Linda Lopez for State Senate
News Coverage
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2008 News Releases: House Committee to Hold Hearing on Rep. Lopez's Bills to Help New Mothers Federal Security Funding Should Be Spent Wiser Rep. Lopez to Join March for End of Life Choices Legislature Cares about Well-Being of Children House Bill 2454 Linda's response to columnist Laurie Roberts concerning House Bill 2454 Linda's response for Tucson media concerning House Bill 2454
2004, May 16, Arizona
Republic 2004, February 19, Tucson
Citizen 2004, January 15, Arizona
Daily Star 2004, January 8, Tucson
Weekly 2003, November 18, Tucson
Citizen 2003, September 12, Tucson
Citizen 2003, July 18, Tucson
Citizen 2000, August 29, Arizona
Daily Star An open field in District 10 has drawn six Democratic candidates for two seats in the state House. The Star endorses Linda Lopez and Jesse Lugo in the primary race. Lopez, a long-time Sunnyside school board member, and Lugo, a former lobbyist, offer solid approaches to solving the major problems in the district and the state. The other candidates are Emmett Alvarez, a college prep coordinator for at-risk youth; lawyer Ralph Ellinwood; retired nurse and long-time community advocate Betty Liggins; and current District 10 Sen. Victor Soltero. Soltero seeks to extend his political career with a seat in the House. District 10, with its heavy concentrations of poor and minorities and its polluted ground water needs strong leadership. It is a heavily Democratic district in a heavily Republican Legislature. The deep needs of the district require effective advocates who not only understand the needs, but can articulate those needs to an unsympathetic majority in the House. Lugo, a business consultant and lobbyist, supports the governor's plan to raise money for the state's schools through a tax increase. But he also wants to look at other methods of raising teacher salaries. He suggests lottery reform could fund the salaries. Finding alternative funding sources is a worthy idea even if voters pass the tax. Passage would still leave the state among the bottom in the country for school funding. On another tax measure, Lugo says he would work to eliminate the personal property tax on businesses. Elimination of the tax is long overdue. He takes a misstep in saying he supports parental consent for abortion. But on another critical health-care issue, TCE contamination of the ground water, Lugo shines. He says he would fight to get more funding for the South Side's TCE clinic. Lopez's years on the Sunnyside school board give her a deep understanding and make her a strong proponent for educational issues. Like Lugo, Lopez accepts that passage of a tax increase for education will meet only some of the funding needs. But she also speaks of accountability in the schools and more training for teachers. Lopez takes a broader environmental view than does Lugo. She says she would, fight for a statewide growth plan to allow communities to plan growth. Neither candidate would eliminate bilingual education. Lopez would leave the details to local administators. She would not impose a time limit for students in bilingual education. Lugo said he would make sure that the focus of bilingual education is to build English fluency. Every Democratic candidate in District 10 lists education as the top priority. With the critical funding needs expected, the issue will continue to take up much of the legislature's efforts in the coming years. Linda Lopez and Jesse Lugo have been good for District 10. They deserve a chance to expand their work to the state Legislature. |