Jayme Accalia
DemocraticQ1 What advisory mechanisms will you implement to ensure that evidence and scientific findings play a crucial role in your policymaking process?
A good legislator can recognize when they are not the expert on a topic and reach out to those who are for information on the subject. I would seek to establish advisory groups made up of various stakeholders including independent researchers, and those affected. I would also consult peer reviewed articles, and university research labs, or the relevant agencies whenever necessary.
Q2 What initiatives will you take to support investment in innovation via federal science funding?
As a state senator, I wouldn’t have authority over federal science funding, but I can make sure Arizona is positioned to take full advantage of it. I support partnerships between our universities, community colleges, and state agencies to pursue federal research grants and bring those dollars into our communities; Particularly for research and innovation addressing Arizona’s needs, including water conservation, agriculture, extreme heat, energy, infrastructure, and emerging technologies. I would also advocate with Arizona’s congressional delegation for continued federal investment in science and research.
Q3 Arizona faces many environmental issues, including extreme heat, mining extraction waste, and water scarcity, especially with the rise of AI data centers. What strategies, if any, do you support to tackle these issues?
As a sustainability student, I have learned is that we cannot look at water, energy, agriculture, development, extreme heat, and industry as separate issues. A decision we make in one area can create consequences across the entire system. I am not an environmental scientist, hydrologist, or engineer, and I won’t pretend to be, but what I can do is make sure we are listening to those experts and using the best available science before making decisions that could affect Arizona for generations.
First I understand we need a comprehensive audit of our water situation and an updated long-term water plan, we also need to do better in protecting agricultural land, investing in conservation and heat resilience, and holding industries responsible for the resources they consume and the environmental impacts they create. I am particularly concerned about the rapid expansion of data centers, which is why I support pausing new development while independent research evaluates their cumulative impacts on our water, electrical grid, environment, and communities
Q4 Arizona saw the second-largest measles outbreak in the nation last November. Do you have any plans or support any policies to prevent future public health outbreaks?
I support routine vaccinations that are readily accessible and affordable, strengthening disease surveillance, and ensuring our state and county health departments have the staffing and resources necessary to respond quickly when an outbreak occurs. The MMR vaccine is our most effective protection against measles, and we should make sure families have access to accurate information from trusted medical professionals when making healthcare decisions.
I also think we need to rebuild trust in public health People deserve clear, transparent information about what is happening in their communities, and why particular public health recommendations are being made. We cannot wait until an outbreak is already spreading to begin communicating with the public.
Q5 Arizona youth regularly use social media. Given that social media profiles may spread information about science and policy matters, do you support any policies that regulate these platforms for younger audiences?
As a teacher and a parent, I see the effects of social media on kids every day. Personally, I don’t think children under 16 should be on social media at all. For kids under 18, I think these platforms need much stronger restrictions. Kids shouldn’t be targeted with advertising, have their personal information collected and sold, or be fed content by algorithms designed to keep them scrolling for as long as possible. I also think we need much stronger protections for student privacy, especially when social media and technology cross into our schools.
I don’t have all the answers for what that legislation should look like, and technology changes faster than government ever will. But I do think we need to stop pretending these platforms were designed with kids’ best interests in mind and start putting some real protections around how they can interact with young people.
Q6 According to Consumer Affairs and the National Education Association (NEA), Arizona is ranked last in public school education and has the lowest high school graduation rate in the nation. Arizona is also one of the US states with the least funding put into public schools. What are your opinions on the current state of public school funding in Arizona, and how do you view the role of science in K-12 education?
We cannot expect world-class outcomes while continuing to defund our schools.
We need to fully fund public education, pay educators competitively, and give our schools the resources they need to succeed. Students should learn how to ask questions, evaluate evidence, understand the world around them, and think critically, not be shielded from scientific information because it is controversial or politically inconvenient.