Item from the Smart Marriages Archive, reproduced in the Divorce Statistics Collection

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Arizona Daily Star Nov 18, 1999

Lawmaker seeks $17M to teach skills for marriage

by Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services

PHOENIX - Two years ago, Rep. Mark Anderson sought $2 million in state
funds
to teach women on welfare the advantages of getting a husband.

Now the Mesa Republican lawmaker wants Arizona taxpayers to spend about
$17
million next year to promote getting and staying married.

Anderson said the state is suffering from the negative effects of divorce
and broken homes. His goal is to reduce divorce by 5 percent by 2002.

To do that, Anderson wants $11 million to prepare materials for a
"marriage
and communication skills" course in public schools. Other related budget
requests include:

* Vouchers for poor people to attend private courses in marriage skills
at a
cost of $400,000.

* Developing a "healthy marriage" handbook for $300,000.

* Providing $180,000 in tax breaks for employers who want to offer
marriage
education courses for workers.

There also is $5.9 million for a media campaign to inform Arizonans about
these types of courses and to promote "that marriage is a healthy
lifestyle."

Anderson's agenda is likely to get opposition from the state Department of
Education.

First, it competes with requests by state School Superintendent Lisa
Graham
Keegan for up to $180 million to extend the school year by five days. It
also gives schools something else to do - at precisely the time that may
be
the last thing teachers need.

"In light of the AIMS scores, we feel like the responsibility of schools
is
primarily to teach kids to read, write and compute," said Laura Penny, the
education department's chief of policy and communications.

Nine out of 10 high schoolers who took the first-ever test failed the math
portion. More than half failed the writing portion, which eventually will
become the test for graduation, with more than one out of three failing
the
reading section.

"Academics has to come first," Penny said.

Anderson disagreed.

"I would rather have people graduating from school that can communicate
and
be a good marriage partner and be a good parent than somebody who can
add,"
he said.

Anderson said what he is seeking is essentially a "relationship
communications course," teaching teens the skills needed not only for
dealing with a partner but even dealing with a boss or co-workers.

"You're talking about listening skills, you're talking about understanding
the other person's perspective," he said. Anderson said these kinds of
courses are not unique, saying the military and even the State Bar of
Arizona offers programs on relationship skills.

"It basically gives people a chance to work through some of their issues
and
negotiating skills and things like that so they don't get into some of
these
knock-down, drag-out fights that will damage their relationship to the
point
where they want to get a divorce," he said.

Anderson has made marriage issues a priority since being elected in 1994.

The 1998 legislation would have provided funds for a pilot program for
welfare recipients "interested in pursuing a career track in home
management." Among the skills Anderson wanted taught were "positive
thinking
and attitude adjustment techniques" and "understanding economic and
personal
benefits of marriage."

Anderson also drew fire for writing to a constituent who feared losing her
welfare benefits, suggesting that she could "solve your financial troubles
by remarrying."

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