Government

Arizona Election Law
Consensus: 1972, 1973, 1991                                                                                                     Reviewed: 1995

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports an accessible system of registration ad election with uniform and standardized procedures throughout the state.  Therefore, the League supports:

¨       Mail-in registration procedures, but opposes Election Day registration at the polls as an invitation to fraud.

¨       Increase in pay for legislators.

¨       Four-year terms for State Legislators, with no limit on the number of terms which they may serve.

¨       An income tax check off to provide partial funding of legislative elections through the subsidy of some television time for issue discussion by ballot qualified candidates.

¨       A requirement for complete financial disclosure by candidates for public office.

¨       A cap on gifts to public officials, and reporting of all gifts.

¨       Prohibiting elected officials lobbying for remuneration of any kind for at least one year after leaving office.

¨       Prohibiting election officials from using surplus campaign funds for personal use, or from taking them along when leaving office.

¨       All government agencies being required to report all their lobbying activities, expenditures and gifts to public officials.                                                                                                                                   

Initiative and Referendum
Consensus: 1976                                                                                                          
Reviewed: 1995

The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes in the constitutional right of people to enact direct legislation (enacting, amending, or repealing legislative acts and amending the Arizona Constitution); therefore, the League supports:

¨       The requirement that only qualified electors (registered voters) may sign any initiative referendum or recall petition.

¨       The reduction of the required number of signatures on an initiative petition to qualify placing it on the ballot from ten percent to not more than eight percent of the votes cast for governor at the last gubernatorial election.

¨       Allowing the use of a special election for initiatives, referendum, or recall measures.

¨       The amendment of the constitution to:

Limit the power of the legislature to repeal or amend the initiative or referendum measures by means such as requiring more than just majority approval, or setting a minimum time limit before the Legislature can act on such measures, or some other limitation short of complete elimination of power.

¨       Removal of the governor’s power to veto initiative or referendum measures.                                   

County Government                                                                               
Concurrence: 1977
Reviewed: 1995. 

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports an amendment to the Arizona constitution to permit counties to decide, by a vote of the people in each county, the governmental structure which best meet county needs.

The League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Phoenix supports home rule for Maricopa County.  The League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson supports a long-term goal of consolidated government for Pima County.  The League position supporting local option for county government structure gives the League of Women Voters of Arizona a position from which to lobby, but does not restrict other local Leagues from positions they may take regarding their own county government.                                                            

Arizona Corporation Commission
Consensus: 1983
Reviewed: 1995 

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the adequate protection and representation of consumers in the Arizona Corporation Commission process.                                                                                                                                                           

Judicial

Juvenile Justice
Consensus: 1979
Consensus: 1997 

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports early intervention programs beginning in elementary schools with the help of:

¨       Counselors, social workers, psychologists, volunteers ins school programs and individualized programs, including those that foster self-esteem,

¨       Clinics on parenting skills.

¨       Conflict resolution skills training

¨       Drug education

Funding for the above should come from federal, state, and private and corporate sources. 

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports measures for adequate funding with emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation, incarceration, and non-incarceration facilities, intervention programs, trained personnel and education for parents of problem children.  State funding should be dispersed to the local levels.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that programs and policies should be adopted which promote rehabilitation and education within the Juvenile Justice system and should include:

¨       Schooling while in detention.

¨       Counseling for the family and the individual while in detention.

¨       Alternative living and educational programs and experiences to prevent the discontinuance gang involvement. 

The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that for the protection of the community and schools, delinquent children should:

¨       Receive swift and firm justice.

¨       Be removed from dysfunctional homes after family intervention and long-term family counseling.

¨       And be treated as an individual according to the age, need and type of crime and be sent first to juvenile courts.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the concept of an approach to juvenile problems through Restorative Justice Programs, which give priority to and accountability for wrongdoing by repairing the damage or harm done to victims and the community through a process of victim involvement, community participation, mediation and reparation.  Skilled mediators should be involved in this process.

Judicial Selection and Tenure
Consensus: 1969
Reviewed: 1995

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the selection of judges by appointment, with voter approval for retention; adequate judicial salaries; longer terms; higher qualifications for justices of the peace and magistrates; a judicial nominating commission, responsible to the governor; and a competency review commission. 

To assure that our judges are free of political bias and possessed of the proper qualities of temperament and intellect, and yet retain ultimate control of the courts in the hands of the people the League supports:

¨       Appointment of judges by the governor from list of qualified nominees submitted by a bipartisan commission of legal and lay members.

¨       Retention of a judge in office, after an established period of time, only by a “yes” vote of the people, a “no” vote requiring a new appointment by the governor.

(This system of judicial selection has been adopted for Pima and Maricopa counties and is optional for other counties.  Although we have basically accomplished our goal, we retain the position because in each session of the Legislature, there are efforts to return to the old election system.)

Lower Court Reform
Concurrence 1983
Reviewed 1995

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports legislation, which would give Arizona counties, the option to consolidate their lower courts in order to promote uniformity in the administration and quality of justice, and effectiveness and efficiency in court administration. 

Reproductive Choice
Concurrence 1983
Reviewed 1995

 The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes in the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.

 
Social Policy

Human Needs
Consensus 1971
Revised 1985
Reviewed 1995

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports a state system that provides for a positive program to assist the economically disadvantaged in obtaining a greater measure of financial, physical and personal well being, with emphasis on meeting basic citizen needs rather than on maintaining minimum expenditures.

In order to assist persons in need, to assure the basic essentials of health and adequate standards of living, reduce dependency, and break the welfare cycle, the state should:

¨       Assure supportive programs and services integrated with those for the general public on an available-to-pay basis, including legal services, comprehensive health care, child care, transportation, family planning, home management, family counseling, vocational training and educational enrichment.

¨       Work with private and public agencies, and utilize community serves to the fullest.

¨       Encourage recipients to work when possible, with childcare, counseling, job training, and financial incentives available and to participate in program development and implementation.

¨       Disseminate information on welfare programs and interpret the needs of the community to the public.

¨       Provide adequate funds for capable, qualified staff, manageable case loads, information and referral services, and accessible office facilities.

¨       Administer funds and programs wisely, according to sound management and accounting principles, while preserving the rights and dignity of recipients.

Victimization of Children and Intra-familial Abuse
Adopted 1985
Revised 1995

The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that government, both state and local, including state legislature and state and local agencies should assure that necessary services are readily available to serve and protect the abused.  These person should be the focus of careful and timely long-range planning by these agencies and by the courts.

Adequate resource allocation shall be made within child protect and state agency budgets, and within the court system to assure the proper training and education of those who deal with these issues.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports violence prevention programs in all communities and action to support:

¨       Public and private development and coordination of programs that emphasize the primary prevention of violence.

¨       The active role of government and social institutions in prevention violent behavior.

¨       The allocation of public monies in government programs to prevent violence.

Education

Public School Finance
Consensus 1975, 1979
Reviewed 1995
Revised 1997

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports a funding plan for public education that enhances the equal opportunity of all students.  Such a plan should:

¨       Provide for the equitable distribution of state funds, including capital funding.

¨       Recognize the differences in the needs of school districts.

¨       Provide funds for the special needs of school districts.

¨       Ensure that all schools using public funds irrespective of their formation, such as charter schools, be held as fiscally accountable as are schools in an established district.

¨       Include measures to equalize that ability of school districts to finance those portions of their budgets that are local fiscal responsibility.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that the goal of any reorganization of school districts should be to enhance the educational opportunities of all students and that it is ultimately the state’s responsibility to insure the accomplishment of that goal.

The League believes that the government entity closest to the school district continence can best make decision that will enhance the equal educational opportunity of all students.  Therefore the League supports policies that:

¨       The state distribute public school funds equitably to school districts and set minimal, general educational guidelines without inhibiting local decision making.

¨       Local school districts determine how funds are allocated in school districts budgets.The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports policies and practices that encourage responsive government and informed citizen participation in the school district budgeting process.  Therefore, it believes that:

¨       The school district budget format should call for specific information such as program detail, salary schedules and capital improvement programs.

¨       The school district budgeting schedule should include citizen input in time to allow for citizen influence on the allocation of funds in the budget.

¨       Citizen advisory committees, open to all citizens in the school district community, can provide informed citizen input into the budget process.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona recognizes the inequities of the local school district property tax.  It also recognizes the tendency for the source of financing to influence decision-making significantly.  Therefore, the League supports measures that:

¨       Decrease reliance on the local school district property tax.

¨       Provide for statewide distribution of public school revenues generated by large property tax producers, if a method is developed which reserves an adequate portion of the tax base to the school districts in which such tax producers are located.

¨       Utilize statewide taxes for support of public school education, with emphasis on the income tax.

¨       Maintain a policy of local control on spending decision.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona believes that any state imposed property tax limitation should make provision for:

¨       School districts in Arizona to retain the ability to bond for the building of new schools.

¨       The residents of a school district to retain the ability to hold override elections.

¨       The residents of a school district to continue to pass bonds and override elections by a simple majority.

¨       The legislature to levy taxes by a simple majority.

¨       A realistic allowance for inflation.

¨       Government to retain the ability to enforce payment of taxes.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona also believes that in any property tax limitation, tax relief benefits should not necessarily accrue equally to all classification of taxpayers.

Education Finance
Concurrence 1995

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the following htmlects of funding for public schools:

A.         More sources of funding.  All state taxpayers should be responsible for financial support of public schools.  There should be less reliance on the residential property tax, but increased use of the income tax, sales tax and lottery money.  There should be continued use of the land trust monies and the increased use of private funds should be encouraged, impact fees on development and local education taxes.  There should be more money spent to educate students for an active working life.  The new monies should be additional funds, not supplanted from preset state education funding.

B.         Continued centralized collection and distribution of funding. There should be continued centralized collection of monies for school funding and distribution of those monies to local school districts that should give the funds to local site-managed schools.  This would provide:

1.       A certain basic amount of money for each student.

2.       Financing over and above the basic amount to ensure equal opportunity for each child.

3.       Equal maintenance of buildings.

4.       Equal supplies.

5.       Strong leadership and quality teaching.

C.         Basic funding for the classroom.  Populations at school sites differ widely; however, basic educational needs are the same and must be met.  Mandated programs should be funded by the level of government mandating the programs for the duration of the program. Money, such as that for transportation, social services, and special education needs should continue to be figured apart from the base amount.  Formulas and budget forms should be the same among districts and schools and should be clarified so that the interested citizen with study can understand the formulas and forms and be able to comment on them.

D.         No public monies for private schools.  Public funds should be used only for public schools and not for vouchers to private schools. 

(Vouchers are defined as any kind of tuition tax credit, waivers or direct payments to parents to use for school expenses for their children.  No changes to the current forms of payments for special education students are recommended. 

Related Concerns

The League of Women Voters of Arizona is concerned about additional htmlects of funding and the financing of public schools.  These related concerns include:

A.      Criteria for a quality education for all students should be established prior to the formula for the distribution of monies.  A basic minimum instructional amount of financing is needed to provide a basis level of service in the classroom.  The basic amount could be enhanced by funds needed to deliver a basic quality of education where needed.

B.      Citizen participation is essential.  All citizens need to participate in the funding of public education.  All citizens need to participate actively in the public education decision making process.

C.      The impact of experimental programs such as Charter Schools.  Funding deducted to an experimental or single specialized school may take needed funding from total school districts needs.  In addition, it is a possibility that a standardized sequential curriculum would not be present.

Charter Schools
Consensus 1999

Limitations

A.                  Length of charter shall be reduced from the present fifteen years to five to seven years.

B.                  School districts shall be allowed to charter schools only within their own school district geographic boundaries.

C.                  Only school districts in compliance with the USFR (Uniform System of Financial Reporting) shall be qualified/permitted to charter schools

D.                  The number of schools chartered on an annual basis shall be limited, so as to focus on quality rather than quantity.

I.                     Funding

A.                  Charter schools shall be fiscally responsible.

1.                   Shall be in compliance with USFR

2.                   Shall be required to have an annual external financial review

3.                   “Start up”/”Stimulus” funds (from the state) shall be eliminated

4.                   Funding shall be on a monthly basis and shall be based on current monthly enrollment.

5.                   The formula for transportation funding for schools chartered by a school district shall be the same as for schools chartered by the state board of education, charter school division, or by the state board for charter schools.

6.                   Transportation funding shall be “tied” to actual expenditures for transportation of students.

7.                   Charter schools shall be operated on a not for profit basis.

B.                  Action for noncompliance, fraud, school closure, etc.

1.                   A percentage of state funding shall be withheld.

2.                   Property and equipment bought with state money shall revert to the state.

II.                   Qualifications

A.                  Charter schools must submit and have as part of their complete charter the following: a mission statement; a sound business plan; curriculum; evaluation plan; governing board procedures and recruitment, and a statement of compliance with the state’s open enrollment law, which mandates that all public school enrollment shall be open to all geographic areas.

B.                  A proportion of teachers in each school shall be certified; those teachers not certified shall meet requirements of education and/or equivalent experience.

C.                  The applicant(s), operator(s) and governing board member(s)  (as well as teachers) shall be fingerprinted and shall submit to a background check.

III.                  Oversight

A.               The State Board of Education shall be responsible for annual financial and academic review and compliance of all charter schools.

B.               If a charter school is out of compliance, the State Board of Education has administrative and financial responsibility.

C.               In event of fraud, illegal use of money, or abuse, the law shall permit the immediate closure of the charter school without the 90-day waiting period; however, the charter school shall then promptly arrange the transfer and placement of their students into other schools.

IV.                Input/Involvement

A.            Mechanism for citizen input/involvement shall be an integral part of governing boards.

B.            Information regarding charter schools shall be readily and easily available to the public.

Natural Resources

Land Use
Consensus 1975
Reviewed 1995

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports:

¨       Action to achieve a physical environment beneficial to life, with emphasis on achieving an optimum balance between human needs and the carrying capacity of the land and its resources.

¨       Statewide land use planning which should include: economic, social and environmental components, basic services, transportation, new concepts of community design, the best use of resource conservation measures in land use planning, with emphasis on the effects of population growth and distribution.

¨       Measures to preserve open space and natural habitat, identify and regulate areas of critical concern, including fragile areas, historic areas, riparian habitats, renewable resources lands and natural hazards lands.

¨       Statewide authority over areas and activities outside of local government jurisdiction on which their government bodies fails to regulate.

¨       Protection of private property in accordance with the Fifth Amendment but retaining the government’s right to regulate the use of land through its power to protect the public health, welfare and safety; the decision whether a regulation constitutes a partial taking should be determined by the courts.

¨       Requirements for evaluation of the economic, social and environmental impacts of major land use projects, whether initiated by government agencies or by private interest.

¨       Policies which assure the quality of the environment for people of all economic levels.

¨       Increased coordination and communication among land use agencies at all levels of government, and between those agencies and the public.

¨       Requiring any boards, commissions or agencies having authority or responsibility over land use planning to be comprised of individuals representing a balance of diverse citizen interests and concerns.

¨       Pubic input into all stages of planning and decision making.

¨       Increased technical and financial assistance to localities for growth management, encouragement of local communities to use innovative planning and regulatory techniques, and to incorporate measures to conserve energy, integrate transportation planning, consider availability of water and other resources.

¨       The conservation of energy as an integral part of land use planning.

The League of Women Voters of Arizona supports the following goals:

Water resources management should ensure:

¨       The long-term productivity of water resources of the state and their future availability at reasonable costs.

¨       The equitable utilization of water resources.

¨       Conservation of water resources.

¨       Prevention of harmful contamination of our surface and groundwater supplies from all sources.

¨       Coordination at all levels of government-federal, state, and local-in planning for and managing water resources.

¨       Availability of detailed information on all groundwater withdrawal and hydraulic characteristics of aquifers.

¨       Energy considerations be included as part of any water resources management plan.

¨       Public participation at all levels of water resources management planning.

Arizona water laws should:

¨       Reflect the hydrologic cycle and treat all water as interrelated.

¨       Recognize and provide for physical differences between various areas of the state.

¨       Define and quantify ground and surface water rights.

¨       Assure that domestic and municipal uses have the highest priority and that priorities recognize the socio-economic needs of the different areas of the state.

¨       Consider priority of use and coordination of planning for water and land if water rights are transferred.

¨       Provide authority to:

Ø       Monitor water use

Ø       Limit non-beneficial or wasteful use

Ø       Limit new water uses in areas of long-term shortages.

Ø       Decide which users should have priorities in times of shortages.

(The administration of the above should be determined at the state level, with emphasis on implementation and enforcement at the local or regional level.)

¨       Require conservation of water by large individual users, such as large industries, agricultural entities, and encourage conservation by all other users.  Tax incentives should be utilized.