Arizona moves to ban teacher strikes as Maryland moves to legalize them

Arizona Republicans advanced legislation in March 2026 to prohibit teachers from striking or engaging in organized work stoppages, with violations triggering state funding cuts to offending school districts. The bill followed January 2026 Tucson teacher sick-outs tied to a national Day of Action. Simultaneously, Maryland Democrats advanced a bill to repeal their state's existing teacher strike ban and grant public school employees the right to strike without retaliation, creating the sharpest coast-to-coast split on teacher labor rights in decades.