Ducey addresses education issues without any talk of solutions

Gov. Doug Ducey delivered his State of the State Address on Monday, many viewers say the governor addressed issues without providing any solutions.

Jaime Molera of Molera Alvarez called the address a safe speech because it brought up issues that everyone can get on board with, such as improving the state’s education system and stopping the opioid crisis. “I think it was a very politically acute State of the State,” Molera says.

While the governor succeeded in recognizing the problems, he fell short with providing solutions, says Roy Herrera of Lewis Roca Rothberger Christie LLP. Herrera says Ducey failed to address what he saw as the main public policy issue which is the funding crisis for schools.

Funding was a common theme in a few of the issues Ducey brought up, but experts like Herrera were left wondering how education will be funded if taxes aren’t raised. On top of that, Herrera points out that putting an end to the opioid problem won’t be a cheap task either.

Ducey began his speech by celebrating the women in legislation. Molera says the issue of sexual harassment at the Capitol was something that needed to be talked about right away because it’s a national topic. It was appreciated that the subject was brought up, Herrera says, but until people like Don Shooter are removed from their positions then the problem will continue.

Transcript:

JOSE CARDENAS: ALL RIGHT WELL WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "HORIZONTE." COMING UP NEXT ON "HORIZONTE,” WE WILL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THE ISSUES HIGHLIGHTED IN GOVERNOR DOUG DUCEY’S STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS.

JOSE CARDEAS: ARIZONA GOVERNOR DUCEY DELIVERED HIS FOURTH STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS AND OUTLINED HIS POLICY PROPOSALS FOR THE 2018 LEGISLATIVE SESSION. HE CALLED FOR MORE SPENDING ON K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HE ANNOUNCED TO CALL A SPECIAL SESSION OF THE LEGISLATURE TO DEAL WITH THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC. JOINING ME NOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE STATE ARE POLITICAL CONSULTANT, JAMIE MOLERA, A PARTNER AT MOLERA ALVAREZ, A GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM AND ROY HERRERRA OF COUNSEL AT LEWIS ROCA ROTHGERBER CHRISTIE, GENTLEMEN THANKS FOR JOINGING US ON HORIZONTE. WE’VE GOT SOME CLIPS WE’RE GONNA RUN IN JUST A LITTLE BIT, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT QUICKLY OVERALL IMPRESSIONS, YOU FIRST JAIME.
JAIME MOLERA: IT WAS A SAFE SPEECH. I DON’T THINK YOU SAW A LOT OF PROPOSALS THAT WOULD HAVE FIRED UP THE REPUBLICAN BASE. IT WAS A GOVERNOR WHO IS PRETTY COMFORTABLE AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT HE WAS GONNA HIT ON ISSUES THAT BY AND LARGE THE PUBLIC WILL AGREE WITH HIM AND I THINK A LOT OF THE POLICYMAKERS WOULD AGREE WITH HIM TOO.

JOSE CARDENAS: AN INTERESTING COLUMN BY BOB ROB, SAYING HE WAS NOT LOOKING FOR PRAISE.

JAIME MOLERA: IN A LOT OF WAYS GOING INTO AN ELECTION YEAR, GOVERNORS OR POLITICIANS IF THEY SEE IN THE POLLS BY IN LARGE THEY HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF BEING REELECTED THE LAST THING THEY WANT TO DO IS STEP ON A LANDMINE. THE LAST THING THEY WANT TO DO IS THROW OUT THESE BOMBASTIC PROPOSALS THAT CAN GET A LOT PEOPLE UPSET. I THINK IT WAS A VERY POLITICALLY STUT STATE OS THE STATE SPEECH.

JOSE CARDENAS: ROY, YOUR IMPRESSIONS?

ROY HERRERA: WELL I AGREE. I THINK IT WAS A VERY SAFE SPEECH. I THINK IT WAS WHOLEY LACKING IN SUBSTANCE. IN MY VIEW. IN PARTICUALR, I THOUGHT THE SPEECH FAILED TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS WHAT I THINK IS THE NUMBER ONE PUBLIC POLICY ISSUE IN ARIZONA, WHICH IS THE FUNDING CRISIS FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I HEARD A LOT OF PLATITUDE A LOT OF GENERAL TALK ABOUT HIS BELIEF IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM BUT LITTLE SUBSTANCE ON WHAT HE THINKS WE SHOULD DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE IT IS AN EMERGENCY. IT’S AN EMERGENCY WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDING, IT’S AN EMERGENCY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR TEACHERS AND THEIR SALARIES AND THEIR NUMBERS. I DIDN'T HEAR ANY KIND OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT EMERGENCY.

JOSE CARDENAS: SO LET'S GET TO SOME OF THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT HE DID SAY. I WANT TO START PRETTY MUCH WHERE HE STARTED WHICH WAS WITH SOME STRONG STATEMENTS ABOUT THE ROLE WOMEN HAVE PLAYED IN ARIZONA.

Video: Doug Ducey: ICONS LIKE ROSE MOFFERD AND SANDRA DAY O'CONNER FOUGHT WITH GRIT AND DETERMINATION FOR FAIR TREATMENT AND ACHIEVED GREATNESS AND THEY DIDN'T DO IT FOR WOMEN IN THE YEAR 2018 TO FACE DISCRIMINATION, MISOGYNY, OR HARASSMENT. [APPLAUSE]
THE REASON THEY DID IT WAS SO THE WOMEN WHO FOLLOWED THEM WOULD NOT ONLY HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD IN OUR COUNTRY BUT SO THEY WOULD HELP LEAD AND SHAPE OUR GREAT COUNTRY. IT SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING, BUT IT BEARS REPEATING, EVERY INDIVIDUAL DESERVES TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT. ALWAYS. NO EXCEPTIONS. PRIVATE SECTOR, PUBLIC SECTOR, IN MY OFFICE, IN STATE AGENCIES, IN THIS CHAMBER, AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. [APPLAUSE]

JOSE CARDENAS: JAIME, HE DIDN'T ACTUALLY SAY IT BUT A PRETTY OBVIOUS REFERENCE TO THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT SCANDAL AND LATER IN THE WEEK YOU HAVE REPRESENTATIVE SHOOTER APOLOGIZING TO HIS COLLEAGUES FOR THINGS HE MAY HAVE DONE AND DID DO.

JAIME MOLERA: THIS ISN'T AN ISSUE ENDING WITH THIS SPEECH. THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION ON GOING AT THE LEGISLATURE. I WOULD SUSPECT THERE IS GOING TO BE DEBATE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A CERTAIN MEMBER, YOU MENTIONED REPRESENTATIVE SHOOTER, AS WELL AS OTHER MEMBERS, MIGHT BE EXPELLED FROM THE LEGISLATURE. I THINK THE GOVERNOR. IN A LOT OF WAYS THIS IS A BIG ISSUE NATIONALLY AND NOT JUST IN ARIZONA. I THINK IT WAS AN ISSUE THAT HAD TO BE TALKED ABOUT RIGHT OFF THE BAT. WHEN YOU WALKED INTO THAT CHAMBER YOU COULD FEEL THE TENSION THAT WAS IMINATING FROM THIS SEXUAL ABUSE SCANDAL.

JOSE CARDENAS: SHOULD WE HAVE BEEN MORE EXPLICIT. SHOULD HE HAVE CALLED FOR LEGISLATION OR MADE SOME REFERENCE TO THE INVESTIGATION.

ROY HERRERA: I BELIEVE HE SHOULD HAVE. THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS THE CULTURE AT THE CAPITOL WE KNOW HAS BEEN THIS WAY WHERE WOMEN HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY HARASSED AND TREATED INAPPROPRIATELY. NOW AS A RESULT TO THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION WE’RE HAVING IT IS HITTING HOME AND WE HAVE THIS INVESTIGATION GOING ON AND THE MEMBERS AND LAWMAKERS ARE HAVING SEXUAL HARASSMENT TRAINING. THAT HAPPENED THE FIRST WEEK THEY WERE THERE. WITH THAT SAID, IT COULD ALWAYS BE STRONGER. THE PENALTIES COULD BE STRONGER. YOU MENTION DON SHOOTER, HE IS STILL THERE. HE IS STILL ELECTED AND UNTIL PEOPLE LIKE HIM ARE NO LONGER AT THE CAPITOL I THINK WE MAY STILL HAVE A PROBLEM. I WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED STRONGER LANGUAGE BUT I APPRECIATE HE MENTIONED IT.

JOSE CARDENAS: AS YOU WOULD EXPECT FOR SOMEONE GIVING HIS FOURTH STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS HE HAD SOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS HE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IN HIS SPEECH AND ONE OF THEM WAS DEREGULATION.

VIDEO: DOUG DUCEY: WHILE BUREAUCRATS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. TARGET ARIZONA’S SALT RIVER HORSES, WE ARE TARGETING NEEDLESS STATE REGULATIONS. LAST YEAR WE WIPED OUT 676. ELIMINATED THEM, AND OUR ESTIMATES SHOW THAT THESE REFORMS HAVE SAVED REAL PEOPLE MORE THAN 48 MILLION DOLLARS. THAT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF A 48 MILLION TAX CUT WITHOUT COSTING THE GENERAL FUND $1.

JOSE CARDENAS: SO JAIME, YOU WENT ON TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF THE COSMOTOLOGY BOARD TRYING TO STOP SOMEONE FROM BLOW DRYING HAIR. THE NUMBER THAT YOU MENTIONED IS BIG BUT THOSE TYPE OF EXAMPLES SEEM A LITTLE TRIBULE HOW WELL DOES THIS RESONATE WITH THE PEOPLE?

JAIME MOLERA: I THINK IT DOES RESONATE WITH THE PEOPLE. I THINK IT IS NOT SO MUCH THE ACTUAL NUMBER BUT IT’S REALLY THIS FOCUS THAT IT IS NOT GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO BE IN EVERY SINGLE FACET OF OUR CITIZEN’S LIVES. THEY SHOULDN'T BE ABLE AND YOU HAD THE GENTLEMEN AT THE STATE OF THE STATE SAYING HERE IS SOMEBODY WHO IS AN ENTREPRENEUR TRYING TO CREATE A LITTLE NICHE FOR THEMSELVES AND THE STATE OF COSMETOLOGY BOARD CAME DOWN WITH A HAMMER AND SAID YOU CANNOT DO THIS. IT IS JUST INDICATIVE OF WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT WITH GOVERNMENT NOT JUST AT THE STATE LEVEL BUT CERTAINLY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND A LOT OF TIMES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. I THINK HIS MESSAGE WAS MORE THE TONE OF WHAT HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE GOVERNMENT BECOME WHICH ISN'T THIS MONOLITHIC WE ARE GOING TO DO ALL AND EVERYTHING FOR YOU BUT WE WANT TO DO THE THINGS WE SHOULD BE DOING AND GET OUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FROM PEOPLE'S LIVES.

JOSE CARDENAS: ROY, HE TALKED ABOUT DEREGULATION IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER THINGS HE HAS BEEN DOING SUCH AS LOWER TAXES AND SO FORTH THAT MADE ARIZONA MORE INVITING AND HE SAID NOT JUST TO CALIFORNIA BUT WE ARE EVEN GETTING PEOPLE COMING IN FROM TEXAS.

ROY HERRERA: RIGHT. OBVIOUSLY HIS FOCUS, AND IT IS A REPUBLICAN FOCUS, IS DEREGULATION AND GETTING RID OF RED TAPE. I MEAN LISTEN, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS DON’T LIKE RED TAPE I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT. I THINK A LOT OF THE TIME HE SPENT ON THIS MISSES THE POINT. THE NUMBER ONE THING WE CAN DO IN ARIZONA TO MAKE THE ECONOMY STRONGER IS TO HAVE A STRONG PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM. THAT IS WHY WE DON'T HAVE LARGE CORPORATIONS MOVING THEIR COMPANIES HERE BECAUSE IT IS KNOWN NATIONALLY OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM IS NOT GREAT. UNTIL WE SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, I DON’T BELIEVE WE WILL HAVE AS ROBUST OF AN ECONOMY AS WE CAN HAVE. I DIDN'T HEAR ENOUGH OF THAT CONVERSATION COMING FROM GOVERNOR DUCEY.

JOSE CARDENAS: JAIME, THERE IS ONE AREA WHERE HE SAID THERE IS A ROLE FOR GOVERNMENT TO PLAY AND A STRONG ONE AND THAT IS OPIOIDS AND HE MADE A STRONG STATEMENT ON THAT.

VIDEO: DOUG DOUCEY: SINCE I LAST STOOD AT THIS PODIUM, WE HAVE LOST MORE THAN 800 ARIZONANS TO OPIOIDS. IN THE COMING DAYS, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP I WILL CALL FOR A SPECIAL SESSION SO WE CAN FOCUS ON THIS AS ONE OF OUR FIRST ORDERS OF BUSINESS WITH THE PRIORITY IT DESERVES.

JOSE CARDENAS: HE MENTIONED OPIOIDS IS SOMETHING HE IS GOING TO INITIATE SOME LEGISLATIVE ACTION ON AND WRONG-WAY DRIVERS. YOUR REACTION TO THAT?

JAIME MOLERA: AGAIN, THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO ARGUE WITH.

JOSE CARDENAS: PART OF BEING THE SAFE SPEECH?

JAIME MOLERA: AND BEING POLITICALLY ASTUTE AS TO WHY OPEN UP LINES OF ATTACK? THE BIGGEST ISSUE I KEEP HEARING FROM THE DEMOCRATS IN THE STATE IS HE HASN'T RAISED TAXES FOR EDUCATION. THAT IS GOING TO BE THE NUMBER ONE FOCAL POINT IS HE HAS NOT RAISED TAXES. THAT IS GOING TO BE AN INTERESTING ARGUMENT IF THAT BECOMES THE ONLY FOCAL POINT IN ORDER TO TAKE THIS GOVERNOR OUT. I THINK WHAT GOVERNOR DUCEY IS TRYING TO DO IS HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THESE VARIOUS AREAS WHERE AS GOVERNOR HE IS TAKING DECISIVE ACTION AND TRYING TO SHOW HE IS GETTING THINGS DONE. WHETHER FOLKS SAY THAT IS BIG ENOUGH AND IMPORTANT ENOUGH IT STILL SHOWS EFFECTIVENESS. A LOT OF TIMES THE PUBLIC ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING IS AT LEAST HAPPENING.

JOSE CARDENAS: ROY, THESE TWO SEEM TO BE BIPARTISAN ISSUES. ANY ARGUMENT ABOUT THAT?

ROY HERRERA: NO, OF COURSE NOT. I THINK EVERYONE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE OPIOID CRISIS. I THINK THAT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT I HAVE BEEN SAYING ON EDUCATION WHICH IS THAT IS GOING TO COST MONEY.

JOSE CARDENAS: SO, BECAUSE WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF TIME, LET'S GET TO EDUCATION BECAUSE THAT WAS THE FOURTH AREA I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AND WE HAVE A CLIP OF HIM TALKING ABOUT WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO.

VIDEO: DOUG DUCEY: I PLEDGED TO INCREASE SPENDING ON K-12 EDUCATION, ABOVE AND BEYOND INFLATION, EVERY YEAR I AM IN OFFICE. I HAVE ALSO SAID WE WILL NEVER CHECK THE BOX ON PUBLIC EDUCATION. WE CAN ALWAYS DO MORE FOR OUR KIDS AND TEACHERS. THIS WEEK I WILL RELEASE MY BUDGET. IT WILL INCLUDE A FULL COMMITMENT TO ACCELERATE THE STATE’S K-12 INVESTMENT AND RESTORE LONGSTANDING CUTS FROM THE RECESSION MADE BEFORE MANY OF US WERE HERE.

JOSE CARDENAS: ROY, THIS DOES SEEM TO BE ONE AREA WHERE THE CRITICS SAID HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SPECIFIC.

ROY HERRERA: AFTER THE SPEECH, DURING THE SPEECH VERY LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS AS FAR AS ADDITIONAL FUNDING SINCE THEN HE’S PROVIDED SOME FUNDING ON THE INCREASED FUNDING HE WANTS TO ADD TO THE EDUCATION SYSTEM. EVEN WITH THOSE NUMBERS WE ARE RETURNING ONLY TO A FUNDING LEVEL THAT WE SAW IN 2008. HERE WE ARE, HE’S IN HIS FOURTH YEAR AS GOVERNOR AND WE’RE TRYING TO GO BACK TO WHERE WE WERE IN 2008.

JOSE CARDENAS: BUT JAIME, 2008 WOULD BE A PRETTY BIG JUMP, WOULDN'T IT?

JAIME MOLERA: IT WOULD BECAUSE PEOPLE FORGET WE FELL CONSIDERABLE DURING THE GREAT RECESSION. WE LOST $2 BILLION IN LESS THAN AN 18 MONTH PERIOD. WE HAD STRUCTURALLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST DEFICITS.

JOSE CARDENAS: THINK HE CAN DO IT WITHOUT RAISING TAXES?

JAIME MOLERA: WHAT HE’S PROPOSING IS WE’RE GONAN GO BACK TO RESTORING THE CUTS OF WHERE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HAD WE NOT HAD THOSE REDUCTIONS. THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH MORE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW AND THAT IS THE BIG DEBATE. BUT LET'S FACE IT, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT HAS BEEN RAISED WHEN YOU COMBINE THE STATE APPROPRIATIONS, COMBINE PROP 123 PASSED BY THE VOTERS TWO YEARS AGO NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT IS OVER HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN NEW REVENUE. THAT IS FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE FROM WHERE WE WERE AT.

JOSE CARDENAS: WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF TIME AND I WANT TO TOUCH UPON THE SEXY NEWS OF THE DAY THAT CAME OUT. JOE ARPAIO RUNNING FOR SENATE, ROY.

ROY HERRERA: IT BRING A SMILE TO MY FACE FROM A POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE I THINK IT’S GREAT FOR KRYSTEN SINEMA, I THINK SHE WOULD LOVE TO GO AGAINST JOE ARPAIO IN THAT SENATE RACE. IT’S ALSO INFIRUATING BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE WERE DONE WITH HIM, YOU KNOW MARICOPA VOTERS BUT HE IS BACK. IT’S GONNA BE INTERESTING BECAUSE SOMEONE LIKE GOVERNOR DUCEY WHO PRAISED JOE ARPAIO HAPPENED WITH WHEN THE PARDON HAPPENED WITH TRUMP. IS NOW GOING TO HAVE TO DECIDE IF YOU ARE OKAY WITH JOE ARPAIO AS YOUR SENATE CANDIDATE ARE YOU GOING TO SUPPORT HIM? AND THAT IS THE QUESTION FOR EVERY REPUBLICAN, ARE YOU GOING TO BE WITH JOE ARPAIO?

JOSE CARDENAS: IS HE EVEN GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE PRIMARY?
JAIME MOLERA: I DON'T THINK SO. I THINK WHAT THIS DOES. THE HAPPIEST PERSON YESTERDAY WAS MARTHA MCSALLY BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE KELLY WARD WHO HAD VERY STRONG NUMBERS WITH THE TRUMP BASE IN ARIZONA. YOU HAVE A PERSON THAT’S JUST AS STRONG WITH THE TRUMP BASE THAT’S GONNA SPLIT THAT VOTE. AND THE PERSON THAT I THINK IS THE MOST DISAPPOINTED IS KRYSTEN SINEMA BECAUSE THE LAST PERSON SHE WANTS TO RUN AGAINST IS MARTHA MCSALLY.

JOSE CARDENAS: WE WILL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US ON "HORIZONTE,” TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THIS.