John --
First of all, please forgive me for the lack of updates these past two weeks.
Normally, I type these updates up late Monday evenings, after a long day at the capitol, and schedule them to go out early Tuesday morning. Today, I am typing this update from home, on Monday morning, unsure of when the Senate will be returning to the capitol again.
Before I begin, to everyone reading this, I hope that you are holding up well. My best to you and your families, and please know that we are doing everything we can at the legislature to be helpful during these difficult times.
For those of you who have reached out to our office, I am diligently going through and responding to the hundreds of emails we have received over the last week.
We reported to work last Monday with a very clear understanding that this was not going to be a typical week at the capitol. I had dozens of meetings scheduled for the week, all of which were either canceled or conducted over the phone. Hundreds of bills that were moving through the legislative process were put on hold. Committee hearings, scheduled ahead of time, were canceled. The focus was now on passing a bare bones “skinny” budget and going home, potentially for weeks or even months.
The plan for the “skinny” budget, as it was called, was to take last year’s budget, adjust for inflation, and only include a few items, so that we would leave a large cash reserve to prepare for the inevitable downturn in state revenues over the next year. Revenue estimates from earlier in the year indicated a potential $1 billion surplus, which is on top of the $1 billion we already have in the state rainy day fund. Those are only estimates, after all, and since about 90% of our state revenue comes from either our state income tax or sales tax, those numbers would surely be revised down as people lost their jobs or were buying fewer things.
Our caucus, while supportive of the idea of passing a leaner budget, also wanted emergency relief for our constituents in light of the coronavirus epidemic. Support for people who were struggling, and additional protections for our social safety net. The week prior, we had unanimously approved up to $55 million for coronavirus relief that the governor could access if he decided to. But we wanted to do more, and fought for those items as a part of the budget negotiations.
The negotiations took all week, and started to crest Wednesday and into Thursday. We wanted to pass a budget and go home, partly to protect the hundreds of people who work at the capitol on a daily basis. CDC guidelines earlier in the week pointed out that gatherings of ten or more people should be banned – here at the capitol, we had hundreds of people milling about in the same two buildings!
The deal that we were able to negotiate, thanks to our leadership team working with the Senate president and her team, added an additional $50 million to the coronavirus response, funds that are separate from any federal funding and are under the discretion of the governor.
The $50 million would go towards the following areas:
-Rental and foreclosure assistance, including payments to prevent eviction or foreclosure
-Reinforce homeless shelters and services
-Provide critical economic assistance for small businesses and non-profit groups
-Help food banks provide resources for working families
On top of that, we also passed bills to increase eligibility for unemployment benefits, provide additional flexibility for extending Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits, and ensure that our teachers and school employees are paid during the school closures and gives schools the flexibility they need to continue to teach our students in the method they choose.
Once we agreed to that deal, we passed our annual state budget in very quick fashion. Most of the budget bills passed unanimously, and had minimal debate. In my four years in the Senate, that is the first time that has ever happened.
So we concluded Thursday night around 6:30pm, and sent the bills over to the House, expecting them to approve them as well, and then we could recess the session for at least a couple of weeks, and return if necessary to work on bills or pass more emergency relief for our constituents.
The House, however, apparently had different plans. Shortly after we passed the Senate budget and sent it over to the House, the House adjourned for the day and recessed until Monday. Word was that some of our House colleagues in the majority party were upset with the deal. Some were upset that they weren’t consulted, and others thought the $50 million wasn’t needed, since we had already approved the first $55 million the week before.
So while the Senate is not scheduled to come in today (that might change, and I’m on standby in case we do need to come in), the House is scheduled to return this morning to debate these same bills that would allocate the $50 million I described above.
I sincerely hope the House will pass these budget bills this morning, and send them to the governor so he can sign them. The plan was a result of substantive bipartisan negotiations between both Senate Republicans and Senate Democrats, and I’m proud of the plan we put together. I was happy to support it, and I know that the relief measures included in it will help Arizonans in this time of substantial need and support.
So what does this all mean for the legislative session? Assuming the House passes this budget deal this morning, we are going to recess for the time being, with all indications that lasting at least two weeks. Thankfully, many of our staff members, including our assistants, will be working from home these next two weeks.
The House has approved voting remotely, which I would like to see the Senate adopt as well, but there is no plan to do so just yet. We are going to receive updated revenue projections over the next couple of weeks, which will give us a better sense of whether additional relief or support will be necessary.
One option would be to just adjourn the legislative session, instead of recessing. There are many, many hundreds of bills out there that have not passed through the legislative session, including four bills of my own that passed out of the Senate unanimously and are now sitting in the House. Many members want their bills to pass before we adjourn, so that’s why the session is not ending permanently. The governor could always call a special session later this year, but that would only be focused on a narrow issue, and any bills that were introduced this current session would be dead as soon as we officially adjourn.
So for the time being, I am working from home and practicing social distancing to the best extent that I can. I am privileged in the sense that I can work from home for both of my jobs, both as a senator and as a professor at ASU. I’m talking on the phone a lot, seeing friends and family over video chats, and limiting outside contact. I am going on at least 1-2 walks per day, and living in Ahwatukee affords me the opportunity to go on hikes regularly, with a trail head to South Mountain walking distance from my front door.
I am blessed and extremely fortunate to have a strong support system, and have family close by. I am thinking about everyone out there who is struggling, who may lose their job or have trouble paying bills or their rent. I’m proud of what we accomplished last week at the capitol in getting our constituents more relief, and know that more work needs to be done. We stand by ready to pass additional relief measures and work with our federal and local governments to make sure we do as much as we can in these challenging, unprecedented times.
On the campaign side, we have stopped all door-to-door canvassing efforts for the time being. If you know me, you know how much I love canvassing, but public safety needs to come first. We are going to be turning in our petition signatures to get on the primary ballot later this week – if you haven’t signed our online petition, you can do so here <[link removed]>.
So in conclusion, please stay safe, wash your hands, practice social distancing, and think of those around you. We are all in this together. As always, please reach out directly if you need anything, or if I can be helpful. More updates in the coming weeks.
Sean
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Sean Bowie for State Senate - PO Box 50802, Phoenix, AZ 85076, United States
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