{"id":2322294,"date":"2024-08-10T09:17:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-10T13:17:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-democratic-majorities-would-look-like-in-the-arizona-legislature-cutting-costs-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-10T09:31:55","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T13:31:55","slug":"what-democratic-majorities-would-look-like-in-the-arizona-legislature-cutting-costs-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-democratic-majorities-would-look-like-in-the-arizona-legislature-cutting-costs-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"What Democratic majorities would look like in the Arizona Legislature: Cutting costs &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhat-democratic-majorities-would-look-like-in-the-arizona-legislature-cutting-costs-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2322294&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The \u200darticle from The Center Square discusses Arizona \u200bDemocrats&#8217; plans if they gain control of the legislature in the\u2063 upcoming elections. With only two seats needed for a majority, the Democratic Caucus has outlined several initiatives aimed at reducing costs for residents. These proposals include implementing paid family and medical \u2062leave, enhancing affordable childcare, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/inflation-complicates-bidens-path-back-to-the-white-house\/\" title=\"Inflation hinders Biden&#039;s return to the White House.\">lowering \u200dprescription drug costs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Key proposals include Senate Bill 1632, which\u2064 would \u2064provide up to 26 weeks of paid leave for qualifying circumstances, and efforts to eliminate the waiting list for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dhs-mayorkas-oks-citizenship-for-migrants-who-rely-on-welfare\/\" title=\"DHS Mayorkas OK&#039;s Citizenship for Migrants Who Rely on Welfare\">government-funded childcare<\/a>. Additionally, Democrats aim \u200bto pass legislation \u2064aimed at capping \u200bprescription drug\u2063 prices and\u200d preventing price gouging.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans, however, contend that these measures could harm the\u200c economy and lead to tax increases. They claim that such policies \u2063have negatively affected \u200dother states, citing a report that predicts significant economic \u2062drawbacks if similar legislation is implemented \u200bin Arizona. Democrats, on the other \u2064hand, argue \u200dthat a shift to their governance would address the fiscal challenges left by\u200b the Republican majority, emphasizing that raising taxes would require substantial bipartisan support.<\/p>\n<p>the article highlights a \u200dsignificant potential shift in Arizona\u2019s political landscape and the contentious debate surrounding fiscal policy and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-social-security-is-the-worlds-largest-ponzi-scheme\/\" title=\"Why Social Security Is The World\u2019s Largest Ponzi Scheme\">social welfare measures<\/a>.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">What Democratic majorities would look like in the Arizona Legislature: Cutting costs<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1727396\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; If victorious in November, Arizona Democrats aim to institute laws they say would cut costs for Arizonans. Republicans say these measures would only hurt Arizona&rsquo;s economy and lead to higher taxes.<\/p>\n<p>Only two seats away from having a Democratic majority in Arizona&rsquo;s legislative chambers for the first time in six decades, the Democratic Caucus has established a plan they say would allow them to hit the ground running in 2025 should they take control of the Legislature. This story is part of an ongoing series of what a Democratic trifecta would look like for Arizona taxpayers.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In the event that we flip, we want to be ready to govern,&rdquo; Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, told The Center Square.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paid Family &amp; Medical Leave<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the Democratic Caucus&rsquo; priorities is to ensure that all Arizonans receive paid medical and family leave. This legislation would reflect a bill that ran in this year&rsquo;s legislative session, but was held in committee.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Bill 1632, proposed by Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, said that beginning in 2027, family and medical leave benefits could be paid to an individual who meets one of the requirements outlined in the bill: caring for a new child whether through birth, adoption or foster care, caring for a family member with a &ldquo;serious health condition,&rdquo; pregnant or recovering from childbirth, injury, impairment or a physical or mental condition requiring hospitalization, exigency leave due to a family member being on active duty or if someone is in need of safe leave.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the bill states that the individual would be allowed 26 weeks of paid leave. However, an individual cannot be paid more than $1,000 a week. The commission would determine an amount to be paid by employers and employees at a 1:1 ratio dependent on how much is paid from the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund that would be established.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans claim that this would hurt the economy, and an economic analysis of the proposition supports that thought.<\/p>\n<p>According to a report by the Common Sense Institute of Arizona, over 70 bills that were killed in this last legislative session would have been detrimental to the economy, including SB 1632.<\/p>\n<p>The report compares Arizona to Colorado, who has had similar laws proposed, but they have actually been enacted. According to the report, Colorado has had this law since 2019 and it has cost the economy there over $3 billion.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If you look at the largest economic impacts, they are not necessarily tax increases,&rdquo; said Katie Ratlief, executive director of the Common Sense Institute, &ldquo;they are imposing incredibly burdensome regulations upon employers about how they manage their employees.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Affordable Childcare<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Another point of importance for Democrats is creating more affordable childcare.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We have some goals to lower costs for Arizonans by making childcare more affordable, providing access to reliable childcare for folks,&rdquo; Marsh said.<\/p>\n<p>Examples of these efforts include SB 1389, sponsored by Sen. Lela Alston, D-Phoenix, that would remove the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cbo-joe-bidens-bill-will-invite-millions-of-new-migrants\/\" title=\"CBO: Joe Biden&#039;s Bill Will Invite &#039;Millions&#039; of New Migrants\">current waiting list<\/a> for government-funded childcare. In the current statute, it states that those at 100% of the state poverty level will be given preference moving up by 10% brackets no matter the time spent on the waiting list. Democrats want to appropriate enough money from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-ag-gets-state-85-million-lawsuit-settlement-from-google\/\" title=\"Arizona AG Gets State  Million Lawsuit Settlement From Google\">state general fund<\/a> to eradicate the waiting list.<\/p>\n<p>The total number of funds had yet to be determined when the bill was killed by Republicans, who maintain control of Arizona&rsquo;s Legislative chambers.<\/p>\n<p>Sen.&nbsp;John&nbsp;Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, said that Democratic policies like these would raise taxes for Arizonans.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You would lose the check and balance [without] having at least one Republican going against the more extreme left-wing measures,&rdquo; Kavanagh said.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Priya Sundareshan, campaign chair for the Democratic Caucus&rsquo; efforts to take the majority, said it is the Republican majority that &ldquo;left us in a budget hole,&rdquo; and that Democrats are interested in building revenue for the state. She also said that it is unlikely Democrats would raise taxes soon after winning the majority.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Raising taxes is difficult, so I don&rsquo;t think Democrats winning the majority automatically means we&rsquo;re going to raise taxes,&rdquo; Sundareshan said. &ldquo;In this state you need at least a two-thirds majority in order to raise taxes. So, unless we can get a two-thirds majority or we can get some Republican participation, their claim that we&rsquo;re going to immediately raise taxes rings pretty hollow.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lowering Prescription Drug Costs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The final measure the Democrats have listed as a caucus to cut costs is lowering the costs of prescription drugs.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Eva Burch, D-Mesa, sponsored two bills this legislative session, both of which were blocked. One, Senate Bill 1532, states that anyone who purchases a prescription drug that is subject to a &ldquo;maximum fair price&rdquo; determined by the federal government, cannot be required to pay more than that price.<\/p>\n<p>The other, SB 1533, would establish the Prescription Drug Affordability Division within the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions. This division would study and promote consumer cost saving mechanisms for prescription drugs, approve or deny prescription drug price increases &ndash; a requirement for pharmacies established in the bill &ndash; and ensure that the state-regulated health insurance premium rates accurately reflect the actual cost of the prescription drug.<\/p>\n<p>House Bill 2558, proposed by Rep. Judy Schwiebert, D-Phoenix, would have added more restraints to the price paid for prescription drugs, but was also held in committee.<\/p>\n<p>The bill states that &ldquo;a manufacturer or wholesale distributor may not engage in price gouging in the sale of an essential off-patent or generic drug.&rdquo; It goes on to define price gouging as an &ldquo;unconscionable increase in the price of a prescription drug,&rdquo; an essential off-patent or generic drug as prescription drug that meets a multitude of criteria.<\/p>\n<p>These would be that all exclusive marketing rights have expired, it either appears on the model list of essential medicines adopted by the World Health Organization or has been designated by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as an essential medicine, it is actively manufactured and marketed for sale in the U.S. by three or fewer manufacturers and is available for sale in Arizona.<\/p>\n<p>Schwiebert&rsquo;s blocked bill is listed in the Common Sense Institute&rsquo;s report as a bill that would hurt the economy. According to the report, while saving consumer&rsquo;s money, it might lead to a shortage of necessary medicine by placing a price control on essential drugs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Economical Concerns<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to Kavanagh, there are multiple legislative actions intended to cut costs for Arizonans that would actually hurt the economy and raise taxes exponentially. He is most concerned about there being bills that would expand Medicaid availability, provide medical benefits to non-U.S. citizens and require government health programs to pay for gender transition surgeries.<\/p>\n<p>Ratlief said the Democratic initiatives appear to be an earnest attempt at addressing issues, but the government regulations affect the state&rsquo;s economic engine.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It can be this over-regulation that kills innovation, kills jobs and makes job-creators want to take those jobs elsewhere,&rdquo; Ratlief said. &ldquo;They can be incredibly well-meaning and very well-intentioned, but if they are not balanced with allowing job-creators to thrive and to grow the economy, they can have a very detrimental effect very quickly.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1727396\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1727396\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What a Democratic majority in the Arizona Legislature might entail: Cost Reduction (The Center Square) \u2013 If they succeed in the upcoming November elections, Arizona Democrats plan to implement laws they believe will lower expenses for residents. In contrast, Republicans argue that these initiatives would negatively impact Arizona&#8217;s economy and result in increased taxes. The Democratic Caucus is just two seats shy of achieving a majority in the state&#8217;s legislative chambers for the first time in sixty years and has developed a strategy to ensure they can effectively govern if they gain control in 2025. This article is part of an ongoing series exploring what a Democratic trifecta could mean for taxpayers in Arizona. \u201cIf we manage to flip, we want to be prepared to lead,\u201d stated Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, during an interview with The Center Square.<\/p>\n<p>Paid Family &amp; Medical Leave<br \/>\nOne key priority for the Democratic Caucus is guaranteeing paid medical and family leave for all Arizonans. This proposed legislation mirrors a bill from this year&#8217;s session that was stalled in committee. Senate Bill 1632, introduced by Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, suggests that starting in 2027, individuals meeting specific criteria\u2014such as caring for a new child through birth or adoption or tending to a family member with serious health issues\u2014would be eligible for paid leave benefits totaling up to 26 weeks at no more than $1,000 per week. A commission would determine employer and employee contributions based on funds from an established Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund. Republicans contend this initiative could harm the economy; an economic analysis supports their view by indicating that over seventy bills deemed harmful were rejected during this legislative session.<\/p>\n<p>Affordable Childcare<br \/>\nAnother significant focus for Democrats is making childcare more affordable across Arizona. \u201cWe aim to reduce costs by enhancing access to reliable childcare,\u201d said Marsh. One example includes SB 1389 sponsored by Sen. Lela Alston, D-Phoenix; it seeks to eliminate the current waiting list for government-funded childcare services by allocating sufficient funds from the state general fund\u2014a proposal blocked by Republican lawmakers who currently hold power.<\/p>\n<p>Lowering Prescription Drug Costs<br \/>\nLastly, Democrats are advocating measures aimed at reducing prescription drug prices as part of their cost-cutting agenda. Sen. Eva Burch, D-Mesa introduced two bills this session targeting prescription drug pricing but both were obstructed as well; one bill sought price caps based on federal maximums while another aimed at creating a division within state insurance agencies dedicated solely to studying drug affordability.<\/p>\n<p>Economic Concerns<br \/>\nRepublican Senator John Kavanagh expressed concerns about various proposed measures intended ostensibly to cut costs but which he believes could ultimately harm economic stability and increase taxes significantly instead\u2014citing potential expansions of Medicaid eligibility among other issues as particularly troubling.<\/p>\n<p>In summary: While Democrats assert their initiatives are designed with good intentions towards improving conditions for Arizonans economically speaking\u2014their critics warn such regulations may stifle innovation leading businesses away from operating within state lines altogether due largely because of excessive governmental oversight hindering growth opportunities available locally<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2322295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arizona-voting-centers.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[37743,37745,37744,33017,32076],"class_list":["post-2322294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-arizona-legislature","tag-cost-cutting","tag-democratic-majorities","tag-political-analysis","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/arizona-voting-centers.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2322294"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322294\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2322295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2322294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2322294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2322294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}