Happy Mother's Day To All Our Family DOC MOMs!
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AzAFP E-News- May 8, 2020
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AZ Government Relations Update:
Peters, Cannata & Moody plc
Another week has passed at the Arizona Legislature, and another stalled attempt to officially adjourn the 2020 regular legislative session. The Senate announced that it was ready to adjourn
sine die
– the end of the session and, Senate President Karen Fann (R-Prescott) hopes, a step that will inspire the House to move toward
sine die,
as well. The Senate spent hours debating the decision to
sine die
but obtained a bipartisan majority support for a motion to end the session. Six Republicans argued that the legislature should remain in session.
It’s not a firm end to the Senate’s work, though and it’s not clear whether the House will follow the Senate’s lead. House Republicans canceled a floor session that was scheduled for today,
restating
their determination to continue the work of the 2020 regular session but not specifying what priorities they hope to enact. If the House does identify a small number of bills related to the COVID-19 emergency, Fann said, the Senate could return to consider those.
While they decide how to navigate the close of the regular session, legislators might also return to the Capitol soon for a special legislative session on new policy proposals related to COVID-19 – like a law that expands liability immunity for businesses re-opening during the public health emergency. Governor Ducey has not yet issued the special session call.
Each legislative session is unique, but this one is very unusual and the next steps are not evident. Legislators must navigate new public health guidelines and old policy disagreements as they try to find common ground on how to best prepare the state for economic recovery after the COVID-19 public health emergency.
This Week in Arizona Politics
The President visited Arizona this week, and announced
federal aid funding
for the Navajo Nation.
The Arizona Department of Health Services
changed course
after it came under fire for its decision to end modeling that predicts how COVID-19 could impact Arizona. The Department has also come under fire for its decision to
prevent public access
to information on COVID-19 cases and deaths in nursing care facilities and long-term care homes. Local media outlets
filed a lawsuit
against the agencies this week, arguing the information should not be limited only to those facilities’ residents and their family members.
Representative Kelly Townsend (R-Mesa), backed by several of her Republican colleagues,
asked
the U.S. Attorney General to decide whether Arizonans’ constitutional rights had been violated by Governor Ducey’s COVID-19 executive orders. An Arizonan who lost his job
filed a lawsuit
against the Governor’s stay-at-home order.
Governor Outlines Steps to Economic Re-opening
On Monday, Governor Ducey announced
a timeline
for two more sections of Arizona’s economy to recover: salons and barber shops may begin operations today, and restaurants can re-open for dine-in service on Monday. Stores that sell non-essential goods also opened for in-store service today; they started curbside sales earlier this week.
All businesses must follow
guidelines
that implement CDC recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Next week, the Governor plans to announce a process for re-opening gyms and fitness facilities in hotels and apartments.
Budget Update: State Watches for Clues on COVID-19 Impact
State budget officials will not have full details on how COVID-19 will impact state tax dollars until next month, but they have identified a variety of
data points
that indicate which parts of the state’s economy have altered because of the public health emergency.
Unemployment claims
have jumped more than 800% over last year, and so have the number of continued unemployment claims. The number of travelers at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport has
dropped
by 47% compared to last year. Compared to last year, 4.3% more Arizonans are
enrolled
in AHCCCS.
Last month’s tax revenues exceeded expectations, but only part of those dollars signal real increases to sales and income taxes. Almost two-thirds of the excess dollars are likely caused by Arizonans who are waiting to file their individual income taxes even though they will get a tax refund when they do file. Their delay means the state will hold onto the refunds a little longer. Legislative analysts say that even the glimmer of good news is not enough to change their
estimate
that the state budget could have a $1.1 billion deficit next year.
Court Allows Most Challenged Candidates to Remain on Ballot
Arizona courts have almost completed their review of challenges to legislative candidates’ petitions, and only two cases await Arizona Supreme Court decisions before the 2020 Primary Election races can be finalized. Most candidates remain on the ballot in spite of the challenges to their voter signatures: Three legislative candidates withdrew due to a signature challenge.
A total of 170 candidates are currently approved to run for the 90 seats in the legislature, and many of those candidates must face a member of their own political party in the August 4 Primary Election.
The Arizona Clean Elections Commission is hosting a series of virtual debates on their
YouTube page
;
click here
for a full schedule of the debates or to submit a question to the candidates.
In the News
On the Bright Side…
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NEED SOME LAST MINUTE Mother's Day GIFT IDEAS?
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May.
Date
: Sunday, May 10, 2020
Founder
: Anna Marie Jarvis (May 1, 1864 – November 24, 1948) was the founder of the Mother's Day holiday in the United States
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COVID-19: Changes to CME Requirements and Member Dues
As you focus on serving your patients, and AAFP has canceled all live, in-person CME events through May 31, we want to make sure you have one less thing to worry about. Thus, we are making the following changes related to CME requirements and dues, effective immediately:
- AAFP members whose CME re-election cycle ends on Dec. 31, 2020, who have not met the requirement, will have an additional year to fulfill their CME requirement.
- Members whose CME re-election cycle ended on Dec. 31, 2019 will now have until Dec. 31, 2020 to report their CME, which they earned prior to Dec. 31, 2019, to remain eligible for membership (original deadline was May 5, 2020).
- Any members who have not yet paid their 2020 dues will now have until July 14, 2020 to do so.
Additional details about the extension for members up for CME re-election in 2019 or 2020 will be available online soon.
We hope these changes provide you with the flexibility you need to remain an AAFP member.
For any questions, please contact the Member Resource Center at (800) 274-2237 or
aafp@aafp.org
.
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View The AZ Dept of Health Services COVID 19 Dashboard
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