By Howard Fischer
Twitter: @azcapmedia

PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey enters his final year as the state’s chief executive, saying he’s a “smarter and wiser and more seasoned governor” than the person who took office seven years ago.

“You have seven years of on-the-job experience,” he told Capitol Media Services ahead of what will be his last State of the State address on Monday.

“There is a learning curve when you come into the governor’s office,” Ducey continued. “So I feel like we’ve got our arms around this government and this economy.”

And his final year, he said, will be to “cement our successes.”

“I intend to swing for the fences,” he said. “I think you can expect some big things on water, big things on education, and big things on border security.”

Details, the governor said, will have to wait until he informs the legislature.

“Tune in Monday,” he said.

But Ducey said the past seven years have been more than just a learning curve about how government operates. The governor, who will turn 58 this year, said there are things that he would tell his 50-year-old self if he had the possibility.

Such as?

“To slow down, listen, and surround yourself with the best possible people,” he said.

“I think that I’ve done that along the way,” Ducey continued. “But you do learn along the way, you do gather wisdom, experience, sharpen your instincts and, I believe, become a better decision maker.”

One thing that has not changed is the governor’s belief that income taxes can and should be lower.

Even when he was campaigning for governor, he promised to cut taxes every year in office. And the governor said Arizonans should look for yet another proposal this year.

“I made a commitment to the people of Arizona,” Ducey said. “And I’ve been accused of meeting my commitments.”

The governor said none of that changes even with 2021 tax cut — the massive $1.5 billion reduction in income taxes — in legal limbo. That’s because foes gathered enough signatures to put the changes on hold until voters get a chance to ratify or reject what lawmakers approved and Ducey signed.

Republican legislative leaders already have plans in the works to repeal that law, effectively making the referendum drive legally moot, and then reenacting some variant of the proposal.

That, in turn, is likely to provoke some potential political anger at Republicans for forcing opponents of the tax cut to go back to the streets to again gather signatures to force a public vote.

Ducey said that possibility doesn’t deter him from pursuing that goal. But he clearly hopes that whatever emerges avoids yet another petition drive and risk of being overturned at the ballot.

“I want to work in partnership with the legislature for what would be good tax and economic policy,” he said. “And part of the definition is the voters would see that as well.”

Ducey’s last term also begins with the state and nation now two years into the COVID pandemic.

The governor has had changing philosophies for dealing with it.

At first he refused to order the use of masks — or even allow local governments to do so. But then, as infections exploded he reversed course, closing schools and businesses and even imposing a stay-at-home order when cases continued to erupt.

More recently the governor has taken what could be considered not just a hands-off approach, other than urging people to get vaccinated, but actively opposed and sought to block any efforts by cities, counties and school districts from imposing any mandates of their own.

Ducey said it’s a recognition of how the situation has changed.

“I think that we need to learn how to live with COVID, how to do it safely and responsibly,” he said.

Ducey said this isn’t a partisan approach.

“I think you even see Democrat governors, blue states across the country, talking about this,” he said.

Anyone thinking Ducey might impose the kind of restrictions he did after the initial outbreak is likely to be disappointed.

“I can tell you this: We’re going to keep our economy open and we’re going to keep our schools open,” the governor said. “And I’ll do whatever I have in my power to make certain that happens.”

But that still leaves the facts on the ground, including that as of Friday 24,616 Arizonans had died from the virus, with more than 1.44 million cases.

And The New York Times says that, in the last seven days, Arizona has the seventh-highest death rate in the country.

The governor, however, sidestepped a question of whether he takes any blame or responsibility for the number of people who have contracted the virus or died.

“The entire time during COVID I have taken it seriously,” he said. “I continue to take it seriously.”

Ducey said he has been advised by “bright, thoughtful” people.

“And I have made the best decisions in real time given the facts presented to me,” he said. That includes what Ducey said is a “more balanced view across the board in terms of protecting lives, livelihoods and personal liberty.”

Being in his last term — he constitutionally can’t seek a third — also means that there are multiple candidates angling for his job. And some, including from his own party, are seeking to score points by criticizing him and his policies.

That most notably includes Republican Kari Lake, the former news anchor on the Phoenix Fox affiliate. She has built much of her bid for the GOP nomination by blasting the incumbent’s policies on everything from border security to the fact that he certified the 2020 election results showing Joe Biden outpolled Donald Trump in Arizona, a result she contests.

Lake even said at one point that she hopes Ducey “can prove he has a backbone.”

“He hasn’t had a great history of that yet,” she said.

The incumbent, for his part, has not said much about any of the candidates, other than to chide Lake for her call for cameras in classrooms so that parents can watch.

“I’m going to care a lot for who my successor is in this state at the appropriate time,” he said. But any criticism of his performance from those who want his office, he said, has “no consequence at all” and he is “100% focused” on his current job.

“I’m not running for governor,” Ducey said.

“I am the governor,” he continued. “I’m going to continue to be the governor until the last day in office.”

That, he said, means finishing his last session.

“I intend to maximize it,” Ducey said.

And what of his political future and life beyond the governor’s office? There has been speculation that he might consider a run for U.S. Senate — or even a possible presidential bid.

Ducey’s not saying.

“There’s a State of the State on Monday,” he said.