Last Week at the Legislature
Sunday, April 23, 2023
Hi Friend,
After the House voted to expel one of its members on April 12, the Speaker announced that both chambers would be taking a one-week spring break from April 17-24. Therefore, no bills were voted on this past week. However, many members like me participated in other meetings at the Capitol - as well as events in our districts. Here's a quick summary of a few of my activities this week.
Please join us at our north Phoenix in-person Budget Town Hall on May 6 at Paradise Valley Community Center with my colleagues from LD4, Representative Laura Terech and Senator Christine Marsh. Hope to see you there!
Judy
Representative Judy Schwiebert, LD2
jschwiebert@azleg.gov
Mark Your Calendar and Join us May 6 for our
Budget Town Hall
My colleagues Rep Laura Terech, Senator Christine Marsh and I will be updating folks on what's happening with the state budget, and listening to you about YOUR priorities. RSVP here for this IN-PERSON event!
Highlights of Last Week
Tuesday We Met with Attorney General Kris Mayes
The LGBTQ caucus invited House members to a bi-partisan meeting with Attorney General Kris Mayes Tuesday morning to discuss some of her priorities. We had a great conversation with her and learning about many of her priorities including
Investigating a potential anti-trust case regarding the Albertsons merger in order to protect consumers from even higher grocery prices,
An upcoming press conference about abusive groups offering sober living homes but actually defrauding those who need treatment as well as the state Medicaid program AHCCCS;
Mayes plan to shut down the ability of the Saudi-owned Fondomonte company to dig additional wells to export even more of Arizona's water;
The need to support Adult Protective Services and investigate bad actors in the Long Term Care facility world; and
The need to increase salaries for lawyers and others in the AG office, particularly those ensuring safe care for children.
Finally, AG Mayes also reminded us that we need to work together on effective ways to spend the $1.2 Billion per year Arizona will be receiving from a federal lawsuit to fight opioid and fentanyl over the next few years.
Every one of these are crucial issues. Thank you to Attorney General Mayes for her leadership and focus on things that matter to Arizonans.
Wednesday I Met with NAU President Cruz Rivera
It was an honor to meet with President Cruz Rivera and his staff about the need to fulfill our commitment to Arizona students receiving Promise Scholarship awards to our state universities. However, to do that, they need to be able to count on on-going state funds each budget year. They also reported that they've been able to use one-time capital funds to expand their work state-wide and increase programs preparing nurses and other healthcare professionals as well as other programs. I was especially pleased to hear about the A++ coalition they've built in Northern Arizona between NAU, 10 community colleges, the Arizona Commerce Authority, and CTE programs to crease a universal admission program. Every student who applies is admitted, but those that need additional help go first to a community college or other program. When they're then ready for the university, there's no additional admission process. It's an innovative program that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hopes will be a nationwide model. That's why the Gates foundation is providing over $7million to ensure students transferring from other programs will be able to attend NAU tuition-free. I've also met with leaders from ASU and UofA about their outstanding work that's so vital to ensuring Arizonans are ready for 21st century careers.
Wednesday I Met with the LD2 Dems
I was so pleased to see lots of folks at the LD2 monthly meeting. Thank you to our LD Chair Meg Patel for her outstanding leadership. My legislative update included a report on
The bad news that the one-seat Republican majority continues to prioritize “culture war” attacks against our kids and other vulnerable groups instead of the very real issues we face as a state including the teacher, water, and affordable housing shortage crises. Democrats have plenty of great bills, but during this session 153 bills that have gotten to the Governor's desk come from Republicans, while just 3 of them have come from Democrats. Three out of 156 works out to a “bipartisanship rate” of less than 2%.
The good news that my striker bill SB1198 to ensure condo owners receive full value for their homes when forced out by out of state corporations is still alive.
I've been meeting with Gov Hobbs’ budget team to discuss priorities which include investments in public schools and teacher salaries.
Information about 1161, 1163, and 2536 - Affordable housing bills that will soon be up for a vote. One of the key ways to increase affordability is to create more density with smaller lot sizes and multiple-family housing. However, I'm also concerned about the increasing number of bills in which the state takes away local control that rightfully belongs to the cities and their citizens. One example from 2016 was the bill passed that prohibits cities from creating their own rules around short-term rentals. The result has been disastrous - cutting into our housing supply and eviscerating neighborhoods. I don’t want to create the same situation with housing codes. Cities should have some degree of control. I haven't decided on my vote yet, but right now, I’m leaning toward the proposal from the League of Cities & Towns that provides more flexibility for local control.
Wednesday I Met with the Dems from the Appropriations Committee on the Budget
I'm grateful for the opportunity to be meeting each week with my Democratic colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee and the Governor's Budget Director and staff about budget priorities. Among those priorities are permanent addition to the base funding level for schools that cannot be taken away by the legislature as it has done in the past. This will allow for an increase in salaries for teachers as wells other staff.
Thursday Online at the DES Second Chance Summit
I was truly moved by the people who shared their stories of recovery and reentry at this year's virtual Second Chance Success Summit.
Each of them shared that it was the programs and support of community organizations, Second Chance employers and other agencies as well as a newfound faith in something greater than themselves that helped them turn their lives around and find purpose.
Special thanks to Jeff Taylor, former Chairman of the Salvation Army Phoenix Advisory Board, who shared his own story of recovery, served as Master of Ceremonies, and provided information about the difference that local support of Second Chance efforts makes.
Thursday with the House Teacher Caucus
Thursday our House Teacher Caucus met with the Governor’s staff to discuss our shared priority to make permanent increases in funding our public schools. Our students deserve to have well-paid teachers and safe buildings to help foster their learning. (I’m so proud to be a part of this group with (L to R) Reps Nancy Gutierrez, Laura Terech, me, and Ranking Member Jennifer Pawlik.
Saturday Celebration at Kaleidoscope Charter School
I was honored to be invited to join Kaleidoscope Charter School for their celebration of life for their beloved Founder and Executive Director Robin Soares who died in a tragic accident earlier this year. What a beautiful event filled with the students, teachers and families at the wonderful school she loved. Here I am with (L to R) 2nd grade teacher Stephanie Schuller, Principal Kate Wingo and School Counselor Marissa Gerdes. Thank you to the entire staff for their on-going dedication to students and their social, emotional as well as academic learning.
Next Week
Click here for this week's Ed Report from Save Our Schools
Here's a portion of what you'll learn from Save Our Schools this week:
"Our state government stands at a crossroads. Depending on who you ask, Gov. Hobbs and the Republican-led legislature will either work together to finalize a budget peacefully within the next few weeks, or talks will break down, with Republican legislative leadership stubbornly insisting on misplaced priorities that end up shuttering the state.
For our part, we want to make one thing abundantly clear: Any budget that does not roll back, freeze, or significantly cap the off-the-rails universal ESA voucher program is unacceptable.
We call upon all pro-public education lawmakers to refuse to support any budget that fails to address the tremendous financial bleeding of ESA vouchers."
Click here for this week's Civic Engagement Beyond Voting Weekly Report
Here's a portion of what you'll learn from CEBV this week:
"Inaction. The Legislature remains recessed, awaiting the restoration of their Republican majority, until Tuesday. That means, at least officially, they didn’t do a blooming thing all week. What was that we said at the beginning of the year? No bills means no harm?....
"Veto count. This past week, Hobbs broke the record for most bills vetoed in a single session. (The previous record, set in 2005, belonged to former Democratic governor Janet Napolitano.) The 63 bills Hobbs has vetoed since taking office are incredibly extreme: attacks on public schools and teachers, elections conspiracy theories, attacks on public health and safety, and bills the Legislature’s own attorneys warned them were blatantly unconstitutional. It underscores how out of step this legislature is with the overall electorate, even compared with last year’s — and how fortunate Arizonans are to have someone with common-sense views in the governor’s seat."