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Voter Guide

Arizona Senate, District 14

Arizona's 30 state senators each represent a unique district of voters. Republicans have held the majority in recent years, although most recently by only a handful of votes.The job pays $24,000 a year, plus mileage and per-diem during session.

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Jaime Alvarez
(Dem)
David Gowan
(Rep)

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Biographical Information

Why are you the best person for the job?

Do you support the teacher pay-raise plan passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey? Why or why not?

State funding for Arizona schools remains below pre-recession levels. How should the state address funding for its schools in next year’s budget? How would you pay for any increases?

Does Arizona do enough to require accountability and transparency for charter schools?

Would you support stricter gun laws, including raising the minimum age to 21 for all gun purchases, banning bump stocks and universal background checks on gun sales between private parties?

What should Arizona do to prevent mass shootings in schools?

As a legislator, would you be inclined to support additional tax cuts for individuals or businesses? If so, which taxes would you like to see reduced?

Should recreational marijuana use be legalized in Arizona? Why or why not?

Has Arizona taken the right approach by increasing restrictions on abortion providers and clinics? Why or why not?

What should Arizona be doing to prepare for a potential water-shortage declaration on the Colorado River?

Would you support a statewide law that bans discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in public accommodations, such as restaurants and other businesses? Why or why not?

Would you support a statewide law to allow business owners and others to deny services to customers based on religious beliefs? Why or why not?

In terms of the economy, how can the Legislature best encourage sustainable growth that benefits people of all income levels?

Do you support further expanding the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, which provides state funding for private-school education?

What is your position on Proposition 305, the ballot measure that would repeal the Legislature’s 2017 expansion of the voucher program?

What role should Arizona play in helping the federal government secure the border with Mexico?

Has the Legislature done enough to address concerns about sexual harassment among its membership?

Is there an issue not mentioned about that you feel hasn’t received enough attention at the Capitol? How would you address it?

What is the greatest threat to Arizona’s future, and how would you address it?

Last spring, lawmakers – at the direction of the governor’s office – opted to not authorize the state’s expenditure of $56 million in federal aid for child-care costs for the working poor. Should the state accept the $56 million? Why or why not?

Family members who take in their relative’s children when the kids are removed from their parents’ home get a sliver of the money paid to foster parents, about $45 a month, compared to $650. What responsibility, if any, does the state have to these family members? Should they be paid the same as foster parents?

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Age 64

Family Married 42 years; 3 sons who have their own families; 10 grandchildren

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/alvarez4az

Campaign Phone (520) 428-6836

I’m a great listener that will put constituents above donors and ideology. As an auditor I have the right set of skills needed to resolve perceived or actual problems objectively and ultimately speak truth to power. Effective legislation is based on critical analysis and comes from the bottom up not top down. Issues important to constituents will be my agenda and focus. Public education is my primary focus followed by our economy in our district, water conservation, healthcare, and ethics. I will make the government do what it is meant to do – serve YOUR needs, and not the needs of rich corporations and special interest groups.

I agree with increasing pay for teachers but not the method of funding. Gov. Ducey and the Legislature should have committed to having a dedicated funding stream established but chose to continue their flawed policy of robbing Paul to pay Peter. Let’s not forget that the only reason the pay increase occurred was because RED4ED pushed the governor and Legislature to do what they should have been doing all along. I look forward to seeing Arizonans voting to approve Invest in Ed – once again constituents must take the bull by the horns in spite of the anti-education political action committees (PACs), and super PACS, and their lobbyists.

Invest in Ed is the best solution – it will have a dedicated funding stream upon approval by Arizonans. Whether you agree with the source of the revenue or not, the alternative, leaving it up to the legislature, is a “no brainer”. Our LD14 incumbents have already shown their opposition to public school education each time they vote to divert funds from the General Fund to private schools. Proposition 108 has adversely impacted the ability to generate additional revenue given the hurdles of getting 2/3 of the House and Senate to agree to a tax increase. Even if that occurred Gov Ducey has committed to no new taxes which means 3/4 of the House and Senate would be required to overcome the veto. Thus, until the majority party in the Legislature is changed the best solution for funding public education is through the citizen initiative process like the Invest in Ed Act.

No.

I believe in commonsense gun legislation. I also consider these 3 issues to be the low lying fruit and a good starting point. Raising the age limit to 21 for all gun purchases is the right thing to do. I support banning bump stocks and having universal background checks on gun sales between private parties.

Ensure funding is available for each school campus to have:

-- Restricted access to schools. -- School certified counselors and psychologists. -- Security officers.

Combined with certified school teachers these people can be part of a threat assessment team within each school. Teams can focus on those they consider at risk and begin an intervention process. This could also be tied in with community mental and behavioral health centers, which requires additional funding.

I do not think we should reduce taxes at this time. The majority party has consistently applied their ideology “the road to prosperity is through tax cuts”. This flawed policy and philosophy has been detrimental to our state. Corporate tax revenues to the General Fund have declined significantly since 2009 from 6.7% to 3% in 2018 (Joint Legislative Budget Committee). In the same time period Individual Income taxes to the General Fund have increased from 29.1% to 41.9%. What’s wrong with this picture?

Recreational use and possession of marijuana for adults should be regulated and taxed in Arizona. Studies have shown that the public health burden is modest compared to alcohol and tobacco. Regulating the source will provide control and oversight that is nonexistent in the current conditions. Law enforcement can then focus on the more dangerous drugs such as opioids and methamphetamines. Taxing marijuana will bring revenues into the state coffers.

No, a woman’s right to choose should not be interfered with.

Work with all stakeholders to develop plans to address solutions. Explore aspects of desalinization of coastal water with California and Mexico in exchange for their Colorado River rights.

I do not believe in discrimination in any form. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution should preclude legislators from enacting unconstitutional legislation. Why is the Rules Committee ignored when giving legal counsel?

No, the recent Supreme Court ruling was so narrow and specific on this point that it should give legislators pause before attempting this type of legislation.

Investing in our children and grandchildren in education to strengthen and diversify our economy. Complying with our state constitution to ensure higher education costs are as close to zero as possible. Economist in Arizona consistently stress the need to have a better educated workforce to draw the higher paying jobs.

No!

It should be repealed.

Funding to assist local law enforcement along the border to stop criminal activity should be more than a token amount.

No. Expulsion of one member for sexual harassment should have been the opportunity to codify not only this topic but others. Ethics standards in the Legislature are weak to non-existent; moreover, the Ethics Committee should be independent from the Legislature.

Poverty levels in Arizona consistently exceed the national average, yet little is done to assist families. When the legislative session concluded $56 million of federal funds to help working families with child care were not appropriated. Twenty to 25% of Arizonans live in poverty yet legislators ignore the issue or reduce the benefits that could help them. The Legislature should be serving the needs of the working poor and less on their donor agendas.

Voters must address the threat – the entrenched majority party that continues to be puppets of their donors and pursue unreasonable tax cuts. Continuing on the current glide path, Arizona may become the next Kansas. Tax cuts from 2011-12 contributed to their budget crisis, it started out in the form of “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.

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