A new labor policy report has ranked Arizona as the top state for worker freedom and pro-growth labor reforms.
The American Legislative Exchange Council published its third edition of "States That Work: A Labor Policy Roadmap Across America". This report details the states where workers have the most economic freedom.
Arizona did much better than the Southwestern states of California, Colorado and Nevada in the report, which was released Tuesday.
ALEC CEO Lisa B. Nelson said some states are “embracing reforms” while others continue to use “outdated mandates that drive prosperity away.”
“This is more than a ranking. It’s a wake-up call for lawmakers who want their state to thrive in today’s economy,” she said.
Alan Jernigan, manager of the ALEC Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force, said Arizona has “emerged as the model for what labor policy can look like in a free and prosperous society."
When a state removes artificial barriers such as licensing red tape or union release time, “it invites growth, innovation and mobility," Jernigan said.
“That’s why more than 600,000 Americans packed up and moved to the Grand Canyon State in the last decade. They’re not just moving. They’re choosing freedom,” Jernigan explained.
The report said Arizona received the highest ranking due to creating universal recognition of occupational licenses, eliminating union release time, having the eighth lowest percentage of state government jobs and maintaining its Right-to-Work laws.
