>> Ted: COVID VACCINE MAKERS HAVE CONCERNING CHARGING BETWEEN 110 TO $130 A DOSE ONCE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS END ACCORDING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONCE THEY CONSIDER THIS CONSISTENT WITH THE VALUE OF THE VACCINE.

BOTH COMPANIES ADD THEY DON'T EXPECT MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT CITING PATIENT ASSISTANT PROGRAMS TO HELP WITHOUT INSURANCE TO GET SHOTS.

FEDERAL OFFICIALS GIVING SOUTHWEST AIRLINES TO RESPOND TO THE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THE AIRLINE'S HOLIDAY TRAVEL MELTDOWN.

AMONG THOSE THAT SOUTHWEST ISN'T MAKING GOOD ON THE PLEDGE TO ISSUE REFUNDS.

THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS SENT EVERYONE COMPLAINT DIRECTLY TO SOUTHWEST AND IS GIVING THE AIRLINES 60 DAYS TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.

>>> THE ARIZONA LEGISLATIVE SESSION KICKED OFF YESTERDAY AND THE GOVERNOR DELIVERED THE ADDRESS AND LAWMAKERS WENT GO WORK TO TAKE ON A VARIETY OF ISSUES AND JOINING US TONIGHT IS ARIZONA SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE PRESIDENT, TJ.

SPEAKER, WE'LL START WITH YOU, G.O.P PRIORITIES, WHAT DO YOU HAVE?

>> WELL, THERE'S QUITE A FEW THINGS AND A LOT OF IT WILL DEPEND ON THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO CHAMBERS, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, AS WELL, BECAUSE IN MOST CASES, WE'LL GET THE GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE AND WE HAVE OTHER OPTIONS AND WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING AT THIS POINT IN TERMS OF MOVING THE BALL FORWARD.

ONE FINAL POINT, IT'S AN INTERESTING POINT TO MAKE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION.

I'VE BEEN THERE FIVE YEARS AND DURING THE FIVE YEARS, THE MAJOR ISSUES OF THAT SESSION ENDED UP BEING SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE AT THIS POINT IN JANUARY, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSIONS.

SO STAY TUNED.

IT WILL BE EXCITING.

>> Ted: IT'S INTERESTING AND THE SESSIONS, THEY DO TAKE ON A LIFE OF THEIR OWN, DON'T THEY?

>> MOST DEFINITELY.

THIS IS STARTING NUMBER 11 HAS HAD A PERSONALITY AND THE SESSION-TO-SESSION WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSONALITY.

>> Ted: TALK ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOVERNOR AND I MEAN THIS IS DIVIDED GOVERNMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN QUITE AWHILE SINCE YOU HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS AND WHAT DO YOU FORESEE AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR?

>> I THINK MUCH OF WHAT WE FORESEE IS YET TO BE DETERMINED AND WE HAVE A SNAPSHOT YESTERDAY DURING THE STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS AND I THINK THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR MOVEMENT THERE IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION.

HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE MANY THINGS WE WILL NOT AGREE ON AND WITH SPEAKER TOMA AND TALKING TO PRESIDENT PETERSON, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE ARE GOING TO WORK ON, THAT WE WILL MOVE FORWARD AND PART OF OUR MAJORITY PLAN IN THE SENATE, AS FAR AS MAKING YOUR OUR FISCAL HEALTH STAYS STRONG AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BARREL OF A RECESSION COMING AHEAD OF US.

WE WANT TO BE IN A BETTER POSITION THAN WE WERE BACK IN '08, WHICH IS THE LAST TIME WE HAD A DIVIDED GOVERNMENT IN ARIZONA.

>> Ted: INTERESTING.

AS FAR AS WORKING AGAIN WITH THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR, HOW DO YOU THINK ARIZONA WANTS TO SEE THE LEGISLATURE WORK WITH THE GOVERNOR?

>> THINK, AGAIN, EVERY RELATIONSHIP HAS TWO SIDES AND AS SENATOR SHOPE MENTIONED, WE HAVE A SNIP SNIPPET OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND IT WAS PARTISAN FOR THE MOST PART, SOME OF THE POINTS MADE AND IT WAS RELATIVELY POLICY LIGHT IN TERMS OF DETAILS AND IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, DETAILS MATTER QUITE A BIT, ACTUALLY, IN TERMS OF MOVING THE BALL FORWARD AS I MENTIONED BEFORE.

I DO THINK THAT BOTH SIDES, IF WE WANT TO ACTUALLY NOW GET SORT OF PASSED THE BEGINNING, IF YOU WILL, AND NOW ACTUALLY GET TO WORK, WE'LL HAVE TO GET REAL.

>> Ted: CAN IT NOT BE ARGUED IN GOVERNOR DUCEY'S TWO TERMS, BOTH STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESSES WERE BOTH PARTISAN, WERE THEY NOT?

>> PARTS OF THE SPEECH THAT ARE PARTISAN AND I THINK THAT'S EXPECTED.

WHAT I WAS COMMENTING ON IS MORE THE OVERALL TONE OF THE SPEECH, WHICH SEEMED TO BE VERY PARTISAN.

IF I MAY, AT LEAST TO ME, MY INITIAL REACTION WAS SOMETHING YOU WOULD HERE, A DNC SPEECH.

NOT NECESSARILY A STATE OF THE STATE.

THERE'S A VALUE FOR ONE SIDE OF THE AISLE AND FOR THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT ACCOMPLISHED.

>> Ted: IS THAT WHAT YOU TOOK FROM THE SPEECH?

>> MOST DEFINITELY.

WE LEFT THURSDAY AT THE INAUGURAL SPEECH, ASPIRATIONAL, HIGH HOPES KIND OF THINGS THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE ON AND GOING SPOT STATE OF THE STATE AND IT INTO THE STATE OF THE STATE AND THE SUBTLE LITTLE THINGS.

YOU WALK IN AND USUALLY THE GOVERNOR IS SHAKING HANDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE AND WE DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THAT YESTERDAY.

WE SAW A DIRECT ROUTE TO THE PODIUM AND TALKING ABOUT BIPARTISAN AND PROCEED TO GO AND SPEAK TO ONE SIDE OF THE AISLE ENTIRELY.

AND THEN FINISH IT UP TALKING ABOUT BIPARTISAN.

BIPARTISAN DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE GOVERNOR GETS EVERYTHING THEY WANT.

THE BIPARTISAN MEANS THAT THERE ARE 31 AND 16 DULY ELECTED REPUBLICANS THAT CONSTITUTE THE MAJORITY EFFORT LEGISLATURE AND A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR.

SOMEHOW, WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT FIT.

>> Ted: THERE WERE SOME REPUBLICANS THAT TURNED THEIR BACK ON THE GOVERNOR AND THIS WERE SOME REPUBLICANS THAT WALKED OUT ON THE GOVERNOR.

I MEAN, THERE WAS PARTISANSHIP ON BOTH SIDES AND THIS WASN'T A CAMPFIRE MEETING HERE.

>> MY VANTAGE POINT IN THE FRONT ROW.

HOWEVER, I WAS INFORMED OF THAT, AND OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE MAKE THEIR POINTS IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND NOT ANYTHING I DO MYSELF.

OBVIOUSLY, I WAS THERE AND LOOK, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET BEYOND SOME OF THIS.

IF WE START OFF THE WHOLE SPEECH GETTING INTO THAT PARTISAN RHETORIC, OTHER FOLKS, HUMAN NATURE WILL TAKE OVER AND PEOPLE WILL GET UPSET.

>> IF I MAY, I CAN'T LET THIS ONE GO.

YOU KNOW, I WAS WATCHING WATCHING.

I COULD SEE THE ENTIRE ROOM THE ENTIRE TIME AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL THE SPEECH GOT VERY, VERY PARTISAN.

SPECIFICALLY, IT WAS A CHARGED, MISLEADING STATEMENT THAT THE GOVERNOR MADE THAT TRIGGERED THAT INITIAL RESPONSE.

IT WAS I THINK SHE SAID SOMETHING LIKE 90% OF PEOPLE IN ARIZONA SUPPORT WHAT SOUNDED LIKE UNFETTERED ACCESS TO ABORTION WHICH IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.

IT WAS MISLEADING AND DESIGNED TO BE MISLEADING AND THAT'S WHAT TRIGGERED THE RESPONSE.

I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES FOR THAT.

I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN THE INSTITUTION AND IN THE DECORE DECORUM WE MUST MAINTAIN.

BUT LET'S BE HONEST, THAT'S WHAT TRIGGERED THE RESPONSE.

>> Ted: DO YOU THINK THE REPUBLICANS WERE TRIGGERED BY SOME THINGS GOVERNOR DUCEY SAID IN HIS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS IN.

>> IT'S DESIGNED TO SETTLE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.

AND THAT'S OK TO THAT DIFFERENCES OF OPINION, BUT, AGAIN, THIS IS A NEW GOVERNOR AND THIS IS A FIRST STATE OF THE STATE AND I WOULD HAVE HOPED, AT LEAST, TO BE PERFECTLY HONEST WITH YOU THAT MORE OF THE TONE OF THE NUG RATION WOULD INAUGURATION WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN.

>> Ted: LET'S TALK ABOUT ISSUES AND EDUCATION AND WILL YOU GET RID OF IT PERMANENTLY OR ANOTHER TEMPORARY SITUATION OR AT ALL?

>> I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF TAKING CARE OF THE AEL SITUATION.

THE WAY THAT WE WORK AT THE LEGISLATURE, THOUGH, TRANSPARENCY RULES.

WE HAVE A PROCESS, AND A BILL WILL BE DRAFTED AND GO THROUGH THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE AND BE VETTED BEFORE IT GOES ON TO THE HOUSE OR, PERHAPS, WE'LL RUN BILLS PARTNERSHIP DON'T.

I HAVE EVERY BIT OF CONFIDENCE THE BILLS EXIST.

THIS IS SOMETHING THE VOTERS DECIDE TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION OVER.

LET'S REMEMBER THAT THIS LIMIT EXISTS BECAUSE THE VOTERS OF THIS STATE DECIDED TO PLACE THAT LIMIT.

AND WE'RE ONLY REACHING THAT LIMIT BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT OUR BUDGETS HAVE MADE IN EDUCATION.

FRANKLY, BUDGETS THAT INCLUDES 20 BY 2020 THAT GOVERNOR HOBBSS VOTED AGAINST.

THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENTS.

>> Ted: DO YOU WANT VOTERS TO VOTE AND WITHOUT REFER IT?

>> I AM IN FAVOR, 100% IN FAVOR OF LIFTING THE CAP SO WE HAVE THAT DEADLINE IN MARCH OF GETTING RID OF THAT.

WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION WHERE WE WANT GO AFTER THAT POINT.

>> Ted: SPEAKER, WHY WASN'T THIS ADDRESSED EARLIER AND WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS?

>> THERE WAS TALK ABOUT A SPECIAL SESSION AND IT DIDN'T COME TOGETHER DUE TO SCHEDULING ISSUES AND WHATNOT WITH VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE PREVIOUS LEGISLATURE.

I DO AGREE WITH WHAT TJ HAS BEEN SAYING, WHICH IS THAT WE DO EXPECT THAT THIS WILL BE DONE.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE FIRST READ SOME BILLS YESTERDAY AND TWO WERE THIS, TWO VERSIONS OF THIS SAME SOLUTION.

IN TERMS OF THE PERMANENT SOLUTION, I AGREE, THIS WAS A LIMIT THE VOTER VOTERS PUT IN.

THE VOTERS HAVE TO PUT IT OFF AND THEY WANT TO GO THERE.

>> Ted: THE GOVERNOR IMAGINED THE EXPANSION OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHER IS LIKELY TO BANKRUPT THE STATE.

>> PERFECT SINCE THAT WAS MY BILL AND I'M THE RIGHT PERSON TO ASK.

IT'S NOT A VOUCHER, BUT AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOLARSHIP ACCOUNT.

AGAIN, VERY MISLEADING.

THE AVERAGE PERSON IN ARIZONA HAS NO WAY OF VERIFYING THAT IS MISLEADING.

IF EVERY STUDENT SWITCHED TO IT, IT WOULD SAVE THE STATE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS, IF NOT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THAT WAS NEVER MY INTENT.

I'M NOT ANTI-PUBLIC SCHOOL GUY.

I'M A PRO ALL KINDS OF SCHOOL'S GUY.

AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE HAVING DAUGHTERS OF MY OWN THAT ARE ALL DIFFERENT THAN EACH OTHER, INCLUDING TWINS DIFFERENT IN SIZE AND LOOK AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WHAT WORKS FOR ONE STUDENT DOESN'T WORK FOR ANOTHER.

QUITE FRANKLY, I WANT EVERY PERSON IN ARIZONA HAVE THE SAME CHOICES IF THEIR PARENTS SHALL CHOOSE TO TAKE THAT ROUTE.

>> Ted: IT'S A VOUCHER PROGRAM BY ANY OTHER NAME AND VOTED DOWN BY A LOT OF VOTERS WHEN IT WENT IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC ON A BALLOT.

AGAIN, HOW DO YOU SQUARE THAT WITH NOT ONLY EXPANDING IT.

THISANDCONTINUING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE?

HOW DO YOU SQUARE THAT?

IN THE SENSE THAT, A, THE VOTERS TOOK A SPECIFIC BILL AND THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE OF ARIZONA'S PROCESS WITH THE INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM TO VOTE ON THAT AND THEY DID THAT.

WE RAN, THINK, Mr. TOMA RAN A DIFFERENT BILL LAST YEAR THAT ADDRESSED THE ISSUE AND IT WAS PASSED AND THE ELECTION RESULT OF NOVEMBER SHOWED THAT THE VOTERS, IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN A HUGE PROBLEM FOR THEM.

IN FACT, FOR SOME, IT WAS PROBABLY A POSITIVE AND SENT THE SAME NUMBER OF REPUBLICANS DOWN AND THE SAME MAJORITIES DOWN.

THAT'S MY ANSWER TO HOW THAT TURNED OUT.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW THE PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVERREGULATING IT AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND ESSENTIALLY TAKING THAT CHOICE THAT'S BEEN GIVEN TO PARENTS AWAY FROM THEM.

I THINK THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION THAT THIS GOVERNOR DEFINITELY DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE.

>> Ted: LET'S GO TO WATER SPEAKER.

CAN YOU WORK WITH DEMOCRATS ON THIS ISSUE?

>> I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH ANYBODY ON ANY ISSUE AND THAT'S THE FRUSTRATION WITH THE SPEECH THUS FAR.

I DON'T MEAN TO BE OVERLY CRITICAL.

THE LACK OF ACTUAL DETAILS THAT'S BEEN THE PROBLEM.

>> Ted: STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESSES ARE NOTORIOUSLY LACKING IN DETAIL AND YOU GET THAT AT THE END OF THE WEEK WITH THE BUDGET AND I THOUGHT THERE WAS MORE DETAIL IN TERMS OF MONEY IN THE STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS THAN IN AWHILE.

>> MANY WERE MISLEADING AS I SAID BEFORE.

SCHOOLS WILL GO BANKRUPT AND THE STATE WILL GO BANKRUPT BECAUSE OF ESA'S AND 80% OF PEOPLE IN ARIZONA SUPPORT ABORTION.

SO YES, THERE WERE SOME NUMBERS THERE.

I WOULD SAY THE ONLY THING WITHOUT SEEING THE ACTUAL BUDGET, WHICH WILL COME OUT IN A FEW DAYS HERE IS THAT IF THE BUDGET REFLECTS THE TONE OF THE SPEECH, THEN IT'S DOA.

IF, ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE ARE DETAILS WE CAN WORK WITH, I'M HAPPY TO LOOK INTO IT AND I WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT UNTIL WE SEE WHAT IS THERE THAT WE CAN WORK WITH.

>> Ted: BACK TO WATER HERE, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?

>> I THINK IF WE LOOK AT IT HOLE LISTHOLISTICALLY, A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES A COUNCIL AND I IMAGINE IT WILL BE FILLED WITH A LOT OF FOLKS OF THE SAME POLITICAL PERSUASION WHO HAVE A DIEMETRICCALLY VISION AS A $1.5 BILLION PART OF OUR ECONOMY.

I TAKE SOLIS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER.

WE TO IT ON THE BILLION DOLLARS IN THE LAST SESSION AND WE HAVE DONE IT DATING BACK TO THE '80 GROUND WATER ACT AND WE'RE WELL VERSED TO HANDLE IT.

>> Ted: WE'LL END ON A NOTE OF OPTIMISM.

GREAT TO HAVE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>> Ted: THE PACKED ACT IS A HISTORIC NEW LAW TO DELIVER CARE AND BENEFITS FOR MILLIONS OF VETERANS SUFFERING FROM CONDITIONS RELATED TO TOXIC EXPOSURE.

IT WILL BRING GENERATIONS OF VETERANS INTO VA HEALTHCARE WHICH SHOULD IMPROVE VETERAN OUTCOMES ACROSS THE BOARD AND FOR MORE, WE SPOKE TO MICHAEL WELSH, THE PHOENIX VETERAN HEALTHCARE DIRECTOR AND CHRIS NORTON, THE PHOENIX REGIONAL HEALTHCARE DIRECTOR.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND MICHAEL, THE PACKED ACT.

>> THIS IS A COMPREHENSIVE TOXIC EXPOSURES FOR VETERANS WHO SERVE IN MILITARY AS A PART OF THEIR SERVICE.

WE HAVE THIS TO PROVIDE THAT BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY SUPPORTS OR VETERANS, BUT IT SUPPORTS VA AND WHAT OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE THIS TO THE VETERANS.

>> Ted: $280 BILLION OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

>> WE'RE WORKING TO GET OUR VETERANS THE BENEFITS THAT THEY HAVE WITHOUT MAKING THEM WAIT DECADES.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE VIETNAM VETERANS AND RECOGNIZING SOME IN THAT SERVICE.

>> Ted: CHRIS, PRESUMPTIVE CARE AND PREEMPTIVE CARE.

TELL US MORE.

>> FROM A BENEFIT'S PERSPECTIVE, UP UNTIL THIS ACT, THE ONUS FELL TO PROVE THAT THEIR DISABILITIES WERE RELATED TO A SPECIFIC INCIDENT AND SERVICE AND WE REMOVE THAT BENEFIT OF PROVE AND BY NATURE OF THEIR PRESENCE IN THE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS AND THE DISABILITIES THEY HAVE, WE'LL CONNECT THOSE TWO THINGS.

THE PERFECT ANALOGY IS AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE AND WE KNOW THAT LEADS TO LUNG CANCER, DIABETES AND MYRIAD OF OTHER THINGS.

WE PRESUMPTIVELY ASSUME THIS AND MAKES THE PROCESS EASIER FOR EVERYBODY.

>> Ted: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

>> IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.

>> Ted: TALK TO US HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.

FOLKS DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU WERE AND IF THIS, THAT OR THE OTHER MAY HAVE AFFECTED YOU.

>> THAT'S A CHALLENGE AS A HEALTHCARE AGENCY AND THE BENEFIT AND WITHOUT PRESUMPTIVE, WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THE VETERAN IMMEDIATELY AND NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT WHOLE ADJUDICATION TO MOVE FORWARD AND WE CAN WORK WITH THE BENEFITS THEY HAVE AND TAKE CARE OF THEM FROM A HEALTHCARE PERSPECTIVE.

>> Ted: BURN PITS WERE IN THE NEWS AND THIS WAS IN THE NEWS, AS WELL.

WHAT ARE "BURN PITS"?

>> I WASN'T AROUND BURN PITS AND OUR VETERANS WERE AROUND THOSE AREAS AND HAD TO INHALE THE BURN EFFECTS OR BE WITHIN THAT TOXIC EXPOSURE OF THE CHEMICALS.

>> Ted: CHRIS, THOSE VETERANS, HERETO FORE, WHEN THEY WENT FOR CARE, HOW WERE THEY HANDLED?

>> YES, WELL YOU HAVE TO SHOW US HOW YOUR SPECIFIC CONDITION NOW IS RELATED TO THAT BURN PIT EXPOSURE AND THAT COULD BE A DIFFICULT THING TO DO AND THE SCIENCE WAS NOT THERE BUT WHEN THING THIS DOES IS TO LOOK CLOSELY AT THAT SCIENCE AND LOOK AT IT CLOSER.

WE KNOW THAT SUNUSITUS AND WE'RE SEEING IT IN THE VETERANS FOLLOWING THE INTERACTIONS FROM IRAQ AND ASK.

AFGHANISTAN.

WE'RE TAKING THAT BURDEN AWAY AND MAKING, SAY, YOU HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND WE KNOW THIS CONDITION EXISTS AMONG THIS SPECIFIC POPULATION MORE SO THAN A SOCIETY AS A WHOLE AND WE'LL GET YOU THE MEDICAL CARE AND COMPENSATION RATHER THAN HAVE YOU HAVE TO FIGHT THE GOVERNMENT AND PROVE THESE TWO THINGS ARE RELATED.

>> Ted: MIKE, IT SOUNDS LIKE GULF WAR SYNDROME AND THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER ONE WE'RE MORE FAMILIAR WITH.

BUT THERE SOME, THE GENERAL PUBLIC ISN'T AWARE OF AND MAYBE SOME VETS AREN'T AWARE OF.

>> THE SCREENING PROCESS, HOPEFULLY, WE'LL HELP VETERANS WITH THE PROCESS TO SEE IF THEY'RE SCREENED AS PROCESS AND IT'S DESIGNED TO GET THAT OUT OF THE VETERAN POPULATION, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT SURE, BUT THEY ANSWER YES AND WE'LL TAKE THAT AND MOVE THAT FURTHER TO RESUME AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THAT CARE TO OUR VETERANS.

>> Ted: WE TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH CHANGE IS HERE.

ACCORDING TO THE VA, 80% BETWEEN 2011 AND 2020 AND THEY WERE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW.

DO THOSE NUMBERS RING TRUE TO YOU?

>> IT TAKES AWHILE FOR THE SCIENCE TO CATCH UP AND THE START OF THE GULF WAR SYNDROME STARTED 30 YEARS AGO AND WE HAD CLUSTERS OF VETERANS PRESENTING SYMPTOMS AND THAT PATTERN DIDN'T DEVELOP AFTER SOME PERIOD OF TIME AND IT TAKES AWHILE TO ALLOW THAT GRANT AND ESTABLISHES THAT RELATIONSHIP, GIVE THE BENEFIT TO THE VETERAN AND ELIMINATES THAT BACK AND FORTH THAT YOU MUST DEMONSTRATE IT IS RELATED TO THAT SERVICE.

>> Ted: AND BECAUSE OF THIS, A LOT OF VETS WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE VA OR GETTING THE HEALTH SERVICES, THEY'LL SHOW UP.

>> THEY ARE AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

YOU KNOW, PHOENIX IS ONE OF THE FASTEST VAS IN THE COUNTRY AND WE'RE EXPECTING TO HAVE ANOTHER 30,000 POTENTIAL VETERANS COME INTO OUR DOOR AND WE'RE EXCITED TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE THEY DESERVE.

>> Ted: THAT IS AN ELEMENT OF ALL OF THIS, IS IT NOT?

MORE PATIENTS COMING IN AND WE ARE GOING TO BE SERVING AN HISTORIC INFLUX OF VETERANS.

I HEARD MAYBE ONE OUT OF FIVE VETERANS, WHICH WILL BE HUGE AND SO, ON THE BENEFIT'S SIDE OF THE HOUSE, WE'VE HIRED UP AN ADDITIONAL 1600 DECISION-MAKERS OVER THE COURSE YEAR TO PREPARE US FOR THIS AND WE'LL BE DOING MORE OF THE SAME AND STARTING TO USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION TO AUTOMATE A LOT OF THE BUSINESS WORK AND NON-VALUE ADDED WORK THAT DECISION MANUFACTURE MAKERS DO TO MAKE A PROCESS THAT TAKES N95FIVE MONTHS.

>> Ted: IF A VETERAN A WATCHING OR LOVED ONE AND WANT TO KNOW MORE, HEY, HE'S NOT GOING TO THE VA, WHERE DO THEY FIND MORE INFORMATION.

>> THE WEBSITE IS VA.GOV/PACKED OR PHONE NUMBER IS 800-MYVA.COM.

800-MYVA-4-11.

>> Ted: A LOT OF FOLKS WILL GET A LOT OF GOOD HELP OUT OF THAT.

AND BEFORE WE GO, A PROGRAMMING NOTE, WE HEARD FROM REPUBLICAN LEADERS TONIGHT ON THEIR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR THIS SESSION AND TOMORROW NIGHT, WE WILL HEAR FROM DEMOCRATIC LEADERS ABOUT THEIR PLANS AND OBJECTIVES AND THAT'S TOMORROW NIGHT.

THAT'S IT FOR NOW.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.