This week at the Legislature
The pace was slower this week at the legislature as bills continue to crossover. I had two of my three committees canceled, with Health and Human Services the only committee meeting with a very light agenda.
Governor Hobbs announced her updated Prop 123 plan to deliver $317 million in funding to public schools and create a permanent funding source for teacher pay. Read the Governor’s plan here as it moves to being on the November ballot.
For judges day, I spent a morning with the Honorable Kerstin LeMaire, a Superior Court Judge with experience working in probate, mental health, family court, civil litigation, juvenile and tribal law. She joined me for many meetings surrounding healthcare access and housing policy. I look forward to shadowing her when session ends!
Civil Rights We Won’t Unwind
This week marks the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and serves as a powerful reminder today how civil unrest and active public participation can drive monumental change. On March 7, 1965, courageous civil rights activists - including then 17 year-old Charles Mauldin quoted above - marched in Selma, Alabama, facing brutal violence that shocked the nation and galvanized support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Similar vigilance is required today as we confront efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the government. For two years, our state legislature has pushed absurd DEI policies driven by extreme ideologies.
The new administration and the Project 2025 forces behind it, primarily Stephen Miller, are weaponizing white fragility within the White House and through organizations like America First Legal. This group is actively working to challenge DEI policies, including those in Arizona. Last month, an Arizona judge dismissed one of America First Legal's many voting rights suits, saying its claims were "unsupported by facts or rely on convoluted readings of the election statutes."
Dr. Verdell Lett Dawson grew up in Selma and speaks out how the federal government has been a main force behind equal rights justice for Black Americans. Dr. Dawson is fearful that 60 years later, “we are looking at now is a return to the 1950’s.” We must continue to bravely stand up for equality to keep Arizona from sliding backwards into segregation.
Job Losses Affects Us All
One expense DOGE should be tracking is the cost to taxpayers for the President’s frequent golf outings—to his own course. Since January, over 27% of his days in office have been spent golfing, racking up an $18 million (and counting) bill for taxpayers. There is job stability at Mar-A-Lago, but little where else in the federal government.
Just like the vague accounting of DOGE’s so-called spending cuts, there’s little transparency about how many people Trump/Elon/DOGE lackies/Amy Gleason have actually fired. Estimates are in the tens of thousands so far. But what matters more than the number are the lives affected. Thousands of individuals have lost their paychecks and health insurance overnight. Families are scrambling to stay afloat and figure out next steps. Dedicated public servants—people who have spent their careers working for their communities—have been abruptly and carelessly discarded. At a time when housing prices and the cost of living are already sky-high, these mass layoffs are another destabilizing blow to our fragile economy and to the people just trying to get by. Here are some of the cuts already being felt by Arizonans:
Over four dozen National Park Service employees in Arizona have been terminated, affecting parks like Lake Mead National Recreation Area (13 workers), Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (12 workers), Grand Canyon National Park (10 workers), and Petrified Forest National Park (5 workers). These layoffs raise concerns about the parks' ability to maintain operations, especially with the upcoming summer travel season, per Axios.
The directive to close over a quarter of Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) offices that has alarmed Arizona tribal leaders. The potential closure of the Phoenix BIA regional office could severely limit access to essential services for tribes, potentially violating trust responsibilities and treaties. (AP news)
The entire Phoenix field office of the General Services Administration has been terminated. This move could disrupt essential services, including courthouse operations, building maintenance, and security.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by these firings, please reach out. I want to hear your story, help uplift these experiences, and work toward solutions—because no one should be left behind in the wake of reckless decisions.
With Kindness,
Sarah
