Rep. Quantá Crews

Maddy summaryHB 2213 allocates $3.8 million from Arizona's state general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026 to provide free school lunches to children meeting federal income eligibility requirements under the National School Lunch Program. The funding is directed to the Arizona Department of Education to cover existing federal program standards, directly benefiting low-income students in public schools. The bill specifies this appropriation should be treated as ongoing funding for future years, building on current federal guidelines. It does not change eligibility rules but provides state financial support for meals already covered under federal law.

Maddy summaryHB 2289 would increase Arizona's minimum wage in phased steps, starting at $10 per hour in 2017 and rising to $18 per hour by 2025. After 2025, the wage would automatically adjust annually based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) to account for cost-of-living changes. The bill also allows employers to pay tipped workers a base wage up to $3 less per hour, provided total tips and wages meet the minimum wage requirement for all hours worked. This applies to most covered employees in Arizona, excluding certain agricultural or seasonal workers as defined by existing law. The bill requires a three-fourths vote in both legislative chambers to become effective.

Maddy summaryHB 2160 renames Arizona's "Commission of African-American Affairs" to the "Office of African-American Affairs" and establishes it as a formal state office. The office consists of the governor and seven state agency directors (ex officio members) plus nine appointed members (seven African-American and two non-African-American), who serve without pay and meet quarterly. Its key duties include advising the governor on policies affecting African-American communities, coordinating with state agencies to address needs in health, education, and economic development, and organizing an annual "African-American legislative day" in February. The bill also creates a dedicated fund for the office’s operations, exempt from standard budget lapsing rules.

Maddy summaryHB 2284 prohibits cities and local authorities in Arizona from enacting or enforcing ordinances that ban "cruising" - defined as repetitive driving past the same location without a destination within a specific time period. The bill amends traffic laws to prevent local governments from banning this activity, ensuring uniform state traffic regulations apply across all communities. It clarifies that cities may still adopt other traffic rules not conflicting with state law, but cannot target cruising through local ordinances. The bill does not create new traffic rules but limits local authority to ban a specific driving behavior. This directly affects cities' ability to regulate traffic patterns under local ordinances.

Maddy summaryHB 2934 changes how property tax overpayments are handled when a taxpayer wins a court case. If a taxpayer overpaid property taxes and receives a court award, the county treasurer must refund the overpayment using next year's property tax revenue (or credit it toward future taxes), rather than deducting it from future tax collections. Taxing jurisdictions must budget for their proportional share of the refund in the next fiscal year, and interest at the legal rate applies from the date of overpayment. This affects taxpayers who overpaid property taxes and county/state governments responsible for collecting and refunding those taxes.

Maddy summaryHB 2915 defines when Arizona school districts are considered insolvent (e.g., unable to pay debts, teacher salaries unpaid for 45+ days, or bond defaults) and authorizes the state board of education to intervene. If a district meets insolvency criteria, the state board appoints a financial receiver to take control of operations. The receiver can reassign staff, cancel non-teacher contracts (except for certificated teachers with over a year of service), create a 120-day financial improvement plan, and oversee budget reforms. This directly affects school districts deemed insolvent, ensuring student funding stability through state-led financial restructuring.

Maddy summaryHB 2898 provides $10 million in supplemental state funding to the Isaac Elementary School District in Maricopa County for its maintenance and operations. The bill directs the state Department of Education to immediately release these funds to the district through the Maricopa County Treasurer, bypassing normal account balance requirements. This appropriation is exempt from standard rules that would cause unused funds to lapse at year-end. The funding is specifically intended for the district's ongoing operational needs without delay.

Maddy summaryHB 2902 amends Arizona's corporate income tax law to increase the minimum tax for larger corporations. It sets a $1,000 minimum tax for corporations with 50 or more employees (up from $50), while smaller corporations remain subject to the $50 minimum. This change applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, and affects businesses meeting the employee threshold. The bill modifies Section 43-1111 of Arizona Revised Statutes to implement this targeted tax adjustment.

Maddy summaryHB 2911 allocates $5 million annually from the state general fund for Arizona's Department of Child Safety (DCS) to support its existing Healthy Families Program. The funding covers fiscal years 2025-2026, 2026-2027, and 2027-2028, with the legislature intending this to become ongoing annual funding. This bill directly affects the DCS program, which provides services to families, though it does not change the program's structure or eligibility. The key mechanism is the dedicated state funding stream for the program's operations. The bill focuses solely on financial support for an established service, with no new policy requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 2907 changes eligibility rules for Arizona school district governing board members. It prohibits school employees (including third-party contractors) and their spouses from serving on the board, and bans immediate family members who lived in the same household within the past four years from serving simultaneously on five-member boards. For larger districts (over 250 students in high-population counties), it limits to two related members (by blood or marriage) on the board. The bill also requires candidates to submit written statements disclosing family relationships with other candidates or board members, and allows residents to sue if these rules are violated. This directly affects school board candidates and members in Arizona school districts.