AMC Policy Agenda
2013 Policy Agenda
Principles:
- Ensure that Arizona provides a globally competitive environment for the manufacturing sector that promotes innovation and furthers investment in research and development.
- Create an economical and understandable regulatory and legal environment that facilitates manufacturing operations.
- Support a taxation system that promotes capital investments and improves the manufacturing sector’s global competitiveness.
- Improve employer access to highly skilled employees. Support strong accountability measures, innovative management techniques, enhanced academic rigor and efficient use of resources to improve education throughout Arizona.
- Reform Arizona's workers' compensation system to improve employee care and ensure cost efficient use of employer dollars.
- Support the development of a multi-modal transportation system to facilitate the movement of goods and services.
- Support a market-driven health care system that makes it easy for employers to provide health insurance benefits to their employees.
Goals:
Short Term:
Support and Leverage the Work of the Arizona Commerce Authority: Support the work of the Arizona Commerce Authority to lead statewide economic development activities, make Arizona a more competitive business location, be a magnet for foreign direct investment, expand existing businesses and attract new businesses.
Make Arizona a Destination of the Re-Shoring of Manufacturing Jobs: Work with the Arizona Commerce Authority and other economic development stakeholders to promote Arizona as a preferred location for manufacturing investment formerly performed overseas. As part of this, efforts will be made to build, enhance and market Arizona’s competitive assets through an integrated economic development strategy. Explore the potential of partnerships with other states and Mexico to create competitive advantages for the region.
Develop the greater Phoenix Area into the Commercial Hub for the Southwest United States: Advance the Arizona <> Southwest Project centered around local commercial airports to drive commercial air cargo and related activities including ground transportation, customs entry and exit, logistics and warehousing. Support efforts to develop the career and technical education pathways that will be required to generate a sufficient supply of employees for the jobs that the Arizona <> Southwest Project will create.
Oppose regulatory Overreach by the National Labor Relations Board and other Federal Agencies: Oppose NLRB and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission actions that threaten the rights of employers to make sound, lawful business decisions related to the location of their business operations, employment policies, enforcement of Arizona’s employment-at-will doctrine and communication with employees. Advocate against federal administrative action that would limit businesses’ ability to move facilities and employees across state lines. Support state legislation that would strengthen Arizona Employment Protection Act against NLRB regulatory action.
Support a Federal Regulatory Moratorium: Support a federal regulatory moratorium similar to Arizona’s effective state program and work to control the implementation of new regulations that reduce manufacturing’s global competitiveness.
Oppose Federal Regulations or Laws to Dramatically Alter the Process for Establishing a Labor Union: Continue to support Arizona’s efforts to maintain the current secret ballot process for union organizing elections. Oppose all efforts, whether through legislation, litigation or through rulemaking by the National Labor Relations Board, to infringe upon employer rights with respect to union organizing campaigns.
Protect Employee Rights: Maintain Arizona’s right to work status. Oppose compulsory union assessments. Ensure that employees control the assignment of their wages to labor organizations. Protect employees’ right not to have their union dues used for political purposes without consent. Work to ensure that paycheck protection legislation is not overturned through litigation. Support revisions to Arizona’s paycheck protection legislation to ensure it is constitutional and easy for employers to administer.
Continue Regulatory Reform: Support legislation that will promote regulatory streamlining and improve accountability including:
- Improve Speed of Permit Applications: Support legislation that would allow businesses to petition state agencies or the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council to reduce their licensing timeframes for permit/license issuance.
- Make Use of the Streamlined Rule Reform Process and Maximize Lean Permit Processing Methods: Work with the Governor’s office and state agencies to identify rules and permitting processes that can be streamlined through administrative action or rule revision.
Encourage Federal Regulatory Reform and Relief: Advocate for the federal permitting process to be both streamlined and expedited. Encourage federal agencies to refrain from issuing discretionary regulations that could have substantial economic impact.
Support Efforts to Reduce the Complexity of Arizona’s Transaction Privilege Tax System: Streamline Arizona’s complex transaction privilege statute to make easier for manufacturers to understand and comply with state and local tax issues. The streamlined system should be developed in a manner that works to create a competitive tax environment for Arizona businesses.
Avoid Double Taxation of Products Manufactured in Arizona: Expand the existing transaction privilege tax exemption for direct materials incorporated into a manufactured product to include indirect materials used in the production process.
Support Efforts to Correct Harmful Tariffs: Encourage U.S. manufacturing jobs by supporting efforts to correct certain harmful tariffs, where government charges a higher tariff rate for import of component parts than it charges for import of a completed product. Also encourage U.S. manufacturing jobs by supporting reduction or elimination of tariffs for non-domestically produced components (which are not available in the U.S.) used in the assembly of products in the U.S.
Enact Permit Fee Reform: Many regulatory agencies moved toward being fully funded through permit fees during the recent recession. Reduce the exclusive burden of funding the regulatory agencies from fees where appropriate through the adoption of more generalized funding sources. Continue support of further privatization and the use of general permits to reduce permit costs as working with policymakers to minimize administrative overhead.
Support Further Tort Reform: Continue to improve Arizona’s tort and legal system so it is viewed favorably in the marketplace. Support legislation to end abusive practices of lawsuit lending companies and work to transition Arizona to a modified comparative fault state.
Promote the Defense and Aerospace Industry as an Economic Engine: Support efforts to promote Arizona’s defense and aerospace industry with Arizona’s Congressional delegation. Work to protect Arizona’s defense industry from the potentially devastating impact of automatic sequestration budget reduction.
Sustain Unemployment Insurance and Improve Arizona Workers’ Compensation System: Support policies that will expedite the return to solvency for Arizona’s UI system. These reforms will include provisions to reduce improper payment of benefits and fraud. Support the proper implementation of the evidence-based medicine legislation and advocate for additional reforms that will improve Arizona's workers compensation system.
Oppose the Discount Pricing Consumer Protection Act: Protect U.S. brands and American jobs by opposing efforts to repeal the Supreme Court’s sound antitrust decision in the Leegin case.
Long-Term Goals
Increase the Output of Students Who Are Prepared for the Modern Manufacturing Workplace: Protect against cuts to the career and technical education (CTE) programs. Support policies to improve math and science education at all levels so that Arizona students master a baseline of knowledge that will prepare them for post-secondary education and manufacturing careers. Encourage efforts to make more cost-effective options available for students who are pursuing degrees or certificates at post-secondary institutions.
Support Efforts to Expand Trade and Global Commerce: Advocate for federal actions that open new markets and create new jobs for U.S. businesses. Encourage the completion of export control reforms and trade agreements that expand U.S. exports to growing economies.
