drawing of a cross smashing a gavel

When the Cross Smashes the Gavel: Bolick, King, Montgomery & Judicial Ethics

Posted on by Dianne Post, Legal Director Secular AZ

The battle over Proposition 137 to eliminate the judicial merit selection and give judges lifetime appointments subject not to the people but to increased legislative control, and the campaign to vote no on Supreme Court Justices Bolick and King has snagged another victim – the ethics system.

Arizona has a Code of Judicial Conduct and a Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee (JEAC) that does what it says , i.e. issues ethics advisories about judicial conduct. Never before has the Supreme Court overturned an advisory.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

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We’re #1! (The #1 Worst School System in the U.S., That Is)

Posted on by Secular AZ

We’re number one! We’re number one!

Great news, fellow Arizonans — decades of our GOP-led legislature’s effort to grift and gut AZ’s public schools have finally, fully paid off! We’ve achieved a truly rare status: Worst school system in the USofA!

That’s right, we beat out perennial winners, like Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi, to take home that top prize! Our state is now ranked not 48th, not 49th, not even 50th, but 51st in the nation for education.

But wait, you may be asking. How in the world could this happen?

Settle in and let me tell you a little story about the Republican legislature’s long-haul effort to get Arizona to the absolutely shameful spot we’re in today.

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Do your school board candidates want your schools to fail? One weird trick to find out.

Posted on by Secular AZ

Do the candidates running for your school board really put kids, safety, or parents first as they proclaim?

Do they want to see public schools improve, or just decry their decline?

Bonds and overrides are emerging as a useful measurement for whether school board candidates are running to support public schools — or dismantle them in favor of private and religious ones. Continue reading →

Religious Extremism in Scottsdale, Dysart, Peoria, and Flagstaff School Boards

Posted on by Secular AZ

These last few weeks have been difficult for supporters of public schools. School districts are facing massive budget shortfalls, forcing school districts to hold meetings through July — a period usually reserved for a break. This financial strain comes from the impact of vouchers, the flat tax, and the recent Maricopa County Assessor’s legal decision to cut short-term rental owners’ taxes, diverting money away from public education. Continue reading →

Secular AZ Hires Renowned Local Activist Eddie Chavez Calderon

Posted on by Secular AZ

It is with great enthusiasm that Secular Communities for Arizona has hired renowned local activist, Eddie Chavez Calderon as its new Development Director. Mr. Chavez Calderon is a passionate champion of civic education and engagement, who is highly respected as a champion for social justice throughout the state of Arizona.

“My years of advocacy and fighting for justice align perfectly with Secular AZ’s mission to combat extremist faith-based ideologies that harm our communities in the Arizona state legislature,” said Mr. Calderon in his announcement accepting the position. “As a proud Jew, my Judaism grounds me in the fight against religious extremism that uses extremist ideas to harm our local community. In a time of struggle and fear facing our communities we must all come together whether we are of faith or not to combat extremist hate that hurts all of us. As a proud immigrant I hold the values of community uplift and community care that looks to bring each one of our struggles together.”

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