communities. Under HB2691, five...

Lucid Executive To Testify Before Senate Committee About Workforce Needs As Production Ramps Up In Arizona

Feb 14, 2022

By Terri Jo Neff | State Senators will have a chance Monday afternoon to hear a comprehensive update on the rapidly growing presence in Arizona of EV manufacturer Lucid Group. Daniel Witt, head of State & Local Public Policy for the California-based automaker, is...

Scammers Now Targeting QR Codes To Steal User Information And Money

Feb 6, 2022

By Terri Jo Neff | QR codes can be scanned to download a coupon, sign in at a medical appointment, even look at a restaurant’s menu while waiting to be seated. They can also used by cybercriminals to scam people, the FBI is warning. A QR code is a square...

Businesses Trying To Rebound From COVID Impacts Now Hit With Delivery Delays

Feb 3, 2022

By Terri Jo Neff | Arizona businesses small and large are facing yet another challenge due to COVID-19. FedEx announced a pause this week of its economy express freight services within the U.S. The reason? Too many staff members are unavailable for work as a result of...

Senate Transportation Approves Tax Bill With Discretionary Spending Backdoor

Feb 1, 2022

By Corinne Murdock | Maricopa County residents may be called to a vote this November to determine the continuance of a transportation tax, according to a bill approved unanimously by the Senate Transportation and Technology Committee on Monday. The bill, SB1356, was...