Recently, the State Bar of Arizona petitioned the Arizona Supreme Court, which oversees the Bar, to reopen for public comment a proposed rule change to the Ethical Rules of the Bar. The proposed change would include “gender identity” as a protected class within the Bar rules and regulations. Attorneys are required to abide by Bar rules in their professional conduct, so this change would ensure that attorneys not be permitted to discriminate against transgender people.  In no way does this change require an attorney to represent a transgender individual if they choose not to.

Secular Coalition for Arizona is in favor of the proposed changes and has offered public comments. Read them here.

Members of the Religious Right offered many of the arguments against adopting this rule to the comment period. The Religious Right often claims “religious liberty” to justify its positions—positions which often have the effect of denying equal rights and equal

- Candidate Training Program -

Save the world, become a Secular politician!

Future CANDIDATES apply here
Online Flyer here

Currently, too many elected officials interject their personal sectarian religious worldviews and dogma into secular public policy - policy that is meant for all of us! Secular Coalition for Arizona believes that secular government is the best way to preserve true liberty for all citizens, religious and not.

If you are nontheistic, nontheistic friendly, or a secular minded religious individual who cares about the First Amendment, separation of church and state, public policy based on reason rather than religious dogma, and who will refrain from promoting a sectarian agenda of any type, then SC Arizona wants you to run for state legislature, school board, county supervisor, city council, and other elected bodies.

About the Training:

Candidate training is graciously provided by the Arizona Local Progressive Candidate Training Program and is sponsored by the Center for Progressive Leadership, Planned Parenthood Arizona and the Arizona Education Association - organizations and constituencies that, like us, are often embattled by the Religious Right.

This six-part comprehensive training program is 

Last week, women in Arizona lost yet another battle in the ongoing fight against religious intrusion into personal, private reproductive medical care. The Arizona Court of Appeals released their decision in a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood to prevent implementation of religiously motivated abortion restrictions adopted in 2009 by the Arizona State Legislature and signed by Governor Brewer. Unfortunately, the court’s ruling upheld the legislation in question and allows the restrictions which Planned Parenthood had sought injunctions against to become law.

This law, written by the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP), jeopardizes women’s ability to make decisions about their own families and medical care in collaboration with their healthcare professionals. While CAP insists they are “protecting health and safety of women,” this legislation actually makes it more difficult for women to get emergency medical care, to have access to safe and legal abortions and to be empowered to make medical decisions without the intrusion of government into personal and private healthcare. CAP consistently attacks women and families with so-called “family friendly” legislation that is part of their thinly veiled strategy to write religious ideology into secular law and to make abortion de-facto illegal in Arizona. 

Secular Coalition for Arizona offers our solidarity and thanks to Planned Parenthood for their tireless work fighting to protect women in Arizona from religious intrusion into reproductive healthcare and we are disturbed by this failure of the justice system to safeguard the separation of church and state.

Read the Court of Appeals decision here.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer approves of the decision.

Happy Birthday!
 
Secular Coalition for Arizona Celebrates 1st Birthday

 
It was one year ago, in June 2010, that the Arizona nontheistic community came together to form the first state affiliate of the Secular Coalition for America. And what a year it has been!
 
In the first year of operation SC Arizona lobbied on behalf of the Arizona nontheistic community at the Arizona State Capital and in Washington D.C at the U.S. Capital. We made public appearances, wrote to elected officials, submitted comments to (and testified in) legislative committee meetings, and ultimately made sure your voice was heard in our government.
 
To learn all about what SC Arizona has been up to on behalf of the Arizona nontheistic community, check out the Secular Coalition for Arizona 2011General Activities and 50th Legislature 1st Session Wrap-up here. 
 
And don't forget: all of SC Arizona’s advocacy efforts are made possible by generous support from our constituents. Please consider donating to Secular Coalition for Arizona.

Secular Coalition for Arizona 2011General Activities and 50th Legislature 1st Session Wrap-up

Many of you have asked what issues and subjects Secular Coalition for Arizona lobbied on while in Washington D.C.  last month. Here is a summary of SC Arizona in action on your behalf at the U.S. Capital:

1) We "had them at hello!"

First and foremost, we said "hello." It is likely many elected officials have never met their nontheistic constituents before - at least not in any formal way - so we introduced you to them. We told them all about you. We told them that you are Americans, that you have families, that you are business people, soldiers, educators, grandparents, patriots, and everything else that Arizonans are. They now know who you are - and they know that you vote!

We asked your elected representatives to acknowledge nontheists just as they would any other constituent group. Specifically, we asked them to simply include nontheists in the conversation when listing their diverse constituents in speeches and written releases - much in the way President Obama has taken to acknowledging "Humanists and Nonbelievers" in his speeches.

2) HR 1179, the So-Called "Respect for the Rights of Conscience Act of 2011"

SC Arizona lobbied in opposition to HR 1179, a so-called "rights of conscience" bill. This bill is one of

On August 6, Texas Governor Rick Perry has invited his 49 fellow governors to join him for an evangelical Christian prayer meeting in Houston to "call upon Jesus to guide us" and ask for "God's forgiveness, wisdom and provision."  He contends that "some problems are beyond our power to solve."

In a letter to Governor Brewer the Secular Coalition for Arizona has urged Governor Brewer to reject Governor Perry's invitation to this divisive event.

From SC Arizona's letter to Governor Brewer:

"We believe that it is not the job of elected officials to advance religion, and to accept Governor Perry's invitation is to disenfranchise all secular Arizonans, as well as all other citizens who practice religions other than Governor Perry's brand of evangelical Christianity.  Further, it is inappropriate for elected officials, while acting in their official capacity to uphold secular state and federal Constitutions, to promote or take part in such a sectarian event, or to use taxpayers' money to travel to and attend such an event.  We ask you instead to represent all Arizonans - regardless of religion or worldview - and focus on finding real and substantial solutions to our state's problems."

Read entire letter to Governor Brewer here.
 

Brewer veto is for wrong reasons

While the Governor's veto of SB 1288, the so-called "religious liberty" bill, happened to be the correct action, it was vetoed for the wrong reasons. Many of these "religious liberty" bills pushed by politically misguided religious groups (this one by the Center for Arizona Policy) have nothing to do with religious liberty, but instead have everything to do with preferential public policy for a particular brand of religion over others and especially over non-religion.

Full Video: Secular Coalition for Arizona: Kick Off Event, Oct 12, 2010 from Secular Coalition for Arizona on Vimeo.

SB1553 Empowerment Accounts, SC Arizona testimony before the Arizona House Committee on Ways & Means from Secular Coalition for Arizona on Vimeo.