Take Immediate Action on HB2507: Religious Interests Should Not Come First
We’ll be brief: the major, dangerous religious exemptions bill we’ve been warning about all session is being heard in on the Senate floor today, moving it just a couple steps away from becoming law. HB2507 would put religious interests above most all o …
Let’s Make a Stand About Public Education!
A quartet of religious right bills undercutting public education is getting close to law… but there is still time to make a difference. SB1657 and SB1707 would once again expand the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (tuition voucher) program, whi …
Second Chance to Go on Record Against Religious Education Bills
Last week, we alerted you to SB1211, creating an administrative burden on teachers to publish all learning materials online—a political bill serving no purpose but to appease the religious conservative education movement. That bill got held in committe …
Hearing on Tuesday to bring “God,” guns, and administrative burdens to schools
On Tuesday, 3/22/22, AZ Senate and House Education Committees will hear the following bills: HB2707 – forcing teachers to lead the Pledge of Allegiance in their classrooms—the phrase “under God” included—as well to facilitate a “moment of silence” (rea …
Take Action: Religious Privilege on Steroids
The biggest religious privilege bill of all time is being heard again, this time in Senate Government Committee on Monday 3/14. We’ve described HB2507 as “religious privilege on steroids.” The loopholes created in this amendment to Arizona’s Civil Righ …
Speak Out: Anti-LGBTQ+ Youth Bills and Abortion Ban in Committee
Four big Christian nationalist bills are scheduled for a second round of committee hearings next week: HB2161 – effectively requiring healthcare providers and schools to “out” LGBTQ+ youth to their parents SB1165 – banning transgender female students f …
Demand Wendy Rogers’ Expulsion for Antisemitism
Republican State Senators sent a flashy message to Wendy Rogers by censuring her over remarks at a white nationalist conference, where she praised a Holocaust denier, called for the execution of political opponents, and led a chant praising Putin. But …
HB2507 Places Religious Organizations Above the Law in All Areas of Life
The biggest, most dangerous religious privilege bill of all time just passed the House and moved to the Senate. Under HB2507, people who have been harmed by a religious organization or business are prohibited from suing or seeking prosecution for a hug …
Oppose Bills that Push Religious Dogma, Take Away Choice & Punish Health Care Providers
The Legislature is hearing three bills this week designed to push religious dogma, control women, and punish health care providers. HB2637 and SB1044 would force the state to divest from and cease doing business with any company that provides abortion …
Oppose Coercion and “Separate But Equal” in Schools
AZ’s House Education Committee will hear two bills creating an atmosphere of coercion and discrimination in schools: HB2707 unconstitutionally requires teachers to lead the Pledge of Allegiance and two-minutes of “silent reflection” (i.e. prayer time) …
Oppose the Most Sweeping Religious Exemptions Bill EVER
On Wednesday 2/9, legislators will hear a bill making religious services so “essential” that religious concerns would be placed above all others in public life. Always. HB2507 is worded in such a way as to disguise itself as a bill about public emergen …
Oppose Taxpayer-Funded Giveaways to Private Schools
We’re continuing to watch several dozen bills of interest moving through the Legislature. The ones to speak out about this weekend are a slate of education attacks headed for committee on Tuesday. School voucher expansions SB1131, SB1657, and SB1707 ye …
Bills in Committee Feb 7-8
We’re continuing to watch several dozen bills of interest moving through Legislative committees. Here’s the full list of what’s on our radar next week: In House Health & Human Services: Monday, 2/7/22: HB2086: schools cannot require COVID or Human …
Oppose Harmful Anti-LGBTQ Youth Bills
The AZ House Judiciary Committee will hear bills tomorrow at 9:00 putting kids lives, safety, and well-being at risk: SB1130 – making it a class 4 felony (akin to attempted murder) for doctors to prescribe—or simply “cause”—gender-affirming care for pe …
Speak Out on Insidious “Parental Rights” Bills
We’ll cut to the chase about what we’re facing at the Legislature this year: an onslaught of bills designed to kill public education; oppress minorities; curb critical thought in schools; and politically entrench the extreme religious right. A major co …
Tell AZ lawmakers: stop reviving “no promo homo” already!
On the surface, HB2035 is “just” an attempt to limit access to sex education. It kicks every child in Arizona out of sex education without written permission, and bans teaching sex education at all before 5th grade. Under the surface, HB2035 is even wo …
A big expansion of the school voucher program is headed for a crucial vote
SB1452 once again expands the amount of public dollars given to private and religious schools. SB1452 makes numerous small changes to state law to further broaden the reach of its controversial “Empowerment Scholarship Account” (school voucher) program …
HB2575 discriminates against nonreligious people in hospitals.
HB2575 is a very short, very simple bill. Its 11 lines of text require hospitals to allow visitations from clergy members at all times. This supposedly promises comfort and spiritual guidance to people in situations such as the end of life. But the bil …
HB2648 gives religious organizations extreme, dangerous exemptions from the law.
Proponents of HB 2648 claim that the bill merely protects the right to worship during public emergencies. But the bill is much more extreme. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, this bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. As written, it would essenti …