At the start of this month, Phoenix City Council unanimously approved up to 480 hours of paid parental leave, the equivalent of 12 weeks and costing an estimated $2 to $8 million annually. The benefit kicks in for births, adoptions, and foster care placements during 12-month periods.
The new benefit requires that employees meet Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) eligibility requirements: be employed by the city for at least 12 months and have performed at least 1,250 hours of work during the 12 month period preceding the leave. The city’s leave would run concurrently with FMLA leave, unless the FMLA entitlement was exhausted when caring for an immediate family member with a serious health condition or being unable to work due to a serious health condition.
The added benefit, which the city boasted was “among the most generous parental leave packages offered by any local government agency,” will kick in on October 1.
Mayor Kate Gallego expressed her enthusiasm for the new policy. She recalled her efforts years ago to implement a similar policy when lobbying for equal pay for women.
“It has taken quite a long time to figure out how to pay for this generous benefit financially,” said Gallego. “May this lead to healthier, happier babies.”
Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari equated caring for live children with abortion. She said that this policy reflected on the importance of family planning in light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that abortion law should be left up to the states — the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“I think it’s especially fitting that we have this policy now, given that reproductive rights are under attack as well. We need to be doing everything in our power to protect Phoenicians’ ability to continue to make their own family planning decisions,” said Ansari.
Councilman Sal DiCiccio rebutted Ansari’s view of the policy’s impact, noting that this was support for the decision to choose life — not just an affirmation of one type of family planning that included abortion.
“For those of us on the pro-life side, we really need to start evaluating how and what type of programs we’re going to be supporting going forward,” said DiCiccio. “If we’re going to be seeing more adoptions, more foster care, then we’ve got to be stepping it up ourselves, too.”
Councilman Carlos Garcia expressed hope that this policy would just be the beginning of family care benefits. He mentioned childcare and housing benefits.
Councilwoman Ann O’Brien recounted how, 27 years ago, her husband first received two weeks of parental leave but she received none from her employer at the time. O’Brien added that paid leave would help mitigate the city’s employee shortage by offering a competitive benefit.
The City of #Phoenix just became an even better place to work with 12 weeks of paid leave for new birth, adoptive, or foster parents. The new parental leave benefit was unanimously approved by City Council on July 1. Details: https://t.co/Ol4NQY4GEzpic.twitter.com/A1GXtpSIn4
— Councilwoman Ann O’Brien (@PHXDistrict1) July 7, 2022
Councilwoman Betty Guardado said that 12 weeks was necessary for parental bonding time.
“Spending time with your child without losing your income should be a right for all working people in this country,” said Guardado.
Last year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reported that 26 percent of state and local government workers across the country had access to paid parental leave. In 2008, that number was 15 percent; it reached 17 and then dropped to 16 percent by 2012. It wasn’t until 2017 that the percentage increased by nearly 10 points to 25 percent. The last period of growth occurred in 2020 to the present total, 26 percent.
BLS data reports that 23 percent of private and civilian industry workers had access to paid family leave in 2021.
Watch the Phoenix City Council discussion and vote on paid family leave below:
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
In January, Gov. Doug Ducey pledged that securing Arizona’s water future would be a priority during his last year in office, and on Wednesday he delivered a $1 billion investment toward projects that will bring additional water to the state on a long-term basis and change Arizona’s future.
Ducey signed Senate Bill 1740 during a ceremony attended by several lawmakers and stakeholders. The bill, which the governor’s office called “historic legislation,” will allow Arizona to make significant strides in water conservation and innovative technologies such as desalination. It will also provide state officials the opportunity to identify and develop new innovative long-term water sources.
“This legislation is crucial for our continued growth and prosperity,” Ducey said. “As we’ve done over the past seven and a half years, we came together, brought everyone to the table and delivered for the people of this great state. And by doing so, we are leaving Arizona better and stronger than we found it
SB1740 appropriates more than $1 billion over three years to the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) while expanding the agency’s responsibilities to provide loans and grants to water providers and entities. The funding is earmarked to support importation of water into Arizona, conservation, efficiency and reuses, and new technologies.
During the signing ceremony, Ducey recognized Sen. Sine Kerr (R- Buckeye) and Rep. Gail Griffin (R-Hereford) for chairing their respective chamber’s natural resources committee this session.
The governor also lauded Senate President Karen Fann, House Speaker Rusty Bowers, and minority leaders Rep. Reginald Bolding and Sen. Rebecca Rios for ensuring strong bipartisan support, as only two nay votes were cast against SB1740.
Fann noted that Arizona already had a strong commitment to obtaining water security, but acknowledged the state needed to step up its water conservation, efficiency, and reuse projects.
“Arizona’s economy is booming and in order to sustain that growth, we need to look ahead,” she said after the signing. “This water package does just that.”
Sine, who sponsored SB170, sees the signing of the bill as setting in motion a pathway toward reliable future water sources. “Today we celebrate our action to address the water issues our great state faces,” Kerr said. “All Arizonans now and in the future will benefit from this legislation.”
Water legislation has been a longtime priority for Griffin, who saw passage of SB170 as a collaborative effort among multiple stakeholders. “This critical legislation just makes sense. It’s fair and forward-looking,” Griffin said. “I’m glad we’ve come together to find a solution for our water future.”
One of those vital stakeholders was Arizona Farm Bureau.
“More than most, Arizona’s farmers and ranchers know the value of water,” said AFB President Stefanie Smallhouse. “This forward-thinking legislation will be counted among Arizona’s other great successes in water management, and the Arizona Farm Bureau is thankful to the Governor, leadership and staff in the House and Senate, and all those who came together to make this bipartisan bill a reality.”
Another key stakeholder who supported SB1740 was the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association, which has been outspoken about the worsening conditions on the Colorado River which supplies water to much of Arizona.
“This is an important starting point to ensure continual planning and financing of water augmentation, reuse, and conservation,” said Warren Tenney, AMWUA’s executive directors. “Now, we must work together to maximize this historic investment in the wisest ways possible to benefit Arizona now and in the future.”
The first Starbucks in Tucson unionized on Thursday in a 11-3 vote, the first in Pima County and the fifth in the state.
In an April letter announcing unionization intent with Starbucks Workers United (SBWU), 10 of the Tucson Starbucks workers said that unions were the only option for an ideal work environment. The words “partner” and “partnership” were brought up frequently.
“We do not see unions as an assault on Starbucks. Rather, we see unions as a symbol of both our love for the company and as an opportunity for partners to prosper alongside Starbucks moving forward,” wrote the workers.
Partners at University & Euclid in Tucson, Arizona are organizing a union! Let’s go!!!! pic.twitter.com/TQr65a7NO2
The University of Arizona (UArizona) neighbor succeeded where two other stores’ unionization efforts failed earlier this year: one in Chandler, Arizona by a 1-9 vote taken last month, and another in Phoenix by a narrow 6-8 vote in May (though seven ballots were challenged and the official outcome is to be determined).
By vote of 11-3, Starbucks at University & Euclid wins their union! Tucson is home the 5th unionized location in Arizona!
— Pima Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO (@PALF_AFLCIO) July 6, 2022
The following Arizona stores are unionized: in Mesa, the Power & Baseline Road and Crimson & Southern locations; and in Phoenix, the 7th Street & Bell location. The 7th & Roosevelt location in Phoenix filed to unionize and will take a vote next Friday.
BREAKING: Tucson, Arizona, Starbucks workers win their union election 11-3, becoming the 5th store in the state to unionize.
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) July 6, 2022
Nationwide, 310 stores in 35 states filed to unionize. 186 of those stores won union elections. The nationwide unionization efforts have succeeded rapidly since the first Starbucks union formed last December in New York.
SWBU insists that coffee shop employees are overworked and underpaid, and often face issues like understaffing. Arizona Starbucks’ minimum wage sits around $14 an hour. Nationwide, that average sits around $17 an hour.
“We know what it’s like to be understaffed and overworked, on our feet for hours at a time, memorizing long menus, presenting a sunny demeanor to customers — even when they’re entitled, or impatient, or rude, or creepy,” reads the SWBU FAQ page. “We will have the right to negotiate a union contract and have a real voice in setting organization policies, rights on the job, health and safety conditions, protections from unfair firings or unfair discipline, seniority rights, leaves of absence rights, benefits, wages, etc.”
Starbucks unionization means that workers can’t be disciplined or terminated “at will,” and instead will be shielded by union contracts, or collective bargaining agreements. The employees do have to pay dues, which range depending on the region. In Buffalo, New York, where the first union launched, dues for full time workers are nearly $11 a week, or $5 a week for those who work under 25 hours.
HAPPENING NOW: Starbucks employees celebrate as the National Labor Relations Board votes YES! @Starbucks on University and Euclid is the first store in #Tucson to be unionized. @KOLDNewspic.twitter.com/BZB196iTU3
The Tucson store’s unionization efforts weren’t without pushback. Employees claimed that they received a new district manager and had their hours reduced after announcing their intent to unionize.
Among the local officials who applauded the unionization was Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. The mayor said that the effort was a win for “justice, equality, and a better life.”
On Thursday afternoon, Arizona made history by becoming the first state to implement universal school choice in modern-day education. The state’s school choice system, the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program, ensures that all of Arizona’s students receive up to $7,000 annually to receive the education they desire. Students may apply the scholarship account funds to public school alternatives or supplements like private schools, homeschooling, educational therapies, or tutoring.
For the past month, Governor Doug Ducey has celebrated the historic legislation in a flurry of tweets and press releases. Ducey declared Arizona’s universal school choice program the “gold standard for education freedom.”
📚SIGNED: THE MOST EXPANSIVE SCHOOL CHOICE LEGISLATION IN THE NATION📚
This is a monumental moment for all of Arizona’s students. Our kids will no longer be locked in under-performing schools. 1/ https://t.co/CEz1Vk43E0
Arizona House Majority Leader Ben Toma, the sponsor behind the bill to universalize school choice, emphasized in a press release that the GOP overcame divided opinion within its “razor thin” majority to universalize ESAs.
“In Arizona, we fund students, not systems, because we know one size does not fit all students,” said Toma. “I couldn’t be prouder that House Republicans stood united to pass the first truly universal ESA program in the nation and deliver educational freedom to more than 1.1 million students.”
House Majority Leader @RepBenToma Hails Enactment of Universal ESA Program, Expanding School Choice for All K-12 Families.
— Arizona House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) July 7, 2022
In the wake of the Arizona legislation’s approval of Toma’s bill, school choice opponents invoked rhetoric to reiterate their longstanding claim that school choice leads to segregation. Proponents of school choice refute that claim, including one prominent Black pastor from South Phoenix — a Democrat who benefitted from school choice.
Anti-school choice activists with Save Our Schools Arizona (SOSAZ) launched a campaign to subvert the new law, “Stop Voucher Expansion” — a mischaracterization of the school choice funds as “vouchers.” If successful, SOSAZ would put the fate of universal school choice on the 2024 ballot.
Today, we are proud to announce the launch of #StopVoucherExpansion, an all-volunteer petition drive to refer universal ESA voucher expansion to the 2024 ballot. Join our movement to protect public education & keep $1B in AZ’s public schools TODAY: https://t.co/Se3tAgpXWzpic.twitter.com/ODf9Z1CFxo
The ESA Program is not a voucher program. It is an education scholarship account. Vouchers are education funds awarded for use at private schools only. The ESA Program allows parents to apply their funds to a variety of education options including, but not limited to, private schooling. Prior to its universalization, the ESA Program was open to a select few classes of students, mainly utilized by those with disabilities that relied on the funds to obtain niche educational therapies.
Parents who benefited from ESAs pleaded with their community to oppose the SOSAZ activists.
Please DECLINE TO SIGN anything from Save Our Schools Arizona. ALL Arizona children deserve access to an education that meets their individual needs. Signing their petition does not allow families to make the best educational choice for their children. #DeclineToSignpic.twitter.com/nNDGDth1iO
13 private schools in Arizona are associated with a private school accreditation network that’s long advocated for transgenderism in minors: the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
The following are the 13 NAIS-accredited schools:
Mayer: The Orme School
Paradise Valley: Phoenix Country Day School
Phoenix: All Saints’ Episcopal Day School, Gateway Academy, New Way Academy
Scottsdale: International School of Arizona, Nishmat Adin – Shalhevet Scottsdale, Pardes Jewish Day School
Sedona: Verde Valley School
Tucson: The Gregory School, Imago Dei Middle School, International School of Tucson, Tucson Hebrew Academy
One of the latest major initiatives by NAIS involves transgenderism advocacy for minors. Last month, NAIS hosted a joint conference with Gender Spectrum, a pro-transgenderism organization heavily focused on promoting child and teen gender transitions. Gender Spectrum partners with a plastic surgeon that specializes in gender transition procedures: Align Surgical Associates.
What if you found out that your child's teacher, counselor, and principal were trained by an org that encourages child transgenderism and partners with trans surgeons?
— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) July 6, 2022
Gender Spectrum’s premiere sponsor is Pearson, one of the leading education materials providers in the world.
NAIS has an entire page dedicated to “Supporting Transgender Students in Independent Schools.” Many of their resources on the page, such as their legal advisory on handling transgender students, is hidden behind an NAIS member login.
NAIS’ reliance on Gender Spectrum and advocacy for minors transitioning genders isn’t new. They’ve been doing so for well over a decade. One of their earliest mentions of transgenderism advocacy occurs in a 2010 edition of their magazine, which was dedicated entirely to gender and sexuality ideology. In a guideline, NAIS instructed affiliate schools and educators on “Gender and Sexuality Diversity,” which they abbreviated as “GSD.”
NAIS told its schools to incorporate GSD materials in curriculum and libraries, establish GSD professional development programs for faculty and staff, and form GSD non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies. The network encouraged schools to allow students to wear gender-affirming clothes, and use the preferred bathrooms of their choice.
“If you have a gender variant child in your school, put together a team, including a professional therapist and/or consultant, to create plans and approaches on a case-by-case basis. Each child and school community has particular needs that can best be addressed with a collaborative consultation model,” read the guideline. “Remember that helping your school community examine unhealthy gender-role stereotyping is a benefit to all, not just those students who are gender variant.”
Nearly 2,000 private schools in the U.S. and abroad are affiliated with NAIS, with over 1,600 of those being independent, private K-12 schools in the U.S. That accounts for over 60,000 out of nearly 131,000 teachers in the country, nearly 46 percent, and just under 697,000 of the nearly 54 million students, a little over 1 percent.
31 percent of NAIS membership is based in the West and Southwest, followed by 29 percent in the East and Mid-Atlantic regions. 50 percent of all NAIS-affiliated U.S. schools are elementary and high schools, with 38 percent being preK-8 schools, and only 13 percent being high schools.
.@NAISnetwork, a network servicing close to 2,000 private schools, partnered with an organization that pushes "gender affirming" surgeries, has "chat rooms" for minors to talk to trans and non-binary adults, and pays teachers to learn about gender identity. https://t.co/2e3uwizB2F
Gov. Doug Ducey vetoed a bill Wednesday which would have allowed Maricopa County voters to decide next year whether to extend a 2004 voter approved one-half cent transportation tax for another 25 years.
Ducey explained in his veto notice that his action was not about whether the 20-year voter approved Proposition 400 tax set to expire in December 2025 should be extended. Instead, he determined lawmakers approved House Bill 2685 with ballot language that was not responsible nor transparent.
“The language is not only biased, but it fails to include any mention of the increase of 20 to 25 years nor the changes to distribution for state highways, local roads and public transit,” Ducey wrote, pointing out the proposed ballot measure also does not take into consideration passage of the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act.
As a result, Ducey noted that what voters would have been asked to approve “does not properly account for the opportunity to properly leverage state dollars for federal transportation infrastructure funding.”
HB2685 passed the State Senate with only 7 aye votes from the 16 members of its Republican caucus, while the bill received support of only 10 of the 31 House Republicans on the final vote. It was introduced in March to replace Senate Bill 1356 which did not make it out of the House Rules Committee.
Ducey’s veto notice did not have much good to say about HB2685, but he gave a shout out to Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita for introducing various amendments to both bills to address several concerns the majority of Republican lawmakers had with the language of the ballot measure.
The amendments offered by Ugenti-Rita (R-Scottsdale) would have ensured a fairer ballot description narrative, Ducey explained, as well as provide more strategic insight into how the transportation and infrastructure tax dollars would be spent.
“Unfortunately, none of these amendments were adopted,” Ducey wrote, adding that asking voters to approve the extension as proposed “is not the way to address the needs of our growing state.”
Reaction to Ducey’s veto was swift, including a statement from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club which called the veto “well-deserved” to avoid allocating transportation dollars for bike lanes, trollies, and “little used transit” at the expense of critical freeway maintenance.
“We commend the Governor for this wise decision and for hearing the concerns brought up by opponents throughout the process as well as thousands of Arizona taxpayers who expressed deep concerns over the poorly drafted legislation,” the AFEC statement reads. “The real victors of course are the taxpayers themselves who deserve common sense transportation policy and accountability for their tax dollars.”
Also complimenting Ducey’s veto was the Arizona Chapter of the Republican Liberty Caucus.
Thank you @DougDucey for your veto of HB2685! We testified against this massive 25 year tax extension while down at the Capitol for our Liberty Lobby Day earlier this session. Our bloated budget spends enough on infrastructure. Arizonans need lower taxes for inflation relief! pic.twitter.com/TEZT8p2hLS
However, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego tweeted that she was profoundly disappointed by what she called Ducey’s shortsighted, anti-economic development, and “out of touch” veto.
By killing the bill, the governor seems to think Arizonans love sitting in traffic jams, giving up time with family, and further damaging air quality. 3/6
One thing Gallego’s six-part missive did not mention is there is nothing in Ducey’s veto to prevent legislators from drafting a sounder bill next session and get it before voters in plenty of time to be decided before the one-half cent tax expires.
