Week Twelve: Fifty-Fifth Legislature — Second Regular Session
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Story of the Week: Doug Ducey
This week, the Governor signed bills that serve the interests of only the most extreme fringes of the radical right. This is an all-out assault on reproductive freedoms, and does NOTHING but make this state less safe for LGBTQ+ youth.
SB1164 – Sen. Nancy Barto will introduce a 15 week, Mississippi-style, ban on abortion; passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor.
SB1165 – Sen. Nancy Barto sponsored a bill that would prevent transgender girls from participating in youth sports; passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor.
SB1138 – Sen. Warren Petersen sponsored a bill that prohibits gender-affirming medical care to any person who is under 18 years of age; passed both chambers and was signed by the Governor.
We deserve a government that is working for all of us, including trans youth. Democrats can overturn these laws that limit access to safe, legal, abortions by flipping the Arizona Legislature this November.
The Good: we looked and there was no good this week. We're sorry. We need to flip the legislature.
The Bad
HCR2001 – Rep. Steve Kaiser sponsored a bill to amend the constitution, banning ‘Critical Race Theory’ from being taught in all public educational institutions including our public colleges and universities; passed out of Senate Appropriations and heads to the Senate floor.
SB1211 – Sen. Nancy Barto sponsored a bill that requires teachers to post all teaching materials and allows parents to sue if they do not like it; passed out of House Appropriations and heads to the House floor.
SB1399 – Sen. Sine Kerr sponsored a bill allowing a child-welfare agency to deny foster and/or adoption services to a family based on the religious beliefs of the agency; passed out of the House and back to the Senate.
SB1269 – Sen. Vince Leach sponsored a bill to overhaul and shift the school funding formula to advantage charter schools over public schools; passed out of House Appropriations and heads to the House floor.
HB2166 – Rep. Steve Kaiser sponsored a bill to exempt guns from sales tax; passed out of Senate Appropriations and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2473 – Representative Frank Carroll sponsored a bill that prohibits a public entity from entering into a contract of $100,000 or more with a company to acquire or dispose of services, supplies, information technology or construction unless the contract includes a written certification that the company does not, and will not, discriminate against a firearm entity or firearm trade association; passed out of Senate Appropriations and heads to the Senate floor.
The Ugly
This week was filled with hate and vitriol towards some of our most vulnerable populations, thanks to the radical right and Governor Doug Ducey. We won’t rehash the legislation passed this week – but as Democrats, we commit ourselves to fighting back against hate in all its forms and fighting for the freedoms of all Arizonans.
The way we take back our power is by flipping the legislature. Help us do that NOW by signing petitions of local legislative candidates on the e-qual site, chipping in, and volunteering with us.