Why COVID-19 Bills Have Stalled In The Arizona Legislature
Download mp3 (10.68 MB)As the nation reaches a half-million fatalities, Arizona has recorded roughly 3% of those deaths while accounting for only about 2.2% of the U.S. population.
On Feb. 23 another 148 deaths were added to the state total, which is now approaching 16,000 since the pandemic began. Caseloads though continue to fall with the latest daily count at 1,184.
Hospitalizations are still on the decline as well as ICU use. As for vaccinations, more than 1.5 million shots have now been given in Arizona, with more than 400,000 now fully vaccinated.
Over the course of the pandemic, state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have complained about the way Gov. Doug Ducey has tried to manage the state’s response.
Many Democrats argued the governor wasn’t doing enough and encouraged him to take steps like a statewide mask mandate. Republicans, meanwhile, said the governor was doing too much. They also made an issue of the ongoing state of emergency which, they said allowed the governor to act unilaterally and not involve the Legislature.
But now that lawmakers are back in session and have the ability to pass laws and have a role in dealing with the pandemic, what kinds of legislation are they actually promoting?
The Show spoke more about that with Dillon Rosenblatt, a reporter with the Arizona Capitol Times.
