Page 15 - The EDGE Winter 2022

Insider Views on What to Expect in
Legislative Session The Benefits Partner of Choice

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The Benefits Partner of Choice
More than 4,000* school districts prefer our industry-
leading benefits education and enrollment support.
the fiscal year (in 2021). It was difficult for them More than 4,000* school districts prefer our industry-
American Fidelity can work alongside your current
to get a budget through – they had to put a lot of leading benefits education and enrollment support.
Health Trust or Broker to help with:
policy in it to bring on votes of many rank and file American Fidelity can work alongside your current
• Comprehensive benefits planning
members.” She mentioned issues like a prohibition Health Trust or Broker to help with:
• Guided one-on-one benefit reviews (virtual or
on mask mandates and vaccines mandates. “Not • Comprehensive benefits planning
in-person)
• Ongoing employee benefits education
just in K-12, but other policy areas – some election • Guided one-on-one benefit reviews (virtual or
stuff.” in-person)
We’re partnering with school districts in your region. We
• Ongoing employee benefits education
can work with you too. americanfidelity.com/arizona
She recalled that school groups were able to kill We’re partnering with school districts in your region. We
certain bills and that language was then inserted can work with you too. americanfidelity.com/arizona
into a budget bill. “They’re going to have a more
difficult time getting some of their policy things,
like open enrollment,” Beebe said.

Essigs asked whether the court ruling will be good Arizona Branch Office
or bad for education-related bills, including those 800-616-3576 • americanfidelity.com
that are beneficial to schools. Arizona Branch Office
* American Fidelity internal data, data as of 7/31/20.
800-616-3576 • americanfidelity.com
Dell’Artino said the restriction on putting policy * American Fidelity internal data, data as of 7/31/20.
issues in budget bills is amplified by other issues, SB-33181-0321 American Fidelity Assurance Company
including the decision by Sen. Michelle Ugenti-
American Fidelity Assurance Company
SB-33181-0321
Rita, R-Scottsdale, to resign from the Appropriation Some fiscal issues relating to the trust fund and
Committee, and a letter she sent to Senate President the angel tax credit had to be removed from the
Karen Fann saying, in effect, “You can go find your budget bills and passed with Democratic votes,
16 votes elsewhere.” even though no Democrats voted for the budget
bills, Dell’Artino said. “We will see those kinds of
That leaves Fann to deal with Sen. Paul Boyer, a games played,” she said. “I would not want to be in
Glendale Republican, who, Dell’Artino, said, “at leadership in the House or Senate. They are going
times is with us on education issues and at times is to have their work cut out for them.”
not.” There are some issues that Ugenti-Rita cared
about but Boyer did not, complicating the process. Essigs asked about a short-term and long-term
“I think it’s good to go back to a more pure budget,” solution of the aggregate spending limit issue so
she said. school districts won’t have to cut $1.2 billion from
spending in 2022.

“It’s a game of chicken,” - Meghaen Beebe said the Legislature needs to override the

Dell’Artino spending limit by March 1, 2022, and that she
and others met with legislative leadership who
expressed their support. Although some see her
Dell’Artino said leadership should tell individual as an alarmist, Bebee she said she is confident the
members to get the votes for their policy issues override will go through. No legislator wants to go
separately or the whole budge bill will go down. on the campaign trail and explain why they didn’t
“We don’t want to see that," she said. pass the override “and now you lost your job as a
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