2004 Legislative Session:
Actions and Accomplishments

Overview

The Arizona Interfaith Network accomplished our major objective for the 2004 Session of the Arizona Legislature:

• To create a daily Citizens Lobby at the Legislature in support of public policies and a State Budget that support families and children.

Outcomes

• A number of bad bills were defeated.
• A good budget was passed that included all-day kindergarten, increased funding for childcare and the protection of most human services.
• Some good bills were passed, e.g., Maricopa County Transportation legislation.

How AIN Worked

Beginning with the Opening Day of the Second Regular Session of the 46th Arizona Legislature, leaders and organizers from one or more of the five Arizona Interfaith Network organizations gathered each morning at 9:00 a.m. in the Lobby of the Executive Tower. Present were leaders from congregations, schools and other groups who had made the commitment to become Citizen Lobbyists. Leaders wore Arizona Interfaith buttons and "flew the colors" throughout the day as a visible indicator of our presence.

After an overview of the focus of our work at the Legislature, a detailed outline of that day's activities at the Capitol was given. Leaders then took assignments and fanned out across the Capitol. The daily activities included one or more of the following:

• Meeting with individual legislators, either from their home district or because of the legislator's role on an issue
• Attending House and Senate Committee Hearings at which legislation with potential impacts on families and children was being heard
• Observing Caucuses of the House and Senate Majority and Minority where policy issues were discussed
• Being present in the Gallery when the House or Senate met in Committee of the Whole to debate bills

Periodically during the day, leaders would gather at a designated location, often the courtyard between the House and Senate in clear view of legislators and lobbyists. Here leaders would reflect on how they were feeling and what they had learned. Schedules were periodically adjusted as the events of the day unfolded.

Special events included:

• The initial meeting of the Citizens' Work Group on the Long Term Care Workforce at which Governor Janet Napolitano lauded the work of the Arizona Interfaith Network over the last three years in building the political constituency to address workforce issues in the field of long term care. Two AIN leaders, Bonnie Danowski from Valley Interfaith Project (VIP) and Dick White from East Valley Interfaith (EVI), were appointed members of the Work Group by the Governor in recognition of AIN's success in building an active constituency for change.
• The Press Conference on Immigration on April 19 on the Senate Lawn of the State Capitol at which Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal and United Church of Christ Judicatory Heads, along with over 200 clergy and religious leaders, signed a Statement on Immigration and two lists, Faith-Based Principles on Migration/Immigration Issues and Faith-Based Policy Recommendations for Immigration Reform.

Analysis

Our Citizen Lobby succeeded in supporting moderate legislators who defended families and children in the Legislative Session. The frequent and direct intervention of AIN leaders with moderate legislators established a constituency in support of AIN's Human/Family Development Agenda. The implementation of all-day kindergarten, the funding for child care for working families, and the funding of all levels of education, including adult education, were all issues supported by the Citizen Lobby.

In addition, the Citizen Lobby helped to defeat a number of bills that failed the "mainstream test." Our efforts included testimony at Committee Hearings and communications from leaders in legislators' home districts. Legislators in both the House and the Senate introduced a number of Concurrent Resolutions, which, if passed, would have placed on the November General Election Ballot some very contentious and divisive issues. The Citizen Lobby helped to defeat these bad resolutions. (See attached list.)

Summation

• AIN conducted a series of actions and events during the 2004 Regular Legislative Session involving over 1,000 grassroots leaders from all over Arizona..
• AIN was an important player, along with our allies, in successfully moderating the over-all direction of the Legislative Session. Evidence of our impact includes the defeat of bad bills, the passage of a good budget and the passage of good bills, such as the transportation bill.
• AIN Leaders developed a strong relationship with moderate legislators in both the Republican and Democratic Parties.

Prepared 6/4/04

Results of Action on Bills in the 2004 Regular Legislative Session as of 6/4/04

Several bills were introduced in the 2004 Regular Legislative Session, which were unfriendly to families and children, and often anti-immigrant. The Citizen Lobby of the Arizona Interfaith Network organizations worked successfully, along with our allies, to defeat the passage of these bills. Listed below are some of our victories in bills that were defeated and bills that were passed.

HB2443 secure & verifiable identification (NOW: identification requirements, public service
If passed, this bill would have prohibited cities and counties from using the Matricula Consular, the Mexican Identity Card, for purposes of identification. The Arizona Interfaith Network has been successful in having 15 cities and counties in Arizona adopt the Matricula Consular as a legal form of identity with broad community support, including law enforcement agencies. If passed, this bill would have taken away local control on this issue.

Despite AIN's opposition in the House, it still passed that body. AIN then fought it in the Senate. AIN leaders believed that they had the votes in the Government Committee to defeat it. At the Committee Hearing on the bill, a Strike-Everything amendment was offered on the bill by Rep. Randy Graf (R-30), the sponsor of the original bill. Knowing that Rep. Graf did not have the votes to pass his new bill, there was concern that when his amendment failed the Committee would return to take action on the original bill. This ploy was countered by one senator who asked for agreement in advance that the Matricula bill would not be heard. Thus, HB2443 was finally defeated

HB2448 employment; illegal aliens; license revocation
A business would have had any license, permit or charter it held suspended for six months if it were sanctioned by the federal government for hiring or employing an illegal alien. A second violation would have resulted in revocation of the license, permit or charter.

AIN leaders testified against this bill in the House, helping to defeat it. This was one of the times that AIN worked with a growing body of business allies in opposition to a bill.

HB2355 and SB1232 drivers licenses: source of identification
Identical versions of this bill were introduced in the House and the Senate. Each bill would prohibit the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles from accepting as the primary source of identification a drivers license issued by a state that does not require the individual to be lawfully in the US. Thus, immigrants who obtained drivers licenses in the 11 states that accept the Matricula Consular would not enjoy the normal reciprocity between states when moving to Arizona.

SB1232 bill passed both the Senate and the Houses and has been sent to the Governor where it is awaiting action.

SB1074 Transportation Excise Tax; election
AIN worked hard in support of this bill along with numerous business and community interests. The bill allows the agreed-upon transportation package to go to the voters in November 2004 to extend the Maricopa County transportation sales tax for another 30 years, providing a comprehensive, regional approach to numerous transportation alternatives for the future in the County. It passed and was signed by the Governor.

HCRs, House Concurrent Resolutions, and SCRs, Senate Concurrent Resolutions, are legislative actions by the Legislature that direct items to the voters for final decision. Unlike regular bills, the Governor can take no action on them.

HCR 2016 Tax Increase by initiatives; vote
This resolution would have placed on the November Ballot a constitutional amendment to require an initiative or referendum to receive two-thirds of those voting if there were a net increase in state revenues. If this had been in place, Proposition 204 (tobacco tax for health care for the poor) and Proposition 301 (sales tax for education) initiatives would not have passed. AIN worked against HCR. It was defeated 22-35-3 in the House.

SCR 1046 Fiscal Emergency Management
This resolution would have placed on the November Ballot a constitutional amendment to allow the Legislature to declare that a revenue shortfall was a sufficient emergency to give the Legislature authority to go back and change decisions made by initiatives, such as funding for education and health care, and to reduce funding for those purposes.

HCR 2011 Voter approved expenditures; limitation
This resolution would have placed on the November Ballot a constitutional amendment to retroactively allow the Legislature to go back to previously passed initiatives and, if the funding was not adequate, to refuse to spend general funds monies to cover the shortfall, even though approved by voters. AIN worked against this bill and it was never brought to the floor for a vote.

HCR2032 Taxpayer Bill of Rights
This resolution would have placed on the November Ballot a constitutional amendment to allow the Legislature to set new, lower appropriations limits for the State, again allowing for Legislature to retroactively change ballot initiatives to comply. These lower limits would continue to apply even if revenues increased again. Defeated 22-30-8. AIN worked against this bill.