Article Summary –
Judy Schwiebert, a former teacher and current Arizona State Representative, is running for the State Senate in Arizona’s 2nd Legislative District. During her tenure as a teacher, Schwiebert became deeply concerned about the state of Arizona’s education system, particularly the fact that one in three students in Arizona no longer had a permanent classroom teacher. Schwiebert is specifically concerned about the effects of the Empowerment Scholarship Account voucher system, which she alleges is creating huge deficits and preventing necessary investments by siphoning almost a billion dollars a year out of the state budget.
Judy Schwiebert, former high school teacher and current representative in the Arizona State House, shares her motivation in becoming politically active. She was inspired by witnessing a beloved teacher struggling financially and observing the diminishing number of permanent teachers in Arizona classrooms. Schwiebert decided to initiate change from within the system.
The teacher she admired, despite holding four jobs, decided to quit due to financial difficulties. This triggered Schwiebert’s realization that one in three students in Arizona no longer had a permanent classroom teacher. She found the situation intolerable.
Initiating Change
Encouraged by friends, Schwiebert ran and won for the Arizona State House of Representatives in 2020. Now she is vying for a seat in the State Senate in Arizona’s 2nd Legislative District. She is committed to making a difference, especially given her deep roots in the district where she raised her children and taught students.
She talks about her responsibilities as a public servant with The Copper Courier, where she shares her vision for Arizona and its residents.
She highlights the need to address Arizona’s ranking as 49th in the country in per-pupil spending. She identifies the ESA (Empowerment Scholarship Account) voucher system as a major cost to the state, arguing it drains nearly a billion dollars a year from the state budget due to the creation of a separate private school system. This, she contends, prevents the state from investing in urgent necessities, including affordable housing in the face of a severe shortage.
She also emphasizes the critical role of community colleges in workforce training, particularly for tech manufacturing. Schwiebert is a proponent of strengthening partnerships with the business community and job training programs to prepare local residents for such opportunities.
On the sensitive issue of reproductive rights, Schwiebert is a fierce defender of women’s autonomy over their bodies. She stresses the need for a constitutional amendment to safeguard these rights, amidst misleading ballot resolutions aimed to limit access to reproductive healthcare.
She also remains hopeful, citing widespread enthusiasm for the constitutional amendment amongst her constituents. She affirms that the majority of Arizonans see reproductive rights as civil rights.
Schwiebert ends by expressing pride in Arizona’s growth, particularly in the areas of job growth, technology, and transportation innovations. She celebrates the state’s unique natural beauty and embodies the Arizonan spirit of freedom.
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