Not long ago, the idea of cars driving themselves seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie. But Arizona leaned in. Today we鈥檙e a national leader in autonomous vehicle innovation, with self-driving cars navigating city streets and even making curbside airport drop-offs.

Now, thanks to a major legislative win this session, Arizona is setting its sights higher, laying the groundwork for a new era of electric-powered air travel.

With the passage of SB 1307, Arizona is officially getting serious about advanced air mobility, the use of electric aircraft to carry passengers and cargo across urban and regional areas. Think flying taxis, battery-powered passenger planes, and next-gen air vehicles designed to shuttle people and packages above city streets鈥攓uietly, cleanly, and without a runway.

In a fast-growing state like Arizona, where infrastructure must keep pace with expansion, the need for alternative transportation solutions is no longer just a long-term vision, but a near-term necessity.

SB 1307 directs the state to develop a comprehensive plan for integrating electric aircraft charging stations and vertiports鈥攄esignated takeoff and landing areas鈥攊nto Arizona鈥檚 broader aviation infrastructure. It also designates a statewide expert within the Arizona Department of Transportation to serve as a resource for local governments and industry partners. And it provides tools to help communities prepare for, attract, and safely integrate this transformative technology.

Much like Arizona did with autonomous vehicles a decade ago, we鈥檙e sending a clear message: innovation is welcome here. This legislation signals to manufacturers, infrastructure developers, and air mobility companies that Arizona isn鈥檛 just ready to test this technology鈥攚e鈥檙e ready to build around it.

That readiness translates to jobs, investment, and a competitive advantage in a sector projected to reach tens of billions of dollars in value globally. States that lead early will reap the biggest rewards.

Why does this matter? Advanced air mobility has the potential to fundamentally reshape how goods and people move, reducing congestion, increasing regional connectivity, and unlocking new opportunities for rural and underserved communities. By acting now, we ensure Arizona isn鈥檛 left reacting to change later, it鈥檚 helping lead it.

The Arizona 番茄社区 of Commerce & Industry and Arizona Manufacturers Council were proud to champion SB 1307 because we understand what鈥檚 at stake. With our strong aerospace and manufacturing base, pro-innovation policies, and collaborative public-private ecosystem, Arizona is uniquely equipped to be the hub for next-generation air mobility. This bill lays the foundation to make that vision a reality.

Arizona鈥檚 leadership in aerospace and defense didn鈥檛 happen by accident. We鈥檙e now ranked among the top three states in the nation for aerospace manufacturing strength, thanks to a deep talent pool, supportive policies, and global powerhouses like Boeing, Raytheon, Honeywell, and Northrop Grumman continuing to invest here. SB 1307 builds on that momentum鈥攔einforcing our competitive edge and helping communities prepare for the future of flight.

Arizona鈥檚 economy thrives when we lean into what鈥檚 next. By continuing to embrace forward-looking policies like SB 1307, we鈥檙e making it clear: Arizona isn鈥檛 just along for the ride鈥攚e鈥檙e in the pilot鈥檚 seat.

Grace Appelbe is the executive director of the Arizona Manufacturers Council.

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Advocates for the nation鈥檚 manufacturing sector gathered in San Diego this week for the Conference of State Manufacturers Associations鈥� annual leadership conference, where the sector鈥檚 competitiveness amid rising inflation, labor challenges, and hostile policies from Washington, D.C. was front and center.聽

Arizona 番茄社区 of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden spoke on a panel about the state and federal policy issues facing manufacturers. The 番茄社区 is the state affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers and oversees the Arizona Manufacturers Council. 

Seiden reflected on how Arizona has advanced policies like accelerated depreciation on business personal property or the reduction in the commercial property tax assessment ratio that have made the state more attractive to manufacturers. 

A state鈥檚 tax environment is an important factor in its ability to attract jobs. 

鈥淚f you create good tax policy, you will see growth,鈥� Tennessee 番茄社区 of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Bradley Jackson said. 

The connection to favorable tax policy and economic growth has been borne out at the federal level, too, according to Chris Netram, managing vice president of tax and domestic economic policy at the NAM. 

鈥淚mmediately following the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that passed in December 2017, 2018 was the very best year for manufacturing job creation in decades,鈥� he said. 

Among its many provisions, the TCJA lowered the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% and repealed the corporate alternative minimum tax. 

Netram said NAM, which supported the TCJA鈥檚 passage, has focused on making data-driven arguments to advance good policy, sharing with the White House in the early days of the Biden administration an analysis of the implications of the economic plan the president touted on the campaign trail. 

Seiden credited Ariz. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema for her willingness to work with the business community and keep an open mind to federal policies that would positively affect Arizona manufacturers. He cited her opposition to the Build Back Better legislation, a sweeping domestic spending bill, as an example of her interest in protecting Arizona job creators. 

鈥淪he is unwavering,鈥� Seiden said. 鈥淪he does not want to see us become less competitive.鈥�

Against the backdrop of the debate on Capitol Hill over the Chips-plus Act, a bill to boost domestic supply chain production, which Sinema and her colleague Sen. Mark Kelly, D, support, Seiden discussed the importance of ensuring continued access to semiconductors amid supply chain disruptions and uncertain global politics. Semiconductors are found in everything from consumer electronics to automobiles and kitchen appliances. 

TSMC鈥檚 multi-billion-dollar investment in Arizona is essential to that strategy, he said. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just cars 鈥� it鈥檚 national defense,鈥� Seiden said. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have access to these chips then Raytheon鈥檚 13,000 jobs in Arizona, which are focused on building missiles 鈥� they can鈥檛 build the right kind of missiles without those semiconductors. This is a huge deal.鈥� 

In addition to state and federal policy, conference panels examined workforce challenges, the state of the domestic and international supply chain, and energy issues. 

The event concludes today.

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