Last Week This Morning: Back at the #AZLEG

The #AZLEG is back. Governor Katie Hobbs kicked off the beginning of the Arizona legislative session with her annual state of the state address. During her speech, Hobbs announced some of her biggest priorities for the session, such as addressing Arizona’s water crisis, needed regulation for the ESA voucher program, and addressing the $1 billion budget deficit (thanks, Ducey). Hobbs also reaffirmed her commitment to protecting reproductive rights, calling for lawmakers to repeal an 1864 near-total abortion ban and to pass other legislation to advance reproductive health care in Arizona, such as the Right to Contraception Act.

 

Wins for workers. Voters in the Cities of Phoenix and Tucson became the first in Arizona to pass prevailing wage ordinances, guaranteeing that construction workers on city-funded projects be paid fair wages for their labor. A prevailing wage is considered no less than the average local wage paid to local workers in similar positions. Additionally, as of January 1st, Arizona’s minimum wage went up to $14.35 per hour, nearly doublethe federal minimum wage, thanks to the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act, approved by Arizona voters in 2016. A big shoutout to our partners at LUCHA and to labor organizers for their work to secure these wins!

New analysis on ESA vouchers. ESA vouchers cost taxpayers more, primarily benefit families who could already afford private school, and are draining hundreds of millions from the state’s budget – but conservative lawmakers couldn’t care less. Analysis by ABC15 shows that there are ten times more ESA voucher students in the wealthiest zip codes in Arizona than in the lowest-income zip codes, and the vast majority of them never even attended public school in the first place. To top it off, according to another report from the Legislature’s independent budget analyst, ESA vouchers don’t save the state money at all, they cost taxpayers more per student than funding public education. Still, conservative lawmakers have refused any level of oversight.

 

 

 

Hobbs isn’t backing down on abortion. Watch this powerful clip from the Governor’s speech at Monday’s State of the State!

 

 

 

Sign on to support the Family Bill of Rights. Introduced by Representative Anna Hernandez and Representative Analise Ortiz, the Family Bill of Rights aims to help protect a family’s right to transparency and accountability when a loved one is killed by police.