The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday voted to ban noncompete agreements. The ban would prohibit new noncompete agreements for every employee and mandate that companies inform both current and former staff that they won鈥檛 be enforcing such agreements. Additionally, businesses will be obligated to revoke existing noncompete agreements for the majority of their employees. Senior level executives鈥� agreements, however, may remain intact. 

The FTC view

Commission members backing the ban argue that noncompete agreements are unfair for workers. 

鈥淚t is so profoundly unfree and unfair for people to be stuck in jobs they want to leave, not because they lacked better alternatives, but because noncompetes preclude another firm from fairly competing for their labor,鈥� FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter (D) said. 

The chairwoman of the FTC argued that the ban will foster new business formation.

鈥淣oncompete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas, and rob the American economy of dynamism, including from the more than 8,500 new startups that would be created a year once noncompetes are banned,鈥� said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. 鈥淭he FTC鈥檚 final rule to ban noncompetes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market.鈥�

Businesses strongly disagree

Business groups blasted the rule, arguing that noncompetes are important to the protection of intellectual property and that the FTC lacks the authority even to issue such a ban. 

Bills have been introduced in Congress to reform noncompete agreements, but no authority has been explicitly granted to the FTC. 

Suzanne Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. 小红帽直播app of Commerce said that the ban is 鈥渁 blatant power grab that will undermine American businesses鈥� ability to remain competitive.鈥�

Melissa Holyoak and Andrew Ferguson, two of the agency鈥檚 Republican commissioners, echoed these sentiments. 

鈥淲e are not a legislature,鈥� Ferguson . 鈥淚 do not believe we have the power to nullify tens of millions of existing contracts.”

In a press release from the National Association of Manufacturers, the organization that the ban is 鈥淯nprecedented and threatens manufacturers鈥� ability to attract and retain talent. In addition, today鈥檚 action puts at risk the security of intellectual property and trade secrets 鈥� anathema to an industry that accounts for 53% of all private-sector R&D.鈥� 

The Arizona 小红帽直播app of Commerce & Industry called it 鈥渇ederal overreach at its finest.鈥�

Read more

Arizona 小红帽直播app President and CEO Danny Seiden in a column last year when the ban was originally floated by the FTC, said, 鈥淭he proposed rule stretches the agency鈥檚 mission to the point of absurdity and seeks to unilaterally reinterpret the section of the Federal Trade Commission Act on 鈥榰nfair methods of competition,鈥� never mind what the pesky legislative branch or the 50 states might have to say on the subject.鈥�

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A bipartisan coalition of Western state governors is seeking greater flexibility from the Biden administration in achieving the strict ozone standards in the Clean Air Act. 

In a letter from Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R), the governors cite 鈥渟ubstantial regionally specific challenges鈥� in meeting the law鈥檚 requirements, and say that they are 鈥渁larmed about the possible sanctioning of states that struggle to attain the standard.鈥澛�

The challenges 

The governors in their letter cite specific challenges borne by Western states in achieving the ozone standards:

• Elevated natural background ozone levels
• Biogenic contributors
•  Internationally transported pollution
•  Fast-growing populations
•  Wildfires

Mobile sources, which are under federal regulatory jurisdiction, thus limiting states鈥� regulatory authority. 

鈥淒espite ongoing work by Western states to improve air quality, including through accelerating the adoption of low and non-emitting vehicle technology, improvements in the use of small off-road engines, and the implementation of innovative programs to control emissions from stationary sources, these regional challenges leave Western states with a narrow set of tools and a difficult path to meeting the requirements of the CAA and attaining the NAAQS.鈥� 

NAAQS refers to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. 

Potential sanctions undermine stated goals 

Failure to meet the standards could result in a loss of federal highway dollars. 

Losing out on highway dollars would undermine the goals of the Clean Air Act by halting projects that could reduce emissions and would undermine the goals of the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law to modernize highway infrastructure to reduce congestion, which contributes to emissions. 

Potential solutions 

Among several potential solutions offered in their letter, the governors proposed: 

• Greater cooperation between the EPA and Western states to identify how the Exceptional Events framework can reflect increased wildfire activity, 鈥渁nd provide more consideration for the emissions benefits of wildfire mitigation strategies in reducing air pollution in the West and nationally鈥�; and
• Cooperation between the federal government and states to achieve a better process for the approval of projects with air quality benefits. 

Business community: Jobs at stake 

The National Association of Manufacturers last year said proposed EPA revisions to the NAAQs

would put at risk more than 300,000 manufacturing jobs nationally and would put more than a half-million jobs in a nonattainment zone by 2027. 

Last year, Danny Seiden, the president and CEO of the Arizona 小红帽直播app of Commerce & Industry, said before a joint legislative committee on air quality that the challenge of pollution originating in other states and countries was particularly vexing. 

鈥淲e are being punished for what other states and other countries are doing,鈥� he said. 

More Seiden: Stringent air quality rule will hurt our economic recovery and growth

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As threats of missile attacks persist, Israel is employing cutting-edge technology and sophisticated equipment for its defense. Among these are technologies developed by defense firms operating in Arizona, highlighting the state鈥檚 pivotal defense industry. 

Arrow 

The Arrow system stands out as a premier air defense mechanism against long-range ballistic threats. This high-altitude system is engineered to intercept ballistic missiles outside the Earth鈥檚 atmosphere. The Arrow operates through a kinetic kill vehicle, which destroys incoming missiles upon direct contact, thus neutralizing any threat before it can reach its intended target. 

The Arrow system is a joint effort between Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing. The latter, with operations in Arizona, specifically contributes to the production of the Arrow鈥檚 interceptors. Boeing鈥檚 expertise in aerospace technologies enhances the efficacy of the Arrow system, providing a significant defense against missile attacks. 

Apache 

Aside from its involvement in the Arrow system, Boeing has a notable presence in supplying equipment to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Boeing鈥檚 Arizona operations are integral in supplying platforms like the AH-64 Apache helicopter to Israel. 

With Boeing鈥檚 manufacturing and innovation hubs located in Arizona, the state serves as a vital nexus in the production of these defense systems. 

David鈥檚 Sling 

David鈥檚 Sling was developed jointly by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an Israeli firm, and Raytheon Technologies, an American company. This form of defense is designed to intercept enemy missiles and rockets, particularly those targeting mid- to long-range. 

Unlike the Arrow, David鈥檚 Sling deals with threats such as tactical ballistic missiles, medium- to long-range rockets, and cruise missiles. 

Raytheon has a big presence in Arizona, particularly in Tucson where it鈥檚 the city鈥檚 largest private employer and where advanced missile systems are designed and manufactured. This presence boosts local economies and plays a critical role in the development of defense technologies that are important on a global scale. 

Some other advanced technologies developed in Arizona used by Israel include night vision equipment from Litton Systems and micro-processing products from White Microelectronics. 

These partnerships are facilitated by Arizona鈥檚 strategic initiatives, such as the trade office opened in Israel in 2019 and are bolstered by funding from collaborations like the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD). These partnerships enhance military and defense capabilities, while also stimulating economic growth by creating jobs and fostering technological advancements in both regions.

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小红帽直播app sat down recently with Benji Backer, the founder of the American Conservation Coalition and the author of The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future, which was released Apr. 16. Part 1 of the interview is here. Part 2 follows.

小红帽直播app: You鈥檙e the author of a new book, The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future. What鈥檚 your book about? 

Benji Backer: I鈥檝e spent the last seven years traveling to hundreds of communities, rural and urban, to find solutions to environmental challenges and see the realities and complexities firsthand. This book is a culmination of all those experiences and partnerships with amazing organizations and people to basically build out this alternative path on environmental action. 

The book details why this issue became so divided, and how that鈥檚 unnecessary, but most importantly it talks about what sort of solutions people could agree on and what short term wins we can ally on to protect our environment. 

Those things include things that aren鈥檛 that sexy or exciting compared to what has been proposed in headlines like 鈥渄rill, baby drill,鈥� or banning fossil fuels. But there are a ton of common-sense solutions that are outlined in the book that we could pursue right now, while also leaning on entrepreneurship, innovation, the growth of technology, and ingenuity in this country and across the world to solve the remainder of the challenge. 

It basically charts that alternative approach. And it calls on our leaders to do that, too. 

CBN: Are there some small wins to be had? 

Bracker: We cannot solve environmental challenges without incrementalism. This is a walk, then jog, then run, approach. Overhauling people鈥檚 lives will never be a sustainable way forward because people will never adopt that. People will always push back.  

We need to create solutions that work for people and the planet. We need to be lowering costs and increasing efficiency. We need to make people鈥檚 lives better with the solutions, otherwise it will never be adopted here or anywhere else around the world.  

So, that means incrementalism and getting some wins under our belt, getting the momentum in the right direction. And thankfully, we already have. The United States is leading the world in reducing carbon emissions. We have not done enough, but we are moving in the right direction,

CBN: Chapter 2 is titled, 鈥淪treamlining the Complicated Role of Government in the New Green Economy.鈥� Tell us about your argument there. 

Backer: Contrary to popular belief, the government has actually stood in the way of clean energy development and pro-environmental projects. It takes 10 years for an offshore wind developer or a geothermal company to get approved. You have forest owners who cannot manage their forests because of government regulation that results in massive wildfires. 

I鈥檓 not saying that we should just take a hands-off, laissez faire approach to solve environmental challenges. But the government can also overstep its bounds and stand in the way of progress. And that鈥檚 what鈥檚 happening right now in a lot of ways. 

Even though it might not sound pro-environment to loosen regulations and allow people to manage forests and get energy projects deployed faster when they don鈥檛 have to go through as lengthy of an approval process, it actually will end up helping us. And you can see that as proof from other countries that are doing this way better than we are. You look at Europe and their ability to manage forests and deploy nuclear and other clean energy sources fast.聽

Benji Backer, Founder and Executive Chairman, American Conservation Coalition

CBN: To what extent should a regulation鈥檚 effect on business be considered before being adopted?聽

Backer: First, we have to turn this issue on its head; we should be relying on the private sector as the first place that we go for solutions, then we should be looking at the local government, then the state government, and then the federal government.  

Let鈥檚 say the government is an important part of an environmental solution in the energy space. It should be equipping and incentivizing the right behavior, not prohibiting, and regulating and mandating. 

When you put chokeholds on the economy, and you don鈥檛 push people in the right direction, you get bad results. 

I see the role of the government as supporting the right moves to create the marketplace for sustainable business, not to prevent against unsustainable business. We should be equipping companies to do the right thing rather than prohibiting them from doing the wrong thing.

CBN: On the topic of energy, coal is being phased out. Can natural gas and nuclear energy be part of a clean energy future? 

Backer: We can鈥檛 have a clean energy future without nuclear and natural gas. We need base load, 24/7 power, and we have to have reliable energy that doesn鈥檛 just work when the sun shines and the wind blows.  

There are a lot of parts of this country that aren鈥檛 sunny, and there are a lot of parts of this country that aren鈥檛 windy, and every part of this country that has a nighttime and doesn鈥檛 have wind or sun, so we need to be realistic about what energy sources we鈥檙e providing.  

We also have an obligation to middle and lower-class people to provide them with energy that is cost effective. Nuclear and natural gas do that in a way that also is pro-environment. 

If you replace coal with natural gas, you reduce emissions significantly worldwide. Again, that鈥檚 why the United States has reduced emissions.

People will use the energy sources that are the lowest cost option, and right now natural gas is a clean way to do that, a reliable way to do that. 

CBN: What are the opponents of nuclear and natural gas missing? 

Backer: Unfortunately, they鈥檙e missing reality. I think there鈥檚 a lot of ignorance and a lot of misinformation out there and oversimplification. 

To be anti-natural gas or nuclear is ignorant at best, and destructive 鈥� intentionally destructive at worst. 

I think it boils down for most well-intentioned people to ignorance, but also this kind of idea of NIMBYism. Not-in-my-backyardism. People don鈥檛 want even wind turbines or solar panels, but especially natural gas plants, or mining for uranium, or nuclear plants themselves in their backyards.  

But again, that demand is going to be met somewhere. So, if it鈥檚 not near you, it鈥檚 near someone else. And if it鈥檚 not near someone else, then it鈥檚 probably overseas where countries like China don鈥檛 care about their impact on the environment.  

CBN: There is a vocal counter argument to what you鈥檙e saying, which is that renewables are ready today to replace these sources. You seem skeptical of that. 

Backer: I wish renewables were ready today. I鈥檓 skeptical that they will ever be at the scale that people want them to be, but they鈥檙e not ready. They are not ready for mass adoption and to replace our energy portfolio. And people who are saying that renewables are ready to replace all other energy sources are flat out wrong and they鈥檙e either lying or they don鈥檛 know the realities.

Again, I wish that wasn鈥檛 the case. I don鈥檛 want it to come across to people that I am anti-renewables. There鈥檚 a reality here that is being missed by so many, and we, I think, forget as a country, how reliant we are on energy to survive. Intermittent, sparsely resourced energy sources are not the way forward. It would turn America backwards and harm our most vulnerable people. 

I hate when people use that as an argument to say that we don鈥檛 need renewables, because that鈥檚 not true, either. They have an important place at the table. But I also hate it when people say that that鈥檚 all we need, because that鈥檚 not true, and that鈥檚 even more damaging to society than saying that we don鈥檛 need them at all. 

CBN: Can we be good stewards of the land and still engage in industries like mining, drilling, and hydraulic fracturing? 

Backer: If humans didn鈥檛 exist on the earth with the population we have, then we wouldn鈥檛 have to have these tough conversations about tradeoffs.  

But I believe in humanity, and I believe in our ability to make this world a better place, and I believe our population can do a lot of good. And so, if we have the population we do, we will have demand for resources that constantly means we鈥檙e taking from the environment.  

We have to mine, no matter if that鈥檚 for uranium, for nuclear fuel, or lithium for EV batteries, or cobalt for solar panels, wind turbines, every single energy source product. 

Not all mining and drilling and taking from the environment is the same. We should have high standards. We should prioritize protecting the places that we鈥檙e not taking from. And we should be creating technologies to figure out how to take the least from the environment possible. 

CBN: When we think about policy in the environmental policy space, we often are dealing with the executive branch rulemaking regulations. Do you have an opinion on whether you鈥檇 like to see these issues be discussed in Congress or in the White House? 

Backer: I think the role of Congress is to find a bipartisan common ground on these issues. But the problem with relying on the federal government is that you allow it to be a political football. If it鈥檚 partisan, it鈥檚 inherently at risk of being undone. And I think Congress and the White House have an obligation. I don鈥檛 think President Biden has done a good job of this at all. And I don鈥檛 think President Trump did a good job of this at all, of working with the other side, to come up with solutions. 

CBN: When will we know whether your organization has achieved its goals? 

Backer: The moment that our organization, this book, this entire movement, has achieved its goals is the day that we return to cross partisan collaboration on the environment again.  

I believe nature is nonpartisan, and until our elected leaders understand that too, our movement has not worked. But once they do, we鈥檝e done our job, and it鈥檚 time to move forward on the solutions. But until Americans demand that they work together on this, they won鈥檛. 

That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 calling on all people, regardless of political ideology, to stand together and fight for these principles because we need it. We are in desperate need of a new environmental movement, and that new environmental movement will be successful when we鈥檙e seeing it in policy and when the environment is no longer part of our culture wars.

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In an by the Phoenix-based law firm Snell & Wilmer, the State of Arizona has been trying to advance a novel and troubling concept through a recent 鈥渢est case鈥�: holding corporate leaders personally liable when their company violates the law, even if they did not participate, know about, or approve of the underlying actions. This idea, known as the 鈥渞esponsible corporate officer doctrine,鈥� is a judge-made theory of liability similar to piercing the corporate veil. Adopting this doctrine would upend traditional legal protections and create uncertainty for business leaders across the state.聽聽

In State v. Tombstone Gold & Silver, Inc., the State of Arizona sued a mining company and three of its individual officers for violating a consent order. In its complaint, the State sought liability and damages against the officers under the responsible corporate officer doctrine even though the State had no evidence that the officers directed鈥攐r knew about鈥攅nvironmental law violations. In fact, the officers were not even parties to the consent order that the State accused them of violating. In other words, the State sought to establish a form of strict liability, where officers of the company were automatically personally liable for a company鈥檚 actions. 

Fortunately, the court quickly rejected the State鈥檚 argument, recognizing the State was trying to vastly expand liability for corporate officers. It noted that no published Arizona case has ever adopted the responsible corporate officer doctrine and declined to take the State鈥檚 invitation to expand officer liability beyond what the environmental law statutes already provide. It dismissed the officers from the case and invited a petition for their attorney fees and costs.  

The court was right to do so. The responsible corporate officer doctrine would not only erode the corporate structure鈥檚 safeguards but also deter investment and innovation in Arizona.   

Business leaders already make difficult decisions every day to manage risk, meet client needs, and deliver returns to shareholders. These tasks are difficult enough without having to worry about things outside their control resulting in personal liability. Introducing a blanket liability standard for actions beyond their control would only add unnecessary burdens and hinder economic growth. 

Arizona has worked hard to develop a reputation as a business-friendly state. Threatening corporate officers with personal liability for actions the officers did not direct risks this reputation. Further, it signals that Arizona may not be the predictable, stable, and reasonable policy environment to which businesses have grown accustomed.  

For now, corporate officers remain safe from the State鈥檚 attempts to erode the corporate form. Hopefully, Arizona鈥檚 courts keep it that way. 

Nate Curtisi is chief counsel for the Arizona 小红帽直播app of Commerce & Industry.

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小红帽直播app sat down recently with Benji Backer, the founder of the American Conservation Coalition and the author of The Conservative Environmentalist: Common Sense Solutions for a Sustainable Future, which will be released Apr. 16.

Here鈥檚 part 1 of our conversation. Portions have been edited for clarity.

小红帽直播app: What is the American Conservation Coalition?

Benji Backer: The American Conservation Coalition is an organization I started when I was at college at the University of Washington. The last 16 years I have been active in politics. My other passion is being in the outdoors, which led me to move to Arizona. I fell in love with the outdoors here. To me, when I’m in nature, the environment itself doesn’t seem political or partisan. and I became super frustrated that the narrative in environmental politics has been and was at the time basically like this Green New Deal alarmist, 鈥渢he world’s gonna end鈥�, or we need huge government action to overhaul the economy, or we should be doing nothing 鈥� that there’s no problem at all.

So, the American Conservation Coalition and this book aim to fill that gap by creating a grassroots community of young people like me 鈥� 40,000 of us now over 200 communities 鈥� in chapters that are pushing elected officials, business leaders, and decision makers to prioritize the environment in a way that is good for humanity, good for our economy, good for our individual lives, and allowing us to have individual liberty and prosperity at the same time. It鈥檚 basically creating an alternative environmental movement.

CBN: Do you anticipate the Coalition making its voice heard in the presidential election?

Backer: We feel like the presidential election this year and previous years has been an encapsulation of part of the problem, which is that the narrative is still kind of this doom and gloom. 鈥淲e need drastic action,鈥� versus 鈥渢hese issues don鈥檛 matter.鈥� 

We feel like, regardless of who wins, we need to make progress, and we need to do it in a common sense, realistic way. So, we鈥檙e not going to be weighing in on endorsing a candidate in the 2024 election.

We will be endorsing some congressional candidates 鈥� ones that have prioritized the environment and prioritized this kind of common sense, pro-economy approach. But at the presidential level, we just feel like it鈥檚 another election where, unfortunately, even though most Americans don鈥檛 believe the denial versus alarmist narrative, that鈥檚 unfortunately the narrative that we’re kind of having to buy into by choosing a candidate. So we鈥檙e just setting our sights on what we can accomplish after the election at the state and federal levels.

Benji Backer, Founder and Executive Chairman, American Conservation Coalition

CBN: Why do you believe conservatism, properly understood, goes hand in hand with conservation?

Backer: The conservatives used to lead environmental progress. You look back at Teddy Roosevelt, to Richard Nixon, to Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush, those four presidents, all Republicans, led the most historic environmental initiatives of all time. The Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, creation of the EPA, creation of the National Park system as we know it, the largest marine sanctuary and public lands protections of all time. Those are all under those presidents.

Conservatism used to have conservation as a core pillar of its value system. But most importantly, there鈥檚 a reason for that. And the reason is, conservatives who tend to  be freedom loving Americans who appreciate the beauty of our country, love to recreate in nature. They’re often the hunters and fishermen and women. They鈥檙e the ranchers and the farmers. They鈥檙e the hikers and skiers and people who just love spending time outdoors. Of course they want to protect [the environment]. And, you know, conservatives tend to be more often than not located in rural areas, which are nestled in nature itself.

When you think about Arizona, or you think about any of the states in the West, the most conservative parts are parts in nature, and they have a personal stake in protecting the environment. So, what my message is, is that this issue used to be one that conservatives led on and it can be again. It鈥檚 an authentically conservative position, but it鈥檚 authentically a nonpartisan position as well. To me nature is nonpartisan 鈥� to me the environment is something that we all share.

CBN: Can the views and agenda of the American Conservation Coalition and those expressed in your book still have a home in today鈥檚 version of conservatism, which tends to be defined by the views and attitudes of the former president and his supporters?

Backer: I think the conservative movement has absolutely lost its way on these issues. This is a new problem, and it鈥檚 one that is so avoidable and unnecessary. 

The reason why Trump supporters and conservatives are so skeptical of environmental action is because they perceive that the only solutions are ones that are going to hurt them and take control of their lives. And what I鈥檓 trying to tell conservative leaders and voters is that that鈥檚 not the case. Just because you don鈥檛 like the other side鈥檚 ideas doesn鈥檛 mean that you can鈥檛 propose good ideas of your own. You should be playing offense and proposing good ideas.

I don’t think that it鈥檚 too late to turn the tide by any means, but I do think that it鈥檚 harmful when the president talks about the environment as basically a consumer good, and that we can just kind of tap into it as much as we want and that there aren鈥檛 any repercussions. I think he’s very misguided in that, and I think if he wants to show young people that he actually cares about them and this country, he changes his tune. 

This issue is going to be important past the time that Trump is relevant. This is going to be something that we have to fight for for decades, and my generation’s right and left isn’t going to tolerate environmental inaction.

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A new bipartisan effort led by Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to widen veterans’ access to educational opportunities, particularly in high-demand skilled trade and vocational programs. 

The proposed bill, titled the Veterans Education and Technical Skills (VETS) Opportunity Act, aims to extend educational benefits under the post-9/11 GI Bill to include hybrid versions of skilled trade training programs. 

The bill鈥檚 backers say the initiative represents a significant step towards modernizing veterans鈥� educational benefits to align with evolving learning trends and address workforce shortages in essential trades. 

鈥淭his legislation makes an important modernization to our veterans鈥� GI benefits to include hybrid skilled trade educational programs,鈥� Ciscomani said. 鈥淣ot only does this improve the way our veterans access their benefits but also helps to tackle the current workforce shortage in skilled trades.鈥�

Veterans often face barriers to employment upon returning to civilian life, including a lack of access to relevant training and certification programs. The VETS Opportunity Act seeks to dismantle these barriers by providing veterans with the necessary resources to acquire in-demand skills and qualifications, which would enhance their employment prospects in today’s competitive job market.

Hiring veterans is likely to boost private firms鈥� bottom line.

Consulting firm McKinsey & Co. last year that veterans are 鈥渁 source of labor potential that is untapped relative to the breadth of experience and depth of skills that they acquire and develop during their service,鈥� and that 鈥渢he economic opportunity of unleashing the value of veterans鈥� work experience through skills-based hiring could reach almost $15 billion over a ten-year period.鈥�

Support for the bill comes from various organizations including the American Legion and the National Association of State Approving Agencies (NASAA).

鈥淭he proposed change would expand post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility to veterans enrolled in high-quality, postsecondary programs offered in a hybrid educational format that teach in-demand skilled trades that are aligned with the requirements of state and local employers,鈥� John Bowen, Sr., chairman of the American Legion鈥檚 Veterans Employment & Education Commission said. 

The VETS Opportunity Act has been referred to the House Veterans鈥� Affairs Committee.

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With regular committee hearings now wrapped up for the legislative session, the state Legislature returned to the Capitol Wednesday under a one-day-a-week schedule.聽

The House and Senate will conduct floor sessions to determine the fate of bills that have made their way through the committee process in both chambers, deciding whether to send them to the governor to be signed or vetoed. 

State budget 

The big remaining item on the to-do list is to hash out a fiscal year 2025 state budget amid a projected significant shortfall. The last Finance Advisory Committee report projected a combined fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 shortfall of $1.7 billion, although lawmakers will receive new FAC projections later today.

The budget picture means that legislators who are backing bills with big spending implications are facing major headwinds, as legislative leaders are looking to cut spending to bring the budget into balance. 

Bills that have been tagged as 鈥渕oney bills鈥� 鈥� meaning they would add new spending 鈥� are stalled in each chamber鈥檚 Rules Committee and won鈥檛 move to a floor vote unless they are folded into the multi-bill package that compromises the state budget.  

Agency continuations 

Also left for the Legislature to address are agency continuations. 

The Legislature periodically reviews whether to renew state agencies or to shutter them. The process involves assessing agency audits performed by the state auditor general and considering recommendations from oversight committees known as committees of reference that take testimony from the auditor general and agency officials. 

This year鈥檚 major continuation involves the Arizona Commerce Authority.

The state House of Representatives Appropriations Committee last month voted to extend the Arizona Commerce Authority for an additional five years.

That bill now awaits consideration by the full House. If passed, it would have to return to the Senate for a final vote of that chamber.

The ACA continuation is strongly supported by a broad coalition of the business community.

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SRP has provided water and power to the Valley for more than 100 years, and that experience continues to serve our customers well.

SRP and our 5,000 employees have long been recognized as one of the top utilities in the nation and we are at the forefront of driving extraordinary changes to the power grid, our watershed and the greater Phoenix community while always doing right by our customers.

This means ensuring reliable, affordable and sustainable power and water now and for generations to come.

Reliability and Affordability 

As a not-for-profit, community-based utility, SRP has among the lowest electricity rates in the southwestern United States and the lowest rates of any major utility in the state. This can be attributed to careful planning by the company and our publicly elected Board of Directors, and our customers have made it clear that we must continue to prioritize affordability and reliability even as we substantially grow our electric system.

SRP has among the best reliability rankings in the nation, and we continue to invest in equipment and technology to improve our grid.

David Rousseau, president of the SRP board of directors

Responsible Decarbonization 

SRP is taking significant, industry-leading steps to decarbonize the power it generates for one of the fastest-growing service territories in the country. In the last year alone, we鈥檝e doubled the amount of utility-scale solar energy on the grid and are proud of the fact that our customers are benefiting from enough clean energy to power nearly 500,000 homes. Five additional solar facilities are currently under development. When they are operational by the end of 2027, nearly half of our generation will be carbon free.

And we aren鈥檛 close to being done. Our Board recently approved more ambitious sustainability goals including net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To help reach this goal and meet the projected 56% increase in energy needed to serve our customers over the next 10 years while also retiring most of our coal generation, SRP will double the size of our current electrical system. We鈥檒l do this by adding new carbon-free generation and new storage resources by 2035.

To maintain a balanced, low-cost grid and to meet the unique challenges of our Valley, new fast-ramping natural gas units will also be part of SRP鈥檚 future generation mix. This technology allows SRP to meet our customers鈥� energy needs and better integrate intermittent renewables, which are critical to maintaining our industry-leading reliability that helps keep our customers safe, especially during Arizona鈥檚 hot summer days (and nights).

SRP will also continue to support our growing number of customers who choose to add rooftop solar and batteries to their homes. We offer a variety of ways to help evaluate potential projects and avoid scams, including a rooftop solar calculator and a list of preferred solar installers.

Jim Pratt, SRP general manager and CEO.

Water Resiliency 

SRP was created when a group of Phoenix-area landowners pledged their land as collateral for a federal loan to build Theodore Roosevelt Dam, establishing a regular flow of water to the Valley and ensuring our long-term growth.

SRP now supplies water to almost half of the Phoenix region. Even though our water comes from a watershed that is expected to be less impacted by climate change than the Colorado River, we continue to collaborate with state agencies, cities and tribes to develop programs and infrastructure that will help maximize the Valley鈥檚 future water supply.

These include increasing storage capacity on the Verde River and the SRP Central Arizona Project Canal Interconnection, allowing water to be moved to communities that need it. We are also seeking approval to extend the amount of time SRP can hold water in a portion of the Flood Control Space at Roosevelt Dam to put more of it to use, particularly during times of heavy precipitation like we experienced last winter.

SRP and our partners will continue to plan for future growth and variable climate conditions to help ensure reliable and well-managed surface water and groundwater supplies.

While we鈥檝e experienced incredible change over the last 100 years, one thing has remained constant: We are driven to always make decisions in the best interests of our customers and the communities we serve. This commitment is ongoing and will become even more important to ensure reliable, affordable and sustainable power and water as we address critical challenges facing our company and our state.

David Rousseau is president of the SRP board of directors. Jim Pratt is SRP general manager and CEO.

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Monday night鈥檚 NCAA Men鈥檚 Basketball Final Four championship game in Glendale marks the culmination of a whirlwind four days of events in the greater Phoenix area that will deliver an estimated $250 million-$300 million positive economic impact according to a from the Common Sense Institute. 

This is the second NCAA Men鈥檚 Final Four held in Arizona, solidifying the state鈥檚 place as a major destination for sports tourism and events like the Super Bowl, the Waste Management Open, and various golf, fencing, and other major championships. Thanks to the Diamondbacks, Phoenix has also hosted World Series games. 

鈥淗osting the NCAA Men鈥檚 Final Four is a monumental task that requires the cooperation of countless stakeholders, from local businesses to government agencies,鈥� Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association President and CEO Kim Sabow said. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 tournament is not only showcasing Arizona鈥檚 world-class facilities and hospitality but is also reinforcing the state鈥檚 reputation as a premier destination for major sporting events.鈥� 

Key findings from the report include: 

• $250-$300M: Estimated combined economic impact of activity at Arizona鈥檚 four days of Final Four events.
• $20 billion: Contribution of the combined Sports and Tourism sector to Arizona鈥檚 Real Gross Domestic Product in 2024 (+8.6% year-over-year).
• $12.7 billion: Estimated direct sales by Arizona鈥檚 hotels, casinos, sports and other professional performance venues, and other components of the state鈥檚 Sports and Tourism sector in 2024.
• 320,000: Number of people directly and indirectly employed by Arizona鈥檚 Sports and Tourism sector, or 10% of the state鈥檚 total workforce.
• 3.5%: Projected average annual growth rate of the sector over the next decade

Big visitor numbers

The average attendance at the Final Four games between 2010 and 2019 is 72,733. Attendance has been recovering slowly since 2020. In 2022, average attendance per-game was 69,800, and in 2023 attendance was 72,400. 

The average attendance for a concert at State Farm Stadium over the same period has been about 52,000, which means basketball over these last few days will have delivered an additional 20,000 more fans to Glendale to eat and drink at restaurants, shop, and spend money on recreational activities before and after the main event. 

CSI estimates that 150,000 people will attend the Men鈥檚 Final Four and surrounding events in Phoenix over three-and-a-half days beginning April 6th, with 58,500 (39%) of those attendees visiting from out of state. 

Given historical average expenditure data, these visitors spend:

• $73 million on hotels and lodging in Phoenix
• $12.9 million on meals
• $2.4 million on drinks
• $29.6 million on transportation and airfare
• $43.7 million on game tickets over the course of the event weekend

鈥淭he NCAA Final Four is a catalyst for economic opportunity,鈥� said Kamryn Brunner, research analyst at CSI Arizona. 鈥淥ur findings are once again showing the vital role that sports and tourism play in Arizona’s economy, contributing billions in GDP and supporting thousands of jobs across the state.鈥� 

CSI estimates that this new spending will result in approximately $15 million in new sales tax revenue for state and local jurisdictions. 

The Purdue Boilermakers and the University of Connecticut Huskies, both no. 1 seeds, tip off at 6:20 pm tonight at State Farm Stadium.

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