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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     July 21, 2024 PHOENIX  – House Democratic Leaders released the following statement regarding President Joe Biden's announcement today that he is no longer running for re-election.   "The recovery for our country that President Joe Biden has led for the past three and half years has been nothing short of extraordinary, with Arizona as a prime beneficiary of increased focus on manufacturing, high-tech job creation and infrastructure investment. We are beyond grateful for his lifetime of dedicated, selfless and steadfast leadership, and for his record that always prioritizes hard-working American families. President Biden is a patriot and a statesman in the truest sense of the words, and he has proven that once again by putting the future of his country ahead of himself."     -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2024   PHOENIX  – Representative Mariana Sandoval praised the Biden Administration for taking  executive action today  to protect workers from excessive heat. Arizona is ground zero for climate change, and Sandoval has been pushing for increased workplace protections as temperatures continue to rise. Sandoval introduced heat illness prevention legislation  House Bill 2683 , which would have created a variety of similar workplace protections for agricultural workers and other outside industries like mandatory water breaks, cool-down periods and shade.   "The Biden Administration's actions to protect workers and communities from extreme heat are a vital step in the right direction for the hard-working Arizonans who work outside to feed our country and sustain our communities," Sandoval said. "Last year I held stakeholder meetings with labor unions, subject matter experts from the University of Arizona, local agricultural workers and state agencies to draft legislation that would give workers protections from the extreme heat Arizonans face. Unfortunately, my legislation did not receive a hearing, but I welcome any and all help we can get to protect our community from extreme and deadly temperatures. I look forward to the White House Summit on Extreme Heat and locally, I will continue to advocate for legislation to protect Arizonans from the impacts of extreme heat."     -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     July 1, 2024 PHOENIX  – House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras released the following statement regarding the resignation of Representative Laura Terech on Sunday.   "Representative Terech brought the heart, soul and tireless work ethic of an educator to our caucus, and her unwavering defense of our public schools and democracy made our state a better place. We will miss her as part of our Caucus family but wish her much success in her next chapter."    -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                  June 27, 2024 CAMERON, Ariz.  –Representative Mae Peshlakai released the following statement in support of the Havasupai Tribe and various organizations that have gathered more than 15,000 petition signatures opposing the Pinyon Plain uranium mine, which resumed operations in January a short distance from the Grand Canyon:   "For decades, Indigenous people have had to live and die with the impacts of reckless and irresponsible uranium mining on our ancestral homelands. While mining companies profit, the contamination of our water, soil, air and livestock continues to harm the health of our people. That is why as a  Diné  mother and grandmother, born of the Deer Water Clan, and an elected member of the Arizona House of Representatives, I stand with the Havasupai Tribe and all those opposed to the reopened Pinyon Plain uranium mine – 10 miles from the Grand Canyon – and to the plan to haul dangerous uranium ore and radioactive waste through the Navajo Nation on trucks on a daily basis. Despite claims that it would be safe, the mine is already  contaminating  the surrounding areas. Any accident involving these trucks would be catastrophic. No profit is worth the health and safety of our people."     -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2024 PHOENIX – House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras released the following statement on the passage of HCR2060, the Republicans' discriminatory and dangerous new "show me your papers" measure, now headed to the November ballot. "Today, House Democrats stood united against hate and division. We made it crystal clear that HCR2060 is an unconstitutional mess and a costly unfunded mandate that, if it becomes law, will deepen our state's deficit and bankrupt local governments in an effort to duplicate federal immigration efforts. It's a measure that will encourage racial profiling and make our communities less safe. I've never been so proud of our caucus, who stood up for our state and for our economy and against hate, division and politicizing a humanitarian crisis."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 21, 2024 PHOENIX – State Representative Myron Tsosie is using an unfortunate incident involving an Indigenous student at high school graduation in Farmington, New Mexico, to remind Arizona school officials to follow Arizona law and respect the wishes of students who wear tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies. Tsosie, who represents the Navajo Nation and several other Indigenous tribes, said he stands in support of Genesis White Bull, a Hunkpapa Lakota of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, who was asked to remove her graduation cap decorated with culturally significant beads and a feather. A viral video of the incident has sparked rallies and support from around the country and from the Navajo Nation. The Legislature passed House Bill 2705 in 2021 originally sponsored by Rep. Arlando Teller, to allow Arizona high school students to wear traditional tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance like eagle feathers and beaded caps, at their graduation ceremonies. "In the Diné culture, and in many Native cultures, wearing our regalia indicates a rite of passage. We want our youth to celebrate and embrace their cultural heritage at the same time they are moving forward with their education and their futures. It was disappointing to watch Genesis White Bull being made to remove her cap on such an important day. Arizona law protects our students, but this incident was an important reminder for students, parents and school officials to know the law and know your rights." -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2024 PHOENIX – The Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus released the following statement regarding the Republican strike-everything amendment to HCR2060, which would create another "Show me your papers" law similar to Texas's SB4 and Arizona's unconstitutional SB1070: “Changing the session rules for the sole purpose of introducing legislation that resembles a bill already vetoed this year is nothing more than the Republican majority seeking revenge on Arizona after losing on abortion rights. HCR2060’s new language is SB1070 'show me your papers' on steroids. It is an unconstitutional, legally unnecessary, intensely divisive, xenophobic measure designed by Republicans as an election-year dog whistle. SB1070 was largely struck down by courts, but still terrorized our Latino communities for years while damaging our state’s economy and its reputation around the nation and world. HCR2060’s new language admits that this bill has the same constitutionality issues and would return us back to the SB1070 days by including a stipulation that it cannot be enforced unless SB4 in Texas is in affect, or the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its decision on SB1070. Republicans added a declaration that this bill is to address the ‘public safety crisis’ happening at Arizona’s southern border, but this measure will not secure our border, or address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in any way. It will only make our Latino community and other communities of color, a target for unconstitutional policing and community harassment based on the color of our skin. If Republicans were serious about addressing the issues at the border, they would encourage Congress to pass the bipartisan federal border security bill that had the votes but was stopped when the MAGA former president decided he could campaign on the issue. Voters know that our state has come far since the dark days of SB1070. Mexico is our largest trading partner, and our economies are intrinsically connected and aligned. This measure shows that Republicans are willing to sacrifice that progress and reverse our economic growth just to divide our state and hold onto power. We cannot, and will not, let hate win."

PHOENIX – The Arizona State Senate voted today to pass Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton’s HB2677 with 16 yes votes, sending it to the desk of Governor Hobbs where it will be signed soon. After weeks of intense debate – HB2677 passed the House last week – one of the most restrictive abortion bans, passed in 1864 decades before Arizona became a state and women had the right to vote, has been repealed. “The job’s been done, and it's a proud day for our state and our Democratic team," said House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras. "This repeal is what the people want. The vast majority of Arizonans and the majority of Americans have asked for this. We know this is not the finish line, but this is a step in the right direction, and a step that will save lives.” “I’m grateful to sponsor the bill and proud to stand with my Democratic colleagues to repeal the 1864 total abortion ban because it means the people of Arizona will not have their lives and private medical decisions subjected to this brutal and archaic law,” said Stahl Hamilton. “The 15-week ban that remains is still a ban, and we have important work ahead to fully restore reproductive freedom in Arizona, but this repeal was the right thing to do and it will save lives." -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 30, 2024 PHOENIX – Representative Lorena Austin released the following statement regarding a social media post by House Speaker Toma condemning a planned drag story hour hosted in a House conference room and subsequent retaliation. "This is the people's House and that includes the LGBTQ+ community, whether my colleagues on the other side of the aisle like that or not. It is nothing short of ridiculous that I have been described as dishonest, deceitful and perverse and have been subjected to calls for punishment and expulsion. What is true is that I hosted a drag performer who read stories about LGBTQ+ history and inclusion. There were no minors present, but also no content that would offend a minor. We were completely transparent when we reserved the room, and the content was not, or should not be, controversial. In total approximately 20 people attended (all adults) because the House is currently only conducting business on Wednesdays, and today was a Tuesday. It was educational and completely within the mission of our LGTBQ+ Caucus. I will never apologize for teaching people to be inclusive, to accept others as they are, and to stand up to hate and bigotry." -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 30, 2024 PHOENIX – House Democratic Whip Nancy Gutierrez released the following statement after House Speaker Ben Toma unilaterally banned House Democrats from using conference rooms Monday after Representative Lorena Austin and Planned Parenthood hosted a scheduled drag story hour. Austin is a member of the Arizona LGBTQ Legislative Caucus, and Arizona's first non-binary and gender nonconforming legislator. "I guess this isn’t the people’s House after all. No one was misled about scheduling this event. It was described as a drag story hour when Representative Austin’s assistant called to reserve the room. I was there. We ate bagels and listened to a person wearing makeup and a sparkly outfit read a book and some poems about inclusion, acceptance, and LGBTQ history. It wasn’t ’perverse,’ it was lovely, funny, and inspiring. We have had anti-abortion activists welcomed into the House to sing and jeer and mock our members, while our entire caucus has been banned from using House conference rooms because of how a person was dressed and what they had to say. Our leadership and Representative Austin have spoken with Speaker Toma to get the facts on the table and reduce the tension. We are working toward a resolution but are not all the way there yet. We will always stand with our members and constituents in the face of discrimination, and we denounce any kind of knee-jerk retaliation.” -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 25, 2024 PHOENIX – Overcoming a two-week Republican blockade, House Democrats on Wednesday put forth the bill and key votes to the repeal of Arizona's draconian and archaic 1864 total abortion ban. Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton's House Bill 2677 passed the House 32-28 and has now been transmitted to the Senate where they could take final action on it next week. Without legislative action the abortion ban passed decades before Arizona became a state and before women gained the right to vote will completely shut down reproductive freedom in Arizona on June 8. "We did what the people wanted us to do. The vast majority of Arizonans want this cruel and out-of-step ban repealed, and that's where we are now headed," said House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras. "I am proud of our caucus for staying focused, staying disciplined and sticking together to make the vote on our bill happen. Now we wait for the Senate to do the right thing and get this to the Governor's desk. If this ban is repealed, it gives our allies on this issue an excellent opportunity to argue in court for an injunction to keep the ban from ever taking effect, even temporarily, until the repeal officially becomes law 90 days after we adjourn the session." -30-

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 25, 2024 PHOENIX – Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced on Wednesday that a State Grand Jury had delivered multiple criminal felony indictments against 11 Republican fake electors – including Arizona State Senators Anthony Kern and Jake Hoffman-- and seven aides to Donald Trump in an illegal scheme to overturn the 2020 election. House Democratic Leader Lupe Contreras released the following statement in response to the indictments: "The 2020 election was free and fair, and won squarely by President Joe Biden. The effort to send fake alternative electors to Washington D.C. in the midst of an orchestrated and violent insurrection was a desperate, shameful and blatantly illegal attempt to hold onto power despite the will of the American people. An empaneled Grand Jury of Arizona citizens agreed with this assessment, and we appreciate Attorney General Kris Mayes for bringing forward these indictments and for her efforts to hold accountable those who would illegally undermine our democracy and American institutions. It's disappointing, but not surprising, that two of those indicted are currently serving in the Arizona Senate. If they had any integrity, they would resign immediately." -30-