91果冻传媒

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs on Monday gave her State of the State address, laying out for lawmakers her priorities for the upcoming year, including affordability, water security, and job attraction. 

Affordability

Hobbs emphasized the cost of housing. 

鈥淲e must further cut the red tape that鈥檚 driving up the cost of housing,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud of the progress we鈥檝e made expanding access to casitas and building duplexes and triplexes in our downtowns. But Arizonans are depending on us to find more common sense solutions that don鈥檛 expose our neighborhoods to untested experiments.鈥�

The governor also stressed the need to lower the financial burden of childcare, costs she called 鈥渙ut of control.鈥� She said she wants to lower the costs of childcare by two-thirds through her Working Families Child Care Act.

It鈥檚 an initiative that could have positive ramifications for employers who struggle with recruitment and retention because employees struggle to find reliable and affordable childcare.

鈥淭he business community is ready to work with the governor and lawmakers from both parties to find ways to expand access to childcare and put downward pressure on the costs,鈥� Arizona 91果冻传媒 of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden said. 

Security

Hobbs emphasized her administration鈥檚 dedication to securing the border. 鈥淎t my direction, the Arizona National Guard is at our border to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection and stop the flow of dangerous drugs into our state. When I visited the Port of Nogales in November, I saw the critical work that these men and women are doing to protect us. They direct traffic through x-ray machines. They break down vehicles. They assess every potential threat coming into our state. They are Task Force SAFE.鈥�

Water

She also talked about the need to ensure water security for Arizonans. 鈥淪ecuring our water future is essential to preserving our way of life. Whether it鈥檚 our use of canals and dams to provide water to millions of people鈥�or the passage of the visionary Groundwater Management Act鈥�or the hard work of farmers, ranchers, Tribal nations and the men and women of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, we have always led the nation in water innovation and conservation.鈥� 

Job attraction

She spoke on the necessity of working with the business community to grow Arizona鈥檚 economy, referencing the successful 2024 effort to continue the Arizona Commerce Authority, the state鈥檚 lead economic development agency. 鈥淚 stood in front of you and called for the continuation of the Arizona Commerce Authority because I know it’s essential to growing business and creating jobs in this state,鈥� she said. 鈥淔ast forward to last week: I announced a historic investment through the CHIPS and Science Act to create Arizona鈥檚 first national laboratory and one of America鈥檚 three flagship semiconductor research and development facilities. It鈥檚 an investment made possible because of the Commerce Authority, which partnered with Arizona State University to bring this enormous opportunity to our state.鈥� 

The business community view

Seiden says his organization will continue to focus on growing the Arizona economy.

鈥淎rizona is now a global leader in the semiconductor sector. We want to maintain that momentum,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he effort to bring good paying jobs to Arizona isn鈥檛 a partisan one. As always, lawmakers from both parties can count on the Arizona 91果冻传媒 to work hard to shape policies that will grow our economy and enhance our competitive standing.鈥�