A bill that, if passed and signed, would allow La Paz County voters to petition for a ballot resolution to remove the county from the Arizona Western College District narrowly cleared a legal hurdle Tuesday. The proposal was approved by the Arizona House Education Committee on a 5-4 vote, with one member voting “present.”

This bill was introduced by Dist. 30 January 17, Congressman Leo Biasiucci. 30 Rep. John Gillett and Dist. 7 Sen. Wendy Rogers. All three are Republicans. The bill is scheduled to be considered by another assigned committee, the House Rules Committee, on Monday, February 12th.

The bill provides that if 10 percent of eligible electors sign a petition to remove a county from the Arizona Western College District, the issue will be placed on the ballot for consideration by the county's voters. . The district covers Yuma and La Paz counties, but only La Paz County residents vote on this issue. The bill also includes treatment of AWC's properties in La Paz County.

Supporters of the bill argue that La Paz County does not receive its fair share of university services for the tax dollars that go to AWC. They say this will give county voters a chance to say where they want their money spent. Additionally, this would give the county an opportunity to explore other options for university services.

Opponents say the bill would affect training in the county, including emergency medical services, fire protection and law enforcement training. They are also concerned about what will happen to high school students in the county who are dual-enrolled with AWC. There are also concerns that the relationship between county schools and AWC will be dissolved.

At the school board hearing, some members said they wanted the county to develop a plan for how it would handle higher education if voters decided to leave the AWC. They also thought Yuma County voters should vote on this issue.

A resolution supporting HB 2501 was on the agenda for the Feb. 5 County Board of Supervisors meeting. In an appeal to the public, regulators heard from people in emergency services agencies urging them not to support the bill. District 2 Supervisor Duce Miner made a motion in favor of the resolution, but two other supervisors, David Plunkett and Holly Irwin, did not second the motion.

The minor spoke at a school board meeting. In response to a question from Democratic District Rep. Judy Schwiebert, 7, about what happened in the supervisors' meeting, Miner said this was because of open meetings laws, which prevented her from discussing the bill with other supervisors. I answered that it shows that.

Miner said he supports the bill, but he also supports education. He served on the Parker Unified School District Board of Directors for eight years and is a past president of the Arizona School Boards Association. He added that he appreciated the efforts of AWC and its staff. But he said he has heard from constituents who are dissatisfied with the level of service the county receives from AWC for the taxes they pay. Miner said La Paz County receives $1.5 million in return for the $5 million it sends to AWC each year.

Miner said he has discussed the matter with AWC officials, including Chairman Daniel Coe, but nothing has been resolved. He noted that AWC's Quartzsite campus has been closed for four years. He said county residents are frustrated.

“There has to be some way to keep costs down for county residents,” he said.

Regarding college services, Miner said the county could potentially collaborate with other community college districts.

Zafar Genk, CEO of La Paz Regional Hospital and president of the La Paz Economic Development Corporation, also supported HB 2501, saying AWC is a great school. However, they were not producing proportional results for La Paz County.

One of the speakers who opposed the bill was State48 spokesperson Alexis Susdorf. She spoke on behalf of AWC. She said students in La Paz County will no longer have access to affordable higher education and the removal of La Paz County will harm Yuma County's AWC.

Sussdorf said AWC has invested in La Paz County, investing in two buildings in Parker and the Quartzsite campus. She said students can take classes online. We offer courses and certificates for firefighting, emergency medical services, and law enforcement. We also provide financial services for students.

Universities play an important role in breaking the cycle of poverty, she said. She added that AWC's budget is set for Yuma and La Paz counties combined.

Rep. David Cook, Republican, asked on the 7th what the plans for higher education would be if HB 2501 were passed and La Paz County withdraws from the AWC. He said it could cost the county even more money if he went to another community college district.

“I haven't heard of any plans for higher education in La Paz County,” he said.

Biasiucci said HB 2501 does not withdraw La Paz County from the AWC, but only allows it to go to voters. He said the process of collecting petitions and putting the issue on the ballot will take at least two years. He added that this would not eliminate dual enrollment, but that the cost would depend on who gets access to university services.

“Counties should be able to choose, but they can't do that without appealing to voters,” Biasiucci said. “Voters have never been given a choice.”

Schweibert said he would like to see a plan developed to provide university services in La Paz County before calling for a vote. She added that there will be a transition period, but she doesn't see how it won't negatively impact education in the county. She said all voters in the district, which includes La Paz and Yuma counties, should be able to vote on the issue.

The bill will be considered by the Arizona House Rules Committee on Monday, February 12th.