As State Budget details emerge, Republicans show they want the Political Sandbox all for Themselves.

Worried Educators and Public School Advocacy Group members from Save Our Schools (S.O.S.), the Arizona Education Association (A.E.A.), and Red for Ed started to fill the capital on May 20 as details of a Republican only negotiated budget compromise, high on tax cuts and short on education funding, were revealed late Monday afternoon. Seeing the … Read more

Senator Victoria Steele and Rep. Pamela Powers Hannley

#AZHouse Republicans Shut Down Women’s History Tributes

March is women’s history month, and March 8 was International Women’s Day. To honor one of Arizona’s sheros, Senator Victoria Steele and I decided to jointly pay tribute in the Arizona Senate and House to Sister Clare Dunn, a Democratic representative from Tucson and a teacher at Salpointe Catholic High School. Why focus on Sister … Read more

Organizers in Prescott considering a recall drive to oust David Stringer

LD 1 Republican State Representative David Stringer

The outcry against Legislative District One Republican Representative David Stringer has grown since the publication of his racist remarks. This condemnation includes a group of local activists in LD 1 who will meet this weekend to discuss launching a recall drive of Mr. Stringer if he does not immediately resign from his elected office.

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Partisan? You bet! My party is Public Education.

Cross-posted from RestoreReason.com.

I am a big believer in the two-party system. Our system of government works best when all sides are heard and considered. That is most likely to happen when the power is balanced, forcing legislators to negotiate and compromise. Our founding fathers purposefully designed many checks and balances into our system and I believe our two-party system helps in that regard.

In Arizona, the Democrats must gain only two additional seats in the State Senate to reach parity with the Republicans and in my opinion that would be a very good thing. Then, our senators from both parties would be forced to work together in finding good compromises to solve the problems facing our state.

One of the biggest problems facing our state is the inadequate resources provided our district schools. Arizona is one of the nation’s leaders in promoting school choice and although 80-plus percent of our students choose district schools, resources continue to be siphoned away from these schools in favor of other options. Many of our legislators, largely the Democrats, get this. Several Republicans are also on board.

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