Small-business owners shared ideas on how the State can support small business as we continue to combat the coronavirus and plan for a re-opening of the economy
Gov. Doug Ducey engaged with NFIB members, discussed suggestions from small business owners, and outlined his vision for a post-coronavirus Arizona on an exclusive conference call on April 15.
“Elected officials across the nation jump at NFIB’s invitation to engage with our members, because they know us to be the true voice of small business,” said Chad Heinrich, NFIB’s Arizona state director. “Governor Ducey is a steadfast supporter of small business. He comes from small-business roots and we’re thankful to have him leading us during this extraordinary time. And there’s no one more qualified to lead us as we re-open the Arizona economy in the post-coronavirus future.”
After giving an overview of state activities on the health-care front, which included increased testing and hospital capacity, the governor engaged with members on their policy ideas that will enable the state’s small businesses to open with confidence when the time is right.
Asked by a manufacturer what steps he’s taking to financially support small businesses, the Governor replied, “I’m going to use the rainy day fund in our state; I’m going to use available dollars that I have; I’m going to use the flexibility that I’ve been given by the federal government to make sure no individual falls through the cracks through this recovery …
“I want to understand and make sure we’re utilizing and maximizing everything that’s being provided through Congressional programs, because in essence, those are state dollars, those are our dollars that go back to Washington, D.C. They’ve been appropriated to the state. There are packages for small and medium businesses and that’s where I want to start the discussion on funding.
Governor Ducey answered further questions about unemployment benefits and the worry of them being more generous than returning to regular work; delaying state tax payments, such as the federal government did; the need for tax conformity; and essential vs. nonessential employees.
“Know that my attention always will be for the small-business community,” the governor said toward the end of the conference call, “That great economy that I love to brag on, that was leading the nation here in Arizona, was because of our small businesses. It’s small businesses and the people on this [conference call] line who create jobs in this country.”
Click the arrow below to listen to the conference call with Governor Ducey.
