The Arizona budget is still being negotiated behind closed doors. The Republicans have passed several tax cut bills, but not all of them have been heard in Committee of the Whole (COW, where the real debates happen). We also have not heard the “Wayfair Bill” in COW because it is stalled in House Rules (with … Read more
Maternal and child health is in crisis in the state of Arizona. Too many babies die. Too many new Moms die. Too many babies are born prematurely. Too many babies are born with birth defects. Too many pregnant women don’t get adequate prenatal care. Some Arizona counties have been labeled maternal health deserts because of … Read more
Thursday was a red letter day for the state of Arizona. The Arizona House debated — at length— three competing bills on distracted driving and texting while driving. Many family members, who lost loved ones to texting while driving, were in the gallery for this historic day. The family of Officer Clayton Townsend, who was … Read more
For the third year in a row, Arizona House Democrats forced a debate and a vote on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). On April 16, I made an “emergency motion” to skip over First, Second and Third Readings of HCR2030 and bring the ERA up for an immediate vote. Predictably, the Republicans offered as substitute … Read more
In the Health and Human Services Committee, we have heard a few different insurance plans that would be cheaper and less comprehensive alternatives to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With SB1105, healthcare moves into the gig economy. SB1105 covers direct primary care agreements, a non-insurance alternative to the ACA. In Arizona, people are already allowed … Read more