Senate president Andy Biggs (R-Gilbert) says the time is now to grow the state’s economy in a speech to East Valley business leaders and fellow legislators.
Arizona has a unique opportunity to see economic growth, he said, because it is located next to California, where anti-business talk and actions have heated up conversations between California-based businesses and Arizona and its cities.
Biggs said California companies are thinking about coming to Arizona.
He also told the group the Legislature needs to be conservative in its financial approach next year. Spending carry-over funds and the rainy day fund would be a mistake given the uncertainty over the state’s future financial obligations.
Biggs also said failure to address sequestration — automatic cuts in the federal budget to defense and other programs — could cause up to a loss of 49,000 jobs in Arizona. He said the state lost 350,000 jobs during the recession and has gained back 90,000 jobs since the bottom.
