It was a full week of policy work as we wrapped up our final round of committee hearings. I spent much of the week in the Senate, where multiple bills I worked on not only received hearings, but passed with overwhelming support, no small feat for a minority member.
I’m especially grateful for the staff and stakeholders whose partnership and persistence helped keep this legislation on track. And we’re not done yet!
We also advanced a bill to investigate and reduce insurance fraud. While it moved under a Republican colleague’s name, that’s sometimes what it takes to get good policy across the finish line.
It was also an honor to present Rep Janeen Connolly’s bill to establish a timely study committee focused on adaptive technologies for the disability community.
Health and Human Services was a different experience, however. Throughout a 30-bill agenda, Democratic members were repeatedly shut down while trying to offer amendments. Our Ranking Member, Rep. Patty Contreras, was dismissed multiple times by the Chair when attempting to follow proper process, including requests to involve our Rules Attorney. It was only toward the end of the agenda that we were finally able to participate. Watch the video highlights of our efforts to be recognized here.
In this committee, I brought forward a strike-everything amendment to fully fund our childcare waitlist, a bill that never received a hearing. Right now, parents are being forced out of the workforce and education opportunities because childcare is simply unaffordable. That comes with a real economic cost, Arizona loses an estimated $4.7 billion annually,
Funding childcare is a pro-work investment. For every dollar invested in early education, we see a return of $4 to $10, meaning supporting working parents could generate between $640 million and $1.6 billion in economic impact, while also preparing our children for long-term success through early learning.
Amidst the committee chaos, I also successfully added an amendment to a bill on CRNA pay parity to exclude groups owned by private equity. As we continue to see increased private equity consolidation across healthcare—from radiology to dental to anesthesia—this distinction matters. This was the first amendment of its kind in the country, and it passed with bipartisan support.
So what happens next? There are always a few surprises this time of year, with bills being rerouted after failing to gain traction, as sponsors try to manipulate procedural paths to keep them alive. You’ll see these land in appropriations committees, which can become a catch-all for bills that aren’t really about funding, but rather last-ditch attempts to move ideas that struggled to gain support elsewhere.
