We are in week 19 of the current session. The State Budget will be introduced this week. Word is that Ducey and the Republican leaders have an agreement, but whether the rank and file will fall in line is uncertain.
Be sure to call your representatives to insist that education, among other priorities, gets fully funded in the budget. Arizona cut $1 billion from education in 2008 and that needs to be replaced PLUS extra money to account for the 11 years that have passed and to offset the fact that costs have risen and repair and maintenance has be neglected over this time.
SB 1451 – SCR 1023 – HCR 2005 – OPPOSE STRONGLY – These bills & continuing resolutions would make it almost impossible to get ballot initiatives onto the ballot by making the petition process very complex and difficult. These measures would require 10% of signatures on a citizen’s initiative be collected from every single legislative district in the state. This is NOT representative of population and is frankly a gimmick to handcuff the efforts of any future initiatives. EVEN WORSE! SB 1451 has been amended to allow the State Attorney General to write ballot initiative descriptions that appear on the ballot! This could and probably would be used to sway public opinion for or against a specific initiative at the last minute without any opportunity to challenge what is written!
SB 1188 – OPPOSE STRONGLY!!!! – Drops non-regular voters from the permanent early voting list!! This would occur if people don’t vote, by mail, in two consecutive elections – no notice that they have been removed from PEVL and their removal would occur even if they voted but not by mail!!
SB 1485 – SUPPORT – This bill would end the 20% annual automatic growth of corporate private school tax credits (STO’s) by gradually decreasing the cap to 2% or inflation over the next 5 years. In this time, if passed, this bill would keep up to $263 million in the general fund that would otherwise be diverted to private schools!! CALL HOUSE SPEAKER TO HAVE THIS BILL PUT UP FOR A VOTE!!
HB 2357 – SUPPORT – Reclassifying vaping as tobacco to help get it out of the hands of kids.
SB 1349 – OPPOSE – Allows 529’s to be used for Private and Religious schools! CALL THE GOVERNOR TO VETO!!
HB 2617 – OPPOSE – Allows APS to get a dollar for dollar tax credit for all money spent to increase battery storage facilities!
SB 1173 – SUPPORT – Allow persons transitioning off welfare to continue receiving child care assistance while they pursue education to help get employment.
SB 1355 – SUPPORT – Provides dental care for Native Americans via Medicaid.
HB 2746 – SUPPORT – Provides for a 12 year statute of limitations for sexual assault of a minor beginning at age 18. The current limitation is only two years after 18.
HB 2557 – OPPOSE – This is an “anti-Public lands” bill that would establish a new state department to manage public lands in Arizona!! Clearly a land grab from the Federal Government most probably for developers!!
HB 2475 – OPPOSE – The bill weakens restrictions on the taking of water to which another person is entitled by allowing someone who takes it to claim they did not know it was part of the subflow of a river or stream!
SB 1149 – OPPOSE – This strike-everything bill gives governing board more authority to deny enrollment ot suspended students who are trying to transfer. It is believed this will be used to deny enrollment to minority students predominantly.
SB 1161 – OPPOSE – CALL THE GOVERNOR TO VETO!! – A “strike everything” bill that would require the School Facilities Board to publish a list of vacant or partially used school spaces every year. It would also require school districts to accept bids from charter schools for that space if the charter school was the lowest bidder! Clearly yet another way to undermine public schools. This is supported by the Chamber of Commerce and Goldwater Institute.
CONTACT HOUSE SPEAKER – Bowers – 602-926-3128 or
CONTACT THE GOVERNOR – Gov Ducey Telephone: 602-542-4331 — email: https://azgovernor.gov/engage/form/contact-governor-ducey