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The Arizona Republic’s politics team discusses teachers’ “boat parade,” a protest for pay raises; the upcoming state budget; and what’s up with Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton.
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The Republic’s political team on April 25, 2017, talks about the latest political news affecting Arizona, including the protests surrounding the future of school vouchers and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema’s donation controversy.
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The Republic’s political team on April 18, 2017, talks about the latest political news affecting Arizona, including 2018 candidates, Sen. Jeff Flake’s town hall and how a bill to require child-welfare officials to get warrants fell apart.
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The Republic’s political team on April 11, 2017, talks about “zombie” health care reform in Congress, and the expansion of the school voucher program headed by Gov. Doug Ducey.
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The Republic’s political team on April 4, 2017, talks about the state of the filibuster and the latest on Secretary of State Michele Reagan’s “Show Me the Money” campaign.
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The Republic’s political team on March 28, 2017, talks about funding for teacher raises in the state budget, what comes next after the non-vote on the ‘Obamacare’ repeal bill in Congress and proposed restrictions on citizen initiatives in Arizona.
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The Republic’s political team on March 21, 2017, talks about the possible impact on the president’s blueprint for a budget, and the lack of female representation in Arizona’s legislative leadership.
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The Republic’s political team on March 14, 2017, talks about how much of Arizona’s delegation has been quiet about the “Obamacare” replacement, but even Republicans don’t seem to like it.
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The Republic’s political team on March 8, 2017, talks about the latest political news affecting Arizona, including a failed tax-cut bill, a congressman’s tweets and how a former state senator isn’t working at the White House after all.
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The Republic’s political team on March 1, 2017, talks about the latest political news affecting Arizona, including the state of Senate Bill 1142 and the rowdy crowds at U.S. Rep. Martha McSally’s Town Hall.
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The Republic’s political team on Feb. 21, 2017, talks about recent political news, including Trump’s Arizona announcement about Intel, McCain and Obamacare, and House Bill 2404 targeting voter initiatives.
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The Republic’s political team on Feb. 6, 2017, talks about the latest political news affecting Arizona, including how much debt is too much for the state and which lawmaker wants to be shot.
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The Gaggle: Teachers protesting, a budget afoot and what’s up with Stanton?
The Gaggle: Voucher vote, Arizona university funding
The Gaggle: DCS warrants and Flake gets scorched
The Gaggle: Health care in Congress and school voucher expansion
The Gaggle: Is the filibuster busted and will Michele Reagan show us the money?
The Gaggle: Teacher raises, ACA repeal and ballot initiatives
The Gaggle: Federal budget and few women in the Legislature
The Gaggle: Obamacare replacement, George W. in town and TANF benefits
The Gaggle: Tax that did not get cut, tweets from Gosar and a non-job
The Gaggle: SB 1142 is dead and town halls get rowdy
The Gaggle: Bigfooted, McCain and HB 2404
The Gaggle: How much debt is too much?
Supporters of increased pay for teachers took to the rocky shores of the state Capitol on Tuesday to demand a 4 percent pay raise.
In a “boat parade” — ranging from rubber rafts to cardboard cutouts of a row boat —about 60 people marched around the plaza between the House and Senate, ridiculing the 0.4 percent annual pay raise Ducey proposed in January and rebuffing the 2 percent lawmakers are offering over the next two years.
The parade was inspired by a comment that House Majority Leader John Allen made during an education debate last week. When Democrats complained that teachers have to hold down part-time jobs to make ends meet, Allen, R-Scottsdale, rose in defense of part-time jobs.
He later clarified his remarks to say he wasn’t talking about teachers specifically, and noted not everyone who works a part-time job is “borderline poverty.” He suggested they could be looking for extra earnings to better their situation, or to save up for a car or even a boat.
But at Tuesday’s rally, 2017 Arizona Teacher of the Year Michelle Doherty said teachers are taking second jobs to supplement their low pay. The median teacher salary is $40,768, according to figures from the Morrison Institute at Arizona State University, ranking the Grand Canyon State 50th in the nation.
“It’s not something we do just because we want boats, we want cars, we want a second home,” Doherty said of part-time jobs. “That was my favorite: a second home.”
She invited lawmakers to join with them in pushing for a 4 percent pay increase.
“Why don’t they get in these boats we have and row with us?” she asked.
Some of the participants took a stash of plastic toy boats up to Ducey’s office, offering to trade them in for higher pay.
“We said these are the boats teachers can afford on their salaries,” said Josselyn Berry, executive director of ProgressNow Arizona, a liberal advocacy group.
For its part, Ducey’s office said it was not aware that any boats were delivered.
The House and Senate will hold hearings Wednesday on the budget bills, which include the 2 percent raise over two years.
Reach the reporter at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @maryjpitzl.
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