Thank you Governor Ducey & Arizona State Legislature

On behalf of John Whiteman, Reg Ballantyne III, Mike Brewer, and myself, I want to applaud Arizona State Representative Doug Coleman and State Senator Kate Brophy McGee, as well as Speaker J.D. Mesnard, President Steve Yarborough, and the entire leadership of the state legislature for protecting over $650 million in revenue for our schools and avoiding the fiscal cliff of Prop 301’s expiration.
Now the business and education community must focus its efforts on expanding the education funding pie after we work to get Governor Ducey re-elected this Fall.
We continue to be vocal supporters of Governor Ducey’s vision for investing in teacher pay, full day kindergarten, K-12 capital and the other priorities as articulated two years ago in his 2017 State of the State Address. 
Step #1 to increasing our investment in Arizona’s schools was protecting the funding they already have now. Mission accomplished!
Step #2 is supporting the great elected leadership who made this $650+ million extension a reality.
Step #3 expanding Arizona’s funding pie to 1.5 in 2020.
State Representative Doug Coleman’s Arizona Republic: My Turn
https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2018/01/11/permanently-extend-proposition-301-education-tax-2018/1009068001/
Today, we celebrate the hard work of all those who made this significant legislation possible, and once again, thank the teachers who are working hard, every day, to educate Arizona’s children!
 
Phil Francis
Retired Chairman & CEO, PetSmart