Latest news with #ArizonaLegislature
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers take a 2-week break. Arizona does a happy dance
So, after four months of arduous work, the Arizona Legislature is taking a break. It seems the beach is calling, and they must answer. The House is taking two weeks off, returning on May 20. The Senate will return on May 27. This is, of course, an outrage. An affront to every hardworking Arizonan — the people who work five, six or even seven days a week just to get by. People who, I'm confident that when told their leaders taking a few weeks off, will rise up with one voice and ask: What will it take to get them to stay away? It's not like this Legislature has accomplished much, other than beating up on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs virtually every day and patting themselves on the back for passing bills that will go nowhere. And, oh yeah, scheming to cut care for disabled children and trampling the constitutional rights of Scottsdale voters. Protecting the state's water supply? Nope. Passing a plan to boost the supply of houses people can afford to buy without selling all their internal organs? Uh-uh. Demanding better oversight of the state's runaway Empowerment Scholarship Account program? Be serious. Proposing a workable plan to ask voters for an extension of the Proposition 123 education funding that runs dry on June 30? They've hinted about holding hostage that $300 million in public school funding unless voters agree to a constitutional guarantee for ESAs. Yeah, no. After all that statesmanship, it seems our leaders are just too exhausted to stick around and do the one thing they actually are required to do. To pass a balanced budget, that is. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs proposed her 2025-2026 budget on Jan. 17. Republican legislators? Nope. Opinion: What does Hobbs have against transparency? Once upon a time, the Legislature proposed a budget then held detailed hearings, allowing the public a voice in how our money is spent. Sure, was a time suck, but it was also good governance. These days, a few legislative leaders knock out a plan in private, then present it to the governor. By the time it gets to rank-and-file legislators, it's basically take it or leave it, and you have three minutes to decide. The public, meanwhile, has no role. So, now our exhausted leaders are headed off to vacay and other than the Governor's Office, which called the late-session vacation 'shameful,' I'm wondering … Will anybody even notice that they're gone? Reach Roberts at Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @LaurieRobertsaz, on Threads at @LaurieRobertsaz and on BlueSky at @ Like this column? Get more opinions in your email inbox by signing up for our free opinions newsletter, which publishes Monday through Friday. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Legislature goes on vacation? That's ... fantastic! | Opinion
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hobbs vetoes GOP bill ‘weaponizing' legislative contempt authority
Image via Getty Images The Arizona Legislature won't be able to sic county sheriff's offices on people who ignore their subpoenas and people who testify at the state Capitol won't face felony charges if they lie, after Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill that GOP lawmakers sent her last month. The measure would have delegated the power to hold a person in contempt to individual legislators — the Senate president, speaker of the House of Representatives or a committee chairman — instead of requiring a vote by the full chamber. It also would have required every person who testifies in front of a legislative committee to do so under the penalty of perjury, along with it the prospect of a class four felony and at least two years in prison. 'The bill weaponizes the power of the Legislature in a way that could be used to intimidate Arizonans,' Hobbs wrote in her veto letter. Additionally, the governor said, the power to hold someone in contempt 'is best left to be determined' by the full legislative chambers and not any single legislator. In 2021, Republicans in the Arizona Senate failed in a vote of 15-15 to find the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in contempt for refusing to comply with wide-ranging subpoenas for election equipment and materials to be used in the Senate's partisan 'audit' of the 2020 presidential election results. One Republican joined with Democrats to block the proposal. The last time that bald-faced lies to a legislative committee resulted in significant consequences was in 2023, when then Rep. Liz Harris, a Chandler Republican, was ousted from her seat in a bipartisan vote for lying about her intent when she invited a woman to testify in front of a joint elections committee, knowing she planned to spread wild conspiracy theories. The woman claimed that various state and local officials from both parties were involved in a housing deed money laundering scheme involving a Mexican drug cartel and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The vetoed bill, House Bill 2824, passed both the House and the Senate along party lines with only Republicans in favor. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
It took a seventh-grader to break Arizona's fight over disabled funding
It was the first time I'd put on pumps in nearly 10 years. When my twins, Caleb and Grace, turned 3, I left my corporate job to care for Caleb, who is medically fragile and behaviorally complex. That world of suits and strategy was replaced with feeding tubes and endless hospital hallways. But this February, Republicans at the Arizona Legislature had begun questioning Arizona's disability services — and my son needed me in a new way. So, I found those uncomfortable heels and stepped into a fight I never thought I'd take on. At first, I assumed the majority party just needed clarity. But instead of open minds, I met closed doors. Then my seventh-grade daughter quietly stepped in. Without telling me, Grace emailed our District 13 representative, Julie Willoughby, asking for a meeting. And Willoughby opened her door. In March, we loaded the wheelchair van and headed to the Capitol. Both of my kids have always had something to say — Caleb without words and Grace with words to spare. I asked if Grace could lead the meeting, and she took charge. She asked about Willoughby's role as majority whip, her background as a trauma nurse and how committee chairs are chosen. Grace had attended a House Appropriations hearing and had been shaken by the way Chairman David Livingston and Vice Chair Matt Gress had treated terrified constituents. She came with questions and purpose. Willoughby met her questions with grace. She treated Grace's curiosity with dignity and care. I sat back, watching my daughter hold her own in a room that rarely makes space for voices like hers. I saw something begin to build — a bridge, tentative but real. Then it was my turn. I could've softened, made a friend. But, by the grace of God, I chose honesty — with empathy. I spoke about what life is like raising a medically complex child. I shared facts, countered misinformation and asked where we might meet in the middle. Willoughby listened with a genuine desire to understand. A few weeks later, we attended a roundtable with Gov. Katie Hobbs and several Democratic legislators. I brought both kids, and that night, Grace felt something stir in her. She read a speech she had written herself — thanking them but also challenging them. She spoke of her dreams for unity, and she reminded them, 'There is no champion and no enemy in this story. We all need each other.' After the meeting, Rep. Nancy Gutierrez, the assistant minority leader, pulled Grace aside. 'I hear you,' she said. 'And I promise, I'll try to cross the aisle.' Then came the blow: Chairman Livingston introduced a bill that demanded legislative control of the Medicaid amendments and began dismantling the Parents as Paid Caregivers Program — a lifeline in the caregiver shortage. But Willoughby kept her door open. She asked questions and in time, drafted an amendment to protect our families while addressing her party's concerns. It was practical and compassionate. She realized she needed bipartisan support. That's when I called Gutierrez. She read the amendment and agreed to back it. This was her chance to keep her promise to Grace. Opinion: Arizona finally does the right thing for disabled kids But three new Republicans were added to the committee before the vote to ensure the amendment would fail. Still, Willoughby stood firm. She said this issue was her hill to die on. Days later, I heard from Willoughby and Gutierrez separately. I turned to Grace and whispered, 'They finally met.' She shouted, 'THE WOMEN WILL GET THIS DONE!' And they did. A bipartisan amendment passed that valued families and proved that collaboration is still possible. I wasn't there when the vote passed, but I knew we all collectively exhaled. So, I'll wear those pumps one more time, walk my children through the Capitol and remind them: this place belongs to you, too. Because in a world so quick to divide, three ladies — one red, one blue and one still believing in purple — chose to meet in the middle. That's where hope begins. Amy Haley of Chandler is a mother, caregiver and disability advocate. Reach her on Facebook @amyhaley or on Instagram @amyhaleyphotography. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona caregivers have an unlikely savior: A seventh-grader | Opinion
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Buckle up, Arizona. 2026 could be our '1984'
The Arizona Legislature passed two bills this week that could have had angry protesters on both sides squaring off at the state Capitol, and opinion hacks like me waving fists and clutching pearls and filling up newspapers and websites with all manner of outrage, disgust, anger, resentment and indignation. Instead, we got nothing, because in Arizona, unlike Washington, D.C., it is not 1984. Yet. Although, in two years it might be. For now, however, a very strange thing is happening in Arizona. It's like we're normal. The insane asylum that Arizona usually is has shifted to the nation's capital, where it is all chaos and craziness and disfunction. Down here in the beautiful Southwest, meantime, the seasonal political storms known to generate partisan thunderclaps and rhetorical winds more gritty and debris-filled than the worse desert haboobs have not materialized. We're getting a minor legislative dust devil now and then, but that's about it. It's this way, for now, because unlike the federal government, one side is not in control. This week, for example, the Republican-controlled Legislature passed on a party-line vote House Bill 2438, which would repeal the Arizona law allowing those who have had sexual reassignment surgery to get a new birth certificate matching their gender. Nothing about allowing this harms any of the rest of us in any way. Introducing a bill to end the service appeases the political base of MAGA Republicans, however, so the lawmakers do it, knowing that when it reaches the desk of Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, it will be vetoed. As it should be. Egos and prejudices are satisfied, but a small, vulnerable minority of our brothers and sisters is not further harmed. For now. Likewise, the Legislature passed House Bill 2099, again on a party-line vote, which would require the governor and attorney general to cooperate (meaning kowtow, prostrate or knuckle under) to the wishes of the federal government concerning anything that relates to the enforcement of federal immigration laws. But only until Jan. 20, 2029, when Donald Trump leaves office. Again, it's all for show, knowing that Hobbs will — and should — veto it. Opinion: GOP thinks voters are dumb enough to lose their power And Arizonans will all go on living our lives and not notice a bit of difference from her having done so. For now. That could change. In last year's national election, one side got everything it wanted, which it thought would lead to order. But it's just the opposite. Total control doesn't lead to order. It leads to chaos. It leads to one person making all the decisions without the checks and balances that create real order. It leads to George Orwell's '1984.' It's why you're taking a massive hit to your retirement savings and being heavily taxed with tariffs. It's why the nation is alienating our allies, and why vital services like Social Security and Medicaid and veterans assistance and so many more are either being slashed or are about to be. It's not that way for Arizona, for now. The Republicans running for governor, however, pledge undying fealty to Dear Leader. They want to do here what Trump is doing in Washington. It's why 2026 could be our 1984. Reach Montini at Like this column? Get more opinions straight into your email inbox by signing up for our free opinions newsletter, which publishes Monday through Friday. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Republicans could make Arizona crazy again in 2026 election | Opinion
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Your AC probably needs upgraded, but Arizona also needs more shade trees
Clark Miller's April 11 guest column 'Your AC unit needs an upgrade. The Arizona Legislature should help pay for it' made some excellent points about air conditioners. However, in discussing Arizona's heat, I think he missed one very important component: Trees! Trees, when properly planted, provide natural cooling effects. Trees reflect solar radiation, clean the air by removing climate-warming dioxide, and can reduce the temperature by 4 to 5 degrees. And they are lovely to look at. The Legislature could require builders to provide a shade tree with every new house. They could do the same with large blacktop parking lots, requiring that they, too, have shade trees. They might develop a tree formula for every square foot of blacktop. SRP recently offered a free shade tree program in which residents could get two free shade trees to plant. I heard they gave away more than 1,500 trees along with planting instructions. That certainly is a step in the right direction, but more must be done. It's way past time for the Arizona Legislature to do something positive for residents who are about to face another record-breaking summer. Sandra Givens, Sun Lakes Ruben Gallego is proving himself to being nothing more than a worthless tag-a-long to U.S. Adam Schiff's, R-Calif., anti-Trump diatribes. He promised to work for Arizona's interests, not against. The only thing this man has done over the past several years is to alienate Arizona from our president. Yet here we are reaping his failures. What has he accomplished for Arizona? Is he a waste of our time and money? I believe so. In the future, vote for anyone but Gallego. Alan Griggs, Buckeye EJ Montini is right. In his April 10 column 'Trump channels his inner Putin against 2 critics. That should make you sick,' he argues that Donald Trump is trying to criminalize truth-telling. Montini chose a good example in Trump's targeted investigations of two former employees from his first term. But that's just one example. There are many more: * Rounding up students here on visas for publicly telling the truth about what Israel is doing to people in Gaza. * Threatening to shutter the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a part of the Smithsonian, for truthfully portraying the experiences of Black Americans. * Threatening to primary any Republican who dares to tell the truth about the 2020 election. * Threatening to investigate and prosecute the members of the House Select Committee on Jan. 6. Their crime was uncovering the truth about what really happened leading up to and on Jan. 6. Donald Trump's disdain for the truth is becoming more and more evident. Although it kind of makes sense, because narcissists like to create their own reality. When the truth contradicts that false reality, it has to be destroyed. This is who millions of Americans chose to be their president. It was a mistake, and that's the truth. Dan Peel, Scottsdale The day I found out I was pregnant with my second child was one of the happiest of my life. I had fought for Ginger, undergoing a year and a half of infertility treatments. The depression that hit me a few days after she was born was suffocating, like a storm that would not subside. I knew I should be happy, but I could not pry myself out of spiraling depression and anxiety. After a breaking point, I called my OB-GYN sobbing. He was understanding but reluctant to prescribe me anything due to a pre-existing condition. It took me more than two months to get the treatment I needed to receive life-saving medication. In the US, 1 in 8 women suffer from postpartum depression, and it is the leading cause of maternal mortality. House Bill 2332 provides educational materials for doctors to give to patients so mothers will have access to resources ahead of their births. Had I been given information about postpartum depression during pregnancy, I might have avoided months of unnecessary suffering. No mother should feel alone in her darkest moments. I urge our Arizona representatives to take action and vote yes on HB 2332. Jenna Dalbey, Chandler While visiting Scottsdale, I was amazed to the see the sea of people wearing MAGA or Trump hats and shirts. Arizona Democrats, where are you? Why are you hiding when all around you are people willing to be 'walking billboards' for Donald Trump and his MAGA movement? Wake up, Democrats! An NBC News poll showed that only 27% of Americans now have a favorable view of the Democrat Party. It's the party's lowest rating in decades. Our party needs to become more visible and viable again. As a start, we should acknowledge and admit to the shortcomings of the Biden administration: Afghanistan withdrawal. Border security. Inflation. Trade Deficits. Defunding the police. Identity politics. Ukraine. Biden's growing senility. It's a new day. Time to rebuild our party. Bill Hamm, St. Cloud, Minn. What's on your mind? Send us a letter to the editor online or via email at opinions@ This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona needs AC in the summer. We also need shade trees | Letters
