HEADLINES
about Mitzi's Work in the Arizona House of Representatives
********* AZ Capitol Times March 30, 2018 *********
Dem House freshmen break tradition,
turn up the ‘volume’
"It is in sharp contrast to the attitude of freshmen in previous legislative sessions that have typically spent their first year or two listening and learning, said Minority Leader Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix.
“This is a really intelligent, assertive group of freshmen,” Rios said.
The new legislators in the 2017-2018 class of the House Representatives got a nickname, "The Feisty Freshmen." This group of Democratic women broke the usual mold of sitting down and waiting. Instead, these leaders spoke up and took action!
"...However, despite being criticized by their Republican colleagues for what some see as antics on the floor, and despite efforts to prevent them from speaking up, the women said they won’t be stopped.
“Being quelled is just the best reason to speak up more,” Epstein said. “I always think in terms of I’m here to represent other people. So when somebody else tells me hush. What?! You’re telling the 250,000 people I represent to hush? No.”
"Fire to speak
Democratic lawmakers have long accepted that as the minority party, their bills typically won’t get a hearing in the Republican-controlled Legislature. After years of being bashed over the head with that notion, many have learned to “play the game,” and fall in line with the long-held traditions of the chamber.
But the freshmen Democrats have challenged the status quo these past two sessions. They stand by their convictions and values and won’t let other members roll them over. ... "
“...This should be normal. What we’re doing should be normal. Why isn’t everybody speaking up like that? That’s what surprises me,” Epstein said. “We have to have the courage of our convictions to speak up.”
Click here to read the whole article.
********* Tucson.com *********
Arizona House OKs
bigger tax breaks for long-term capital gains
but Epstein Pushes Back
Click here to read the whole article.
********* AZ Republic March 15, 2017 *********
Want reliable funding for schools?
Then Stop excessive tax carveouts ! (March 2017)
"Credit to the legislators who voted for Senate Bill 1144: Republican Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Democratic Reps. Reginald Bolding of Phoenix, Mark Cardenas of Phoenix and Mitzi Epstein of Tempe."
Excerpt:
"Senate Bill 1144 would have required a joint legislative committee to review sales tax exemptions every 10 years and report their recommendations to legislative leaders. It would then have been up to the Legislature to decide whether to kill an exemption.
Boos all around to Republican Reps. Anthony Kern of Glendale; Jay Lawrence of Scottsdale; Kevin Payne of Peoria; Jeff Weninger of Chandler, and Vince Leach of Tucson, who voted to kill the bill.
I’m quite sure that Southwest Gas is pleased. We tax 3-inch pipes but not the 4-inch ones used by Southwest Gas and certain other companies.
Same with ASU and UA. We don’t tax tickets to college football games."
