Arizona Republican Tax Shift Shuffle

(From Friday, Feb 12 - just moved this up so it greets everyone Monday morning, instead of the nonsense from Pearce. It may bounce around a few more times. Anyway, I expect to see you all at the legislature. Don't let them vote in those tax cuts for the rich without lodging your protests...) 

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The real story here is not just the sales tax hike everyone is talking about (which disproportionately hits the poor, working and middle classes) - it's the tax cuts for business and the rich that are to follow. 

I think the media obscures the stark reality - here's the vision our GOP state leadership has for us:

They want to make higher education less affordable for more middle and working class Arizona families at a time when we need it the most; 

Instead of reducing all the social, economic, and human costs of crime and punishment, they plan on filling at least 5,000 more prison beds in the state in the next couple of years (which towns are competing with each other to host, in order to have such wonderful jobs without college degrees); 

They're going to slash vital resources to people (again) living on the edge (inevitably pushing some into $22,000+/year room and board - at our grandkids' expense - at the AZ Department of Corrections); and 


They'll keep screwing the teachers over (for resisting them to begin with) - making those "difficult choices" to save the state from this "budget crisis" (caused by the greed of the wealthy few - like them - not by the poverty or crimes of the many. Remember?). 

In the process, with a sleight of hand, they'll shift the tax burden even further off of those profiting from our labor or incarceration - encouraging more of their kind to move here on our dime, requiring more of us to supply them with low-wage labor for their service sector. The only belts the Governor and Legislature have been tightening are the ones around our necks. Their own are stuffed with money - and guns. Let's just ask them to "walk all over us, please".


Is Arizona really going to go for this? Are the cops and firemen still on board with all that? You guys are union - aren't you? Doesn't that mean anything here? Most people in this state have surrendered, it seems. You're catching on to what's really happening, aren't you?

I know they didn't get to every last one of you.


You should at least wonder what's in store for your kids here, if this is really still the direction we're going. I frankly think the folks following Pearce's wagon train are going to run off a cliff before November - first they have to shake good old Sheriff Joe loose, though. That still gives them a lot of time to do some damage, so I think we need to intensify resistance now, rather than later. This budget deal they made is going to get signed into law this week - next Monday at the latest. 

I think this strategy the Republicans are employing across the country - with their budget "crises" and hysteria about health care reform driving us all into ruin -  is shock and awe, or disaster capitalism - something like that. Someone's coined the term to describe it already. They're trying to ram as much garbage down our throats at once while we're still stunned from the last round of cuts and anti-working class legislation. They dragged us off to war, raided all the cupboards and hoarded all the goods, then blamed Medicaid recipients and people who wanted All-day K for being the cause of revenue shortfalls (see how that sounds compared to framing it as a "budget deficit"? Defining the problem and prescribing a solution is pretty tied up in the language we use, which the media plays a big part of manipulating, and we so seldom cue into). 

Now they're trying to take their tax cuts out of our elderly and disabled (though we oddly submit to paying for them to live and die in prison); they're all like bullies on the playground. With guns. The AEA shouldn't be deluded into thinking that they've already been hit hard enough - they're going to make sure you're finished off by the end of this legislative session, which you will be if you don't get back on your feet and resist this tax burden shift - this is all landing right on you and your kids.


Good for Senator Davis. Not a single Democrat should support this tax shift. Not a single one - I'm sure they understand what it's all about - a few have tried to articulate it. But enough will vote for it to make up for the libertarian resisters, because they've already made their deals, selling out one set of constituents for another - trying to do the most for the common good. And they'll answer us by wringing their hands about being powerless against the Right all the while. 

We'll always be outgunned and too poor, but it doesn't mean we should give up the fight. Progress may take generations to see, but depends on our persistence and commitment. This IS The Revolution. It's happening here and now, and is on-going, as the global struggle for justice and liberation have always been. 


As for our resources these days - all this blogging is pretty much free - free for me to do, and for the public to use. That's the awesome thing about all these new Prison Watches going up around the country (sorry, I haven't kept up my links, but will update them soon with new states). Me and my friends aren't an organization or registered charity, and don't have to deal with donations or anything; we count up our change every couple of months, basically. The biggest expenses I have with my three blogs are the P.O. box, postage to prisoners, and an occasional ink cartridge and paper. I'd be on-line and printing stuff anyway, so it's hardly anything out of my pocket - I could probably do this with ten or fifteen dollars a  month. 

And it's not all on me - when I get sick I can take time off. Anyone else can help author and edit the sites themselves - from anywhere in the world, really - as long as they can access a computer and the internet. It takes time and research - and being on good list-serves - but we don't have to sit around and wait for someone else (someone with "authority") to tell us they're fixing the problem, after who-knows-how-many-more people have died...

This is the easiest program to learn. Just remember if you take it on, once it's out there, it's almost impossible to shake loose from being Googled with something you said or wrote; you don't want to cringe when you come across it again. I do sometimes. It's also evidence that will undoubtedly be used against you, if you really cause a fuss, so be sure that what you write is something you're willing to answer for. Freedom of Speech only goes as far as they let it. It may cost you a lot.

Anyway, from what I've seen, it's about to get worse before it gets better for prisoners and outlaws, so if you're out there thinking that you have some state prisons of your own to watch - or maybe you want to see what's happening with elderly prisoners, or those across the country seeking compassionate release or hospice care - drop any of us prison watchers (here or at the Prison Reform Community Center) a line. I'm still buried in both email and snail mail right now, but be patient - I'm working my way through. I'll be back up to speed in a couple of weeks.

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Ariz. Senate Backs Vote On Sales Tax Hike

KPHO.com
POSTED: 5:18 pm MST February 2, 2010
(Excerpt from AP Story)

..."The public are not getting the message that we are going to (both) raise their taxes and cut services," said Sen. Debbie McCune Davis, a Phoenix Democrat who voted against the referral.

The legislation's fate is in question in the House, where majority Republicans and minority Democrats can't even agree on what process to use for their budget work.House Appropriations Chairman John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said many GOP representatives are reluctant to vote for the sales-tax referral before the Senate votes on a House-passed tax and jobs bill. It would provide immediate business tax breaks for creating new jobs and future general tax cuts. Meanwhile, many House Democrats say the sales-tax referral wouldn't do enough to protect services and that its passage may only serve to provide money for Republican-pushed tax cuts.

According to Secretary of State Ken Bennett, the Legislature has until Feb. 16 to authorize the proposed May 19 special election.Because lawmakers have been debating Brewer's sales tax proposal for nearly a year, the current budget already includes $8 million to pay for holding the election. Legislators first considered a sales-tax referral last summer, falling just short of sending the issue first raised by Brewer last March to a fall special election ballot. Minority Democrats balked at that version because it would have been accompanied by long-term tax cuts sought by majority Republicans. Democrats later balked at a subsequent Republican push to also ask voters to relax voter-approved spending mandates...."

5th Special Legislative Session AEA Alert

Doug Kilgore's latest post from the AZ teacher's union on the upcoming special session (he refers to Tuesday the 14, which is the 15th, so I'm still confused about exactly who will be at the capitol tomorrow - but that means we may have another day of calling and emailing legislators before the votes are actually in.):

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December 7-11, 2009

Inside This Issue...

• Special Session Still in Doubt
• More Cuts to Public Schools?
• Legislative Panel Shirks Responsibility on Tuition Tax Credit Problems
• News Links
  

Special Session Still in Doubt

Governor Brewer, Senate President Burns, and House Speaker Adams are still attempting to put together an agreement on some solutions to Arizona's continuing budget deficit. As of today, their plan to convene a special session on Tuesday, December 14 appears to be dead and attempts to call legislators together later in the week is looking less and less likely.

Unlike the last special session, there have been discussions with Democrats in both the House and the Senate this time. It seems likely that a Republican-only strategy will not allow enough votes to pass the Governor's proposed temporary sales tax increase. The House Republican Caucus is pushing hard for attaching corporate and personal income tax cuts to the deal which would actually increase Arizona's budget deficit in FY2011. The Senate is more likely to support a bi-partisan solutions with a straight sales tax earmarked for spending in education, health and human services, and public safety.

The Governor has asked the legislature to include a provision that would send a ballot measure to the voters allowing legislators to ignore the Voter Protection Act, a constitutional provision that protects spending on programs passed by the voters from legislative tampering. Such a measure would allow the legislature to raid Proposition 103 education funds and other voter approved programs. Democrats have opposed this and it is unclear if there is enough Republican support to pass it without them.

These discussions continue to center on the same issues that have been addressed and re-addressed since early in the year. There are additional solutions available, including other types of tax increases, closing tax loopholes and tax credits, and some remaining one-time fixes that buy time until a tax increase can be passed. View the latest budget options developed by AEA and the Arizona Budget Coalition.

More Cuts to Public Schools?

Arizona has now cut all that is allowed under the maintenance-of-effort (MOE) provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA - the federal stimulus plan). Some influential legislators like Senator Russell Pearce (R-Mesa) are suggesting that the Governor ask for a waiver from the MOE provision and if the waiver is denied, defy the ARRA provision and risk losing other federal funds. Such an action would also put Arizona out of the running for hundreds of millions of dollars of Race to the Top Grant funds for K-12 education.

It appears that the next budget battle for public education will be to hold the line on additional cuts in order to continue to meet the MOE provisions. Again, the extreme elements that are deeply entrenched in the House and Senate Republican Caucuses will be pushing for more K-12 cuts and must be stopped if Arizona wants a reasoned solution to our deficit.  

Arizona has already spent the entire $1.1 billion provided for public education in the stimulus based on its pledge to abide by the MOE which requires spending for state assistance to public schools to fall no lower than its FY2006 level. Paul Senseman, a spokesman for Governor Brewer, said cutting below "maintenance-of-effort" levels is not an option. Other legislators from her own party will not likely take no for an answer on this issue without a fight if recent history repeats itself.

Legislative Panel Shirks Responsibility on Tuition Tax Credit Problems

In August, the East Valley Tribune published an investigative report that showed the Arizona tuition tax credit for private schools program is often abused, lacks oversight, and has failed to increase to any significant degree the access that disadvantaged children have to private schools. Other media and private citizens' reports uncovered additional violations of the public trust. In response to pressure from Democratic House members who launched their own bi-partisan study and the public, House Speaker Kirk Adams appointed a committee to form recommendations to deal with the issue.

To the surprise of most observers this legislative panel completed its work and recommended increasing the amount of the dollar for dollar tax credits by 50% while rejecting measures to require the funds to be spent on families below certain income levels and limiting the amount of funds being kept by school tuition organizations for their own use and profit. Some reform measures were adopted but lack the fiscal accountability measures that would eliminate the abuses found in the investigative reports. The recommendations fail to disallow wealthy parents from working directly with school tuition organizations to ensure that their children receive the benefits of the tax credit.

These recommendations would still allow owners of school tuition organizations to keep 10% of the tax credit dollars for their own use and use those dollars and dollars from other school tuition organizations to build for-profit business ventures that capitalize on the use of other tax credit dollars. Representative Steve Yarbrough (R - Chandler) has built a multi-million group of businesses using tuition tax credit dollars.

Testimony from Representatives Andy Biggs (R-Gilbert), Rick Murhpy (R-Peoria) and Debbie Lesko (R-Peoria) defended the tuition tax credit program and downplayed the need for many of the recommendations that had been suggested to protect our tax dollars from abuse. Senator Tom Chabin (D-Flagstaff) and Jack Brown (D-St. Johns) argued for stricter oversight, an income threshold for recipients of the tuition funds, and limits on school tuition organizations. Learn more. 

News Links

 

Income limit nixed for tuition scholarships

A legislative panel refused Thursday to recommend changes to Arizona's Private School Tax Credits program that would require income limits for families receiving tuition scholarships or reduce the amount of money charities can use to administer the program.  

Schools take another budget hit

Legislature's vote to have impact on local districts

Local school officials are bemoaning the latest round of budget cuts from the state and looking for ways to minimize the damage to education.  

Science education in Arizona seen as key to new jobs

Teachers, businesses say public funding isn't enough for high-quality education

Daisy Alvarez rolls black ink onto a glass surface and presses her fingertips onto it, leaving prints that other seventh- and eighth-graders in her class dust to reveal the swirls and arches that make her unique.

Ditching tenure tells good teachers: Go elsewhere

In 1921, California was the first state to establish teacher tenure; in 2009, Arizona became the first state to abolish it. Never one for half-measures, this month the Arizona Legislature eliminated tenure, creating yet another reason for good teachers to teach elsewhere.  

Contact Us
 
Please contact Doug Kilgore, Government Relations Organizational Consultant, doug.kilgore@arizonaea.org for questions and comments.

Budget Education not Incarceration!

UPCOMING EVENTS


December 10: International Human Rights Day
December 15: Fifth Special Legislative Session Begins
December 17: International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers (Tucson Memorial Service).
December 18: SWOP-Tucson Demonstration at the Arizona Department of Corrections, Phoenix.

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I must say that the Arizona State legislature we've put up with the past few years has to be the most mean-spirited body of lawmakers in the country - and boy, have they been vicious going after the teachers and the unions...This is about the School Board association taking up more of an advocacy role, which is great because it embraces a broad spectrum of people with interests in the schools. 

I'm still impressed at how the AEA came out fighting this year - good organizing, way to keep us all posted, smart strategy of finding common ground with other groups and building alliances. We're going to need all the organizing you've done to get those selfish, racist right-wing extremists out of power, now. They'd sooner build more prisons than pay for all-day K...that's troubling.

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Budget cuts inspiring advocacy for schools 

by Emily Gersema - Dec. 6, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

School-boards group offers class on legislative process

Frustration has simmered among school supporters this year since state lawmakers began slashing the K-12 budget, most recently cutting $144 million from a fund that pays for desks and other classroom needs to offset a state revenue shortfall that tops $2 billion.

The pre-Thanksgiving budget cut was one of several rounds this year that have inspired parents to attend the Arizona School Boards Association's new statewide workshops on grass-roots advocacy.

ASBA spokeswoman Tracey Benson said the organization, a non-profit representing school boards across the state, has held nine workshops on advocacy so far this year in all but a few Arizona counties.

It's the first time the organization has led such an effort, and it taps into the emotional fight over school funding

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ASBA workshops have attracted huge turnouts "even in areas you wouldn't expect," Benson said.

About 45 people came to the workshop this fall in Safford, said Beth Sauer, the ASBA government-relations analyst who leads the workshops.

At other workshops, "we average about 20 to 25 people," she said.

Sauer said the idea for the workshops came up last year when association President Bob Rice suggested at a retreat that the organization start forums to inspire a grass-roots effort.

The goal is to teach community members to start putting pressure on state legislators or members of Congress to protect or promote certain issues, such as K-12 school funding.

As the workshop presenter, Sauer offers attendees basic tools for either advocating alone or forming coalitions. She also explains to community members the process of bill drafting and legislation, describes several efforts that can be made to fill in legislators on the potential impact of new bills as they move through the process, and gives tips for approaching and contacting legislators who could help their cause.

Sauer noted 2010 is an election year - an opportune time to meet with legislators.

The ASBA is a non-partisan organization that does not take positions on how supporters should vote. Its workshops have attracted parents who have cited budget cuts as the main reason they are interested in taking a stand for their districts... (continued back at the Republic)

AEA Legislative Update December 4

From the AEA's Doug Kilgore, with their legislative update. This one says the Special session is being convened on Dec 14th (I'll get the date right and set it straight):


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November 30 - December 4, 2009

This Week's Issue:  

• Another Special Session?
• Signatures to Repeal Attacks on Teachers Pouring In
• News Links

Another Special Session?

Just over a week ago, the legislature completed their 4^th special session where $144 million were cut from the current year's school funding on a partisan vote. This same cut was described by Governor Brewer as "devastating" when she vetoed it to end the 3^rd special session on September 4. During the 1^st  and 2^nd special sessions, over $150 million dollars were cut from public schools. None of these special sessions were able to generate support for the new revenue stream needed to protect public schools and other vital state services from deeper cuts.

So after four special sessions, public education school funding has been cut by levels described by the Governor as devastating, yet the current state budget is still over $1.5 billion in debt this year and will fall at least $3.5 billion short next year.

Now there are plans to convene the 5^th special session on December 14^th.  Read more  . . .

Signatures to Repeal Attacks on Teachers Pouring In

Thousands of school employees are organizing to convince the legislature to repeal a set of punitive laws that attack the teaching profession. These laws were slipped into the budget passed during the 3^rd special session of the legislature and signed by the Governor on September 4, 2009.

These laws were designed to silence the voice of teachers who have worked hand-in-hand with parents and other public education supporters for a comprehensive and balanced approach to resolving our state's budget crisis. But it is having the opposite impact. Teachers and school employees are circulating petitions in communities throughout Arizona. As they do, they are beginning to develop reports on the impact of budget cuts and proposed budget cuts on their own schools to share with parents and the community.

Learn more, read what others are saying about the issue , and get involved.

News Links

Cutback in class supplies puts strain on educators

Amid budget shortfall, some teachers pay for items out of their own pockets

Some Valley educators teach in high-tech classrooms, some in low-tech versions, but they now all have to deal with the same issue: shrinking classroom supplies.

Valley schools expect big money losses

The three largest school districts in Graham County stand to lose more than $750,000 in state funding that pays for buses and textbooks. 

 

Contact Us  
Please contact Doug Kilgore, Government Relations Organizational Consultant, doug.kilgore@arizonaea.org for questions and comments.

AZ Legislature Stalled Until Monday

This means they'll be making back-door deals all weekend, so don't let up - call your legislators' offices if you haven't already. You know what you want them to pay attention to - now is a good time to make some noise. 

Here's the link to the house, and the senate. 

No excuses.


Below is Doug Kilgore's AEA Legislative update.

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The Senate Republican Caucus consists of 18 Senators. The 30 member Senate requires 16 votes to pass a bill.

With Senator Barbara Leff out of the country and Senator Ron Gould publicly opposed to the budget deal, Senate President Bob Burns had to count on every other Republican Senator to attend today's final vote on the budget and vote yes. It didn't happen.

Senator Thayer Verschoor (R - Gilbert) did not show up and could not be found. SB 1001 failed on a vote of 12 No, 14 Yes, and 4 Not Voting.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Gray changed his yes vote to no for the purpose of reconsideration on Monday, May 23.

The budget deal brokered by Governor Brewer, Senate President Bob Burns, and House Speaker Kirk Adams has stalled.

Without confirmation that the Senate would pass the budget, House Speaker Adams decided to adjourn the House until Monday at 1:30 p.m. after learning the Senate failed to pass SB 1001 and had adjourned until Monday at 10:00 a.m.

The Senate did not even vote on SB 1002 which included specifics on the $144 million in cuts to K-12 education and $155 million in cuts to the Department of Economic Security.

Two of the four budget bills did pass the Senate by wide margins with bipartisan support. These bills helped resolve an issue related to home mortgages and state agency budgets and fees.

Democrats refused to support the defeated bills because of the deep cuts to public schools and DES without any consideration of additional revenue.

It is unclear if there will be enough support on Monday to pass the budget.

In the interim there are sure to be attempts to offer deals to Democrats and pressure Senator Verschoor to support this devastating budget deal.

Observers of the budget process have seen this scenario before, and it does not serve the interests our state's citizens. With a budget deficit of over $2 billion dollars this year and nearly double that for the next year, it is time for a change of strategy. I

t is time for a bipartisan budget process the focuses on a comprehensive solution that includes a mix of new revenue streams, targeted and limited cuts, and borrowing.

The AEA, along with the broad coalition of parents, social service advocates, and others are ready to work with Republican and Democratic legislators willing to work together on a solution that moves Arizona forward.

Budget Deal Passes First Hurdles in the Senate

From Doug Kilgore, today's AEA Special Legislative Session report. It doesn't look good. Guess I'll be there tomorrow, too.


Here's the link to the CBS 5 Evening News coverage (nothing special, but my European friends might want to see who I'm complaining about all the time - Pearce is in this one.)

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"Cuts Only" is Not a Solution for Arizona's Economy or Children

 The Senate Appropriations Committee passed the four bills that constitute another partisan budget that falls far short of solving Arizona's budget crisis. Despite a continuing budget deficit of over $2 billion dollars, it appears the Republican Caucus in both the Senate and House are lined up to make more cuts to public schools and Arizona's most vulnerable citizens without even considering additional revenue options leaving a continuing deficit of nearly $1.5 billion dollars when their work is done.

A budget deal that was negotiated among Governor Brewer, Senate President Burns, and House Speaker Kirk Adams last week had little opposition in the Senate Republican Caucus and appeared ready to sail through the process today until the Homebuilders Association asked for some changes to be made to protect some of their interests. After some negotiations, the bill was amended to meet those interests and passed by the Senate Committee of the Whole. The budget package still needs to pass a final vote of the Senate and be considered by the House.

The House will go to work on the package beginning tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. Senate President Burns and House Speaker Adams expect the bills to be passed by the legislature tomorrow and sent to the Governor for her signature. The Governor is expected to sign the bill despite large cuts to public schools and the Department of Economic Security to programs that protect Arizona's most vulnerable citizens.

Coalition Offers Alternatives to Budget Cuts

AEA Vice President Andrew Morrill blasted the Republican maneuvers as "cut first, cut last (and) cut only" during a news conference on the capitol lawn today. The Arizona Budget Coalition held a news conference where leaders from the Children's Action Alliance, SEIU, and the AEA outlined specific proposals to generate up to $6.7 billion in new revenue to prevent more cuts to our schools and vital state services.

The Governor and the Legislature have the opportunity to minimize more permanently damaging budget reductions that could potentially retard or even destroy Arizona's future economy and the quality of life so treasured by its citizens. The six Revenue Options presented by ABC have the potential to provide up to $6.7 billion in additional revenue to the state. The ABC believes the options are both doable and viable in the short term while Arizona leaders take a long-term, comprehensive approach to achieve permanent fiscal balance. Review the ABC list of budget options here.

Stay Tuned

Watch for an update on the special session tomorrow and Friday. Visit www.march4schools.com to learn how you can join the citizens' movement seeking a comprehensive solution to our state's budget crisis that protects Arizona families, invests in our economy's recovery, and limits damage to our public schools.

Special Legislative Session Convenes Tuesday

Special Legislative Session.
3:30pm, Tuesday, November 17, 2009.

AZ State Capitol Building, Phoenix. 

Update from Doug Kilgore at the AEA:

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Partisan Budget Plan to Cut $144 Million to K-12 Schools to be Considered

Late this afternoon the Governor called a special session of the Arizona Legislature to consider a budget deal she has worked out with House Speaker Kirk Adams and Senate President Bob Burns. Legislators will convene tomorrow at 3:30 p.m., but are not expected to take any action until Wednesday or Thursday.

Early this month, Governor Brewer, Adams, and Burns outlined a budget deal that will cut $144 million from K-12 education and more than $150 million from Arizona's most vulnerable citizens. If approved the plan will leave a budget seriously out of balance and require further budget adjustments in the near future.

This plan does not even consider generating new revenue from a sales tax or any other new revenue stream.

Please contact your legislators and Governor Brewer and ask them to support a comprehensive budget package rather than depend on massive cuts to public schools to balance the budget.

AEA Update: AZ Leg Special Session

Here's the latest legislative update from Doug Kilgore at the Arizona Education Association. We have some common interests, and they are aggressive activists and can be good allies. I think we need to support a lot of their efforts here - Doug embedded action links to make it easy. We need to start engaging with them in this dialogue about the prison industrial complex as well, since they see where it all begins and might have some ideas for models of education and institutional management which are built from restorative, not retributive, forms of justice - and how to incorporate those concepts at the different grade levels.

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November 9-13, 2009

This Week's Issue: 

• $144 Million Cuts to K-12 if Special Session Called Take Action Now
• Every School Employee in Every School Organizing for Change
• Arizona Budget Deficit and Fiscal Mismanagement
• News Links

$144 Million Cuts to K-12 if Special Session Called Take Action Now
Will there be a special session to cut an additional $144 million dollars from public schools? What last week seemed likely, today seems uncertain. Again, the governor is attempting to work with Senate President Burns and House Speaker Adams on a partisan strategy to force a budget decision that includes Republican votes only. The proposed special session budget includes cuts but no additional revenue.   

The proposal includes over $500 million in reduced state expenditures for the current fiscal year (FY10 runs through June 30, 2010).  For K-12 education, the proposal will include a reduction of $144 million taken from soft capital.  The $144 million amount represents the maximum amount that legislative and executive staff believe the state can cut education without violating the federal stimulus' maintenance of efforts (MOE) provisions. Services for Arizona's most vulnerable citizens will be hard hit by a proposed cut of over $140 million.

Partisan strategies like this allow the most extreme anti-public education legislators to hold out for deeper cuts to our schools and vital state services in return for their support on the budget deal. Instead, the Governor, Speaker Adams, and President Burns should reach across the aisle to work with both Democrats and Republicans to build a comprehensive budget solution that includes a combination of tax and revenue options to balance our state's budget and avoid massive cuts to education and vital services. Contact the governor and your legislators and urge them to support a comprehensive bipartisan budget solution. 

Every School Employee in Every School Organizing for Change

Learn How You Can Help! School employees all over Arizona are organizing for change. Attacks on the basic rights of teachers passed by the legislature on September 4 have provoked Arizona school employees to take action. These legislative attacks are viewed as retribution for effective efforts by school employees and parents to stop massive budget cuts to our public schools.

Every school employee can get involved in this grassroots movement to repeal the punitive legislative attacks on Arizona's education profession by organizing a petition drive at their campus or work site. Following the petition drive to repeal these punitive laws, the AEA March4Schools movement will organize school site reports on the impact of budget cuts on students and school employees. Learn how you can get involved at your school site. 

Arizona Budget Deficit and Fiscal Mismanagement

The Pew Center for the States released a report on state budget fiscal mismanagement.  Arizona's budget mismanagement is second among the states. Only California is worse.

Arizona legislators and governors have spent the last 30 years cutting taxes. When the economy has expanded they, have cut taxes. When the economy was in recession, they cut taxes and spending. We have eliminated a well-constructed, broad-based tax base that existed in the 1960s and 1970s for a system full of loopholes for corporations and the wealthiest Arizonans which is overly reliant on the sales tax.

Our economy has suffered for a lack of basic government support for infrastructure and quality schools. Major corporations are leaving Arizona as a result. Learn more about our state's fiscal crisis and examine solutions offered by the AEA and Children's Action Alliance.  

News Links

Breaking the cycle

If you were to grade Arizona's education system, it would be much closer to an 'F' for failure than 'A' for amazing.  The state spends only $7,338 per pupil per year, well below the national average of $9,683, according to U.S. Department Education, and Arizona has also consistently ranked very near the bottom in comparison to other states in educational achievement. 

Special session may be faltering 

Thank goodness the Legislature doesn't send out those "save the date" notices about upcoming events. It seems the prospects for a special session next week are getting a little wobbly about the knees, amid concerns about whether there are enough votes to act.

Education chief fears teacher layoffs

Arizona schools may be forced into massive teachers' layoffs next year unless an answer is found to the state's budget crisis, according to Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne. 

  

Arizona may sue tuition groups holding donations

The Arizona attorney general is considering suing some non-profit organizations that distribute private-school scholarships funded by tax credits, to prevent them from holding millions in unspent donations, state lawmakers were told Thursday.

Lawmaker questions unspent tuition donations

The Arizona Attorney General's Office should explore whether the state can access millions of unspent tuition tax credit dollars in light of information presented Tuesday, one state lawmaker said.

Contact Us  
Please contact Doug Kilgore, Government Relations Organizational Consultant, doug.kilgore@arizonaea.org for questions and comments. 

AEA Legislative Update Nov 6

October, 2009

This Week's Issue: 

• Governor and Republican Leadership Budget Deal
• Special Session Prospects
• News Links

Governor and Republican Leadership Budget Deal

On Monday Governor Brewer sat down with Senate President Bob Burns and House Speaker Kirk Adams and reached an agreement on a plan to make additional cuts to public education and other vital state services in a special legislative session later this month. If Burns, Adams and the Governor are able to rally support from 16 Senators and 31 House members, the Governor will call for a legislative special session on November 17-19. 

The proposal includes approximately $500 million in reduced state expenditures for the current fiscal year (FY10 runs through June 30, 2010).  For K-12 education, the proposal will include a reduction of $144 million taken from soft capital.  The $144 million amount represents the maximum amount that legislative and executive staff believes the state can cut education without violating the federal stimulus' maintenance of efforts (MOE) provisions. Services for Arizona's most vulnerable citizens will be hard hit by a proposed cut of over $140 million. 

Special Session Prospects

The Republican Leadership is working with their caucus members to make sure they have their votes lined up to pass the budget reduction.  Rumor has it that there are enough Republican votes to pass the cuts and that votes from Democrats will not be needed during this special session. It does not appear that an effort will be made to pass a sales tax during this upcoming special session. Instead, the Governor may wait until after Thanksgiving and before the winter holiday to call legislators back into yet another special session to deal with revenue. 

News Links

Voters stepped up to show support for our schools

It's no surprise when voters reject spending measures in tough economic times. So the results of Tuesday's election are telling: Voters said "yes" to well over half the school-funding measures.

Stimulus funds help West Valley schools cope with budget cuts

As school budgets continue to shrink, district leaders are increasingly seeking federal aid to sustain and grow programs. 

Budget deal cuts state aid to K-12 education by about $144 million

State lawmakers will meet later this month to cut state aid to education -- but not to give voters a chance to hike their own taxes to help balance the budget.

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Please contact Doug Kilgore, Government Relations Organizational Consultant, doug.kilgore@arizonaea.org for questions and comments.