Capitol Roundup: Arizona lawmakers tackle MAHA-inspired bills
Local legislation inspired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" movement is one step away from Gov. Katie Hobbs' desk.
Why it matters: Arizona is poised to ban schools from serving or selling "ultraprocessed" foods, though parents could still send their kids to school with foods containing those additives.
The big picture: The bill targets foods containing ingredients such as potassium bromate, titanium dioxide and red dye 3 and 40.
Bill sponsor Rep. Leo Biasiucci, R-Lake Havasu City, said studies have shown the ingredients have negative health effects.
He noted in his testimony to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday that many of these ingredients are banned in European countries.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration moved to ban red dye 3 in January.
Driving the news: The Senate health committee on Wednesday passed the bill unanimously.
If the full Senate approves, it'll go to Hobbs.
Democrats' unanimous support for the Republican-sponsored legislation bodes well for its chances of getting signed.
Zoom in: The Lake Havasu Unified School District in February adopted the same ban on ultraprocessed foods for its eight schools.
Board president David Rose told Axios that school board members in other Arizona districts and from other states had contacted him about their interest in passing similar policies.
Of course, individual district bans will be a moot point if Biasiucci's bill is signed into law.
The other side: The committee on Wednesday approved another MAHA-inspired bill from Biasiucci that would bar Arizonans from using food stamps to buy soda. It passed on a party-line vote and hasn't received any Democratic support.
"We want to make sure that people who are struggling are getting only the best possible foods," Biasiucci said. "I think soda's the right start."
Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales, D-Tucson, said the bill reminded her of past legislation she felt was intended to shame food stamp recipients.
In other legislative news this week:
🎒 Hobbs signed her second bill of the session, amending a mandatory instruction law on the 9/11 terrorist attacks, limiting it to grades 7-12.
Sen. JD Mesnard, R-Chandler, told Axios he sponsored the bill after 9/11 curriculum was included last year in his 5-year-old daughter's class.
💰 House Republicans bashed Hobbs over request to move money in the Department of Child Safety (DCS) budget to cover a $6.5 million shortfall for group homes for children.
In the wake of that request and a dispute over developmental disabilities funding, House Speaker Steve Montenegro, R-Goodyear, created a new Executive Budget Mismanagement committee
🐈 🐈 On a bipartisan vote, the Senate approved a bill to strengthen Arizona's laws against animal cruelty.
🏨 Hotels would have to under a bill approved Wednesday on a party-line vote in the Senate Government Committee.
What's next: The deadline for House and Senate committees to hear bills from the opposite chamber is next Friday, so expect a busy week at the Capitol.
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