Legislative Priorities of 2012-2013

The AASRA State Board approved the following legislative priorities on September 24, 2012. The Legislative Team members include: Sigrid Whitman, Chair, David Black, Virginia Brant, Joe Carter, Don Ritchie, and Mary Anne Vath, Members.

1)      Contact and visit with as many legislators as possible, on our legislative priorities.
 

2)      Maintain our reporting system with all the units, including Legislative contacts and/or Unit Presidents.

3)      Our main priority is to protect our Defined Benefit pensions and to do anything we can to help strengthen them. Lobby and inform on any items that have to do with the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), such as: the Permanent Benefit Increase (PBI) and our health insurance.

4)      Work for anti-voucher legislation in education, and for more funding for education, including full funding of the inflation factor already in law. Work on recognition by the Legislature of professional standards for public education. Work for issues that will improve the integrity of public education (including K-12, community colleges, and the universities).
 

5)      Work to provide educational infrastructure and safety programs for schools, including School Resource Officers (SRO), and to restore funding for the School Facilities Board, already in state law.
 

6)      Work against any TABOR-like (Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) issues that might come up again in the Legislature.
 

7)      Promote restoration and budget increases for human services such as: caregiving funds, funds for children and families, funds for grandparents bringing up grandchildren, and funding for AHCCCS (Medicaid).

Sigrid Whitman, Legislative Chair