Arizona Democrats had high expectations in November. They were out-raising Republicans and they had cut down the GOP’s statewide voter registration advantage to less than 100,000.
But Jorge Luis Garcia, then the Democrats assistant leader in the Senate, wasn’t very optimistic. He thought that Proposition 102, the proposal to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in Arizona, would drive the conservative base to the polls, thwarting hopes of legislative victories for his party.
It’s unclear to what extent Prop. 102 helped Republicans, but Garcia was right. The victories did not materialize. Instead, his party lost a seat in the Senate and a couple of seats in the House.
A few days after the election, Garcia, a Tucson Democrat, was selected the Senate minority leader. In this Jan. 12 interview, Garcia, a behavioral health worker, discussed his caucus’ priorities and how Democrats will try to protect them.
Tell me, why did you want this post again?
(Laughs). Because it was there. Seriously, I was selected to be the whip when Senator (Harry) Mitchell left and Senator (Richard) Miranda moved up. I was elected to be the assistant Democrat leader two years ago and I’m here as the (minority leader).
I’m grateful that my colleagues have given me that opportunity to do the work of coordinating, getting the information to them, finding out if they have questions. So I’m grateful to them for continuing to give me that opportunity. Because that is what the leadership position should be — (it) is one that works with the members to make them more effective in their legislative work.
In that sense, there is some sort of natural progression?
Yeah, there has always been a natural progression that I can remember. You’re assistant, and then you move up to become leader when they leave — if you are still around.
So what are your thoughts on the upcoming session? I’ve mentioned some of the conditions that you are facing.
In general, I think this is going to be as contentious as they have been in the past couple of years. You have 99 percent of the stuff that goes out of here that are pretty dull, you know. And 1 percent that is of a contentious nature, and I put the budget in there. It is a contentious issue.
What is the priority of your caucus this session?
Even though this is not a confirmed priority, no one would disagree that the priority for our caucus is to protect health care and education.
Can you be more specific?
Protect Medicaid, AHCCCS, KidsCare, group health care. All-day kindergarten, keep $100 million for teacher pay.
Are you willing to accept cuts in these areas you have just mentioned?
Am I willing to? I would tell you, ‘no.’ When reality comes and hits us, it depends on the mix.
What do you envision the role of the minority,  given that you are fewer in number than last year and that you won’t have Governor Napolitano up there on the Ninth Floor?
It is to make sure that Arizonans know that there are other options available to the Legislature and that those options are the right options, and not only (communicate that) to the public but also to Governor Brewer.
Exactly what do you mean by that? How do you let the people know, let Brewer know, that there are options? What’s the strategy, if you will?
For Governor Brewer, obviously she will have a legislative liaison. I will meet with him. I will track him or her down and make sure (to say) “hey, look, you guys might be considering these other things but don’t forget about (options) A, B, C, D.”
And if I get the opportunity to run into Governor Brewer in a public setting, I will go there, wait my turn, and say “Governor Brewer, don’t forget about (options) B, C, D, and E.”
If there is a public meeting or event where she would be, you would go there?
If that’s strategic that I need to be there, I will be there. But if I run into her — I’m sure she will go to Tucson. I sure am going to be in Tucson.
Let us say that I need to get a message to her right away and I haven’t been able to get to her, if she is going to be in the public meeting, I’m going to be there. That’s fair play.
During the last few years, not that many bills from your side have been passed. Do you see Democratic identified legislation getting out of this Legislature?
Well, let me say, first of all I don't see many bills getting out of this Legislature. OK? (I’m) basing that on Senator Burns’ comments. We had few last year. We will have fewer this year. A lot fewer. (Laughs).
I guess it works easier in the Senate than in the House because most of you guys have worked together in the House and moved here in the Senate, and therefore, you know each other more. Does that help?
I think it does. (Take) Senator Cheuvront. If he has an issue, he may take a different scope of it, but he would not have gotten Healthcare Group passed through last year had it not been for Senator Leff’s support.
And obviously Speaker Adams has a total perspective about Healthcare Group, but that was not the prevailing position when it was signed, when it was extended.
Senator Cheuvront’s prohibiting cities from doing the municipal tax breaks would never have gotten out of here without substantial support.
Yeah, from (then-Senate President Tim) Bee himself.
That’s right. We need that. And it is going to be issue by issue.
Have you had conversations with Senate President Bob Burns about the role of the minority or how he is going to work with you?
Some things are sort of unwritten. I would never have used the word irrelevant but I will say… our opportunities for getting bills heard become less.
We will never be irrelevant. We Democrats represent almost 2 million people. I met with him (Burns) twice and we are scheduled to meet again this afternoon. My understanding is that — I’ve never been privy to this — the meetings between the Democratic leader and Senate president are one on solving difficulties that our members might be experiencing.
Are you not going to bring any issue up to him?
Not as of yet.
Senator Burns’ plan of not assigning bills to committees until after the budget is fixed — is that something you can support?
Oh, I do support that. I think that’s the first priority for us.
Do you think it would work?
I think if we knew everything, it would work. By that I mean what is the economic stimulus going to mean to the state of Arizona? Not necessarily the roads and projects because that might not even come true. The state gets it and passes it on. But how much is going to be the fixed value of the Medicaid match dollars? I even heard last week that there was some child care money as part of the stimulus. That shocked me. But if that is to come to fruition, what is that fixed-dollar value there?
You are talking about Obama’s stimulus plan?
That’s right.
Where do you think the pressure will come from — and when — for Burns to start hearing bills?
I personally don’t think that Senator Burns is going to feel any pressure. What are the major policy issues? And maybe I have not read enough, but I don’t see them having major policies.
I know that Senator Burns has mentioned that there will be some pieces of legislation that will move, but that is housekeeping more than anything else. One of them that I heard him mention is giving the counties the authority to have a four-day work week and maybe even moving something forward to have a special elect
ion.
Besides her vetoes of what you think are bad legislation, what will you miss most when Napolitano finally, officially, leaves Arizona?
Someone with vision who was willing to stick her neck out and say, “This is good for Arizona.”
Have you had the chance to speak with Brewer yet?
Yes, last Thursday (Jan. 8). It was very, very rewarding.
When you came to the meeting you had expectations. Tell me what those expectations were.
I think I told you back in November, or it might have been in October, that I was welcoming Governor Brewer being governor because that would give Democrats a big, big political win in elections in 2010.
Can you explain that?
Obviously, back in October, September of last year, my impression was that Governor Brewer would come in and if the Legislature wanted to do this, she’d sign it and it would be done. But after the election, I would tell you that by the second week of November I had come full circle… she is Republican. She has a Republican philosophy. But she is running for governor in 2010. And because she is running for governor, she can’t be as mean-spirited as I had expected her to be.
She cannot just rubber stamp whatever comes out of the Legislature is what you are saying?
That’s right. Because it’s not that she’s got to please her Republicans or (Napolitano) has got to please her Democrats. OK? It is that she has got to please those independents who gave Napolitano the margin of victory. And they will give Brewer or the Democratic candidate the margin of victory.
Did she go so far as to commit herself to working with Democrats?
I would tell you that, yes. I don’t think anybody asked her that flat out. But the reality is, Senator (Linda) Lopez asked her whether or not she would be willing to meet with Democrats from time to time, and she was very open to that.
One expectation is that Republicans bills that were vetoed would be revived just because she is there and she is Republican. Let me ask you about (some) bills. Property tax repeal — what do you think she is going to do with it?
Veto it.
Veto it?
Well, she is going to come here and tell the legislators “Not yet.” If she gets it in February, which I suspect she will, or if she will be governor next Tuesday and if it gets there on Wednesday, she will veto it.
If she gets it late in session?
If she gets it later in session she might approve it or she might work out a deal with Republican leadership and (ask) “Hey, you know, is it sensible to do this?” And I would tell you that the political realities are that while it will be a jewel for Republican dogma, it is not a jewel for re-election.