Congresswoman Nancy Gutierrez of the 18th District serves as the minority member of the Arizona House Democratic Caucus. Gutierrez owns neighborhoods throughout the Tucson metropolitan area, including the neighborhoods near Interstate 10 and Cortaro Farms Road, the Casas Adobe area, the Catalina Foothills, and Tucson's East Side between Country Club and Camino Seco north of Broadway. represents. The Sentinel spoke with Gutierrez on Friday, Jan. 12, after Gov. Katie Hobbs released next year's budget. Gutierrez said the first week of Congress was a busy one.

“I’m happy to be back and I’m exhausted,” she said.

What do you think about the governor's budget proposal?

I was at a briefing on her budget this morning, so I saw an overview of it. And I was really grateful that K-12 public school spending wasn't cut. That was great. I am thrilled that she is prioritizing the reduced free lunches even though the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) budget is now in place. That's a big priority for me too. And our vital institutions were not cut.

I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the Republicans in the Legislature are at odds with Governor Hobbs. Do you think there are areas where legislative Democrats can work with Republicans?

i hope so. This week we are reaching across the aisle and talking. In the Education Committee, there is a bill (HB 2174) regarding administering glucagon in schools for students with type 1 diabetes, similar to the case with EpiPens. They are of benefit to our students. In fact, I'm very excited to vote yes on the education bill. I think we can make positive changes in that regard. But this is an election year. And it turns out that over 600 bills were filed, compared to her only 400 last year. What are those bills? We don't know how many are Republicans and how many are Democrats, but we do know that there will be a ton of messaging bills. And our messages are not the same. Our Democratic side's message is about the people of Arizona and helping them. And I don't think that's true for the other side either.

What do you want the state to do about affordable housing this Congress?

Now, that was another thing about the governor's budget. He was pleased to see that his $140 million in housing trust funds were unaffected. Because you definitely need to help your family. Several bills have been introduced that would increase cap rentals. I think that's important. There are several incentives for new homebuyers, some to help budget for high interest rates and mortgage health. I'm really looking forward to seeing it. And our caucus has been working hard with stakeholders to consider how we can make housing and rent more affordable. Let me tell you, when I went to rent an apartment for this session, it was going to be $2,000 a month for a studio apartment near the Capitol. …So this is outrageous.

One of the priorities for the Democratic caucus is expanding child care support. What do you want to happen on that front?

Pima County is a leader in the state in accessing child care funds and actually helping as many families as possible. But I hope more can be done in the state budget to ensure that no one is waiting to receive these funds. Childcare is an important issue. Of course, it's not just for families, but also for single mothers who are trying to decide what's next. Or maybe they can't afford to pay for childcare? ” We hope that this year we will be able to allocate funds to help even more families pay for childcare. And I think that's the governor's priority.

What concerns do you have about the Empowerment Scholarship Account program?

The big concern is that our tax dollars are going to private schools, microschools, and homeschools for which we have no responsibility. There is literally no accountability. And we don't even know if these students are actually getting an education. we don't know that. So I'm very concerned that in the next few years, many of these students will find themselves without an education. It is the mission of public schools to catch up with these students so that they can graduate. And it's a difficult job. I am also concerned about the safety of ESA. I'm a public school teacher. I have a fingerprint identification card for him that expires every 7 years. I have to get it renewed. Private schools and micro schools do not have this requirement. This is one of the things we will introduce this time. And stop unnecessary spending. We once saw a $500 Lego set and grand piano for a family. I think everyone is talking about it. I don't know the statistics for Tucson High School, but I think Tucson High School probably doesn't have any pianos older than 10 years. Still, families who want to buy a grand piano are happy to do so. I actually saw a curriculum for Apple Watch. He will give every ESA student a $1,000 Apple Watch. In other words, it's a huge expense.

Are there any bills you are sponsoring that you would like to highlight?

Yes, I just dropped off the bill. (Pima County) Supervisor Rex Scott and Pima County asked me to do it. This would eliminate the state's preemption of cities, towns, and counties from enacting their own gun regulations, and would allow those voting on city councils and county boards of supervisors to create gun safety regulations for It will be possible to enact the following. our county. And I think that's very important for Arizona. Gun violence is the number one killer of children, and Arizona continues to do absolutely nothing to prevent it. So I'm excited to be a part of that. I don't think it will come before the committee, but we will at least start a conversation.

Is there anything else you would like to mention today?

I was really excited about what the governor said in his State of the State address about protecting people's privacy in terms of reproductive health care. And that she's all for eliminating local bans on abortion. That's very important to most Arizonans. And that's very important to me.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.