Arizona Technology Council Publishes 2015 Public Policy Guide Crafted to Advance Position of Arizona's Technology Companies

PHOENIX, Nov. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As the leading advocate for technology companies in Arizona, the Arizona Technology Council and its Public Policy Committee today announced the publication of the Council's "2015 Public Policy Guide." This document features positions and principles to aid elected officials at all levels of government in crafting policies that will affect Arizona's economy for years to come. It will also be used on an ongoing basis as regulators introduce new or change existing regulations pertinent to Council members.

To view and download the complete document that includes positions for each policy, please visit http://bit.ly/13EnUHm.

The Arizona Technology Council continuously monitors federal, state and local policies that impact the health and growth of Arizona's technology industry. The Council's legislative priorities for 2015 are:

• Expand the Refundable Research & Development Tax Credit
• Recapitalize the Angel Investment Tax Credit
• Restore K-12 education funding

"By working with legislators, elected and appointed officials, and policymakers across the entire spectrum of government, the Council ensures that there will always be a voice advocating pro-growth, technology-focused, business-centered policy in the state of Arizona," said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. "We propose a suite of positions that will help guarantee Arizona grows and maintains a vibrant tech sector full of high-skill, high-paying jobs."

The Council's "Public Policy Guide" provides a comprehensive list of principles and positions on a wide range of state and federal issues. They include:

State Issues:

• Aerospace, Aviation and Defense – grow defense spending, protect Arizona's military bases and expand the capabilities of the unmanned aerial drone center at Fort Huachuca.
• Capital Formation – establish and structure an Early-Stage Venture Capital Fund, expand the Refundable Research and Development Tax Credit, and recapitalize the Angel Investment Tax Credit.
• Telehealth – reform telemedicine legislation.
• Cybersecurity – increase awareness of and education about cyberattacks, and promote consistent and responsible regulation.
• Economic Development – sustain the Arizona Commerce Authority's (ACA) promotional effort, support the State Trade and Export Promotion program, target tech-facing industries for recruitment, and develop a strong tech workforce in Arizona through curriculum development.
• Education – create worklike experiences as part of the state curriculum; support distance learning and e-learning; reform funding of public schools; fund science, technology, engineering and math education; and implement Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards.
• Energy – improve diversity of the state's energy mix, develop a robust energy transmission process, create a regulatory system that embraces future developments and develop models of energy market access.
• State Budget – fund Arizona's Essential and Permanent Digital Records initiative, discourage the Legislature's sweeping budget funds not used by ACA, recapitalize the Angel Investment Tax Credit program and reinvest in Arizona's education fund.
• Taxation – support an increase in the current capital gains deduction, continue improvement of business property tax competitiveness, protect tax advantages for data centers, expand the R&D Tax Credit and put more effort into ensuring the tax system is easier and less expensive to administer.
• Transportation and Digital Infrastructure – continue encouragement of data center location, increase broadband availability, develop Interstate 11 and encourage cost-effective transportation systems.
• Workplace and Workforce – align education and employer needs, encourage companies to engage with educational supply side, promote company involvement in bridging the talent gap and encourage companies to retrain existing workforce.

Federal Issues:

• Aerospace, Aviation and Defense – continue funding next-gen air traffic control.
• Intelligent Transportation Systems – fund deployment.
• Cybersecurity – create greater penalties for cybercriminals, improve information on threats, implement a national approach to breach notification and update the Federal Information Security Management Act.
• Unlicensed Spectrum – free up additional unlicensed spectrum bands.
• International Trade – build on the Environmental Goods Agreement, reauthorize the Export-Import Bank, expand the Information Technology Agreement, update Trade Promotion Authority, and negotiate and conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
• Internet Tax Freedom – sustain the Internet Tax Freedom Act.
• Investing in Research – increase appropriations for the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
• Legal – pass a data breach notification law, reform immigration for high-skilled workers and protect an open Internet.
• Tax Agenda – enact corporate tax reform and create consistency in digital download and interstate taxes.

About the Arizona Technology Council

As Arizona's premier trade association for science and technology companies, the Council is recognized as having a diverse professional business community. The Arizona Technology Council offers numerous events, educational forums and business conferences that bring together leaders, managers, employees and visionaries to make an impact on the technology industry. Council members work toward furthering the advancement of technology in Arizona through leadership, education, legislation and social action. These interactions contribute to the Council's culture of growing member businesses and transforming technology in Arizona. For more information about membership or attending an event, please visit aztechcouncil.org.

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SOURCE Arizona Technology Council

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