In Focus …
Today, Governor Ducey revealed his Executive Budget plan for Fiscal 2016.
Typically the starting point for negotiations with the Legislature, the Governor and legislative leaders signaled budget talks may not be as contentious as recent years by standing together in a joint press conference before the proposal’s unveiling. In developing the spending plan, the Governor established a clear goal of eliminating the State’s structural budget deficit by Fiscal 2017.
Addressing the current year’s deficit, the Executive Budget targets five areas. The State’s Medicaid provider rate will be reduced by 3% ($8.4 million); special funds provided to hospitals that care for a disproportionate number of uninsured will be shifted to the General Fund ($11 million); Department of Economic Security funds will be cut ($5.1 million); the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority Water Supply Development Fund will be swept ($1 million); and the remainder of the shortfall will be closed with Rainy Day funds.
The budgetary pain is more severe in Fiscal 2016. Slated to take the biggest hits are universities ($75 million, or about 10 percent of State support) and the Arizona Commerce Authority ($100 million). K-12 would gain about $11 million overall, though classroom spending would hike $134 million with the Governor’s mandate that school districts shift dollars away from administrative spending.
The scale and scope of budget reductions isn’t surprising; Governor Ducey warned in his Inaugural Address that cuts would be coming. Criticism of the plan from Democrat legislators today was immediate and predictable. More significant will be whether Republican legislators, especially in rural areas, begin to peel off the plan or stick with the Governor, House Speaker and Senate President.
The complete Executive Budget can be viewed via the links below:
executive_budget_summary.pdf
state_agency_budgets.pdf
state_funds_book.pdf
Veridus welcomes Lorna and Kenna
Veridus is pleased to announce the addition of two new team members: Lorna Romero, former chief lobbyist for Governor Brewer and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry; and Kenna Nielson, who also assisted the Brewer administration with public affairs.
Lorna will be working in a joint role as she assists with both PR and government affairs (read more below). Kenna is performing a host of administrative duties - managing Wendy’s calendar alone is a full-time job!
A 2014 graduate of the University of Arizona, Kenna adds to the Wildcat Coalition in the Veridus office. She eagerly looks forward to taking the law school entry exam affectionately known as the LSAT this September.
2015 Legislative Session Schedule/Deadlines
Leadership has adopted the following deadlines for action on bills this Legislative Session:
JANUARY
12 Session convenes; bill pre-filing ends.
15 5:00 p.m.: House limit of 7 bills per member is imposed.
20 5:00 p.m.: Last day for Senate members to submit bill requests to Legislative Council.
26 5:00 p.m.: Last day for House members to submit bill requests to Legislative Council.
FEBRUARY
2 Last day for Senate bills to be introduced without special permission.
9 Last day for House bills to be introduced without special permission.
20 Last day for House committees to consider House bills and Senate committees to consider Senate bills.
MARCH
20 Last day for House consideration of Senate bills and last day for Senate consideration of House bills.
APRIL
17 Last day for consideration of bills in Conference Committee.
21 This is the date required by rule for sine die adjournment unless leaders extend the deadline. Leadership can extend it no more than 7 days; thereafter any extension requires a majority vote in each house.
25 Saturday of the week of the 100th day of session. Session cannot extend beyond this date without majority vote in both houses.
Super Bowl Commercial featuring K2 Adventures Foundation
On Super Bowl Sunday, the K2 Adventures Foundation, run by Veridus Director Jeff Sandquist’s wife, Kristen, will be featured in a Super Bowl commercial courtesy of National Bank of Arizona.
Look for the K2 Adventures Foundation, as the organization is featured in a wheelchair basketball game. K2 Adventures Foundation donated the wheelchairs that are featured in the commercial, providing these individuals the "adventure" of being part of a team. This commercial will air in the local Phoenix market five times on Super Bowl Sunday and for an entire year afterwards. Don’t miss it!
Veridus Clients in the News
STAND for Children Arizona: 2015 State of the State
by Rebecca Gau, Executive Director
January 14, 2015 - Every year, on the first day of the legislative session, the Governor gives a “State of the State” address, highlighting his or her priorities for that year. This year’s “State of the State” was different from previous years. With a new Governor in office after a long campaign season, Arizonans were very interested to see what Governor Ducey highlighted as his agenda.
At Stand, we were pleased to see that education and the economy took top billing in his speech because we know that a strong economy is largely dependent on an excellent education system.
Governor Ducey highlighted three major focus areas in education that we look forward to learning more about:
At Stand for Children, we plan to focus our efforts on several key issues this legislative session:
Governor Ducey began his speech by saying, “political parties do not have to be hostile parties, set against one another in every case.”
This past fall, Stand supported a bi-partisan slate of leaders in this last election. We now look to Governor Ducey for leadership in bringing the state together to do what’s best for Arizona students.
We are hopeful based on the speech that this legislative session will focus on policy issues and solving problems, not partisanship. Stand for Children is ready and eager to work with all elected officials to prioritize opportunities and results for all of Arizona’s children.
Read more HERE.
Veridus adds PR, lobbying muscle with hire of Lorna Romero
Former gubernatorial staffer Romero among Arizona's political rising stars
PHOENIX – Veridus LLC is pleased to announce the addition of Lorna Romero as Associate Director. Lorna, most recently a senior aide to Governor Jan Brewer, will specialize in both public relations and lobbying as she helps serve Veridus’ premier and growing roster of clients.
"We could not be more excited to have Lorna join the Veridus team,” said Jeff Sandquist, a Director at Veridus. "Lorna’s Capitol connections run deep, she has a unique blend of policy and political experience and she is a known and trusted figure with legislators and the business community. Lorna adds yet another dimension to Veridus, and her versatility will be invaluable to organizations that seek our assistance for government affairs and PR.”
"Veridus is the leading public affairs firm in Arizona and I’m thrilled to join such a diverse and highly-regarded team,” said Romero. “I admire the firm’s commitment to its clients and passion for public policy that will improve Arizona, and I’m excited to bring my experience to the table in helping advocate for our clients and tell their stories to the public.”
Prior to joining Veridus, Lorna served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for Governor Brewer, a role in which she helped spearhead cornerstone policy initiatives such as Medicaid Restoration, anti-human trafficking legislation and child-safety reform. Earlier, Lorna was the Director of Government Relations for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, where she focused upon education, tax, labor and regulatory reform efforts.
“Lorna is a proven talent when it comes to strategic messaging and the clear communication of complex issues,” said Veridus Director Matthew Benson, who leads the firm’s PR and media efforts. “Lorna’s skills are an ideal fit and she is uniquely-suited to assist both our PR and government affairs clients. Her addition to the Veridus team demonstrates our continued commitment to serving our clients by building a team of individuals at the top of their respective fields.”
Lorna was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. She graduated from Arizona State University's Barrett Honors College with degrees in Political Science and History, a minor in Spanish and a certificate in International Relations. Lorna is a three-time nominee for Best Political Rising Star by the Arizona Capitol Times.
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Veridus is proud to represent the who’s who of the business community. The Veridus Weekly has proven to be an excellent opportunity to highlight key announcements, activities, etc. If you would like to feature something in an upcoming issue, reply to this email or send information to info@veridus.com.
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