by Staff Reporter | Aug 15, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A state senator instrumental to protecting vulnerable children is also key to Republican control of the Arizona Legislature.
State Senator Shawnna Bolick is hoping her constituents give her the green light to return for her first full term in the Arizona Legislature after returning from a brief hiatus. Bolick was appointed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in July 2023, when then-State Senator Steve Kaiser surprisingly resigned from his office. The Phoenix-area mother of two had previously served for two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives (2019-2023).
Earlier this year, Bolick authored SB 1372, which “proscribes a court from ordering family reunification treatment that requires certain conditions for participation unless both parents consent,” according to the overview from the Arizona House of Representatives. The bill overwhelmingly passed the state senate with a 19-9 vote (with two members not voting), and it cleared the House with a 32-27 result (with one member not voting).
Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, signed the bill in April.
In a statement after the bill’s signing, Bolick said, “A number of families reached out to me with their horror stories surrounding reunification camps, and I was compelled to take action. Unqualified individuals have been profiting off of the disfunction being forced upon countless kids, and the judicial system seems to be none the wiser to this scheme. Many times, these kids are taken in the middle of the night, sent to seedy locations like motels, sometimes out of state, and are basically brainwashed into agreeing to spend time with a parent that is either mentally, emotionally, or physically harming the child, while having no contact with the parent that the child actually feels safe with.”
Bolick added, “I’m thrilled this bill was signed into law, but I’m utterly appalled nine out of 14 Senate Democrats and nearly all House Democrats voted ‘no’ on protecting our children from this heinous victimization. Their vote against this legislation shows their true colors. Democrats are more concerned with partisan games than following their conscience and doing what’s right for the safety and well-being of these vulnerable kids.”
Hobbs said, “I was glad to sign this bill to codify current best practices of the courts and prevent vulnerable children from being in potentially unwelcome and unhelpful situations.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, a representative from Arizona National Organization for Women, usually a champion for progressive candidates and causes, endorsed the bill, showing its broad appeal.
The effort on this family reunification legislation follows another from Bolick at the end of her first tenure in office. In 2022, Bolick sponsored HB 2134 to appropriate $150,000 for the award of school safety grants from the Arizona Department of Education, which was approved in that year’s budget. Bolick said, “As a mom of a teenager, I know how much our kids rely heavily on technology. This school safety grant is a small investment in addressing bullying and student safety in our schools. According to a November 2021 Arizona Child Fatality Review Annual Report, bullying is a top reason for children taking their own lives. Teens have told me they have tried to report an incident on their school campus with a trusted adult but were never taken seriously. It is my hope that the responsible use of this technology will lead to safer school campuses for our students.”
Bolick has also championed school choice proposals to protect children who are being bullied in their places of education. In 2019, Bolick wrote an opinion piece for the Arizona Republic about the unfortunate instances of her daughter being bullied and assaulted, leading to her parents looking to relocate schools “because we no longer felt the school would protect her.” She stated that her daughter “is just one of the thousands of children across our country who are victims of a crime on a K-12 public school campus.”
These episodes with her daughter, coupled with her vast experience in the New York City public school system, led Bolick to introduce the Lifeline for Student Crime Victims Act “to expand Empowerment Scholarship Account eligibility to include public school students who have been victims of battery, harassment, hazing, kidnapping, physical attack, robbery, sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, threatening, intimidation, fighting, sex trafficking or human trafficking.”
The first-term lawmaker (at that time) closed her piece, writing, “As a freshman legislator, I had the choice to be a wallflower or jump into the fray solving problems facing our state. At the end of the day, I side with victims’ rights over the establishment.”
Judy Schwiebert signed in on the legislature’s Request to Speak system to oppose the bill – along with a representative from Save Our Schools Arizona.
If Bolick is given the chance to continue in the legislature for the next term, she is already looking at more opportunities to protect vulnerable children across the state. In an exclusive interview with AZ Free News earlier this summer, she said that she is looking at options to “deal with the bullying in our schools” and to “get to the root of the problem because bullying continues to get worse leading to kids missing weeks of school.”
Arizona Legislative District 2 is one of the most competitive in the state, with a 3.8% vote spread in the past nine statewide elections. It is very winnable for Republicans, however, as the party has emerged victorious in six out of those nine elections.
Senator Bolick will face off against Judy Schwiebert in the November General Election, who is running unopposed in the Democrat primary election.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Jul 20, 2024 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
A public servant and school choice warrior of the Arizona Legislature is key to Republicans’ control of the Senate chamber in the next two sessions.
State Senator Shawnna Bolick is hoping her constituents give her the green light to come back for her first full term in the Arizona Legislature after returning from a brief hiatus. Bolick was appointed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in July 2023, when then-State Senator Steve Kaiser surprisingly resigned from his office. The Phoenix-area mother of two had previously served for two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives (2019-2023).
After leaving the legislature in January 2023, Bolick turned her eyes to other priorities. In an exclusive interview with AZ Free News, Senator Bolick revealed that she and her husband were preparing to sell their house in order to downsize, being that their two children are on the cusp of setting out on their own. Additionally, Bolick and her husband Clint (an Arizona Supreme Court Justice) had started the process of setting a heavy travel schedule over the next two years at the time of her exit from politics.
In fact, the Bolicks were abroad when the call came for Shawnna’s return to the Arizona Legislature, and unsurprising to most around her, she couldn’t resist the chance to return to public service. She told AZ Free News that she was in London when the opportunity first arose for a possible appointment to the state senate, which was created by Kaiser’s vacancy. Then, she was in Prague when the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors selected her for the position. That’s when Bolick’s travel wings were temporarily clipped thanks to her commitment to the challenging schedule of legislating and campaigning for re-election.
Senator Bolick told AZ Free News that she desired to return to the frontlines of this toxic political climate because “we are facing challenging times fighting Biden’s inflationary policies at the national level and Hobbs’ woke policies are driving a stake between families and a growing nanny government.” She added, “When I was recruited back, it was to help maintain our majority and save educational freedom.”
The Republican legislator shared that she has been most influenced by William Bennett as she grew up and started down her path of public service. At age nineteen, Bolick read Bennett’s book, “The Devaluing of America: The Fight for Our Culture and Children.” She said that the book “truly called out to me and shifted my interests from wanting to be a writer to restoring hope in our education system,” and that Bennett’s words “also challenged me to want to go to D.C. and work.”
Later, Bolick studied education policy in college and graduate school. She worked in a New York City public school in 1997. It was there she realized the necessity of more school choice opportunities for everyone – especially for low-income families.
Few people are more passionate about school choice and educational freedom in Arizona than Shawnna Bolick. She noted that “When families realize they have more than one educational option available, not only does it give them hope for a better future for their kids, but families feel empowered to try to make the right decision.”
She recounted a time in New York City, when she and some colleagues went to all five boroughs to recruit families trapped in their nearby public schools to their magnet institution. The public-school employees went to fast food restaurants and street corners to inform New Yorkers about the school’s existence. Thinking back about this experience, Bolick marvels at her coalition’s willingness to “spend their free time recruiting families to a public school because it was an option other than their locally zoned neighborhood public school.”
Bolick pointed out that many of the parents they met on these incursions could not afford to send their children to private school – even though they might have been working multiple jobs. These lessons and meetings spurred Bolick on to her life in public service out west, advancing the principles of educational opportunities for all.
Back in the Arizona Legislature this time around, Senator Bolick serves as the Vice Chairman of the Senate Finance and Commerce Committee and a member of the Education Committee.
When thinking back over her time in the legislature over the past two years, Bolick highlighted a ballot referral as her proudest achievement, saying, “I sponsored Proposition 313 to put child sex traffickers in prison for natural life. If the voters pass this proposition in November, it will send a powerful message that Arizona’s children are not for sale. With a wide open border, I hope voters agree it is time to protect our children from sexual exploitation through trafficking.”
If Bolick is given the honor of representing her district again in the state senate, she is already planning the next policies she would prioritize in office. She said she has “an expandable folder sitting on my desk at the Capitol [where she] started to keep newspaper articles, policy papers, but more importantly, constituents who contacted me to research and draft future legislation.” One of the legislation ideas she is working through is “to deal with the bullying in our schools.” Bolick acknowledged that “we need to get to the root of the problem because bullying continues to get worse, leading to kids missing weeks of school.”
Arizona Legislative District 2 is one of the most competitive in the state, with a 3.8% vote spread in the past nine statewide elections. It is very winnable for Republicans, however, as the party has emerged victorious in six out of those nine elections.
Bolick is competing against Josh Barnett in the Republican primary. The winner of that contest will earn the right to face off against Judy Schwiebert, who is running unopposed in the Democrat primary election.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 23, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to protect children in the State of Arizona was recently vetoed by Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs.
Last week, Governor Hobbs vetoed SB 1435, which would have “subject[ed] a public entity to liability for losses arising out of an act or omission by a public employee that is determined to be a felony sexual offense under certain circumstances” – according to the overview provided by the Arizona House of Representatives.
In a statement to Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, Hobbs explained that “legislation that expands public entity liability needs to be carefully tailored and thoughtfully executed,” and that “this legislation does not meet that standard.”
State Senator Shawnna Bolick, the sponsor of the bill, responded to the governor’s action against her proposal, writing, “An institution tasked with keeping our children safe should be held accountable if they choose to hire someone who causes them harm. Sadly, Governor Hobbs disagrees. Keeping Arizona’s children safe is a top priority for Senate Republicans, and we’ve fought hard to close gaps in our system that allow those who facilitate crimes against our most vulnerable population, to get away with their heinous acts. One Arizona child who is victimized is one too many.”
When the bill passed the Arizona Senate back in March, it received bipartisan support with a 19-9 vote (with two members not voting). This month, the Arizona House of Representatives approved the legislation with a 34-26 result, sending it to the Governor’s Office.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Arizona School Administrators, Arizona Association of School Business Officials, Arizona School Boards Association, Greater Phoenix Educational Management Council signed in to oppose the bill. A representative from the Arizona Center for Disability Law endorsed the proposal.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 9, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to help Arizonans with their “second chance” was recently signed into law.
Last month, Governor Katie Hobbs, signed SB 1367 into law. The bill “modifies statute relating to a petition for review of criminal records for an occupational license” – according to the overview provided by the Arizona House of Representatives.
Senator Shawnna Bolick, the bill’s sponsor, shared some insight into her proposal, writing, “I worked with the Alliance for Safety and Justice to help make Arizona a safer place to live, as well as to help those individuals who are released from prison acclimate successfully back into society and become productive members contributing to their communities. Typically, when people are unable to get a job, secure a place to live, or provide for their families, they have a greater chance of reoffending and often end up back in prison.”
Bolick added, “My bill, SB 1367, was recently signed into law and will create a pathway for folks to get a job quicker after being released by expanding access to occupational licenses for non-serious offenses. This measure was supported by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, which includes thousands of members here in Arizona. This legislation will benefit our state by filling job vacancies, stopping cycles of crime, and improving the safety of our citizens. This is a win for crime victims, as well as for our citizens who are in search of a second chance.”
In March, the Arizona Senate overwhelmingly approved of the legislation with a 24-4 vote (with two members not voting). Later that month, it passed out of the Arizona House of Representatives with a 45-9 vote (with five members not voting and one seat vacant).
After the State House gave a green light to the legislation, the “X” account for the Alliance for Safety and Justice praised Bolick’s leadership on the issue, stating, “We are so grateful to Shawnna Bolick for leading the passage of pro-safety, pro-jobs SB 1367 in AZ today! SB 1367 will: 1. Create a pathway to jobs for those with old records and help them rebuild their lives, 2. Make communities safer, and 3. Strengthen our economy.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from Action for Safety And Justice, American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, Justice Action Network, and State Conference NAACP signed in to support the bill.
SB 1367 will go into effect 90 days after the Arizona Legislature officially concludes its business for the 2024 session.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 1, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
An Arizona Republican State Senator is pushing back against a new regulation from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Last week, Senator Shawnna Bolick added her name to a letter addressed to Members of the U.S. Congress over the SEC’s “radical climate agenda rule that would require most public companies to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions in order to be listed on American stock exchanges.” The letter was sent by a coalition of leaders under the umbrella of Advancing American Freedom.
On her “X” account, Bolick wrote, “It is always an honor to push back against Biden’s job killing policies.”
The signers of the letter requested legislators to “use all of the legislative powers at your disposal to strike down the SEC’s climate disclosure rule, including defunding the rule via the appropriations process and overturning it through the Congressional Review Act resolution effort being led by Congressman Bill Huizenga and Senator Tim Scott.”
In the letter, the coalition of organization heads highlighted that “American investors are concerned with financial returns and increasing shareholder value, not advancing an ideological climate agenda that stifles American innovation through mountains of paperwork and endless red tape for the American businesses that keep our economy strong.”
They noted that almost two dozen states have challenged the rule from the SEC. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who led one of the lawsuits, said, “Biden’s radical climate mandate is the most outrageous act of overreach we’ve seen from the Securities and Exchange Commission since Biden took office. The SEC is supposed to prevent people from getting ripped off, not force an illegal climate mandate that is far outside of their wheelhouse. His climate mandate will only saddle businesses with costly red tape, threaten our supply chain, and devastate Iowa family farms.”
The Arizona Senate Democrats Caucus “X” account took aim at Bolick’s involvement in the letter, posting, “Just to clarify Senator Bolick, which policy are you pushing back against? Historically low unemployment, under 4% for two full years. Nearly 15 million new jobs added under President Biden. Inflation is down nearly 2/3 from its peak. In 2023, the economy grew 3.1%.”
Additional signers of the letter included leaders from Americans for Tax Reform, Americans for Prosperity, Consumers’ Research, American Commitment, 60 Plus Association, National Taxpayers Union, American Energy Institute, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Job Creators Network, and several others.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
