By Scottsdale Pinetop
Governor Doug Ducey and Kirk Adams – a dynamic duo of Arizona politics. Few political pairs have accomplished so much in such a short period of time. From tackling challenging budgets, to the successful campaign of Proposition 123 and the historic 2018 session that included a 20 percent pay increase for teachers by 2020, Ducey and Adams have been through it all.
That’s why it was noteworthy when Adams announced late last year that he would be leaving his post as Chief of Staff to the Governor. But Governor Ducey isn’t quite ready to let go of his second-in-command, looking to utilize his talents in other capacities.
Kirk Adams is returning to the private sector. But he will also be consulting for the Governor’s Office on water by helping Arizona with ongoing drought issues and gaming ones too, negotiating the state’s gaming compacts with tribes. And we couldn’t be more supportive of this role. This is a smart choice on Governor Ducey’s part and a great next step for Kirk Adams.
Arizona is one the cusp of some finalizing some major initiatives. The first is tribal gaming that could become a source of revenue to potentially expand funding for K-12 education. The second addresses Arizona’s water crisis. To resolve these concerns, it’s going to take someone who knows what they are talking about.
Adams is Arizona’s policy man. He is “by the book” and knows how to get things done. There’s no better person to lead the charge on addressing Arizona’s water and gaming issues. Adams’ wealth of experience in government affairs and complex policy decisions has provided him with a command of issues that few others have. It’s hard to believe that Adams doesn’t have further ambitions to run for office one day. But for now we will settle for the private sector, mostly. And be grateful for it.