By Jordan Gerard | Arizona Capitol Times
Key Points
- Democrats struggle to get Republican committee chairs to hear their bills
- As crossover week approaches, a handful of Democratic and bipartisan bills have passed committees
- Of the bipartisan bills, many would benefit certain Arizonans, especially in health care
Throughout the session and up until the last minute, Democrats have begged Republican committee chairs to hear their bills, and finally, some pleas have been heard.
At least 14 Democratic bills have passed committee or are awaiting a hearing, but none would address the affordability crisis that Democrats have used as a rallying cry for much of their work.
Crossover week starts Feb. 23, and successful Senate bills and House bills will cross the great divide and be assigned to the opposite chamber’s committees. Although nothing ever truly dies at the Legislature, if the bills don’t make it through the next committees, they’ll be stopped and only a bill, never a law.
There are at least five bills in which the Democrat is the prime sponsor, with at least one Republican lawmaker signing on as a co-sponsor, and all but two of those bills passed. There are at least seven bills with Republicans as the prime sponsors, but a Democrat signed on as a co-sponsor and all but two passed committees.
