Arizona State House of Representatives Legislator

Judy Schwiebert




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Education

Every child has the right to a great education regardless of race, zip code, or income level. And we know that teachers and public schools play a crucial role in bringing Arizonans together and preparing every child to have a happy and successful life. Yet too many teachers can no longer afford to teach in our state. Arizona’s investment in our children’s public schools has been in the national basement for the past fifteen years. As a result, one-third of our children no longer have a permanent, qualified teacher in their classroom. That’s a disaster for all of us who want to live in a safe, healthy, and thriving community. Republicans’ decision to drain $1 billion from public schools into academically and financially unaccountable private schools that allow owners to pocket our tax dollars with impunity is only making things worse. We need to make a significant and lasting investment to make sure every child gets their chance to thrive. To do that, it’s essential that we first lift the 1980-era spending cap on school districts which led to the teacher shortage crisis so that we can increase teacher and staff pay to the national median, reduce class sizes that are among the highest in the nation, and fulfill the state’s long-promised funding to repair or replace outdated school facilities.

Reproductive Freedom

Politicians have no business in our personal business. In fact, the Arizona Constitution explicitly guarantees our right to privacy, and I will protect that right for every Arizonan. That applies to having the right to make our own decisions about our bodies, including the right to abortion. With the Repeal of Roe, Arizona is left with laws that could prevent a doctor from even assisting your wife or daughter experiencing a miscarriage until they were close to death. My own son and daughter-in-law struggled for years to have a child, so we were overjoyed when they became pregnant, and then heartbroken when they learned the fetus couldn’t live past birth. Thank goodness they were able to have a safe procedure to end the pregnancy, with no state legislator looking over their shoulders to blame, judge, fine, or even jail them or their doctor for this most personal decision. People should have the fundamental freedom to make their own decisions including in complicated, life-threatening situations. As your legislator I will protect everyone’s right to privacy and a woman’s right to choose.

Jobs & the Economy

Prices for everything are way too high! And yet instead of working for ways to ease the burden on everyday working families, the Republican majority in the Arizona legislature has focused time and again on benefits for the richest people in our state. This past year, they gave away $2 Billion in state revenue to the wealthiest Arizonans, and have created a system of tax breaks that allow the majority of corporations in our state to pay the minimum of $50 in state taxes, We need to stop shifting the tax burden for maintaining our infrastructure, roads, schools, public safety, schools, and other vital services we all depend upon to the middle class. Everyone should pay their fair share. We should be prioritizing our local businesses and the everyday people of Arizona so we can build a strong economy that works for all of us.