Legislative District 2

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Home City: Pittsburgh, PA

Occupation: Policy Researcher

Member Since: 2023

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The Honorable Shawnna LM Bolick is no stranger to the inner workings of local, state, and federal government.  As an undergraduate, Senator Bolick volunteered countless hours in Syracuse's inner city helping underprivileged populations attain their GED and with a Little League program keeping young kids off the streets.  During her junior year, she moved to Albany to work with the state's current legislators at the New York State Assembly.  Prior to graduating Syracuse University, Shawnna moved to New York City to work in a public high school, sparking her passion on helping families access better educational opportunities. 

 

Upon graduating from Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University with a B.A. in policy studies with concentrations in education and environmental policy she moved to Washington, DC to pursue a graduate degree from American University.  While attending graduate school, she worked on Capitol Hill for her birth state's U.S. Senator, Rick Santorum, and as a policy researcher at The Heritage Foundation on the No Excuses: Lessons from 21 High-Performing, High-Poverty Schools civil society project. 

 

After completing her graduate coursework, Shawnna moved to Austin, Texas where she worked for then Texas Lieutenant Governor Rick Perry's special project on the Advisory Council on the Digital Economy during the legislature's interim. 

 

In 2001 Bolick moved to Arizona.  In May 2004, Shawnna published her first book titled Playtime in Phoenix: The Ultimate Guide to Learning & Having Fun with Kids!  Shawnna successfully balanced motherhood and working from home while consulting for the Arizona Charter School Association, the Goldwater Institute, the Alliance for School Choice, and the Arizona School Choice Trust.

 

Bolick has happily served in many voluntary advisory roles over the years, including as a current corporate board member to her children's elementary school; a past school board member for BASIS Scottsdale's advisory board; and as a former Director to BASIS Texas Schools, Inc. Governing Board.  In 2015, Bolick was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey and confirmed by the State Senate to serve on Arizona’s Early Childhood Education and Health Board.  With her strong interest in our state's academic standards, she is also a past member to the Arizona State Board of Education’s Academic Standards Development Committee as a public high school parent. 

Shawnna has immersed herself in the community; including, serving as a founder/past President/Advisor to BASIS Phoenix Boosters; a graduate of the Dodie Londen Excellence in Public Service Series program; a past alumni board member for Syracuse University Alumni Club of Arizona; a past board member of Moms Offering Moms Support – MOMs Club International; Benchmark's Parent Teacher Organization (PTO); Mothers of Preschoolers at La Casa de Cristo; and the Children’s Advocacy Center.  In 2021, Governor Ducey appointed Bolick to the Arizona Juvenile Justice Commission as a member from the legislature.

 

Bolick was elected to her first term to the Arizona House of Representatives representing Legislative District 20 in November 2018 and re-elected in 2020.  Bolick had a successful legislative portfolio and service to the state in her four years as a representative, including:

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• Sponsored a bill to allow timeshare buyers a 14-day period from first use (instead of the current 7-day period) to opt-put of their contract and receive a 90% refund.  This passed and Governor Ducey signed it into law.

• Sponsored a grant program to anti-trafficking organizations who help survivors of human trafficking.

• Chaired a Study Committee on Special Education Funding Weights and Gifted Pupils during the interim. 

• Served on a House Ad Hoc Committee on Earned Release Credits for Prisoners.

• Served on a Joint Ad hoc Committee on Statewide Emergency Communications. 

• Appointed to the Governor’s Justice for Victims of Child Sex Abuse Task Force.

• Sponsored a bill to ban the practice of funeral directors who were taking over the deceased’s estate and charging the family exorbitant burial fees.  It was signed into law by Governor Ducey.

• Sponsored a consumer protection bill for Arizona car dealers to require the disclosure of document fees in the price of the vehicle, increasing transparency for consumers.  This bill was signed into law by Governor Ducey.

• Sponsored Matthew’s Law helping to keep families access to a loved ones’ pets after their passing.  I worked with state officials to introduce a bill permitting landlords to remove pets from a property a day after death or incapacitation and release that pet to a loved one or shelter. Governor Ducey signed this bill into law.

• Sponsored a bill to give victims of human and sex trafficking the right to take civil action and address the host of related physical and mental damages that occur as a result of being trafficked. Previously they were only permitted to take criminal action. This bill was signed by Governor Ducey.

• Sponsored a bill to protect Arizonans from “doxing.”  Doxing is the online posting of harassment or personally identifying information to encourage harassment has plagued several Arizona citizens. This bill was signed by Governor Ducey. 

• Sponsored a bill requiring private companies to alert the Director of Arizona’s Department of Homeland Security when a data breach had occurred affecting more than 1,000 individuals.  These companies were already required in statute to alert the Attorney General. This bill was signed into law by Governor Ducey.

• Sponsored a bill to address medical freedom and parental rights issues reaffirming that parents remain the sole health care decision makers over their minor children.  This bill was signed into law by Governor Ducey.

• Sponsored a bill prohibiting a person serving a term of probation for a cruelty to animals’ violation and who has committed a new violation of cruelty to animals from possessing or having contact with any animal as a condition of release.  This bill was signed into law by Governor Ducey.

• Sponsored a bill to help domestic violence survivors extend their emergency orders of protection “to take measures for safety.”  Governor Ducey signed it into law during 2022’s National Crime Victims Week.

 

In July 2023, Shawnna was appointed to fill a Senate vacancy in Legislative District 2. Shawnna and her family reside in Phoenix, AZ with their three greyhounds.