The Arizona Senate Majority Caucus announced the creation of a new committee Friday that will review Arizona’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic was a heartbreaking period for so many people on so many different levels,” said State Senator Janae Shamp (R-Surprise), who will chair the committee. “I lost my job as a Perioperative Nurse because I refused to take the experimental vaccine that we now know has produced serious side effects in a number of otherwise healthy individuals. We’ve witnessed lives and livelihoods lost for no other reason than the mismanagement of COVID-19, and we are determined to hold those accountable for the injustices experienced.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: State and Federal GOP Lawmakers Launch Committee to Investigate Arizona's COVID-19 Pandemic Response@AZSenatorShamp @TJShopeforAZ @SteveMontenegro @RepGosar @RepAndyBiggsAZ @EliCraneAZ pic.twitter.com/03z0z76eUY
— AZSenateRepublicans (@AZSenateGOP) April 28, 2023
Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) told The Arizona Sun Times that he has been working with Shamp and others on the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The purpose was to look at the mistakes that were made in the way Arizona handled it, as well as anything that was done correctly. We want to see what lessons we can learn, and ensure that censorship of minority medical views, alternative treatments, and truthful data, are not suppressed. We want to look at data, incentives that promoted misinformation, the impact of the lockdowns, and other issues including vaccination. Because there are votes set in Washington, D.C., I will not be able to participate,” stated Gosar.
The Sun Times contacted Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) for a comment but did not hear back before press time
The new board, dubbed the Novel Coronavirus Southwest Intergovernmental Committee (NCSIC), will receive additional help from the state and federal levels. State Senator T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) will join Shamp (pictured above) from the Arizona State Legislature as the vice-chair and State Representative Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear). Moreover, some Arizona federal lawmakers will also appear, including Gosar, Biggs, and Crane.
Starting in May, the NCSIC will begin holding public meetings to hear expert and public testimony regarding experiences during the pandemic. Additionally, the lawmakers will evaluate Arizona public health protocols and guidance, any funding incentives healthcare facilities received, damages incurred by citizens, workers, and businesses, and the protections in place to safeguard Arizonans from restrictions or mandates.
After taking in research and testimonies, the committee will create a report and deliver it to Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) and House Speaker Ben Toma (R-Peoria) before the end of 2024. The NCSIC’s first meeting will be held in Senate Hearing Room 1 at the State Capitol on Thursday, May 25th, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. An additional session will occur at the same time and location on May 26th, with additional meetings to be announced in the future.
Shamp and Shope currently serve as the leaders of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee. As reported by The Sun Times, one of the reasons Shamp decided to run for Senate was her pandemic-era frustrations and a desire to ensure all Arizonans can enjoy maximum medical freedom. As such, one of the bills she introduced, Senate Bill (SB) 1250, would have forced every employer in Arizona to allow their workers to submit a religious exemption for any “emergency use” vaccine. Shamp said this bill would ensure another situation she experienced could not happen again. However, Gov. Katie Hobbs ultimately vetoed the bill.
Furthermore, some Republican legislators have already shown their disdain for how the pandemic was handled in Arizona by pushing back against Hobbs’s choice to lead the Arizona Department of Health Services, Dr. Theresa Cullen. Cullen served as the Pima County Public Health Director during COVID-19, and Republican members of the Senate Committee on Director Nominations found her conduct during the time concerning. Some of this behavior included promoting a website that shamed businesses for remaining open, supporting schools closing, and disagreeing with those who chose not to receive a vaccination. Committee chairman Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) characterized Cullen as “extreme,” and the Senate floor ultimately voted against approving her for the position.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Janae Shamp” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 3.0. Background Photo “Arizona Capitol” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
