Arizona Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Russell Bowers have reversed COVID-19 safety precautions that were in place during the last legislative session, and have removed all virtual participation methods outside the capitol for both legislators and members of the public.

Committees no longer allow any remote testimony or participation by members – not for voting, debate, explanation of votes, or motions. Members who choose not to vote from the floor are expressly barred from debating on bills or explaining their votes, and remote citizen testimony on matters before legislative committees is no longer permitted. Masks are no longer required at the Capitol, plastic shields have been dismantled, there are no social distancing requirements, and representatives who are absent for any reason will not be allowed to vote. This encourages legislators and members of the public who are sick to knowingly come to the Capitol in order to have a say.

The decision to remove virtual testimony and voting options denies the reality of this moment. COVID-19 is now the leading cause of death in Arizona.

The Arizona State Legislature has already proven that remote participation is feasible for both legislators and members of the public, and as recently as December there were options for remote voting and testimony. This current rule forces Arizonans to risk contracting COVID-19 and spreading it to those they love in order to participate civically.

Add your name today to urge President Fann and Speaker Bowers to reverse this decision and allow for virtual testimony and voting options.

In January, Arizona State Representative Athena Salman wrote a letter to Speaker Bowers requesting that she be able to participate in both committee and floor proceedings from the safety of her home. She did so while pregnant with her first child the week before she gave birth. Her request was met by silence and inaction from House leadership, but her concerns remain. Arizona ranks second highest in the nation for COVID-19 pediatric deaths, and as a new mom Rep. Salman is determined to take every precaution to protect the health of both herself and her baby.

We need safe options to participate in our democracy now more than ever. Rep. Salman and Sen. Mendez deserve to do their jobs, and protect themselves and their baby. Every Arizonan deserves to participate in the legislative process without putting their health at risk.

“The decision to end virtual participation away from the Capitol is not based in science, but purely political,” said Rep. Salman. “Just days before I gave birth, the Speaker of the House announced he would end remote voting and testimony from home. In consultation with an all-male leadership team, they are clearly playing games with my life as a new mother and the life of my baby girl.”

“My priority is to protect my daughter, who is barely a month old, from this dangerous virus, while performing the duties of my job,” said Sen. Mendez. “The fact that these self proclaimed ‘pro-life’ Republicans are denying us and the public the same remote options that were available to us as recently as last December demonstrates that they have little concern for life once it’s born.”

Add your name to call on Leadership in the Arizona State Legislature to continue remote testimony and voting procedures from outside the Capitol, and reverse this harmful decision.

Vote Mama Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working towards gender equity in politics. We are the leading source of research and analysis on the political participation of moms, and work to break down the structural barriers that keep parents out of office. We bring visibility to the solutions that working families need, and provide federal, state, and local legislators the tools they need to pass family-friendly policies.