Gov. Ducey touts education funding, job creation in visit to Tucson

Gov. Doug Ducey spent several hours here Tuesday, offering a slightly modified version of his State of the State address at a Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce-organized luncheon.

The Republican governor touted what he called “powerful and impressive women role models” from Arizona and outlined his goals for a special session to address the state’s opioid crisis.

He discussed the state’s K-12 school system, saying schools are showing signs of measurable growth, again noting the Tucson area is home to two of the best schools in the country.

Ducey’s visit to Tucson also brought out protesters, with about three-dozen people gathering outside the entrance to the Tucson Convention Center. The group said it wanted pay increases for teachers and an end to the school voucher system.

Here are three takeaways from Ducey’s positions from the luncheon:

Job growth is happening outside of Phoenix

The governor touted a number of signs that Southern Arizona is continuing to grow, noting the recent announcement that insurance firm Geico will build a new corporate office in Tucson, bringing with it 700 new jobs. He added other notable economic developments in Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita.

“The real work in our state is happening outside of the state Capitol,” he said.

He likes the “education governor” label

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While it has been used to criticize as well as praise him, Ducey said it’s a term he isn’t trying to avoid.

Ducey told reporters he has spent a majority of his time in office focusing on approving education in the state, touting his $1.7 billion in new funding for K-12 education over the last three years.

And he said he wants to do more.

“As governor, when it is the top line-item in the budget, I can’t avoid (the label) and I don’t want to avoid it. I want to embrace it,” Ducey said.

“I want to see the state lead the nation when it comes to educational outcomes for all of our kids,” Ducey said.

too busy to talk politics

Hours after former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced he was going to run for Jeff Flake’s Senate seat, Ducey told reporters he didn’t want to talk politics.

He chided congressional members during his speech for giving “meaningless floor speeches” and dragging their feet on funding for low-cost health insurance for children of working families and on securing the border.

“I am going to focus on my day job and stay out of politics, I am not going to get involved,” Ducey told reporters.