Senator Nancy Barto received the Senator of the Year Award today from the National Federation of Independent Business/Arizona. NFIB honors two legislators each year for their efforts in assisting small business in our state.

The Arizona state director for NFIB says Senator Barto has been one of the staunchest champions of small business at the Arizona Legislature for almost a decade. “During the 2015 legislative session, Senator Barto took the lead to ensure that small businesses providing home support services for many of our most vulnerable Arizonans would continue free of unnecessary and destructive state government interference,” said Farrell Quinlan. “It is because of Nancy Barto’s leadership and faith in Arizona’s small business owners that countless thousands will continue to receive the care they need, especially as their services become more and more crucial with the Baby Boom Generation reaching retirement age.”

Senator Barto also received a trophy recognizing her leadership as a Guardian of Small Business. Rep. Warren Petersen was named 2015 Representative of the Year.

Senator Sylvia Allen recently hosted a dozen fellow legislators, county supervisors and local leaders for the Eastern Arizona Counties Organization 2015 Field Trip. The trip enabled officials from across the state to see firsthand the state of our forests and the industries that rely on them.

The Eastern Arizona Counties Organization (ECO) is collaboration between Apache, Gila, Graham, Greenlee and Navajo Counties. ECO takes a leading role in natural resources and public lands management issues in Eastern Arizona.

The three day event in mid-May included a flyover of the C.C. Cragin Watershed near Payson, a field visit to a forest restoration project by Canyon Creek Logging and a tour of the Novo Power Biomass Power Plant near Snowflake. The elected officials also visited the Forest Energy wood pellet plant in Show Low, the Reidhead Brothers Lumber Mill in Nutrioso and Arizona Log and Timberworks in Eagar.

“All of these industries and projects are critical to the health of the forest and to improving our watersheds and wildlife. The bonus is the hundreds of jobs created and the revenue to local governments,” said Senator Allen.

Just 25 years ago, Arizona had a thriving timber industry, contributing $500 million and 11,000 direct jobs per year to the state’s economy. Fifteen sawmills provided jobs and supported rural economies. Then, excessive regulations and lawsuits brought all of that to a standstill.

“What I saw last week was the re-birth of this industry,” said Senator Allen. “I also learned about the challenges of keeping the wood supply coming and the federal dollars needed for the studies that have to take place first before the work can be done. Some of my neighbors and friends are putting all they have on the line to bridge the gap between timber sales and thinning projects.”

Among the issues discussed at the field trip was the need to make more acreage available for restoration projects, an increase in the maximum truck weight limit in Arizona and the importance of defensible space, as we approach fire season.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 52ND LEGISLATURE

Budget

After years of papering over imbalanced state budgets, the new Governor and Republican Leadership in the Legislature committed to achieving a structurally balanced budget. A budget that spends only those monies that are available provides the state with fiscal stability, improves credit ratings, and establishes a better climate for businesses looking to expand.

As our state economy slowly continues to improve after the recession, there is a temptation to immediately expand state services. By holding to a conservative approach as revenues increase, Arizona will be in a stronger position to prioritize and allocate available resources to help the most crucial areas of our state.

• Structurally Balanced Budget by FY 2018:

• $717 million projected shortfall in FY 2015

• $257 million projected shortfall in FY 2016

• $125 million projected shortfall in FY 2017

• $33 million projected positive structural balance in FY 2018.

Even as difficult decisions were made to produce a structurally balanced budget, leaders made sure K-12 education was not harmed. In fact, K-12 spending has a net increase of $105 million General Fund spending from FY 2015 to FY 2016. That growth is significant given that Arizona was facing a $1 billion deficit going into budget discussions.

• K-12 – Overall Total K-12 Spending Increased by $105 million:

• $91 million to fully fund formula increases

• $85 million increase in K-12 inflation funding

• $74 million for additional K-12 inflation funding

• $0.5 million for Teach For America

• $1.0 million for JTED Soft Capital

Into the Mind: Debbie Lesko discusses how to fix pensions without breaking the taxpayer bank.

You’ve pulled together a committee to study the state’s pension systems. Why?

I am leading a pension study group specifically focused on the Arizona Public Safety Retirement System. The goal is to keep the public pension system sustainable without breaking the backs of the taxpayers. This is a critical time. Pension costs are skyrocketing. We need to figure out a way to protect retirement accounts for our valuable employees in a way that doesn’t eat up entire budgets.

Who is in the group?

Our study group is made up of a diverse group of people and interests. The group includes firefighter and law enforcement associations from across the state, the Free Enterprise Club, staff from the public safety retirement system, the League of Cities and Towns, the governor’s office, Republican and Democratic legislators from both the House and the Senate, the Reason Foundation and the Goldwater Institute.

For the rest of the story, click here:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2015/04/10/debbie-lesko-efforts-fix-state-pension-systems/25562009/

Senate President Andy Biggs appeared on the Arizona Horizon program on April 8. He talked with host Ted Simons about the just-completed legislative session.

http://www.azpbs.org/as3/p/eight.swf?vidId=7569&rel=1

Governor Doug Ducey has signed into law SB 1446, a bill sponsored by Senator Debbie Lesko that will have a major positive impact on the way thousands of Arizona contractors do business.

The bill centers on how the work contractors do and the materials they use are taxed. Because of SB 1446, contractors who do maintenance, repair, replacement and qualified alteration jobs will not be required to have a Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license. The contractors will simply pay tax upfront as they buy their materials. The legislation also clarifies the process for contractors who keep their TPT license. This will greatly streamline the process for contractors, and the state will have much better control over revenues.

“I am so pleased to see this important bill become law in Arizona. This has been a continuing work in progress to reform TPT going back to 2012, so this has been three years in the making. We listened to all the parties involved and made changes when necessary. This finished product is a good example of legislation working for Arizonans,” said Senator Lesko.

With this law, Arizona now has a tax system that closely mirrors how contractors operate, with reduced risk for contractors and a simplified audit and tax payment process. Contractors will also now be able to interpret projects and bids the same way. Because of the learning curve to this new procedure, the law says if a contractor acts in good faith to properly report taxes, but was in error, there will be no interest, penalties or additional tax due.

“It is my intent to continue to work with the contractor community and the cities to move to a system where all contractors pay tax on only materials, just like what is already done in 46 other states,” said Sen. Lesko.

Posted: Wednesday, February 25, 2015 7:53 am | Updated: 8:45 am, Wed Feb 25, 2015.

By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services

PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Tuesday designed to draw more doctors into the rural and “medically underserved” areas of Arizona.

SB 1194 sharply boosts the amount of money the state will repay of a medical student’s loan if they agree to go where the state says they are needed. The measure will take effect this summer.

Arizona already has a medical loan repayment program for both physicians and dentists. But the maximum repayment is $20,000 for the first two years, $22,000 for the third year and $25,000 for the fourth year.

But Kristen Boilini who lobbies for the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, said that does not make much of a dent in student debt. She said the average medical school graduate starts practice with $170,000 in loans; for dental school grads the figure is $240,000.

The new law sponsored by Sen. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, makes doctors who go where directed eligible for up to $65,000 for the first two years of service. Potentially more significant, they can get another $35,000 repaid for every year they remain after that, with the only cap being the total number of dollars they owe.

For the entire article, click here:

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/article_defd73e9-f4d4-5657-ac34-758938ab90b1.html

State lawmakers are moving to get more doctors into rural and medically underserved areas of the state.

A Senate panel voted Tuesday to expand an existing program that helps doctors repay their medical school debts if they agree to go where they are needed. SB 1194, proposed by Sen. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, now goes to the full Senate.

Rep. Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, introduced similar legislation in the House. That measure, HB 2495, is awaiting a hearing.

The proposal likely stands a good chance of becoming law despite the state’s financial situation.

That is because the expansion is structured so it would not require any additional state dollars. Kristen Boilini, lobbyist for the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, said the change permits the program to take private donations which she said will be offered.

She said the state needs another 442 full-time primary care physicians, 441 dentists and 204 behavioral health providers and psychiatrists.

That includes not just the rural areas of Arizona. She said while physicians are attracted to some urban areas, there are inner-city areas in both Pima and Maricopa counties where the number of medical providers falls short.

“Generally, they’re communities with high uninsured, underinsured folks,” Boilini said, with a high percentage of residents getting their coverage through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state’s Medicaid program.

For the complete story, click here: http://azdailysun.com/content/tncms/live/

Focusing on Education Results, not just funding

By Vicki Alger

One of education’s most important annual rituals began last week, when Education Week released its annual Quality Counts report, which grades states based on a variety of criteria, including spending. On cue came the predictable hand-wringing over K-12 education funding.

On Thursday Florida’s Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti told the Florida Times-Union that underfunding is undermining student achievement. “[I]magine how much stronger our students would perform if the policy commitments were maintained and balanced with an increase in per pupil funding,” he said.

In the school spending category, the states at the bottom include North Carolina, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho which ranked the lowest 49th in K-12 spending, depending on the source and its methodology. Among the states earning this distinction were Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas.

California’s 49th place ranking was cited in the 2014 UCLA Undergraduate Students Association resolution, based on per pupil spending adjusted for regional cost-of-living differences. Florida ranked 49th according to the National Education Association. And based on Wallet Hub rankings per capita school spending, Tennessee deserved 49th place. Still other 2014 studies by the Missouri Public School Advocates and the Open Sky Policy Institute gave 49th to Missouri and Nebraska, respectively.

What these identical rankings prove is that you can aggregate data and sift statistics to prove almost anything you want. And what teachers unions and politicians want is more money. Too bad there’s no direct correlation between dollars spent and what matters most: student achievement.

Consider the Education Department’s data on “instructional” spending, which across the U.S. averaged more than $6,500 a student during the 2010-11 school year (the latest data available). Among the dozen states that supposedly ranked 49th in funding last year, Idaho’s instructional spending was reported to be the lowest, around $4,100 a student, followed by Arizona and Oklahoma, which spent about $4,200 and $4,300 respectively. Illinois and Nebraska spent the most, around $7,000 and $7,700, respectively.

How did these states do in terms of student performance? The best answer is to look at the performance of low-income students, those who qualify for the national school-lunch program. Based on public-school results from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational progress (NAEP), the average nationwide reading and math performance among low-income eight grade students was pitiful, with a 48% proficiency rate in both subjects.

The big spenders paid more for worse results. In Nebraska which spent nearly $8,000 per student, a mere 39% of disadvantaged eighth-graders scored proficient or better in reading and math. For the approximately $7,000 a year Illinois spent on instruction, its low-income eighth-graders did no better than the national averages in reading and math.

States that spent less per pupil tended to have better educational outcomes. More than 45% of low income students in Idaho – with its relatively puny $4,100 per pupil spending- tested proficient in reading and math. Low income student in stingy Arizona, which spent $4,200 per pupil on instruction, had 51% proficiency rates in both subjects. And students in penny-pinching Oklahoma, which spent around $4,300 per pupil, achieved a 53% proficiency rate in reading and 52% in math.

One of the most striking differences between these two sets of states is the availability of parental-choice programs. Unlike Nebraska or Illinois both higher-scoring Arizona and Oklahoma have parental-choice scholarship programs that enable parents of disadvantaged students to choose the schools they think are best, including private schools. Schools have to compete for students, which forces them to improve their performance.

Instead of obsessing over who is at the bottom of spending, it would be better to focus on which states are producing the best results for every education dollar spent- and replicate what they’re doing. Student achievement is the only measure that counts.

Ms. Alger is a research fellow at the Independent Institute, Oakland, Calif.

Arizona will unveil its new statue tomorrow in a special installation ceremony at Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol to honor the late Senator Barry Goldwater’s place in our nation’s history. This is the story of how it happened, from the State Senator who made it happen:

“No individual has had a greater influence on Arizona’s first century than Senator Barry Goldwater. He was known across the country as Mr. Arizona. That is why it is so fitting that we honor his legacy to our great state by placing his likeness in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol, where he will stand among the greatest men and women in our nation’s history.

Statuary Hall was authorized by Congress in 1864 to allow each state to provide two statues of notable citizens for display at the U.S. Capitol. Arizona has been represented by John Campbell Greenway since 1930 and Father Eusebio Kino since 1965. The Greenway statue was sculpted by the renowned Gutzon Borglum, creator of Mt. Rushmore.

In the summer of 2007, during my first year in the Arizona legislature, I visited Washington, D.C. with my young family and we were able to take a tour of the U.S. Capitol through Congressman John Shadegg’s office. During the tour, we visited Statuary Hall, and while I was standing in front of the Greenway statue, I looked to my left and saw Daniel Webster from New Hampshire and looked to my right and saw Robert E. Lee from Virginia. I knew those two prominent figures in U.S. history, but I knew very little about John Greenway, other than the road and high school that bear his name in Phoenix. I wondered to myself, ‘wouldn’t it be more appropriate for Arizona to be represented by Mr. Arizona himself, Barry Goldwater?’ When I got back to Phoenix, I did a little research and learned that it was possible to add a new statue.

Congress had enacted legislation only a few years earlier in 2000 enabling states to request the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress approve the replacement of the statue the state has provided, if the request has been approved by the legislature and approved by the Governor.

Before the 2008 legislative session, I carefully drafted a bill that would enable Barry Goldwater to replace John Greenway in Statuary Hall. During my research, I had learned quite a few things about John Greenway, and developed a great deal of respect for him. I did not mean to dishonor or disrespect the legacy of John Greenway in anyway, but I thought that as Arizona was approaching its centennial, it was fitting that she be represented in Statuary Hall by someone who had a greater impact on the first 100 years of statehood. I gathered bipartisan support for the measure and it passed both the House and the Senate and was then signed by Governor Janet Napolitano.

Once approved, the project got off to a very slow start. There were many distractions, it was an election year and by the next legislative session, Governor Napolitano had resigned and Governor Brewer took over during one of the toughest economic recessions in state history. Still, gradually the pieces of the puzzle were put together as the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress approved the Goldwater placement in 2010 and a committee was established to select an artist and raise the money for the endeavor.

More than 20 artists asked to be considered for the prestigious commission. The committee narrowed that group to five and asked that they produce a small maquette as an example of their vision for the statue, along with a life-sized likeness of Senator Goldwater’s face. Ultimately Deborah Copenhaver Fellows from Sonoita, Arizona was selected as the artist.

We could not be more pleased with the finished product. Deborah Copenhaver Fellows has such an amazing talent and has painstakingly poured her soul into this work of art. She has captured Senator Goldwater’s spirit and presence in what I believe is one of the most lifelike and impressive statues in Statuary Hall.

The statues in the Hall rest on pedestals that are usually about three feet high. The statues can be up to 7 feet tall, for a total of 10 feet in height. One of the things I noticed when visiting Statuary Hall is that most of the faces of the statues were so high in the air and looking straight ahead. It was difficult to see the individuals’ faces. I suggested to Deborah before she started the project that it would be a good idea if Senator Goldwater’s head could be slightly tilted down, as if he were making eye contact with the person looking up at him. She loved that idea and has incorporated it into her work and it really looks impressive.

I am so grateful to all those who played a part in this process. It is amazing to me that a whimsical idea I had seven years ago as a new state legislator would take hold and would actually come to pass. There were so many who dedicated their time, energy and talents to pay this tribute to an important Arizona leader. The entire process was extremely challenging to get where we are today. No tax payer funds were used on the project, which is exactly how Senator Goldwater would have wanted it. It is great to have Mr. Arizona back where he belongs, representing Arizona in the U.S. Capitol.”

Senator Adam Driggs District 28

OPENING DAY CEREMONIES Fifty-Second Legislature – First Regular Session Monday, January 12, 2015 12:00 Noon

12:00 Noon - First Regular Session Convenes, Senate Chamber (Reserved seating in the Senate Gallery for Legislators’ Guests. Guests should be seated by 11:50 a.m.)

Call to Order The Honorable Olivia Cajero Bedford, Senator, District 3

Prayer Bishop Jim Buehner, Elliot Ward, Gilbert Arizona Stake, Church of Latter-day Saints

Presentation of the Colors Luke Air Force Base Honor Guard

Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag Daniel Biggs

Playing of the National Anthem Arizona School for the Arts Chamber Singers, Dana Bender, Conductor

Oath of Office Chief Justice Scott Bales, Arizona Supreme Court

Senate Business Election of the President of the Senate

Recess Arizona School for the Arts Chamber Singers and Chamber Orchestra A Gaelic Blessing-John Rutter

Remarks Adjutant General Michael T. McGuire

2:00 p.m. Joint Session, House Chamber (Reserved seating on the House Chamber Floor and in the Gallery for Legislators’ Guests.)

State of the State Address The Honorable Doug Ducey, Governor of Arizona

Senate Reconvenes upon Adjournment of the Joint Session, Senate Chamber (If necessary to complete Senate Business)

Senate Business

Senate President Andy Biggs today announced assignments to Senate committees for the 52nd Legislature. The legislative session begins January 12, 2015.

Committee on Natural Resources

Sen. Steve Pierce-Chair

Sen. Don Shooter-Vice Chair

Sen. Adam Driggs

Sen. David Farnsworth

Sen. Barbara McGuire

Sen. Robert Meza

Sen. Catherine Miranda

Committee on State Debt & Budget Reform

Sen. Jeff Dial-Chair

Sen. Debbie Lesko-Vice Chair

Sen. Ed Ableser

Sen. Lupe Contreras

Sen. John Kavanagh

Committee on Commerce & Workforce Development

Sen. Kimberly Yee-Chair

Sen. Steve Smith-Vice Chair

Sen. Olivia Cajero Bedford

Sen. Jeff Dial

Sen. David Farnsworth

Sen. Robert Meza

Sen. Catherine Miranda

Sen. Bob Worsley

Committee on Water & Energy

Sen. Gail Griffin-Chair

Sen. Sylvia Allen-Vice Chair

Sen. Carlyle Begay

Sen. David Bradley

Sen. Judy Burges

Sen. Debbie Lesko

Sen. Lynne Pancrazi

Committee on Rules

Pres. Andy Biggs-Chair

Sen. Steve Yarbrough-Vice Chair

Sen. Sylvia Allen

Sen. Olivia Cajero Bedford

Sen. Gail Griffin

Sen. Katie Hobbs

Sen. Martin Quezada

Committee on Federalism, Mandates & Fiscal Responsibility

Sen. Judy Burges-Chair

Sen. David Farnsworth-Vice Chair

Sen. Ed Ableser

Sen. Nancy Barto

Sen. David Bradley

Sen. Olivia Cajero Bedford

Sen. Steve Smith

Committee on Rural Affairs & Environment

Sen. Sylvia Allen-Chair

Sen. Gail Griffin-Vice Chair

Sen. Andrea Dalessandro

Sen. Barbara McGuire

Sen. Don Shooter

Committee on Transportation

Sen. Bob Worsley-Chair

Sen. Judy Burges-Vice Chair

Sen. Ed Ableser

Sen. Carlyle Begay

Sen. Jeff Dial

Sen. Catherine Miranda

Sen. Steve Pierce

Committee on Appropriations

Sen. Don Shooter-Chair

Sen. John Kavanagh-Vice Chair

Sen. Sylvia Allen

Sen. Olivia Cajero Bedford

Sen. Steve Farley

Sen. Katie Hobbs

Sen. Debbie Lesko

Sen. Kelli Ward

Committee on Public Safety, Military & Technology

Sen. Steve Smith-Chair

Sen. John Kavanagh-Vice Chair

Sen. Judy Burges

Sen. Lupe Contreras

Sen. Barbara McGuire

Sen. Kelli Ward

Committee on Finance

Sen. Debbie Lesko-Chair

Sen. Steve Yarbrough-Vice Chair

Sen. Steve Farley

Sen. Lynne Pancrazi

Sen. Kimberly Yee

Committee on Health & Human Services

Sen. Nancy Barto-Chair

Sen. Kelli Ward-Vice Chair

Sen. David Bradley

Sen. Katie Hobbs

Sen. Debbie Lesko

Sen. Lynne Pancrazi

Sen. Kimberly Yee

Committee on Government

Sen. John Kavanagh-Chair

Sen. Sylvia Allen-Vice Chair

Sen. Judy Burges

Sen. Lupe Contreras

Sen. Robert Meza

Sen. Martin Quezada

Sen. Steve Smith

Committee on Financial Institutions

Sen. David Farnsworth-Chair

Sen. Steve Yarbrough-Vice Chair

Sen. Andrea Dalessandro

Sen. Adam Driggs

Sen. Steve Farley

Sen. Gail Griffin

Sen. Catherine Miranda

Committee on Education

Sen. Kelli Ward-Chair

Sen. Kimberly Yee-Vice Chair

Sen. Sylvia Allen

Sen. Carlyle Begay

Sen. David Bradley

Sen. Jeff Dial

Sen. Steve Smith

Committee on Judiciary

Sen. Adam Driggs-Chair

Sen. Nancy Barto-Vice Chair

Sen. Lupe Contreras

Sen. Andrea Dalessandro

Sen. Steve Pierce

Sen. Martin Quezada

Sen. Bob Worsley

President Biggs also announced today that Sen. Sylvia Allen will serve as President pro tempore.

Senator Andy Biggs of Gilbert will remain as President of the Arizona State Senate, after a post-election organizational meeting by the Republican Majority.

This will be Biggs’ second term as President, after being elected to the post in January 2013. He will be joined on the leadership team by Majority Leader Steve Yarbrough and Majority Whip Gail Griffin.

President Biggs entered the State Legislature in 2003. Before serving as Senate President, he was Senate Majority Leader and Appropriations Chair.

Majority Leader Yarbrough also entered the Legislature in 2003. He is currently the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee and Chair of the Ethics Committee. He lives in Chandler.

Majority Whip Griffin was sworn into the Senate in 2011, after serving in the House of Representatives. She is currently President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Senator Griffin is Chair of the Government and Environment Committee. She lives in Hereford.

New leadership will be effective at the start of the next term in January, the 52nd Legislature, First Regular Session.

Senate President Andy Biggs today announced Senate committees and the chairs overseeing them for the 52nd Legislature.

Senator Don Shooter will continue to chair the Senate Committee on Appropriations. The Health & Human Services Committee will remain chaired by Senator Nancy Barto and Senator Steve Pierce continues to chair the Committee on Natural Resources.

Senator Gail Griffin chairs the Committee on Energy. Senator Kelli Ward will now chair the Committee on Education. Senator Kimberly Yee will now run the Committee on Commerce & Workforce Development.

Senator Adam Driggs moves into the chair for the Judiciary Committee. The Transportation Committee will now be chaired by Senator Bob Worsley. Senator Judy Burges now chairs the Committee on Federalism, Mandates & Fiscal Responsibility, and Senator David Farnsworth heads the Committee on Financial Institutions.

The four Senators-elect moving over from the House of Representatives will chair committees: Sen.-elect John Kavanagh/Government Committee, Sen.-elect Debbie Lesko/Finance Committee, Sen.-elect Steve Smith/Public Safety, Military & Technology and Sen.-elect Jeff Dial/State Debt & Budget Reform. Sen.-elect Sylvia Allen returns to the Senate to chair the Committee on Rural Affairs & Environment.

President Biggs will serve as Rules Committee Chair.

Appropriations Sen. Don Shooter

Health & Human Services Sen. Nancy Barto

Natural Resources Sen. Steve Pierce

Energy Sen. Gail Griffin

Education Sen. Kelli Ward

Commerce & Workforce Development Sen. Kimberly Yee

Judiciary Sen. Adam Driggs

Transportation Sen. Bob Worsley

Federalism, Mandates & Fiscal Responsibility Sen. Judy Burges

Financial Institutions Sen. David Farnsworth

Government Sen.-elect John Kavanagh

Finance Sen.-elect Debbie Lesko

Public Safety, Military & Technology Sen.-elect Steve Smith

State Debt & Budget Reform Sen.-elect Jeff Dial

Rural Affairs & Environment Sen.-elect Sylvia Allen

Rules Pres. Andy Biggs

“This evening we learned of the sudden passing of our colleague and friend Senator Chester Crandell. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office says Senator Crandell died while he was horseback riding near his home in Heber.

Chester was a wonderful man who was kind to all and had a deep passion for improving life in Arizona. As Vice-Chair of the Senate Education Committee, he was able to use his previous experience in the schools to make positive reforms. He was also one of the strongest voices for rural Arizona.

No one worked harder at the Senate than Chester. He was here early every morning, responding to the concerns of his constituents. He was a man of integrity and high character.

This is a devastating loss to our community. We all will miss his smile and his love for the job he did. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Alice and their family.”

Sen. Steve Pierce: Should we have done more to protect state land from wildfire? Yes. But we did what we could.

As chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, I was disappointed by The Arizona Republic’s characterization of the Legislature’s efforts to combat wildfire in the June 18 front-page story, “State opts to keep playing with fire.”

The Republic claims the Legislature should have done more than appropriate $1.4 million to the state forester for removal of vegetation on state trust land. It proceeds to make the same tired arguments about requiring property owners to clear brush from their property.

To read the rest of the piece, click here:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2014/06/26/arizona-wildfire-blame/11428751/

Legislative Committee approves District applications, shows continued commitment to school safety.

A joint committee at the State Legislature today approved funding for 118 school safety resource officers on campuses across Arizona. The School Safety Program Oversight Committee, co-chaired by Senate Education Committee Chair Kimberly Yee, agreed to spend nearly $12 million on the school safety program for the upcoming school year. School safety resource officers will be added on campuses from Yuma to Nogales, from Show Low to Bullhead City.

In addition to providing school safety resource officers, the School Safety Program requires law related education to equip students with knowledge and skills pertaining to law, school safety and effective citizenship.

Arizona voters approved Proposition 301 in 2000, which provides the bulk of funding for the School Safety Program. In 2013, the Legislature committed to additional funding for the program, including $3.6 million in the upcoming fiscal year.

“Today’s action is another sign of this Legislature’s focus on the importance of school safety. We must do all we can to make sure our students feel safe when they are being educated in our public schools,” said Co-chair Yee.

“The importance of law related education should not be ignored. School safety is more than just adding a safety officer on campus. Law related education reinforces to students the significance of a safe environment at their school. It also teaches students the basics of the law and prevention,” said Senator Yee.

Thirty two districts were awarded today, at 137 school sites. In addition to the 118 school safety resource officers, three juvenile probation officers were also added.

Calling it a “wholesale attack on rural Arizona,” State Senator Gail Griffin (R-Hereford) joined four Arizona Congressmen and a host of ranching, agriculture, and water experts in condemning the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recently-announced expansion of the agency’s regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act at a Congressional field hearing at the State Capitol on Monday.

In prepared remarks, Senator Griffin strongly condemned the EPA’s proposed rule as “nothing less than an unlawful expansion of federal regulation over routine farming and ranching practices, as well as other common private land uses, such as home building.”

“For the first time in history, this rule would give federal regulators authority over irrigation ditches, storm water systems, roadside ditches, waters located within riparian and floodplain areas, and dry washes. All of these so-called ‘waters’—even if they don’t have water in them—could be subject to EPA regulations under this proposed rule.

“Under this rule, if approved, everyday activities like grazing cattle, plowing a field, applying fertilizer, managing weeds, building a home, or even simply planting a tree, could now require a permit from the federal government. What this means is that a regulator sitting behind a desk in San Francisco or Washington, D.C. could decide whether a farmer tilling his field in rural Arizona is a threat to the water quality of a dry river.

“It takes a special kind of arrogance to assert that a wash or irrigation ditch with no water flowing in it should be subject to the Clean Water Act; yet that is exactly what the EPA is proposing.”

Senator Griffin was not alone in condemning the EPA proposal. Arizona Congressmen Trent Franks, Paul Gosar, David Schweikert and Matt Salmon each expressed their strong opposition to what they called a massive expansion of federal regulatory authority that would have a devastating impact on Arizona’s economy.

“This rule is one of the largest expansions of federal power in our nation’s history,” Congressman Gosar explained. “The EPA’s shoddy economic analysis [of the rule] contains so many errors, omissions, and flawed assumptions that experts like [University of California, Berkeley Professor] David Sunding are calling it ‘virtually meaningless.’ In its rush to implement the President’s radical agenda, the EPA published this new rule without waiting for expert advice.”

“The vague terms used in this rule promise to subject everyday Americans to invasive, burdensome regulations that could very well crush them through lengthy court proceedings and exorbitant litigation costs,” Congressman Salmon said. “[T]he proposed rule could also prohibit ranchers and farmers from lawfully making necessary, on-the-spot decisions that are essential to the success of their herd or crops. For the first time ever, the EPA is defining ditches as tributaries, which would subject private land owners to a whole slew of complicated regulatory penalties.”

The Congressmen and Senator Griffin heard testimony from two panels of experts, including representatives of Arizona’s agriculture, home building, irrigation, and water industries.

Stefanie Smallhouse, a Cochise County rancher and First Vice President of the Arizona Farm Bureau, told the hearing that the rule would be devastating to Arizona’s agriculture industry. “The newly proposed EPA rule for the Waters of the U.S. would be devastating to my family’s farming operation, as well as hundreds of others in agriculture in Arizona…This proposed rule is an economic disaster, and a dream killer for my kids. There is no way a family farm such as ours would be able to withstand the hefty fines which would be enforced as a result of this rule.”

Robert Lynch, an attorney for Arizona irrigation and electrical districts, testified that the rule would have real impacts on everyday activities on private property. “The EPA and the Corps have driven a truck through Justice Kennedy’s opinion in Rapanos. According to them, everything is relevant, everything affects everything, and everything is jurisdictional… How many permits will the Central Arizona Project need? Will it have to treat the water before it stores it in Lake Pleasant? Before it releases it back into its system to deliver to cities, towns, industries and agriculture? And who will be able to afford it? Certainly not agriculture…

Mr. Lynch concluded, “This may be the biggest jurisdictional overreach that I have witnessed in 50 years of law practice. I hate to say it but the only people who come out ahead on this proposed rule are lawyers.”

Representatives from Arizona’s housing and real estate industries agreed that the rule would have a detrimental impact on the state’s housing market.

“This rule is a thinly veiled attempt to assert the federal government’s reach to any property with water,” said Nicole LaSlavic of the Arizona Association of Realtors.

Similarly, Spencer Kamps of the Central Arizona Homebuilders Association warned that the rule would slow Arizona’s housing recovery. “This is a blanket rule that would extend federal jurisdiction to ephemeral streams and dry washes. It would have a significant adverse impact on our industry and on the economy of the state.”

Senator Griffin concluded her remarks by calling on Congress to act. “It’s time for Congress to reign in the EPA and other federal agencies before it’s too late. Federal environmental regulations are killing rural America. Arizona’s economy—especially its natural resources industries—can only absorb so much.”

Arizona State Senate Highlights of the 51st Legislature Second Regular Session

(Unless otherwise noted, all bills were signed into law)

Appropriations

The Republican Legislative Majority continued its conservative, pragmatic approach to enacting a balanced FY 15 budget. By finalizing a budget that utilizes three-year revenue and spending forecasts, the Legislature and Governor have attempted to minimize the prospect of the feast or famine swings from prior years. An essential component of the FY 15 final budget package is the incorporation of the Financial Advisory Committee’s (FAC) revenue estimates and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee’s (JLBC) caseload/baseline estimates.

The State budget has General Fund spending $422 million above FY 14, for a total of $9.23 billion. The Republican Legislature continues to focus on the education and safety of Arizona’s children, with 72% of the new money going to K-12, higher education, and Child Protective Services.

K-12 – Total K-12 spending increased by $187.6 million

o Formula/Inflation $132.1 million

o District Charter Schools $ 24.5 million

o Student Success Funding $ 20.0 million

o JTEDs $ 2.0 million

o Testing Costs $ 8.0 million

o Student IT Certifications $ 1.0 million

Child Protective Services – Total CPS spending increased by $59.7 million

o 242 CPS Case Workers $ 15.3 million

o OCWI/Attorneys/Staff $ 3.3 million

o Family Services $ 16.1 million

o Transition/Automation $ 25.0 million

Governor Jan Brewer has signed SB 1225 into law. This bill, sponsored by Senator Nancy Barto of Phoenix, would require health care providers to tell women if they have dense breast tissue. This, according to Senator Barto, will allow women to make the most informed decision possible when screening for breast cancer, and likely save many lives.

According to the American College of Radiology, an estimated 50% of women have dense breast tissue. The American Cancer Society believes dense breast tissue may increase the risk of breast cancer. Dense breast tissue also makes it harder for doctors to see cancer on mammograms. On those mammograms, both dense breast tissue and masses or tumors look white. Consequently, normal dense breast tissue can hide masses or tumors. In this case, women with dense breast tissue have the option to seek additional tests, such as an ultrasound or MRI, to screen for breast cancer.

This shortcoming of mammogram screening was something Nancy Cappello was unaware of until 2004, when she was diagnosed with stage IIIC breast cancer, after a nearly a decade of normal mammogram results. For years her doctor had failed to tell her that her breasts were dense. After six surgeries, five months of chemotherapy, and 24 radiation treatments, Nancy beat her cancer. Nancy could have been spared the massive cost and suffering of beating her cancer if she had been made aware of her dense breast tissue and taken the appropriate screening tests. This, according to Senator Barto, is the genesis of SB 1225: to require healthcare providers to notify women of their breast density and prevent situations like that of Nancy Cappello from reoccurring.

Since beating her cancer, Nancy has become a legislative advocate for standardized dense breast tissue notification. After founding the nonprofit group Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc., Nancy and other advocates have been able to enact breast density legislation in 14 states and introduce legislation in another 10 states.

Here in Arizona, Dr. Nicole Saphier, a Scottsdale radiologist and breast health advocate, assisted Senator Barto with the legislation. “This legislation is a milestone for countless generations of women in Arizona, and will add to the ongoing ripple effect to involve all women,” said Dr. Saphier.

When asked what she hopes the outcome of this legislation will be, Dr. Saphier said she hopes that women in Arizona will have full disclosure regarding their breast health.