Arizona legislators growing more business-friendly
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 – ( Phoenix Business Journal )
Eleven state legislators received perfect scores on the Arizona NFIB’s scorecard, which indicates the state and its representatives have taken a strong step toward improving the business climate.
State Rep. Michelle Ugenti, R-Scottsdale, supported HB 2001 and all of the other measures supported by NFIB, giving her a perfect score on the group’s report card.
Arizona House and Senate Distinguished Freshmen
Saturday, May 21, 2011 – ( azcentral.com )
The House, in particular, had a crop of freshmen that many Capitol observers pegged as up-and-comers.
Although in their first year they didn’t author and push landmark bills, nor did they provide the pivotal vote needed to make or break a bill, they showed flashes of leadership that distinguished them from the pack. They include:
Small Business’ Top 10 Legislative Victories in 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 – ( azcapitoltimes.com )
The 50th Arizona Legislature has boldly staked its claim to being the most pro-small business Legislature in Arizona’s history. On issue after issue, legislators advanced measures to relieve the tax and regulatory burdens on the engines of our economic recovery, Arizona’s small businesses. Even in instances where lawmakers mistakenly pursued bad policy, they did so with the right motive in mind – creating more jobs.
6. Union preference prohibition: Rep. Michelle Ugenti’s HB2644 prohibits state entities, counties, cities and towns from accepting federal money for a construction project if accepting it requires them to give a preference to union labor.
Arizona House and Senate distinguished freshmen
Saturday, May 21, 2011 – ( azcentral.com )
The House, in particular, had a crop of freshmen that many Capitol observers pegged as up-and-comers.
Although in their first year they didn’t author and push landmark bills, nor did they provide the pivotal vote needed to make or break a bill, they showed flashes of leadership that distinguished them from the pack. They include:
Capital Times Tags Michelle Ugenti as the Tea Party Candidate, see below.
Friday, May 28, 2010 – ( Bill Bertolino – Arizona Capital Times )
House District 8
This affluent district that takes in most of Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and parts of the northeast Valley boasts a crowded Republican field for the two House seats.
Political observers said incumbent John Kavanagh, who chairs the powerful Appropriations Committee, will be nearly impossible to unseat in the district he’s represented since 2006.
So the six remaining challengers are gunning for the second seat vacated by Rep. Michele Reagan, who is making a run for the Senate.
“You have the 800-pound gorilla in Kavanagh, and then you have everyone else,” political consultant Jason Rose said. “You have very credible people, and many times, credible people with money that are able to raise significant campaigns.”
One of those candidates boasting his financial wherewithal is physician Ray Mahoubi, who as of Dec. 31 – the most recent campaign reports available – had already raised $20,000.
“The key in this race is to differentiate yourself in the crowded race,” said Mahoubi, who is trumpeting his perspective on health care, being a small-business owner and an Iranian immigrant as issues that separate him from the pack.
Another candidate will be a test case about whether the Tea Party movement will have an effect on local legislative races. Michelle Ugenti, who recently gave a fiery anti-illegal immigration speech at a Tea Party convention, is running as a publicly funded Clean Elections candidate.
Want to know what Michelle thinks about Prop 100, read below.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 – ( The Arizona Republic )
Scottsdale-area schools prepare for sales-tax vote
The blitz of billboards, yard signs and radio and TV ads will end Tuesday when Arizona voters decide whether to approve Proposition 100, a 1-cent sales-tax increase that will funnel $700 million to public education in the state.
Some school officials in the Northeast Valley have not been shy about their predictions if Prop. 100 does not pass.
Proposed by Gov. Jan Brewer, the tax, which will last for three years, will help offset the hundreds of millions of dollars the state has withdrawn from public K-12 funding due to Arizona’s $4 billion budget shortfall. In response, school districts and public charter schools have made two budget plans, one if the vote passes and one if it doesn’t.
Michelle at the Arizona/Mexico Border
Influence of the Tea Party Movement
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 – ( myfoxphoenix.com )
SCOTTSDALE – The stimulus bill is part of the reason for the birth of the Tea Party, a group of people across the country who are not happy with the amount of spending in Washington. The displeasure stems back to President Bush’s bank bailout.
Michelle Ugenti was out in Scottsdale Wednesday night collecting signatures to get her name on the ballot for state legislature.
Before now, a life in politics was far from her life plan. The mother of two was focused on her family and her career – but then something changed.
