What’s Going on at the AZ Legislature?
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Spoiler Alert: Nothing good – that’s what’s going on at the Arizona state legislature.
For the past month, we’ve been laser-focused on Trump’s executive orders and attempts to dismantle the Dept. of Education — for good reason. But it’s important to remember that Trump and Project 2025 are taking pages from the playbook that’s been wreaking havoc on our state, aka the Republican-controlled Arizona state legislature. |
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Under the backdrop of federal cuts, state-level budget decisions become even more critical. And while majority lawmakers could be focusing on funding our K-12 schools, passing teacher pay raises, and stopping vouchers for the uber-rich, they’re once again focused on hurting our students, educators, and public schools. This is no accident: they seek to undermine and destabilize our critical public education system.
😡 Families in Crisis: Under massive public pressure, Republicans have finally backed off their refusal to discuss a funding continuation for the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) — only to introduce a pair of horribly misguided bills, SB1734 and HB2945, that would cause incalculable harm to the nearly 59,000 families statewide who rely on this program to care for their children with disabilities. These harmful “reform” measures would put a 20-hour per week cap on the Parents as Paid Caregivers Program and pull resources from other vulnerable populations (like the Housing Trust Fund). Plus, it would likely create legal problems by tapping money which is already obligated to be spent elsewhere.
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🔥 "Now, DDD is $122 million short of making it through the fiscal year, prompting Republican howls about Hobbs’ mismanagement. Howls we curiously never heard from them last year when the Republicans’ (ESA voucher) program came up $274 million short, also due to explosive growth."
— Columnist Laurie Roberts in the Arizona Republic |
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💸 Billionaire Bailouts continue: Negotiations continue behind the scenes on billionaire tax handout bill HB2704. Word is that proponents are attempting to "soften" the harms of the bill enough that the City of Phoenix, a vocal opponent due to the direct costs to taxpayers, will drop its opposition. The bill still contains tax drains that will siphon millions of dollars per year from the same General Fund which already cannot provide adequate resources to our public schools. The burden on Maricopa County and the city of Phoenix would necessitate either raising taxes at the local level or curtailing desperately needed services to everyday Arizonans.
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💸 No budget in sight: All indications are that lawmakers and the governor have not yet begun the serious work of negotiating a state budget. Nearly all of this work happens behind the scenes in what we have nicknamed "the fog of secrecy." Once an agreement is reached, it is typically presented as a done deal and may even be voted on in the middle of the night. Staying in communication with lawmakers through this process is extremely important so they will know where the public stands and how their constituents expect them to vote. If you haven't reached out to your state senator and representatives yet, now's the time! Tell them you want to see last year's cuts to education restored, and that you expect them not to waste any of your hard-earned tax dollars with tax giveaways.
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✅ Stay in the know: The SOSAZ 2025 Bill Tracker contains full information about all bills SOSAZ supports or opposes in 2025 and gives you up-to-the-minute information on where these bills stand. |
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🏫🎒🧑🏫 All the school news you need to know from this week in one quick read:
👮 Supt. Horne, DEI Cop: In a press release on Friday, Supt. Horne announced, “The Kyrene school district in Phoenix will give up more than $1.5 million in federal funds now that the governing board has adopted a policy that further embeds Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) language into district operations… all Arizona districts and charters are on notice to take this matter seriously.” This comes as Kyrene’s school board passed a policy on Staff Social-Emotional Wellness this week that reaffirmed its commitment to “promoting a culture of care and compassion and providing a range of support to every staff member so they may thrive professionally, socially, and emotionally. We are committed to creating a school district where all staff members feel valued and supported. Equity must be at the forefront of our efforts to promote social-emotional wellness, ensuring that all staff have equitable access to resources, supports, and opportunities for growth, regardless of background or circumstance.” Sounds great to us 🤷
💪 🔥 AG Mayes Defends AZ Schools by Suing Trump (Again): AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes joined a lawsuit over the Trump administration's funding decision to cancel final payments of COVID grants to schools. The lawsuit claims this decision violates federal law and districts had already spent funds that the federal government previously planned to reimburse, leaving the districts facing financial peril.
AG Mayes stated, "The Trump administration is engaged in a coordinated attack on students, families, and the entire education system. First, they try to dismantle the Department of Education, then they pull the rug out from under Arizona schools by cutting off funds for public and private schools alike."
🥵 Yet another way to stiff schools: The Arizona Republic reported this week that Arizona schools are facing higher AC costs, but not receiving any additional funds to cover these costs. Longer, hotter summers mean AC bills are going up for schools, and APS and SRP have passed rate hikes for customers — including schools. But the state legislature does not boost annual funding to match higher energy rates facing schools, a decision that ultimately harms students: “If you spend more money on utilities, that means there’s less money in other pieces of the pie,” said Deer Valley Unified Deputy Superintendent Jim Migliorino.
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Email Gov. Hobbs & your lawmakers to urge them to do their constitutional duty and invest in Arizona’s public schools! Our easy-to-use, one-click email tool is preloaded with SOSAZ’s legislative priorities, but we also encourage you to customize your email for maximum impact. |
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JOIN US. Flood Congress with calls and emails NOW. |
Contact your US Senators & Representatives to demand that they aggressively and forcefully protect the US Department of Education and the 50 MILLION+ students who rely on the protections and funding it provides.
📧 EMAIL: Use our one-click email tool: bit.ly/SaveUSEdDept
☎️ CALL: Use this easy click-through calling tool: bit.ly/SaveDeptEd |
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🛑 Use Request to Speak on the following bills:
👎 NO on SB1734 • 👎 NO on HB2945 |
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SB1734, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), and HB2945, sponsored by David Livingston (R-28), are identical and harmful measures that fund the Division of Developmental Disabilities by pulling resources from other vulnerable populations like the Housing Trust Fund and sweeping legally obligated funds such as AZ Competes for business recruitment. The bills’ so-called “reforms,” such as a 20-hour-per-week cap, would cause incalculable harm to the nearly 59,000 families statewide who rely on this program. Disability advocate Brandi Coon and other affected families are warning that the direct care workers needed to fill the gaps the bill creates would cost the state far more than parent caregivers, and that the needed worker population simply doesn't exist. The bill also would hamstring executive decision-making by requiring approval from the Republican-controlled legislature for Gov. Hobbs to use Medicaid dollars to start, end or renew any program. Hobbs has signaled she will veto the bill, calling it "irresponsible and inhumane" and "pointless political theater." DDD, which has been defunded in part due to over-budget vouchers, is projected to run out of funds by April 30, leaving families of ultra-high-need children high and dry. SB1734 is scheduled for Senate Appropriations Committee, Tuesday; HB2945 is scheduled for House Appropriations Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
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These bills are scheduled for a floor vote and will then proceed to the governor's desk for her signature or veto. (Floor calendars are available only one day in advance, so a list of bills scheduled for hearings Tuesday through Thursday is not yet available.) To express your views, contact your senator for bills being heard on the Senate floor and your representatives for bills being heard on the House floor. You can also contact the governor at 602-542-4331 or [email protected].
SB1269, sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would let district and charter school boards allow religious chaplains into schools to provide support, services or programs to students, on the grounds that "Jesus is better than a psychologist." This incredibly inappropriate bill does not specify what the chaplains' roles would include, set any training or certification requirements, or require that students from a range of faith traditions or identities be accommodated. Most credentialed chaplains are not qualified to address the needs of students and cannot replace trained school counselors or other student support staff. The ACLU, which opposes such proposals across other states, says, “Chaplains may provide inappropriate responses or interventions that could gravely harm students, including those experiencing mental health crises, LGBTQ students, and other vulnerable individuals. When a student seeks mental health care at school, that care should be provided by a qualified professional.” Scheduled for a House floor vote, Monday. OPPOSE.
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Volunteers Needed! Ever wanted to help give one of the most impactful presentations in Arizona? Now you can be a volunteer presenter for the 2025 Education Roadshow! Join us for our next virtual training date on Tuesday, April 22 at 6:30pm. We walk you through the information and the process for becoming a volunteer presenter to help make a difference in your community! |
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Contact Us
[email protected] Save Our Schools Arizona
PO Box 28370
Tempe, AZ 85285
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