Last Week at the Legislature
March 3, 2024
Hi Friend,
Welcome to Last Week at the Legislature, my weekly report to you on what's happening in your State House and how I'm representing our community.
In the State House we spent most of the time this week debating bills on the floor, and then voting on whether they would continue to the Senate - or not.
Again, last week was packed with votes as well as other activities, but I'll focus this week on some of the Dem bills that passed in the house.
It's truly an honor to serve you. Please contact me anytime.
Judy
Representative Judy Schwiebert, LD2
jschwiebert@azleg.gov, JudySchwiebert.com, 602-935-0468
Dem Bills that Passed the House This Week
I voted YES on all of the following bills except HB2734. As I mentioned last week, although we makeup almost half the members of the House, only 7% of bills heard have been sponsored by Democrats. A good number of those were brought to the floor for a vote this week. We have many more great ideas that address teacher salary increases and K-12 funding, affordable housing and healthcare, and the water shortage crisis, but the one-seat Republican majority has not allowed them to be heard. However, here are some of our bills that came to the floor for a vote this week because they WERE given a hearing.
HB2714 Rep Marcelino Quinonez had his first two bills pass out of the house. His first bill, HB2714 uses $100,000 from the Housing Trust Fund for cities to gather and report specific housing metrics. I voted yes.
HB2716 Rep Stacey Travers' bill passed to add two members to the Criminal Justice Commission to monitor the progress and implementation of new and continuing criminal justice legislation. I voted yes.
HB2743 Rep Consuelo Hernandez' bill passed to appropriate $400,000 from one fund to another to ensure victims of domestic violence and their children who have to hide their location from abusers can keep their new addresses secret. I voted yes.
HB2815 The second of Rep Quinonez' bills heard the same day also passed. This allows religious institutions to use their land to create housing for moderate to low-income households and was supported by the Valley Interfaith Project. I voted yes.
HB2824 Newly appointed Representative Jevin Hodge already passed his first bill, but it's an idea he first proposed when he was in high school. It allows students who participate in at least 200 service hours to receive commendation for their work. I voted yes.
HB2880 Rep Chris Mathis passed his first-ever bill through floor this week. It creates a special license plate celebrating and encouraging bicycling across Arizona. Proceeds would benefit the Tour de Tucson. I voted yes.
HB2885 Rep Alma Hernandez' bill was passed allowing someone on probation who is participating in a state-recognized apprenticeship program to work any hours of the day if they remain in good standing and return home by 11:59 pm each day. I voted yes.
HB2757 Rep Alma Hernandez' bill was passed appropriating a blank sum from the state General Fund to help create a mostly privately funded Holocaust Education Center in Phoenix. I voted yes.
HB2758 Rep Alma Hernandez bill to create a rare disease advisory council within the Department of Health was also passed. I voted yes.
HB2734 Rep Analise Ortiz' bill passed to restrict cities from imposing parking space requirements for certain developments, and reduces public zoning ordinance hearings for public input to a maximum of two meetings. The intention of the bill is to help make housing more affordable for working families who live near transit lines and so don't need as many parking spaces which increase the cost of a development, and to speed up approval for building new housing by cutting out a third hearing for public input. However, I voted NO on this bill because of opposition from Phoenix and other cities.
I did vote YES on a bipartisan bill HB2570 nicknamed the Arizona Starter Homes Act sponsored by Rep Leo Biasiucci (R) to ban cities from requiring certain lot sizes, requiring an HOA (though homeowners can establish one themselves if they wish) or requiring certain design elements for a single-family home in new developments. Though the cities oppose this bill as well, I believe there is still room for amendments, so I voted yes to keep it alive for potential negotiation in the Senate. Since we're sitting at 270,000 units short of the housing we need, we must do something.
#National Public Schools Week
I was proud to lead our caucus on the House Floor each day in celebrating the great public schools in our districts and across the state. Thank you to all our public school educators for the high quality of education and center for community you provide for students and their families.
Here's a behind the scenes look from when our Teacher Caucus recorded a video about what we love about our public schools, too.
Make your Voice Heard Next Week!
If you don't already subscribe to The Weekly from Civic Engagement Beyond Voting, please do!! This non-partisan publication is an invaluable tool for learning more about how you can make your voice heard about water, healthcare, and other policies. You can read it and subscribe here.
To learn more about the ESA Vouchers for "Ghost Students" in the AZ Fraud Scandal, as well as important legislation coming up, read this week's Save Our School Arizona's weekly newsletter here.
Women United for Children & Families
I had so much fun hearing from Women United for Valley of the Sun United Way in my office this week. Their priorities are my priorities - investing in our children and their families in the areas of affordable housing, child care, K-12, education and a clean environment for them to inherit.
Water Wise Weekly Lunch
This week we heard from the Sierra Club's Sandy Bahr who shared with our bipartisan group information about how so many miles of our perennial rivers and streams have dried up.
Donations for our National Guard Soldiers
I was proud to help support our troops this week by sending treats and supplies to our Arizona National Guard soldiers who've stepped up to active duty.
Affordable Housing & Homelessness
Thursday was a great day to Lunch and Learn with housing experts from Native American Connections, AZ Housing Coalition, Vitalyst, St Vincent DePaul, Valley Leadership, and Glendale’s Mayor Weiers. Then we followed up by passing housing bills with bipartisan support that will help allow more affordable housing be built. Thank you to these incredible experts who dedicate their lives to this cause.
Serving Our Community
I'm very proud to have been asked to serve on the Presidents' Advisory Council for Paradise Valley Community College, together with leaders from the Mayo Clinic, the North Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Paradise Valley Unified School District and others. I attended my first meeting with them this past Friday morning where we learned about their re-certification process and their search for a new president of the college, as well as great programs that serve our community.
We need YOU to make a difference!
It was great to give a legislative update and hear the priorities to the Foothills Democrats with my friend and new State Representative Jevin Hodge. Let me know if you have a group you'd like me to visit - or if you'd like to host a few neighbors in your home for me to meet.
Nominate a Community Builder!
As a lifelong member of our community, I'm so grateful to the many people and local businesses who make it such a great place to live. That's why I'm excited to be partnering with the Bell Road Business Alliance and Stoke Interactive to recognize many of the local Community Builders in our neighborhood.
We need YOU to make this happen, though! Check out our website at LD2NPCB.com to learn more about past recipients and nominate your favorite locally owned businesses or nonprofits in LD2 to thank them for the vital role they play in making our community the safe, thriving, unique place it is.
Be Part of the Team To Win for Everyday Arizonans
Volunteer For Our Campaign
We're already hard at work contacting voters in our community about what's at stake in the race for our Legislative District 2 House and Senate seats: a new majority that's listening and working for everyday Arizonans. But no one can do it alone.
The two most important things to do right now are
Join a Community Canvass. We're knocking doors and getting petition signatures to qualify for the ballot as we listen to fellow voters who want a legislature committed to addressing our shared priorities. Use this link to find a day and time that works for you. We'll buddy you up with someone experienced. We need door knockers and drivers.
Donate to our campaign. We need everyone's help to pay for the staff, literature, and other advertising that are essential to winning this competitive race.