Arizona parents of children with disabilities launch recall campaign against Republican lawmakers

Parents of children with disabilities are attempting to recall four Republican state lawmakers amid a fight at the Arizona Capitol over funding for services their children require.

Earlier this week, Republican lawmakers advanced legislation providing $122 million in emergency funding needed for programs for people with developmental disabilities. Without legislative action, those programs will run out of funding next month.

But the partisan GOP measure also would place future restrictions on a program within the Division of Developmental Disabilities that pays parents who act as caregivers for their children.

Callie Walling is the community director for the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix, and is part of the recall efforts.

She said Republicans at the Capitol have failed to heed their concerns, and instead are pushing to cut back on the parents as paid caregivers program.

“I think we can do it. I think that they’ve underestimated us this whole time. A lot of people are upset,” she said.

Recall petitions have been filed against House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear), Rep. Michael Carbone (R-Buckeye), Rep. David Livingston (R-Peoria) and Rep. Matt Gress (R-Phoenix).

Each of the four lawmakers is being challenged by a parent in their district with a child who has a disability.

None of the lawmakers responded to requests for comment.

Livingston told the Arizona Republic that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the Democratic party is behind the recall petitions, but Walling said that’s not true.

“It’s just parents that are fed up. This is not … the Democratic Party is not behind us,” Walling said.

But, she added that if Democrats offer to aide the recall effort, she’ll take it.

Walling acknowledged Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs has also been blamed for the funding crisis. But she said it’s the Republican lawmakers she’s challenging specifically, for failing to respond to parents or make themselves available for meetings.

As for Hobbs, the governor announced Thursday that until lawmakers send her a bipartisan plan to fund the disability services program, she won’t sign any of their bills.

Walling said she still has hope the lawmakers will solve this problem soon.

“I hope they put their political beliefs and their history and whatever is making them upset behind them to do what we need for our community,” she said.

Organizers have until Aug. 15 to gather the thousands of signatures necessary to trigger a recall election.

Walling said her group hasn’t started collecting signatures yet, but she said she has a list of people lined up who have volunteered to help.