Arizona is one of sixteen states with a part-time legislature; its legislative sessions run from January to roughly the end of June each year. Most state lawmakers work part-time, returning to private jobs and daily life at the end of each session. However, for some, such as State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-7), the role requires a full-time commitment. Rogers, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, spends her off-season visiting constituents, holding meetings, and keeping a close eye on local needs.

Legislative District 7 spans a large swath of eastern Arizona, including parts of Coconino, Gila, Navajo, and Pinal counties, areas that have recently faced significant weather-related challenges. For example, the Globe–Miami region, a relatively rural area east of the Phoenix metroplex, was hit hard by flash flooding after heavy rains swept through the mountains. The floods damaged downtown Globe, washed out sections of U.S. 60, and ruptured major water mains. Some residents lost water service for several days, and a boil-water advisory remained in effect while repairs were being made.

Rogers, who is a commercially licensed pilot, flew her own Cessna 182 to Globe to check on residents and meet with local officials. She told The Arizona Globe that spending time in her district is “the favorite part of my job.” While in town, she joined Team Rubicon, a volunteer organization of military veterans that responds to natural disasters nationwide. Together, they helped a single woman, a homeowner living alone, repair her damaged roof. All of the Team Rubicon members who joined her came from out of state to help.

Rogers makes it a point not just to visit, but to highlight small and rural businesses across her district. One of her recent stops was Florence Copper, in Florence, AZ, where new technology is enabling the safe and affordable extraction of copper from porous rock deep underground. The project is expected to create local jobs, support Arizona’s economy, and strengthen the nation’s copper supply for defense and industry.

Despite being one of the more prolific legislators in the Republican-led Senate, Rogers told the Arizona Globe that Democrat Governor Hobbs vetoed at least eleven of her bills last session. However, she stated that she plans to resubmit several of them in the next session, despite concerns over Hobbs’s reputation as the “Veto Queen.” Among them, Rogers confirmed that she would push for her Defend the Guard Act and the Photo Radar Ban, measures that drew widespread support but fell short in the last session.