New lawmaker profile: Rep. Ben Arredondo, D-Tempe

Name: Ben Arredondo

Chamber: House of Representatives

Party: Democrat

Profession: retired teacher

Hometown: Tempe

Legislative District: No. 17, which covers most of Tempe and part of Scottsdale.

Committee Assignments: Government; Higher Education Innovation and Reform.

Previous or Current Elected Offices: Tempe City Council member, Tempe Elementary School Board member, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors member.

Highlights of Community Involvement: National Education Association, Arizona Education Association.

Why He Ran: “After a while you do things, and you feel like you have an affect on the things that you’re doing… As you progress you think, well gee, if I can do this maybe I can do it on a bigger scope, which is the state government.”

His Focus: “I would hope that I would work with my Republican colleges and try not to deepen the cuts financially, so that all students have the opportunity to afford and attend Arizona State University.”

A Bill: HB 2385 would require schools to educate coaches, students, and parents about the dangers of concussions and would require students who have sustained a head injury to be removed from athletic activity until a qualified physician clears the student to resume activity.

Reporting by Alyson Zepeda, Cronkite News Service