CEBV Weekly: January 16, 2023
The governor issues a budget proposal. Republican lawmakers lose their minds. And, it's time to RTS.
There’s a new, palpably different energy at the Capitol. In Monday’s State of the State address, Governor Katie Hobbs reiterated her desire to find common ground with legislative Republicans, and also shared some facts they weren’t exactly thrilled to hear. On Friday, she released a “politically bold but fiscally balanced” budget proposal that made it clear that, while negotiation is possible, she does not intend to compromise the values that got her elected. This caused Republican legislators (many of whom have never not held the upper hand in state politics) to lose their minds. (Of course it did; it’s a matter of dogma.)
It also belies the fact that legislative Republicans’ current plan appears to be to stick their fingers in their ears and try not to negotiate with Hobbs at all. Even before the governor released her budget, Republicans announced a plan to advance a continuation budget. This effectively means business as usual, rubber-stamping last year’s budget with only minor required adjustments for inflation. This unabashed attempt to remove any leverage the new governor might have over the state budget process fails to acknowledge that last year Republicans, unable to get votes from their own members for a partisan budget, were forced to cut a deal with Democrats — and that this year’s Republican caucus skews even more extreme.
It remains to be seen whether Republicans will be able to use the horrifying specter of continued bipartisan budgets — and a Democratic governor with veto powers — to get their entire caucus on board. Energy aside, the gulf between these starting points leaves no doubt of the tough sailing ahead.
⏰ If you have 20 minutes: Use Request to Speak to oppose the 10 bills in committee.
⏰⏰ If you have 30 minutes: Use RTS 2.0 to support the 6 good bills we’ve highlighted under that.
⏰⏰⏰ If you have 45 minutes: Share the Weekly with one person who “doesn’t do politics.”
⏰⏰⏰⏰ If you have 60 minutes: Meet us on Zoom at 4pm on Sunday for our next CEBV Happy Hour.
Last week saw a frenzy of activity in the Chief Clerk’s Office, where bills are put in the “hopper” to be introduced. The total number of bills grew exponentially, to 601. Extremist Republican lawmakers are still focusing their attention primarily on culture-war bills. Actual issues, such as the 15 separate bills that address the school spending cap, remain unscheduled.
SB1001, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban teachers from using a student’s chosen pronouns without written parental permission. Trans youth are twice as likely to consider suicide as their peers; gender-affirming care, which may include using a person’s chosen pronouns, lowers suicide risk. The bill continues the recent Republican theme of pushing manufactured, divisive culture-war issues for political profit (often literally, with constant fundraising). Education advocates say the bill further politicizes teachers, which will deepen Arizona’s ongoing teacher retention crisis. We expect Hobbs to veto this if it gets to her desk. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1011, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would make municipal elections, like mayors and city councils, partisan beginning in 2024. Local government officials are not fixing Republican or Democratic potholes. They should spend their time on local issues, not partisanship. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1013, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would do away with “free speech zones” on college campuses, instead allowing anyone who is “lawfully present” on a university campus to protest anywhere on campus the law permits them to be. This could give rise to protests in classrooms and other protected areas, creating serious safety issues. Apparently influenced by the Goldwater Institute, a wealthy right-wing lobbying firm. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1021, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would require the Attorney General to defend all laws passed by the legislature against all legal challenges, unless 2/3 of the members of both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees vote otherwise. Likely motivated by Mayes’ statements on defending the state in recent abortion and ongoing capital funding matters, as well as former AG Brnovich’s refusal to defend Kavanagh’s 2022 law banning filming police within 8 feet (a law which the legislature’s own attorneys told them was unconstitutional). Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1022, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban pedestrians from selling goods, soliciting donations, or begging on a painted or raised traffic island or median. The penalties escalate, with a third offense carrying a penalty of up to six months in jail. Panhandling bans may purport to be about safety, but in actuality, lead to the criminalization of homelessness, aiming to simply make the problem less visible rather than tackle the underlying social issues. It would be more productive to fund social housing or shelter beds instead. Scheduled for Senate Military Affairs Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1024, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban sleeping or sitting on sidewalks and other public rights of way unless there’s a medical emergency or a parade. In 2019, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case challenging homeless people’s right to sleep on the sidewalk if no other shelter is available. SB1024 is a clear attempt at revisiting this issue; the bill is so broadly written that children who sit to play marbles on the sidewalks in front of their houses could be subject to six months in jail. Scheduled for Senate Military Affairs Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1040, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban trans kids from using the school bathrooms, changing facilities and “sleeping quarters” that align with their gender identities. It would create a situation where trans kids couldn’t use any facilities at all without undue scrutiny of their bodies, calling that a "reasonable accommodation." Anyone who “encounters” a trans person in a bathroom could file suit against public schools. A copy of a bill introduced in South Dakota. A federal court found that these policies violate the US Constitution and Title IX, so in addition to being monstrously cruel, this would open Arizona to a host of lawsuits at taxpayer expense. Kavanagh also introduced the bill last year, but it did not receive a hearing. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2059, sponsored by Lupe Diaz (R-19), would create the crimes of “mob intimidation” and “aggravated riot” in an attempt to stifle public protest. The bill is patterned loosely after a controversial 2021 attempt to create a new felony offense, "violent or disorderly assembly," with tougher penalties. This year’s attempt also creates new penalties for cities and their employees that do not “respond appropriately to protect persons and property,” and makes it a felony to desecrate a monument or even a park bench. Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2061, sponsored by Leo Biasiucci (R-30), would ban cities from charging sales taxes on food items. This change would cost the 65 Arizona cities who currently tax food over $150 million a year; lawmakers should not force such a drastic blanket change to cities’ budgets without consulting them. Preemption (legislation that blocks cities’ right to govern themselves) is, sadly, a cherished tradition at the Arizona Capitol — and cutting taxes (and therefore revenue) is a poor solution to Arizona’s problems. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1009, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would make it a felony to damage or destroy any public or private monument or statue. The movement to remove Confederate monuments has grown since a white supremacist killed nine black people at a South Carolina church in 2015 and since a now-convicted and imprisoned police officer murdered George Floyd in 2020. This is the third straight year Kavanagh has introduced this bill. Damaging a statue simply does not rise to felony magnitude. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary Committee, Thursday. OPPOSE.
New this year, we’re leveraging My Bill Positions (which we’ve fondly nicknamed “RTS 2.0”) to try to unstick a few good bills. Please go into that system now and give them a quick thumbs-up.
HB2071, sponsored by Laura Terech (D-4), would finally ban corporal punishment in schools. How is this still a law? The subject is even more relevant in light of new Supt. Tom Horne’s recent eyebrow-raising comments regarding “discipline.” SUPPORT.
HB2137, sponsored by Athena Salman (D-8), would expand eligibility for the Children's Health Insurance Program (KidsCare) to low-income working families who earn under 250 percent of the federal poverty level (about $69,000/yr for a family of 4). KidsCare is a critical need. Right now, Arizona has one of the lowest eligibility thresholds, and accordingly, also the 4th highest rate of uninsured children in the country. 30,000 Arizona kids don’t have health care. The federal government will match Arizona’s investment 5-to-1. SUPPORT.
HB2141, sponsored by Athena Salman (D-8), would require Arizona's Medicaid program to provide comprehensive dental care for pregnant women ages 21+. Dental care for pregnant women is essential for the health of women and babies, and the state's investment would be met with federal dollars. This is at least the sixth consecutive year this proposal has been introduced. Time to pass it already! SUPPORT.
HB2154, sponsored by Keith Seaman (D-16), would cap School Tuition Organization (STO) administration costs at 5%. STOs are a type of private school voucher funded by dollar-for-dollar tax credits, and are currently allowed to keep 10% of donations for administration. This means these lucrative businesses are allowed to pocket $25 million (and growing) in Arizona taxpayer funds each year. Other states cap administration fees at 3-5% maximum. Former state senator Steve Yarbrough helped design Arizona’s STO program for his own personal profit. SUPPORT.
HB2256, sponsored by Andrés Cano (D-20), would increase Arizona’s investment in the Housing Trust Fund to $150 million. The fund provided $10 to $20 million a year for housing for people experiencing homelessness. The money was diverted to the state's general fund during the Great Recession; lawmakers reinstituted it last year. Arizona desperately needs more affordable housing. Metro Phoenix led the nation in rent increases in 2021, and now ranks in the top 10 nationwide for the most severe shortages. Housing analysts have been asking for more investment in the fund for years. SUPPORT.
HB2351, sponsored by Patricia Contreras (D-12), would ban health care professionals from using the abusive, widely discredited practice of LGBT “conversion therapy” on minors. These methods can include electric shocks, induced vomiting, or elastic bands snapped against the skin to create negative associations with same-sex attraction; hypnosis; masculinity workshops; and spiritual counseling. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and other national organizations oppose this "therapy” as destructive and unprofessional. SUPPORT.
2023 Session Timeline
Monday, 1/30 Senate bill introduction deadline Monday, 2/6 House bill introduction deadline Friday, 2/17 Last day for a bill to get out of committees in its originating house Monday, 2/20 Crossover Week begins (most committee hearings are suspended) Friday, 3/24 Last day for a bill to get out of committees in its crossover house Saturday, 4/22 100th Day of Session (the stated end goal; can be changed)
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