I’ve been following State Senator Barto and I like many of the bills she’s proposed.
Here are just a few. these are in Feb. of 2021.
Eight of my bills were heard that day. Eight of them passed committee – two of them unanimously. Here’s a quick rundown of what they were and what happened:
SB1244 – Requires DES’ Division of Developmental Disabilities to be more transparent and accountable to the Council (the DDAC) established to review it. [Passed 8-0-0]
SB1372 – Expands access to dental care by removing key anti-competitive licensing requirements. [Passed 6-1-1]
SB1416 – Keeps doctors from being punished by overzealous state licensing boards for making their patients aware of potentially life-saving or preventative medication used off-label during a public health emergency. We saw the need for this during COVID-19 with doctors fearful of bringing up Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, and other medications. [Passed 7-0-1]
SB1417 – Protects the ability of someone with a close relationship to a patient to petition the health care power of attorney for contact with the patient. [Passed 7-0-1]
SB1418 – Protects the ability of patients to access the individually tailored treatments they rely on from Arizona’s compounding pharmacies – something the FDA has been trying to prohibit to favor Big Pharma. [Passed 7-0-1]
SB1458 – Increase supply of speech pathologists and audiologists by simplifying and removing unnecessarily burdensome roadblocks in the licensing process. [Passed 7-0-1]
SB1716 – Our Arizona State Hospital (ASH) is in need of accountability. This bill establishes a more independent governance structure. In addition, it requires the hospital to admit patients based on clinical need, not by county, which would better serve those needing this level of care and replace its inadequate and outdated surveillance system to address assaults. [Passed 5-3-0]
SCR1018 – Arizona lacks the appropriate treatment infrastructure to care for individuals with serious mental illness. SCR 1018 supports efforts to enhance appropriate psychiatric services to meet the needs of our growing state. [Passed 8-0-0]
These are March 3rd, 2021.
1. A first win for election integrity! On February 26, the Maricopa County Superior Court ruled in favor of the Arizona Senate’s subpoena of ballots and voting equipment, saying the subpoenas are both legal and enforceable! We can now begin the process of conducting the thorough and independent audit that has been so needed. Be assured – this is the plan! Read the full statement here.
2. A day of celebration for school choice at the AZ Capitol! On Tuesday, a huge group of families who benefit from a variety of school choice options descended on the Capitol lawn for a day of celebration hosted by Love Your School! I was pleased to attend and speak on the importance of giving families the opportunity to choose the education that is best for their child.
3. A victory for patient freedom! Health care professionals shouldn’t be punished for providing their patients with preventative and life-saving treatments off-label during a public health emergency. SB1416 – which passed the Senate unanimously! – accomplished that. I’m grateful for the community of providers who worked with me on this critical bill.
4. The Academic Transparency Act passes the Senate: Parents should know what is being taught in their kids’ classrooms. It’s already the law, but it’s not happening. As leftist politics becomes ever more pervasive in schools – even in math and personal finance classes i.e. curriculum promoting critical race theory, pro-socialist/anti-American viewpoints, and increasingly explicit sex education, SB1058 requires district and charter schools to clearly post their process to view materials, all materials presented to students– including supplemental resources, links and special speakers. The bill now makes its way to the House.
5. My sex-ed bill passes the Senate! SB1456 stops sex-ed from being taught in schools before 5th grade (23 Arizona districts currently teach sex-ed in K-4) and increases transparency and requires parental opt-in for instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. It’s a huge win for both protecting children from oversexualization and putting parents back in the driver seat on deciding when their child is ready to learn about sensitive subjects regarding sexuality. Democrats voted as a bloc against the bill, believing they, not parents should decide what is best. On to the House!
6. Life wins at the Arizona Senate: Yesterday, my pro-life bill SB1457 passed the Arizona Senate 16-14. It protects preborn children with genetic abnormalities from being singled out for abortion based on their disability. It also protects women by stopping dangerous chemical abortions by mail. It’s now on to the House! Pray for its swift passage.
March 12th, 2021.
I’m going to quickly summarize for you the 15 election-related bills that have passed the Senate in recent days – (more coming over from the House are likely as well!):
SB 1713 – ID requirements: Increases identification requirements for early ballots. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1652 – We must be able to investigate fraud: Provides funding to the Attorney General ahead of the 2024 election to investigate and litigate election integrity issues. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1003 – No more late signature verifications: Stops signature verifications on early ballots from occurring days after an election. Requires a voter to add their signature by 7:00 pm on election day. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1010 – Removing barriers to hand-recounts: After 2020, it is clear we must remove barriers to much needed hand recounts. This bill increases the precincts included in post-election hand counts. Allows the Attorney General, Secretary of State, or Legislative Council to request a recount, and a person to file an action for a recount of any election that is not subject to an automatic recount. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1068 – More process accountability: Moves the review and approval of elections materials to Legislative Council rather than the Governor for process accountability that is closer to the citizens. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1083 – Automatic recounts: Our margins for automatic recount are currently too small (one-tenth of one percent), making it very difficult to get a recount even in situations where it may be warranted. This bill raises that recount margin to one-half of one percent and stops certain offices from being exempt. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1106 – Cracking down on elector fraud: Stricter penalties are needed to deter individuals who aren’t eligible to vote in a state from becoming electors. This bill classifies this as a felony. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1240 – State statute rules: The recent prevalence of open voting centers versus precinct-based polling locations has made it even more difficult to conduct hand count audits. We’ve also seen significant confusion created when officials create election manuals that could be construed to conflict with state law. This bill requires ballots to be grouped by precinct at the voting centers and requires that state statute be followed when there is a dispute between statute and procedure manuals. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1241 – Giving you a piece of paper: Too many 2020 voters had the unsettling experience of not knowing if their vote had been properly counted – or why it had been mysteriously rejected. Too much can be lost or tampered with in intangibility of technology. This bill requires every electronic voting system to provide the voter a paper receipt that confirms it was tabulated and states a reason for rejection if rejected. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1329 – Another bill for better accountability: This bill is another attempt to place review of election materials in the hands of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee for broader accountability- not the Secretary of State’s office. I was pleased to be a co-sponsor. Sadly, one Republican voted no, and it failed. [Failed Senate 15-15]
SB 1358 – Stop weaponizing voter registration: We saw firsthand how our previous County Recorder used his office to favor his political agenda – often through the places he chose to conduct voter registration drives, and those he did not. This bill prohibits a county recorder from doing voter registration on non-government property. [Passed Senate Government 5-3]
SB 1530 – Return to sender: If an early ballot is sent to an address where the voter no longer resides, it should be returned. However, this isn’t currently happening. This bill makes that important fix. [Passed Senate 29-1]
SB 1613 – No foreign machines: After the significant concerns that arose surrounding possible foreign tampering in the Dominion Voting machines, we need this bill. It stops the use of any electronic voting equipment produced in another country, as well as the transfer or storage of any data. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1714 – Exposing out-of-state dollars: We saw unprecedented out-of-state dollars coming into Arizona in 2020 trying to turn our state blue. Arizona voters should be aware when outsiders are trying to influence their elections. This bill raises the requirements for transparency for PACs who receive out-of-state donations. [Passed Senate 16-14]
SB 1793 – Can’t vote if you’re dead: Establishes a key tool for county records to clean up dead voters from the rolls. [Passed Senate 16-14]
March 26th, 2021.
Protecting health freedom and the vulnerable in Health & Human Services
HB2386 – Crisis Standards of Care. This bill would protect individuals with disabilities from being discriminated against in receiving care during health emergencies when care is being rationed. Passed 5-3.
HB2439 – Reporting on missing children. When any child goes missing, it is a tragedy. This bill requires DCS to more regularly and thoroughly report relevant data on missing children in Arizona to allow for better tracking, prevention, and recovery methods. Passed 7-0.
SB1416 – Patient Pandemic Protection Act. Protects physicians treating their patients appropriately, including with off-label medications, during a pandemic. Passed House HHS 7-2.
April, 2021.
Another Barto bill awaiting a signature from the Governor:
SB1353 - My compounding pharmacy bill passed the Senate Wednesday with bipartisan support. It protects the patient/doctor relationship and their ability to continue to provide and receive individualized treatments not available commercially.
Several bills other Barto Bills were signed into law this week.
SB1391 - Children are 3.5x more likely to leave foster care faster if they have an attorney representing their case. It was an honor to work with Darcy Olsen of Generation Justice on this critical reform. Passed House & Senate Unanimously. Signed by Governor Ducey on 4/14.
SB1059 - One of several system reforms that will help many with serious mental disorders from falling through the cracks. Passed House & Senate Unanimously. Signed by Governor Ducey on 4/14.
Another Barto Bill awaiting a final House vote got some media attention this week. The opioid crisis is fueling a dramatic increase (in Arizona and other states) in infectious diseases like HIV and Hep-C associated with injection drug use. The spike is coming not so much from prescriptions but through illegal use. SB1250 will help stem the tide through overdose prevention strategies proven to get users into treatment and protect the public. It passed the Senate 27-2 and is awaiting a vote of the full House.
Oct. 2021.
First – parents’ rights took a HUGE step forward yesterday when Gov. Doug Ducey signed my bill stopping sex-ed before fifth grade and giving parents greater input and real curriculum transparency. Grateful for this hard-fought victory for Arizona families and the innocence of our children.
We also got a victory for life when the Governor signed HB 2386, a bill I was proud to work on with Sponsor Rep. Gail Griffin. It protects people with disabilities and the elderly by ensuring the allocation of health care resources during a public health crisis is determined by short-term survival, not life expectancy.
Feb. 2022.
First, Save Women’s Sports (SB1165) passed the Senate along party lines! We heard rousing floor testimony from both sides, with the opposition bringing their usual bankrupt arguments that ignore the biological differences between men and women. Constituents, be aware. My opponent in the upcoming election, Senator Christine Marsh, voted NO on this bill. She approves of forcing female athletes to compete against biological males to the detriment of fairness, opportunity, scholarships – and sometimes even their safety.
Second, the 15-week abortion ban (SB1164) bills passed the Senate Judiciary committee along party lines! Once again, the arguments of my pro-abortion Democratic colleagues totally discarded the humanity of the unborn. But our slim conservative majority prevailed! We were moved by the credible testimony of three post-abortive women, who spoke to the life altering harms they have suffered. The results are incalculable. We await a floor vote.
Now this is just a sample of what State Senator Nancy Barto has done over the year. She’s always trying to improve and make better laws for all Arizonians in all aspects of life, health and our welfare.
I’m glad that Nancy is our State Senator. Thank you, Nancy, for all your hard work.