I’m so thankful to all of you that are involved in our community and continue to provide me input on issues that affect the entire state.  Working together I know we can protect the principles that have made this nation great! Here’s an update on what’s going on:

I’m happy to report that my legislation which ensures that “government lives within its means” has passed out of the House of Representatives and the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Not only will this legislation prevent our state from getting into the same financial mess that we are currently in, but it provides a mechanism to pay back our state debt.  I am hopeful that the bill passes out of the senate and gets signed by the Governor.  This will be a very positive step for our state.

I am also happy to report that one of my other bills was inserted into the Jobs Bill and has been signed by the Governor.  The Jobs Bill is designed to bring high-paying jobs into the state and has already started to work.

My legislation to help constituents in Sun City has passed out of the House of Representatives and is awaiting a vote in the Senate. This legislation will prevent charter schools from operating in retirement communities and will help solve a problem that emerged in Sun City last year when a charter school owner tried to move his charter school into the retirement community.  The charter school association supports the bill. None of us can figure out why a school would want to move into a retirement community where children aren’t allowed to live.

In addition to those bills, my legislation that will provide more educational choice for students and provide more tools for teachers is progressing well.  Plus, my pro-life legislation should get a vote in the senate soon.

The House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Governor’s office continue to negotiate a budget and I am hoping we will reach a compromise soon.  The state is $2 Billion short and there are no easy solutions.  We want to balance the budget without raising taxes and without adding on more debt.  This is a very challenging task, but I am convinced that we can do it to save the future of our state.

As always, I welcome your input and ideas.  Feel free to contact me anytime at 602-926-5413 or DLesko@azleg.gov

The legislative session started on January 10th.  Since then there has been a whirlwind of activity at the State Capitol.   We have been discussing and voting on bills in committees, updating legislators on the budget situation, and working on details of legislation that will increase jobs in Arizona.  In my new leadership position as Majority Whip, I am responsible for making sure we have enough votes for important legislation, like the bill that will balance our state budget.  I  enjoy mentoring the new legislators and have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them better.
This legislative session, I have introduced legislation that will save our state between $20-$100 Million, legislation that will pay down our state debt and prevent our state from spending more than it has coming in, and legislation that provides more educational choice for students and their parents.
I have enjoyed speaking to groups throughout our community and I would love to speak to your group or have you come down to the State Capitol for a tour.  In fact, I just had a wonderful group of students from Peoria High School come down to the Capitol for a tour.
As always, please contact me if you have any comments or questions at 602-926-5413.    I’d love to hear from you.

The Governor has shown courage in an impossible situation.  The state budget is about $2 Billion short for the next two fiscal years.  The options to solve the problem are to raise taxes or cut spending.  The Governor and Republican-led legislature are not going to raise taxes.  Voters decided that by electing us in November.  The state spends most of its money on education and healthcare. To solve the problem, one or both of these areas have to be cut. Even if every other agency besides prisons were eliminated, it wouldn’t solve the problem. The Governor’s budget proposal protects K-12 grade education. The major cuts are to healthcare.  Arizona allows more people to be covered for free or reduced healthcare than almost every other state.  Arizona now covers 1 out of every 5 people on AHCCCS.  Because of this, the Governor has proposed that we reduce the number of people that qualify for AHCCCS to a level comparable to other states. We are down to two options: cut healthcare to a level comparable to other states or make huge cuts to education.  I think the Governor has made the right decision.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!  May God bless you throughout the year.

Thank you for re-electing me to the State Legislature.  I am humbled and honored to have your support.  I am also honored that my fellow Republican legislators elected me as the new House Majority Whip.  This leadership position gives me more responsibilities, but also provides me more opportunities to provide input on important decisions.

One of my goals this new year is to inform the public about what a legislator does and why most legislators run for office.  Contrary to what many believe, state legislators run for office because they are passionate about their beliefs and want to make a difference. I personally ran for office because I’m concerned about the future of our state and nation and felt I needed to get more involved.

Legislators introduce and vote on laws and balance the state budget. They sit on several legislative committees and make decisions on things that affect the entire state.  The typical legislative session lasts from January through May or June full-time.  Most legislators however, including myself, work year-round attending many meetings during the days, evenings, and weekends. The salary is $24,000/year. The job is challenging, but rewarding, and I personally continue to learn new things every day.

Many ideas for new legislation come from citizens.  If you have any ideas feel free to contact me.

If you want a tour of the Capitol, would like to meet me, or would like me to meet your organization or group, please contact me at 602-926-5413.

May you have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

I am honored and blessed to have been re-elected as your State Representative.  To those of you that voted for me, I greatly appreciate your support.

In addition to my re-election by the voters, I am also humbled that my legislative peers elected me as House Majority Whip.  The main responsibility of this leadership position is to ensure that the House of Representatives has the number of votes needed to pass important legislation.  All State Legislative bills, including the budget bill, need 31 votes to pass out of the House of Representatives, 16 out of the Senate, and the Governor’s signature to become law.  As you can imagine, this will be a challenging job.

The voters of Arizona have spoken loud and clear that they want State Legislators that will be financially responsible, protect the rights of U.S. Citizens, and promote freedom and liberty, instead of over-reaching government control.  That is why voters overwhelmingly elected Republicans throughout the State.

I am very excited about the make-up of our House and Senate.  The Legislators are full of energy, excitement, and a quest to make a difference in our state and nation. Unlike what some may believe, legislators run for office because they are passionate about helping Arizona and the Nation, much like other advocates who are passionate about a cause.  Many give up careers and time for this $24,000/year job because they are concerned about the future of our state and nation and no longer want to sit on the sidelines.  Instead, they have chosen to get in the game.

The next few years will be difficult. Tough decisions will have to be made.  Unlike the Federal Government that can print more money, our State government must balance our budget. Our state is over $800 million short for this fiscal year and over $1 billion short for the next.  When money was flowing in and times were good, past legislators, past Governors, and the voters, through propositions, added permanent spending programs that we can no longer sustain.

As we start a new legislative session in January, there will be tough challenges.  But with these challenges, come opportunities.  Our state has an opportunity to get its financial house in order and pass legislation that helps prevent future crises like we have today.

As always, feel free to contact me at 602-926-5413 or DLesko@azleg.gov if you have questions, comments, or suggestions to help.  I always look forward to hearing from you.

May you have a Blessed Thanksgiving Holiday!

“ObamaCare” will cost our State General Fund $11.6 Billion from 2011-2020 according to AHCCCS, our State’s Medicaid agency that provides healthcare to the poor. This is money the state simply does not have. If the Feds force AZ to cover this extra cost, we will have no option but to dramatically cut other vital services or dramatically raise taxes, both of which I oppose.

It is because of this and ObamaCare’s mandates that take away our freedoms, that I co-sponsored legislation that allowed our state to sue the federal government, joined the Goldwater Institute in a separate lawsuit against the Feds, and co-sponsored legislation to place Proposition 106 “The Arizona Health Care Freedom Act” on the November ballot.

In 2000, voters approved Proposition 204, which increased the number of people that could qualify for AHCCCS from 33% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 100%, making AZ one of the most generous Medicaid eligibility states. Most other states remained at 33%.  The voters were told that the extra cost would be covered by tobacco settlement money.  This is not the case and state taxpayer money has had to kick in the majority of the extra cost which will total $1 Billion in Fiscal Year 2012 alone.

20% of Arizona’s population is now on AHCCCS.   In an effort to address our budget shortfall, the Governor and Legislature voted to roll back the eligibility of childless adults covered by Proposition 204 to a level that could be solely supported by the tobacco settlement money. This would have saved the state $1 Billion/year.  ObamaCare stopped that.

With the signing of ObamaCare, Arizona has been told it can NOT lower its coverage and to make matters worse, AZ is being penalized for having higher coverage to begin with. According to the Feds, they will cover the extra cost to expand from the 33% of federal poverty rate coverage that most other states provide, to the 133% now required under ObamaCare.  But since Arizona already was covering people at 100%, federal money will only cover the difference from 100-133% in our state.

I can’t over-emphasize how devastating “ObamaCare” is to our state and nation.  Not only is it taking away individual freedoms and robbing $500 Billion from Medicare, but it now will cost our state $11.6 Billion that we simply do not have.

I hope all of you had an enjoyable summer. Like many of you, my children just went back to school. It’s hard to believe that their summer break is already over and that we’ve started a new school year.

Even though the legislature is out of session, I have been busy working with constituents and working on important matters that affect the entire state.

Here are some highlights:
1. SPECIAL SESSION: We recently completed a three day special session called by the Governor to retain the right to a secret ballot in our state. The Obama Administration and many Democratic members of the U.S. Congress are attempting to pass “Card Check” legislation at the federal level. If passed, employees would no longer have the right to a secret ballot in union elections. During the special session, the legislature corrected language on the November 2nd ballot measure to ensure that Arizona voters will be able to vote to retain the right to a secret ballot in the Arizona Constitution.
2. ENERGY MEETINGS: I formed and lead an energy stakeholder meeting every month. The group includes several legislators, all the major utility producers in the state, solar industry representatives, the Corporation Commission which regulates utilities, the Governor’s office, and energy efficiency experts. My goal is to develop a long-range energy plan for Arizona. Last month, APS and SRP presented their energy plans and this month we will be touring a gas-fired electric generating facility.
3. HELPING CONSTITUENTS: One of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping constituents. My office is contacted on a regular basis by people seeking answers or help. My office works together with legislative staff and other agencies to help resolve their problems. We have helped many constituents. We can’t resolve everyone’s problems, but we sure try. If you have a problem that deals with a state agency, we may be able to help. Call me at 602-926-5413.
4. DRAFTING LEGISLATION: I recently worked with legislative attorneys to draft legislation that will address a problem raised in Sun City. In addition, I met with other states legislators to vote on, share, and learn about legislation used in other states. If you have ideas for legislation, please contact my office at 602-926-5413. I cannot guarantee that I will introduce all your ideas on legislation, but I am certainly interested in hearing your suggestions.
5. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: I recently attended a seminar on illegal immigration conducted by experts in the field. I co-sponsored SB1070 and am interested in sponsoring other legislation that will combat illegal immigration.

Being a state legislator is a challenging and rewarding job. I enjoy meeting people that live in my district and showing constituents what I do. I have given tours to “Red Hat” ladies and business officials. If you are interested in learning more or want to get more involved, give me a call. I’d love to hear from you.

State Representative Debbie Lesko
DLesko@azleg.gov
602-926-5413

What would happen if we turned on our light switch or opened our faucet and nothing happened? Water and Energy may not be making the headlines, like illegal immigration is, but they are vitally important.

That is why I have brought together all the major energy producers in Arizona, solar representatives, staff from the Governor’s office and Corporation Commission, and several other legislators to discuss the long-range plan for energy in Arizona.  I want to ensure that Arizona has enough low-cost energy and water for our future needs.   I’m excited about our discussions so far and see good things coming from the group.

In an endeavor to learn as much as I can about the subject, I’ve recently attended a meeting with U.S. Senator Jon Kyl and water experts to discuss the necessity of considering water usage when determining energy sources for our future.  Some forms of energy generation take more water than others and we need to ensure that our limited water supply is wisely used.

As part of my learning experience, I recently toured Palo Verde Nuclear Plant which employees 3,000, the SRP water shed, a Tessera solar dish facility in Peoria, Solon-a solar panel manufacturing plant in Tucson, looked at a PV Solar system at Davis-Monthan AFB, and will be touring Central Arizona Project’s water delivery system, and both a natural gas and coal generating facility.

It’s important that Arizona continues to produce inexpensive base-load energy that is available at all times of the day.  Right now most of that base-load energy is produced with nuclear, coal, and natural gas. If the present federal administration continues its mandates to make coal too expensive to compete, our state must be prepared.  Right now the EPA’s threat to the Navajo coal generating plant may not only increase utility prices, but increase our water rates, since its electricity is used to move water into the valley.

When analyzing energy sources we must also look at the cost.  Right now nuclear and hydro-electric energy cost the least to produce. Next is coal, then natural gas.  Solar costs 15-17 times more than nuclear, but the hope is that competition and technology will reduce the cost.

If you would like to tour Palo Verde Nuclear Plant or talk more about energy issues, please contact me at 602-926-5413.

Energy and Water are vitally important to our state.  Let’s work together to ensure Arizona’s prosperous future.

State Representative Debbie Lesko
DLesko@azleg.gov
602-926-5413

The other day I received an email with pictures from the Anti-Senate Bill 1070 rally that took place on May 29th.  One sign said “White Racists Go back to Europe”.  Another sign read “We are here to confront the racist squatters on our continent who dare to call us foreigners”.  Another sign depicted the Arizona symbol with the rays of sun and in place of the star they put a Nazi symbol with bold print that said “Boycott Arizona”.  A group was carrying a banner that read “Fight for Socialism”  and yet another group was selling communist books.  Then there were people carrying Mexican flags.

The pictures really irritated me, especially since I’m a co-sponsor of the legislation.  What irritates me even more are the Arizona elected officials who encourage others to boycott our own state.

On Memorial Day I gave a speech at Resthaven Park Cemetery in Glendale.  I felt it was important to remind people that the only reason that we can protest and attend rallies is because our U.S. Service men and women fight and die everyday to protect the constitutional freedoms our founding fathers fought hard to create.

I did not serve in the military.  My father and uncles did.  For those of  you who did serve in the military, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  But for all of you that didn’t, like me, we can help protect America too.  We can get involved in our community.  We can attend local political meetings and meet the people on the ballot.  We can go to rallies.  We can attend events and we can fight for the freedoms that have made this nation great.

I know some of you are already involved.  I probably saw you at the large pro-SB1070 rally, at a political meeting, or volunteering in the schools.  For those who want to get more involved, please contact me at 602-926-5413 or DLesko@azleg.gov

Our U.S. Service men and women died to protect our freedoms.  The least we can do is get involved and fight for what we believe in.

Please get involved and stand up for what you believe in, before it is too late.  Together, we can make a difference.

I love our state and nation, I’m concerned about our future, and I want to make a difference.

That is why I am proud to have co-sponsored and voted yes on Senate Bill 1070, the legislation recently signed by our Governor that provides law enforcement with another tool to fight illegal immigration.  This bill is a positive step toward protecting the rights and resources of U.S. Citizens.

As you have seen on the local and national news, not everyone agrees with my stance.  While legislators, like myself, are voting on laws inside, protesters are beating on drums and yelling on loud speakers, police are trying to keep the peace, sharp shooters are on the roof, and the media is all too happy to show the world.  

No one ever said my job would be easy.  Doing the right thing rarely is.

Although critics argue that this legislation is unconstitutional, I disagree.  In fact, the bill was written with the help of Kris Kobach, former counsel to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and Harvard, Oxford, and Yale graduate.

According to Kobach, “The bill basically makes it a penalty under state law to do what is already a crime under federal law.”  Further, the bill contains language that specifically says state and local law-enforcement officers “may not solely consider race, color or national origin” in implementing the law “except to the extent permitted by the United States or Arizona Constitution.”

Rest assured that I am working hard for the residents in our district and state.  One of my favorite parts of the job is meeting and helping constituents.  Please feel free to contact me at 602-926-5413 or DLesko@azleg.gov about this issue or any others.  I’d love to hear from you.

Together, we can make a difference.