Thursday, January 23, marked our first floor debate of the 2020 session of the Arizona House. We had Committee of the Whole (COW) for HCR2023, a bill to raise the Constitutional funding cap that was imposed upon schools districts in 1980. We have to pass this bill in order to allow school districts to spend … Read more
In his January 13, 2020 State of the State Address, Governor Ducey, in remarks designed to appeal to his fringe conservative base, blamed the “heavy hand of government” (otherwise known as the law) for permanently preventing families on the Navajo Reservation from using public Arizona State funds to pay for the private school (called Hilltop … Read more
On Thursday, January 16, 2020, the Regulatory Affairs Committee started bright and early with a sunset review hearing for three different departments: the Residential Utility Consumer Office (RUCO), the Department of Insurance, and the Arizona Board of Library Examiners. (This post focuses on the Auditor General’s review of the Department of Insurance.) I have been … Read more
The Arizona House Republican leadership wants to change the House rules again this year. We have not voted on their proposed changes… yet…and if we do, there will be a floor battle because the Democrats don’t like the changes and neither do some of the more reasonable Republicans. The suggested GOP changes would further suppress … Read more
Monday, January 13, 2020, was opening day at the Arizona Legislature. Opening day is always fun and full of political drama because there are protests, press conferences with multiple Progressive groups (labor unions, Planned Parenthood, teachers, and others), the House and Senate Democratic Caucus Press Conference, and a big party with great food hosted by … Read more