Child Poverty and Food Insecurity are Major Concerns as the CAA releases the 2020 Arizona Kids Count Book

The Children’s Action Alliance (CAA) has released its 2020 Kids Count Book which traces socioeconomic trends for Arizona’s children over a ten-year period from 2009 to 2019. While the report does not reflect the current situation due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in areas like preschool attendance, the effect of school closures, and current health insurance … Read more

Arizona’s Children, Poor, and Middle Class should be prioritized first in this years Budget Negotiations

The State Budget being considered by Arizona State Legislators should benefit all and not just a few; the poor and middle class along with the wealthy; our most vulnerable along with our most successful. Unfortunately, some Republicans, despite current events, still have not fully learned the lessons of the 2018 elections and want to support … Read more

The Arizona Center for Economic Progress offers Progressive Ideas and Solutions to Meet the Needs of the State

In January 2016, the progressive oriented Arizona Center for Economic Progress formed under the umbrella of the Children’s Action Alliance. Located in central Phoenix, this organization, with ties to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Ford, Anne E. Casey and Arizona Foundations, has already impacted the public policy arena with Democrats (and some Republicans) like Senate Minority Leader Steve Farley and other Legislative District Candidates drawing on the progressive ideas and solutions championed by the Center’s 15 member staff.

The founding and current Director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress is attorney, child advocate, educator (he was a founding principal for ASU Preparatory Academy), former State House Democratic Leader and State Senator David Lujan. On December 18, Mr. Lujan sat down with Blog for Arizona to discuss the purpose of the Center, its accomplishments and impact, and what projects it would like to pursue over the next two years.

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