Watch for These Ballot Referrals, Part 1

Written by House Representative Judy Schwiebert.

As I work to represent my LD2 neighbors, I remain focused on listening to your priorities. So, I’ve been having some great conversations with many of you at your doors.

One thing that I continue to hear from you is how wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. I hear you!  

Today as it seems that only the rich keep getting richer, Labor Day reminds me how important it is that working families get to share in the prosperity they’re helping to build.

It’s easy to forget the pivotal role that workers and the labor movement played in not only creating our nation’s infrastructure, but also in building the middle class. It was our worker unions that eliminated child labor, created the 40 hour work week, and improved working conditions. 

Arizona’s economy is growing like gangbusters with new jobs in manufacturing and much needed infrastructure improvements. In fact, the Bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment Act is providing more than $7.7 billion with over 620 specific projects to fuel that economic growth. 

As a rule, the jobs created by this infusion of federal dollars incentivize employers to pay workers a fair wage.  

Unfortunately, though, at a time when people at the bottom of the economic ladder are too often being left behind,  the one-seat Republican majority has pushed forward a measure to the ballot that would literally REDUCE minimum wage for tipped workers.

Read on to learn more about Prop 138 as well as about Prop 139 – two of the 13 measures that will be on your ballot so that you can have a say this fall. 

Judy

Prop 138: Reduce minimum wage for tipped workers

Thank you to Civic Engagement Beyond Voting’s Melinda Merkel Iyer for this explanation of Prop 138 that will be on your ballot this fall. In fact, there will be 13 ballot measures for you to consider this year. You can find her summaries of all ballot propositions at this link.  I’ll also be drawing from them in coming newsletters.  

Summary. Prop 138 asks voters to amend the Arizona Constitution to create a sub-minimum hourly wage for tipped employees that is up to 25% lower than the current minimum wage, as long as they make at least $2/hr over minimum wage once tips are included.

Hurts tipped workers. Current state law already allows restaurants to pay tipped workers $3/hr less than minimum wage, assuming that workers will get up to minimum wage with workers’ tips. With current minimum wage set at $14.35, that would bring hourly wages down to $10.76 for tipped employees, less than the $11.35 per hour they currently receive. There is no question but that change would financially benefit the restaurants. Unbelievably, the lawmakers behind this measure have dubbed it the “Tipped Workers Protection Act.” 

Backed by restaurant industry lobbyists. Prop 138 was pushed through the legislature by lobbyists for the restaurant industry, who also oppose minimum wage and sick leave protections for restaurant staff. The Arizona Restaurant Association even created a fake grassroots organization to lobby for the measure. 

Lawsuits. Opponents of Prop 138 filed a lawsuit claiming that the title of the ballot measure is misleading, as it does nothing to protect tipped workers, making it unconstitutional. A Superior Court judge rejected the suit; an appeal is pending. 

I urge a NO vote on Prop 138.
A mandated reduced wage doesn’t belong in our state constitution. 

Prop 139 : Right to Abortion Access

Last week on August 26, Women’s Equality Day commemorated the 1920 victory for women’s right to vote in the United States. It seems an especially appropriate time to lift up the right of women to make decisions about their own reproductive healthcare. 

I was proud to help collect signatures for this citizen initiative to protect our most personal reproductive healthcare decisions.

My younger son and daughter-in-law struggled for years to have a child, so were overjoyed when IVF helped them become pregnant, and then heartbroken when they learned the fetus couldn’t live past birth. Thank goodness they were able to have a safe abortion with no state legislator looking over their shoulders to blame, judge, fine, or even jail them. That abortion allowed them to eventually have two beautiful daughters. The first they named Kaira, meaning in God’s time.  They named their younger daughter Amara Luz, meaning love and light.

People should have the fundamental freedom to make their own healthcare decisions without government intrusion into personal, complicated and even life-threatening situations.

So, while I was proud to help repeal Arizona’s antiquated 1864 total ban on abortion that captured the world’s attention this past year, the basic freedom to make our own healthcare decisions should not be left up to what party holds a majority in the state legislature.

That’s why I support the Arizonans for Abortion Access citizen initiative that will be on our ballots this fall.  By voting yes, citizens can add an amendment to our state constitution protecting this fundamental freedom from politicians and their games.

I urge a YES vote on Prop 139.

This measure would ensure our daughters have the same rights we had by amending the state Constitution to guarantee a fundamental right to receive abortion care. Embedding this right in the state Constitution will ensure that future legislatures can’t further restrict abortion care without getting voter approval. 

Local School District Bond Elections

On Election Day, Nov 5,  we will also see crucially important bond elections from  the Glendale Union High School and the Deer Valley Unified School Districts.
These carefully planned proposals minimize the impact on taxpayers while providing crucial support to schools that the legislature has been underfunding for years. 

Learn more about the Deer Valley Bond & Override proposal here

Learn more about the Glendale Union High School District’s Bond proposal here.