Last Week at the Legislature
March 17, 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.
At this point in the session, no more new bills may be introduced, and if a bill wasn't heard in committee it is (probably ) dead. Some bills introduced by members of the one-seat Republican majority may be revived as strikers, but mainly the House is now hearing bills passed in the Senate, and vice versa.
Last week we took a break while a group of State Representatives visited Israel, but this week in the House we resumed committee and floor activity. However, most controversial bills were not heard on the floor because the one-seat Republican majority party was missing one member.
We did hear some important bills in committee, though, and had some key actions on the House Floor. Read on for more.
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
We're heading into the last two weeks for candidates to get enough signatures to get on November's ballot. There are some really important candidates I'd like to see make that ballot. Please use this link to learn who is running in your district - as well as statewide and please, please sign on to their petitions online. Want some easy directions? Look here.
What I'm Hearing From You
I very much appreciate hearing from you. In fact I was the prime sponsor for a dozen bills this session alone, most of which were to address the concerns constituents brought me about the need for genetic testing for cancer and other life-threatening diseases, the need to ensure that Arizona condo owners at least receive fair market value for their homes when out of state corporations force them out, or limiting prescription drug prices in Arizona. However, as is typical for Democrats' bills only one of the 12 was even given a hearing. Then Republicans refused to bring it to the floor for a vote to let it move forward. However, I will persist.
Thank you for the honor of representing you. Whether you've emailed me, or I've knocked on your door, here are some of the main priorities you've been sharing with me. You continue to want our state to
Increase pay for all public school educators. We continue to lose great teachers, largely because of low salaries, but also because they are missing crucial support staff like counselors, aides, bus drivers, and other members of the education team.
Stop the skyrocketing rents, home prices, as well as prescription drug and other costs of living.
Protect our personal freedoms including the right to vote as well as the right to make our own reproductive decisions.
Protect our water and climate future
Please keep in touch about your priorities.
Education Committee Bills
I'm sorry to say that instead of hearing bills that would address Arizonans' very real concerns, we heard the following proposed legislation in the House Education Committee this week.
SB1182 (Kavanagh-R) continued Senator Kavanagh's obsession with transgender students. This year this convoluted bill requires that they provide proof of their sex at birth so they can use a private shower. First, there ARE NO private showers in schools. Second, that's why NO ONE is required to take a shower at school. This bill feels like just one more attack on the smallest minority of young people who already face greater rates of anxiety, depression and even suicide. He should stop picking on them. It's the job of educators to help every child feel safe at school - and state leaders should do the same. I voted NO, but it passed along party lines.
SB1304 (Kern-R) requires state universities and community colleges to adopt a whole new free expression policy without providing any funding for additional requirements. But they already have free expression and complaint policies in effect, and in fact receive high marks from The National Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression for having codes of conduct in place that protect First Amendment Rights. While sponsors generally appear in committee to explain their bills, Senator Kern did not bother to show up. I voted NO, but it passed along party lines.
SB 1369 (Bolick-R) requires all public schools to post on their website a school safety report that includes the number of incidents. However, public schools are already required to report this and much other information, and yet none of the proposed legislation that would provide even minimal protection for children in private schools funded by ESA Vouchers has been given a hearing. Since the bill is so duplicative, I wanted to ask the sponsor her intention for it, but she didn't attend the meeting. I voted NO but it passed along party lines.
SB 1459 (Kavanagh-R) is Superintendent Horne's bill to require district and charter schools to report details on student discipline to the Department of Education. If administrators do not consistently back-up a teacher complaint about student behavior, the school letter grade would be demoted by up to two grades. The superintendent says this is a way to support teachers. But this punitive threat doesn't do anything to support teachers who need more aides, staff, smaller class sizes, mentors, and involved parents. The legislature should be funding more tools, not micromanaging the classroom. I voted NO, but it passed along party lines.
Appropriations Committee
We heard just three bills in Appropriations this week, but I'll report here on the only one that was controversial. That one was an SCR (a Senate Concurrent Resolution). The one-seat Republican majority has been using a barrage of these resolutions for their most partisan bills as a way to circumvent the governor. That way, the bills go directly to voters to pass or fail. (You can expect a long ballot filled with them in November.)
SCR 1020 (Mesnard-R)
This particular bill would create a constitutional amendment that tells legislators that they don't have to work together with the governor to craft a budget (which is literally, our ONLY job). The sponsor says that the bill is to avoid a state shutdown - which has never happened in Arizona. Frankly though, what I see is an effort by Republicans to eliminate the need for a budget to be passed when the state has funds available that could be used to address affordable housing, give our educators a much-needed pay raise, and find long-term solutions to our water crisis.
The current budget process forces us to put aside petty, partisan politics and find common ground. The last three sessions have shown us we can come together and pass a bipartisan budget with a supermajority. If we are going to change the budget process it should be to encourage further bipartisanship, not increasing the politicization of the process. Recent elections have demonstrated that that is what voters expect - and deserve. I voted NO, but it passed along party lines and will most likely be on your ballots this November.
Protecting the Right to Contraception
Sadly, it is very unusual for the one-seat Republican majority to allow any bill sponsored by a Democrat to come to the floor for a vote. However, on Wednesday, we gathered around Rep Stephanie Stahl-Hamilton who we selected as our spokesperson to advocate for even just HEARING HB2678 which ensures that Arizona families would continue to have the basic freedom to use contraception.
Under threat of being gaveled and sat down if she mentions the word "contraceptives" she artfully explained why Arizona needs the Right to Contraception Act. Although more than 80% of the United States supports access to birth control, every House Republican voted no to even considering the bill.
Meeting with AFSCME Workers
Together with many of my colleagues iin the legislature, last Monday I got to meet with and listen to members of AFSME who work in hundreds of different occupations - from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers. Members advocated for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services, and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.
Being Shadowed by Judges and Teens
Wednesday was a busy day with lots of visitors at the State House.
It was an honor to be shadowed on that Judges Day at the Capitol by Judge Sherri Zendri, Arizona special water master for the Arizona Superior Court. It was the perfect day for her visit since our Water Wise Luncheon featured a speaker talking about how climate change is impacting Arizona’s water supply.
I was also pleased to participate in Peer Solutions Day at the Capitol and have student Anna Kilbride a 12th grader from the Ombudsman Online Academy shadow me. She’s interested in politics, government, and is a Trekkie, too. Thanks for visiting Anna!
Meeting with Teachers & Students
It was so great to receive a visit from Kelley Fisher and Deer Valley AEA members and students. They thanked me for supporting our public schools and shared with me the urgent need for raises for not only teachers, but also teachers’ aides, bus drivers, counselors and other educators. Without that support staff, they said that teachers will only continue to flee our schools for careers where they have more support. Every child deserves a quality education, and parents of over a million students choose public schools every year. I'm doing all I can to honor their choice for the public schools so essential to the success of all of us.
Early Childhood Education is Pivotal
Thursday morning the Teacher Caucus was pleased to host an Early Childhood Forum on the State of the Child Care Workforce and affordability for Arizona's families. A big thank you to Lori Massuer with Read On Arizona who presented information that illustrated how pivotal early childcare education is to not only a child's lifelong success, but also their families' success as well as employers and as a result, the economy of our community.
Thank you also to Dr. Eric Bucher with The Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children who talked about the state of Child Care Costs in Arizona. As essential as it is that we have quality child care, as of 2023, parents were spending on average $10,895 per infant for care, and $8,588 for preschool. Typically, that care costs between 13-17% of a family income, something too many families dealing with today's prices, just can't afford it, and that costs ALL of us.
To add to the problem, early childhood workers earn wages that rank near the bottom of the nation. Yet, raising those wages mean making childcare even more out of reach for too many families.
Finally, the federal funding during the pandemic that provided $150 million per year for childcare in Arizona will run out in October. That's why Governor Katie Hobbs has requested $100 million in the coming budget year just to maintain access to affordable child care for Arizona's children and families. Then we need to ensure that we're allocating annual ongoing funding as well.
Make your Voice Heard Next Week!
Make no mistake: Republicans know they’re in the wrong here. Federal law and the courts have made it explicitly clear that immigration policy and enforcement are the role of federal government, not the states. Even the Legislature’s nonpartisan rules attorneys warned lawmakers that these bills are unconstitutional.
Of course Arizona Republicans want to blame Gov. Hobbs for this instead of laying blame where it belongs: at the feet of Republicans in Congress (who are currently blocking the bipartisan border package and blaming each other for their own inaction). Our state lawmakers are hoping we’ll be suckered in by their tantrum so they can score the cheap political points. Hey, they probably figured it was worth a try.
This is just one of many important bits of information in this week's news. 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.
Damaging policy pushes. Horne claimed that his number one priority is improving academics, but his draconian policies completely ignore what research says will actually help our students. Countless studies show that graduation exit exams have no impact on student achievement, yet Supt. Horne continues to push the discredited concept. There’s a mountain of evidence that dual-language immersion benefits students, but Horne continues to threaten schools that employ these innovative programs. It appears Horne is stuck in an obsolete understanding of education that has not evolved since before he left the Department of Education in 2011 — and it was outdated even then.
Read this article and more from Save Our Schools Arizona here.
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.