Sen. Eva Diaz

Maddy summaryThis constitutional amendment establishes permanent funds for revenue from Arizona's land grants, requiring strict separation of funds based on the original land grant purpose. It mandates that funds be invested in safe securities (capping equities at 60% and single-company holdings at 5%) and sets specific annual distribution rates: 2.5% until 2024-2025, 6.9% from 2025-2026 through 2034-2035, then returning to 2.5%. Distributions fund basic state aid and school funding, with automatic reductions during market downturns to preserve capital. The bill directly affects how Arizona manages and distributes long-term land trust revenue to public education and state aid programs.

Maddy summarySCR 1034 proposes a constitutional amendment to establish a yearly spending limit for Arizona school districts on local revenues. The limit would be calculated by adjusting the 1979-1980 local revenue expenditures for all districts, accounting for changes in student population and cost of living, then multiplied by 1.10 (a 10% factor). School districts must stay under this limit unless the legislature passes a two-thirds vote in both chambers to authorize an exception for a single fiscal year. This amendment requires voter approval to take effect and would affect all public school districts in Arizona.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SB 1648) updates Arizona's online instruction standards and funding rules, primarily affecting online schools, students enrolled in them, and school districts. It requires online schools to meet specific standards (like curriculum depth, internet safety, and teacher qualifications) and mandates probationary status for new providers until they prove academic improvement. Crucially, it changes funding: full-time online students receive 95% of standard funding, while part-time students receive 85%, with daily attendance logs used to calculate these figures. The bill does not address kindergarten specifically, despite its title, focusing instead on statewide online education accountability and financial rules.

Maddy summarySCR 1033 proposes to repeal Arizona's constitutional spending limits for school districts. Currently, these limits tie annual spending to 1979-80 levels adjusted for student population and inflation, with a 10% multiplier for aggregate district spending. The bill would remove these restrictions, allowing school districts greater flexibility in budgeting without the need for special legislative approval to exceed previous spending caps. This change would directly affect all Arizona public school districts by eliminating a long-standing constitutional spending framework. The proposal is a constitutional amendment requiring voter approval after legislative passage.

Maddy summarySB 1645 expands Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) to specifically allow funds for disability-related educational services for qualifying students. It directly affects children with disabilities who meet criteria under Section 15-2401, paragraph 7. Key provisions include permitting ESA funds for educational therapies, licensed paraprofessionals, vocational training, and annual education plans conducted by independent teams. These plans, required for students approaching age 22, determine continued eligibility for ESA funding until age 22. The bill also specifies allowable expenses like assistive technology, psychological evaluations, and transportation, while restricting certain uses like entertainment devices.

Maddy summarySCR 1037, if approved by Arizona voters, would revise rules for English language education in public schools. It requires schools to identify students' primary language, assess English proficiency, and enroll non-proficient students in structured English immersion programs (120 minutes daily for K-5, 100 minutes for grades 6-12). Parents would gain the right to sue schools for failing to meet these requirements and recover attorney fees and damages. The State Board of Education would adopt research-based teaching models focused on oral/written skills, grade-level content access, and parental engagement, with annual reviews.

Maddy summarySB 1642 clarifies what parents can spend Arizona's education scholarship account funds on for their children's education. It specifically allows funds for tuition at approved schools, textbooks, educational therapies (for students with qualifying needs), tutoring, online learning programs, standardized tests, postsecondary costs, transportation, and approved educational technology. The bill prohibits using funds for homeschooling affidavits or combining scholarships with school tuition organization grants. It directly affects Arizona parents enrolled in the state's scholarship program who receive annual funds for their child's education.

Maddy summarySB 1635 modifies Arizona's school funding rules by exempting certain state funds received by school districts and career technical education districts from budgetary spending limits. Specifically, it clarifies that funds provided under Chapter 15 (related to education) are not counted as "local revenues" for constitutional spending limits and cannot be restricted by budgetary controls. This change directly affects school districts, allowing them to spend these designated state funds without triggering existing expenditure caps. The bill also repeals Section 15-911 and makes minor technical adjustments to other statutes (like probation funding and justice of the peace compensation), but its primary focus is on school district budget flexibility.

Maddy summaryArizona's SCR 1021 formally ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a 1972 congressional proposal that would prohibit sex-based discrimination in the U.S. Constitution. The bill directs Arizona's legislature to approve the ERA and transmit its resolution to federal officials, joining other states that have ratified the amendment. This action does not create new laws but advances Arizona's role in the national ratification process required for the ERA to become part of the Constitution. The measure directly affects Arizona's standing in the constitutional amendment process, as state ratifications are necessary for the ERA's adoption.

Maddy summarySB 1429, the Arizona Right to Contraception Act, establishes legal rights for individuals to access contraceptives and engage in contraception, and for healthcare providers to offer these services. It prohibits state or local restrictions that single out contraceptive services, such as requiring special permits for clinics or limiting access to specific methods. The law explicitly prevents interference with providers’ ability to prescribe contraceptives or patients’ ability to obtain them, while maintaining existing requirements for informed consent before sterilization procedures. This bill directly affects Arizonans seeking reproductive healthcare and licensed healthcare providers who prescribe or discuss contraception.