Pigeons Derailed Brian Garcia's Fight for Paid Leave

Representative Brian Garcia (D-AZ) came to Wednesday's Judiciary Committee hearing with a plan to force a conversation about paid family leave. He left with nothing except a story about pigeons.

Rep. Garcia attempted to advance paid family and medical leave legislation during the hearing, only to be shut down on a procedural move before the topic could even be discussed.

The experience left him frustrated and vocal about his priorities.

Garcia introduced a "strike everything" amendment, a legislative tactic that replaces the contents of an existing bill with entirely new language.

He used it to insert a paid family leave policy into a piece of legislation he described as a bad bill, hoping to force a conversation on an issue he says Arizona families are desperate for.

The committee chair moved to call the question before Garcia's amendment could be heard, effectively ending the effort before it began.

Garcia's Connection

For Garcia, the issue is deeply personal.

His father was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer in 2019, and the family scrambled to provide care. He says that experience opened his eyes to how many Arizona families face the same impossible choice: either show up for a sick family member or keep a paycheck.

The bill Garcia was pushing, HB 2945 -- formally titled the Arizona Thriving Families Act -- would create a state-funded family and medical leave insurance program. Workers could receive up to 24 to 26 weeks of paid benefits for qualifying reasons, including a new child, a serious personal illness, caring for a sick family member, military deployment needs, or situations involving domestic violence.

Additionally, benefits would be funded jointly by employers and employees starting in 2028, with payments to eligible workers beginning in 2029.

Pigeon Law

However,  instead of debating any of that, the committee spent roughly 20 minutes on SB 1420, which would make feeding pigeons a finable offense in Arizona.

The legislation, introduced by Senator Frank Carroll (R-AZ), ​​would make it illegal to feed pigeons in Arizona, a measure that was prompted by complaints from Sun City residents dealing with large flocks leaving droppings in residential areas.

Current state law permits the feeding of birds and squirrels, so the bill would carve out pigeons specifically.

In the proposal, the first offense would result in a warning. A second would bring a $100 fine. A third would be classified as a petty offense. 

The penalties would also extend to residents who fail to properly dispose of food scraps or garbage that pigeons can access. Several Arizona cities, including Phoenix, already have local ordinances banning pigeon feeding, though fines vary by municipality.

"The majority chose to prioritize pigeons instead of your family," Garcia said afterward.

The pigeon bill passed the committee. The paid family leave amendment never got a vote.