(Image source from: Is Arizona relaxing immigration laws for business?})
The state of Arizona faced severe economic recession than most of the other states. Due to housing boom bust and strict immigrant laws the companies hardly preferred the state. A series of anti-immigrant bills and a measure viewed as anti-gay, pushed by conservatives in the state legislature, left some companies away of the state.
Gov. Doug Ducey, the founder of the ice cream chain Coldstone Creamery who was sworn in last month as Arizona’s new Republican governor, is keen to turn the page of the state and to convince businesses that the state is through with controversy
“People want to talk about Arizona and both where we are and things that have happened before,” Ducey said in an interview at the Biltmore Hotel, where he met with business leaders in town for the sporting events like NFL’s Super Bowl. “What I try to get them focused on is what we’re going to do going forward, and what my priorities are.”
Gov. Doug Ducey has taken convincing steps with business executives. He participated in a CEO forum around the PGA event and the Super Bowl, an event that drew 70 CEOs. And the state announced this week that Apple will invest $2 billion in a global command center in Mesa, which will eventually employ 150 people.
Gov. Jan Brewer, Republican, signed Senate Bill 1070, which made it a crime for an undocumented immigrant to be physically present in the state. Later new law also imposed on companies to deny job to gay or lesbian workers.
The further immigration reform measures will have to address the problems existing in the state, and so far nothing resembling a new Senate Bill 1070 has been introduced.
Ducey said he will make a point to reach out to Mexico to reenergize trade - something Brewer let slide.
-Kannamsai
