The Veridus Weekly 3-10-17

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In Focus

I’ve got 99 problems and the budget’s #1...


It’s only mid-March, but dark clouds are building around budget negotiations at the Arizona Capitol.

Legislative leaders speak openly of opposing key portions of the Governor Doug Ducey’s spending plan. Rumors swirl (and are promptly denied) of a possible gubernatorial bill moratorium in the offing. There’s even loose talk of a legislative session that may meander into (gasp!) June, unthinkable after sprint-like sessions in 2015 and 2016.

Add it all up, and we have the makings for the first true budget showdown since Governor Ducey took office.

The biggest sticking points? Overall spending (Republican legislators want less); teacher pay (Democrats want more); and university capital - specifically, concerns about the “sales-tax recapture” method the Governor favors.


Budgets are by design a negotiated process. So, changes to the Governor’s plan are a certainty. But the 9th Floor is signaling he’ll hold fast to the pillars of his budget proposal, most notably a provision to fund university capital for R&D, which the Governor considers a key driver of economic development and quality jobs.

Usually, budget fights between the executive and legislative branches become a test of wills and a matter of timing. The answer to the former will reveal itself in short order. As for the latter, conventional wisdom suggests time is on the Governor’s side. After all, it’s legislators who are expected to complete work and return home to their districts after something approximating 100 days. Not so with Governor Ducey.

He can bide his time, knowing two things are inevitable: Temperatures will rise and, just as surely, the Legislature will bear the brunt of public blame if there is a protracted fiscal fight that sees the end of the fiscal year (June 30) approach with no budget in sight.

But a portion of the executive’s leverage disappears with each signing of a legislative priority into law. Which gets us back to the (still non-existent) bill moratorium ...

Republicans unveil bill to repeal and replace Obamacare

CNN

Washington (CNN)House Republicans introduced their bill to repeal Obamacare's individual mandate that also aims to maintain coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and allow children to stay on their parents' plans until the age of 26.

The measure would offer individuals refundable tax credits to purchase health insurance and restructure the country's Medicaid program so that states receive a set amount of money from the federal government every year -- changes experts warn could result in millions of people losing access to insurance they received under the Affordable Care Act.

It also largely would keep Obamacare's protections of those with pre-existing conditions, but allows insurers to charge higher premiums to those who let their coverage lapse.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Obamacare is "rapidly collapsing" and it is "time to turn the page."

[...] White House spokesman Sean Spicer praised the bill's release.

[...] The two top Democrats on the two House committees that crafted the bill -- Reps. Frank Pallone of New Jersey and Richard Neal of Massachusetts -- railed on Republicans for writing the bill without broader input. The measure was kept in a room in a House office building last week to let members review it without risk of it leaking to the press.

[...] Monday, the bill was released without any Congressional Budget Office score, a sign that Republicans may be worried about the fallout once Americans understand how many people could be affected by changes in coverage.

Full Text: GOP plan to repeal and replace Obamacare

Read more HERE.
 
Veridus clients in the news
 
Leader of huge medical center top pick for new UA president

Arizona Capitol Times

The state Board of Regents on Tuesday selected the leader of the world’s biggest medical center as its top pick to be the next president for the University of Arizona.

Dr. Robert Clayton Robbins has been president and chief executive officer of Texas Medical Center since 2012. A highly regarded cardiac surgeon, Robbins spent 20 years working for the Stanford University School of Medicine as professor and department chair in cardiothoracic surgery and founded the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute in 2005.

[...] Robbins was chosen as one of two finalists for the UA position last week along with Sethuraman “Panch” Panchanathan, who’s the executive vice president and chief research and innovation officer of Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise Development.

His hiring is not yet final. The regents plan a special meeting March 13 to begin negotiations on Robbins’ contract.

Robbins is scheduled to visit the Tucson campus on Wednesday for meetings with student leaders, faculty, deans, alumni and elected officials.

UA President Ann Weaver Hart is serving out the remainder of her contract that expires in June 2018. She became the university’s 21st president in 2012. Last June, Hart announced that she would not seek a contract extension, but would remain at the helm until a replacement is named.

Read more HERE.

Diageo North America Named Among Top Companies for Executive Women
 
Beverage Leader Honored by National Association for Female Executives for Sixth Time
NORWALK, Conn., March 6, 2017 – Diageo, a global leader in beverage alcohol, has been named one of the 2017 “Top 60 Companies for Executive Women” by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE). As one of the country’s largest associations for female professionals, NAFE releases the list annually to recognize American corporations where women have significant clout to make the decisions that affect their company’s future and its bottom line. This is the sixth year NAFE has named Diageo to its Top Companies list.

[...] Diageo offers a variety of flexible working arrangements including job share, flextime, compressed hours and opportunities to work from home. The company subsidizes back-up daycare and adult/elder care, matches employees’ flexible spending accounts for dependent care, reimburses a percentage of the cost for in vitro and fertility treatments and provides financial assistance and family leave for employees who have completed the legal process of adoption. Pregnant women and new moms can take advantage of nutritional education, smoking cessation programs and access to private pumping rooms for nursing mothers. Programs for employees with tweens/teens include college preparation and placement assistance as well as counseling for family issues, substance abuse and emotional support.

[...] Additionally, to attract and retain a diverse workforce, Diageo offers career development programs at every level. These programs provide coaching initiatives to help employees succeed in their careers. To supplement the efforts of such programs, Diageo’s Spirited Women’s Network business resource group hosts regular networking events and career talks by female Diageo executives to inspire other employees and promote diversity efforts within the company.

[...] The full list of this year’s winners is featured in the February/March issue of Working Mother magazine, and is posted HERE.
 
Read more HERE.
 
ICYMI: Regents President Eileen Klein on Horizon

Catch her appearance HERE.
 
ICYMI II: AzHHA President/CEO Greg Vigdor on KJZZ

Catch his appearance HERE.

NOTE: Greg will also be a guest this week on Sunday Square Off as he discusses federal healthcare reform (8 a.m. Sunday/12News).
 
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