Last Week at the Legislature
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Keeping You Informed
We just completed the fifth week of the Arizona legislature's 56th session, and the decisions made or not made there about our schools, water, housing, healthcare, taxes, and other policies will affect all of us. It's my great honor to serve as your representative on the House Education, Appropriations, and Sub-Appropriations Committee on Budgeting and Finance. Here's a recap of what happened last week and a few key bills going forward.
Judy
Representative Judy Schwiebert, LD2
jschwiebert@azleg.gov
Great News!
We Passed the AEL Override to Keep Schools Open
With less than 30 days to spare before many public schools could be forced to close, the State House and Senate both finally passed a bill to override the antiquated Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL) or School Spending Cap.
While Arizona remains in the national basement for per-pupil investment, last year the legislature took an important step by allocating over $1 Billion in surplus revenue to our public schools. But did we really mean it? Because with the 1980-era AEL, schools weren’t allowed to SPEND those dollars. Overriding the limit didn’t cost taxpayers another penny. But it did fulfill our promise to our children - for this school year anyway. Here's how I, explained my own Yes vote on the House Floor
But We Still Need a Permanent AEL fix!
HCR2001 only allowed the legislature to override the old spending cap for this year. Unless we create a permanent fix, our students and their families will be threatened with steep cuts and possible school closure.
We should have made this permanent fix already instead of allowing opponents of public education to use it as a political football to bash and threaten public schools every year. I’m proud that a fellow member of our Teacher Caucus, Rep Jennifer Pawlik has submitted bills two years in a row to do just that! However, the one-vote Republican majority has ignored those bills.
Call to Action!
You may wish to email the Speaker of the House, Ben Toma, and the Chair of the Education Committee, Beverly Pingerelli, to urge them to give Rep Pawlik's bills HB2148 and HCR2010 a hearing so that we can stop using our children as a political football and create a permanent fix to this outdated spending cap.
Please Support
Two of My Bills Will Be Heard This Week!
Like me, other Democrats have introduced many bills to address the urgent issues facing Arizonans. I'm disappointed that so few have received a hearing.
However, I'm really pleased that two of my bills will be heard in committee this week. I'd appreciate your help in getting them passed.
First, Commerce will hear HB 2780 on Tuesday, Feb 14. This bill addresses an issue that condo owners in LD2 brought to me last year. They and other condo owners across Arizona are in danger of being forced out of their homes by out-of-state investors who are buying up units to take control of the complex. In this affordable housing shortage, the least we can do is make sure that Arizonans are not being driven out of their homes by out-of-state investors. I got my seatmates Rep Justin Wilmeth and Senator Steve Kaiser to co-sponsor the bill with me.
Could you please email committee members to urge them to vote YES on HB2780? Here's a link to let you email all Commerce Committee members at once. You can use the wording I've provided in the link or create your own message. Whatever the case, be sure to include your name and address.
Second, Government will hear HCR2037, on Wednesday, Feb 15. It's a resolution honoring the Assyrian culture and their New Year Celebration. It was brought to me by Assyrian American constituents and I'm honored to celebrate their rich history and all that immigrants - they and others bring to our community. Here's a link to let you email all Government Committee members at once.
This will be the last week for House bills to be heard in committee before what's called "Crossover Week" when House and Senate bills cross the courtyard to be heard by the other chamber.
Re-Cap of My Bills
I’ve been working with constituents and legislators to introduce bills that will help create an Arizona for everyone. Though we've now passed the time when bills can be assigned to committee and move forward, just for the record, here are some of the bills I’ve sponsored this year. This doesn't count the dozens of others that I have co-sponsored.
Education
Increase teacher and staff salaries to the national median (HB2779)
Allow the School Facilities Board to authorize spending to replace crumbling buildings when it’s more fiscally responsible to do so than continue repairs (HB2781)
Require that universal voucher spending be broken out as a line item in the state budget so we know how much we’re spending. It’s good stewardship of taxpayer money and a proper way to budget. (HB2782)
Create a School Mental Health Professionals Academy at our state universities to ensure we have a ready supply of school counselors, social workers, and psychologists. (HB2162)
Create a pilot program to provide staff development support for new teachers at schools with a high teacher turnover rate. (HB 2159)
Housing
Protect consumers by allowing landlords to increase rents by up to 10% annually unless a unit has been substantially remodeled. (HB2161)
Ensure that our neighbors who own condos can’t be forced out of their homes by out-of-state investors.(HB2780)
Create a referral to let voters decide whether cities should have their local control restored so they can make their own rules about short-term vacation rentals. (HCR2011)
Require insurance companies & Medicaid to cover genetic mutation screening prior to a cancer diagnosis. (HB2783)
Healthcare
Penalize bad actors in the care home industry by creating more serious penalties if their abuse or neglect results in injury or death of a patient. (HB2163)
Stop double billing that results when outpatient treatment centers add a facility fee. (HB2162)
Government
Honor our Assyrian American neighbors with a Resolution recognizing their New Year Celebration on April 1. (HCR2037)
This Week's Education Committee
Save Our Schools Arizona does a great job this and every week of previewing education-related bills. If you would like to support our students and public schools, I encourage you to use this link to learn more about the bills we'll be hearing this week in the Education Committee. SOS Arizona also provides a way for you to email your lawmakers or use the Request to Speak program. You can also sign up to receive their list each week here.
Make Your Voice Heard
Each week, a grassroots group called Civic Engagement Beyond Voting (CEBV.us) lets Arizonans know what bills will be heard that week in committee - and gives you some background. It's a great tool for making your voice heard (and learning about how YOU might consider voting in 2024, for that matter as well.). They provide an easy way to use the Request to Speak program - or email legislators. Here's a link to this week's CEBV Weekly.
Gov Hobbs Executive Budget Proposal
Governor Hobbs' budget offers a vision of what an Arizona for Everyone looks like and outlines her priorities for the state. However, both chambers of the legislature will be hard at work to edit this budget and insert their own ideas.
Arizona faces many urgent issues which are addressed in this budget. The first week, I focused on her priorities for Education, then Health & Housing, and then Government That Works. This week I will focus on her priorities for Public Safety & Corrections. Future newsletters will list her priorities for Water and Natural Resources.
Public Safety
The Executive Budget supports essential needs in law enforcement and Arizona’s prison system, invests in a strategic assessment of the corrections system, and strives to reduce the state’s exposure to natural hazards and disasters.
$69.2 million, of which $56.7 million is one-time, to support operations at DOC
$17.1 million reallocation to the DPS patrol program for law enforcement duties in areas of greatest need
$12.2 million reallocation, of which $11 million is one-time, to provide grants to law enforcement in border communities to conduct border-related activities
$11.7 million in one-time funding to ensure Department of Public Safety vehicles meet recommended replacement benchmarks
$7 million in additional funding for the Major Incident Division (MID), which will conduct independent investigations of critical force incident
$3.1 million to establish a body-worn camera (BWC) program for 200 officers within the Enforcement and Compliance Division (ECD) at the Arizona Department of Transportation
$3 million in one-time funding to upgrade DPS’s Master Site that houses servers that control all radio traffic within the digital system
$2 million to conduct a systems assessment of the Department of Corrections to examine contracts, staffing levels, retention issues, and identify opportunities for improvement and reform
$1.3 million increase to the Governor’s Emergency Fund for mitigation activities that will eliminate or reduce disaster impact and/or damage to public and private property
$514,100 in ongoing funding to backfill court fine revenue and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant funding, so that the ACP can continue to provide services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking
$494,500 in one-time funding to extend the Concealed Weapons Tracking System project
Corrections Background
Arizona’s correctional facilities have been in desperate need of systemic improvements for far too long. Years of failed leadership have left this institution without adequate staffing, medical care, or accountability. The system is broken and will require a committed, long-term plan for implementing fair standards to improve the health and safety conditions for correctional officers and incarcerated individuals. With an intensive systems assessment in the budget, we can examine issues at the Department. The Hobbs administration is reviewing all contracts including private prisons to ensure fiscal responsibility and public safety.
Highlights This Week
Among the highlights of my week were the opportunity to meet with wonderful folks (See photos below - from top, then clockwise)
Last Thursday, it was an honor to receive a tour from the Mayo Clinic's CEO Dr. Richard Gray and Dr. Lois Karen with a bipartisan group including Rep Matt Gress, Senator TJ Shope, me, and Rep Laura Terech. They do incredible, groundbreaking work there, and have big plans for growth in the North Valley!
On Tuesday I was shadowed by two Probation Officers, Doneica Shapiro from Yavapai County Juvenile Court and Rebecca Britt from Maricopa County Adult Court. I was inspired by their love of their work - making a difference one life at a time.
Tuesday was also Environment Day at the Capitol. I was so pleased to visit with representatives from Chispa and Mom's Clean Air Force from our district.
Monday as CPA Day at the Capitol. I was so pleased to meet with CPA Association leaders in my office. Thank you to these professionals for their important work!
Finally, it was a pleasure to meet with AZNA nurses from our district to talk about how to better serve and protect patients.
