Secular AZ is continuing to work against numerous bills granting harmful religious exemptions and . Here’s a breakdown of what happened last week, and what’s coming up:
Movement on priority bills:
HB2507, which we have described as “religious privilege on steroids,” has a new hearing in Senate Government Committee 3/14/22. The loopholes created in this amendment to Arizona’s Civil Rights code would:
- Allow religious organizations to circumvent all anti-discrimination laws
- Make religious exercise a defense in almost any lawsuit, including prosecutions for crimes like sex trafficking, female genital mutilation, negligent homicide, and pedophile grooming acts like administering drugs and alcohol to children
- Let religious organizations freely ignore public safety laws regarding public emergencies
- Violate the State and US Constitutions, resulting in wasteful lawsuits
This bill is supported by SPLC-designated hate group Alliance Defending Freedom, yet has been garnering the support of an increasing amount of support from lawmakers in both parties.
MORE BILLS BEING HEARD NEXT WEEK
Senate Government Committee 3/14/22:
HB2507: amending AZ’s civil rights code to grant sweeping privileges and legal immunities to religious organizations (see above).
HB2498: banning government agencies from requiring vaccines
HB2616: schools must get parental consent to mandate masks
HB2170: requires any third party organization to say “not from a government agency” when directing people to voter registration
HB2236: prohibits automatic voter registration (which doesn’t exist yet in Arizona)
HB2471: limiting state of emergency declarations
HB2494: requiring secretary of state and county recorders to post every event that promotes voter registration
Senate Education 3/15/22:
HB2161: Parental rights: access to school communications including student club participation; consent for surveys related to gender expression, perceptions, stereotypes.
HB2495: banning “sexually explicit” materials from schools (which would extend to materials mentioning LGBTQ+ identity and numerous books about minority identity)
Senate Finance 3/16/22:
HB2166, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-15), would exempt guns and “firearm safety equipment”
House Judiciary:
SB1399: granting religious foster care agencies the privilege to discriminate freely for religious reasons
WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK
Senate Education 3/08/22:
HB2161: bill forcing schools to disclose information which would “out” LGBTQ+ kids to their parents. DELAYED FOR THIS WEEK
House Judiciary 3/9/22:
SB1138: Gender transition restriction PASSED ALONG PARTY LINES
SB1164: 15-week abortion ban PASSED ALONG PARTY LINES
SB1165: Bans trans girls in sports PASSED ALONG PARTY LINES
Senate Finance 3/9/22:
HB2166, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-15), would exempt guns and “firearm safety equipment” from sales tax – HELD – RETURNING NEXT WEEK
Senate Health & Human Services 3/9/22:
HB2086: banning vaccine requirements for COVID and genital warts – HELD
Additional bill statuses:
HB2009, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-15), would allow any single lawmaker to complain to the Attorney General if they feel a district or charter school is doing something illegal. The AG could then order school funding withheld. FAILED on House Floor 2/28
HB2198, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-15), mandates that any employee who is fired for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 would get one year’s salary or reinstatement. Passed Committee of the Whole 2/28
HB2492, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-12), would require proof of residency to register to vote, and bans federal-only voters from voting in presidential elections. TRANSMITTED TO SENATE 3/1
HB2637, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-12), would require Arizona’s retirement system to divest from companies that “promote, facilitate or advocate for” abortions for minors, or for “the inclusion of, or the referral of students to, sexually explicit material.” TRANSMITTED TO SENATE 3/1
SB1048, sponsored by Warren Petersen (R-12), would specifically ban all levels of government, from the governor to mayors and county boards, from ordering the closing of any business during a state of emergency. HELD IN COMMITTEE
SB1272, sponsored by Tyler Pace (R-25), takes advantage of 2-to-1 federal matching funds to extend postpartum care to low-income women for 1 year. PASSED HOUSE HEALTH 8-1-0 (Pingerelli voted no) 2/23
HB2453, sponsored by Neal Carter (R-8), would ban all government buildings in the state from requiring people to wear face masks. PASSED ON PARTY LINES OUT OF SENATE GOV’T 2/21
HB2439, sponsored by Beverly Pingerelli (R-21), would get Arizona into the book-banning business by requiring school boards to approve every single book purchase in advance and to publicize for 60 days what books the school libraries plan to buy while allowing public comment on the planned purchases. PASSED SENATE EDUCATION ON PARTY LINES 2/27
SB1009, sponsored by Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-23), would limit the governor’s ability to declare a state of emergency to 120 days, beginning with the new administration in 2023. After that, both chambers of the legislature would need to reauthorize the state of emergency or go into special session. PASSED HOUSE GOVERNMENT ON PARTY LINES 2/23
SB1094, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-17), would require petition circulators to read the descriptions on initiative and referendum petitions aloud to signers. HOUSE GOVT, PASSED HOUSE GOVERNMENT ON PARTY LINES 2/23
HB2316, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-23), would allow people with concealed weapons permits to bring guns into libraries, community centers, public pools, state museums, the DMV, government offices, block parties, marches and street fairs — even if asked to turn over their firearms for storage. PASSED SENATE JUDICIARY ON PARTY LINES 2/21
HB2414, sponsored by Jacqueline Parker (R-16), would allow parents to bypass gun-free zones at public schools and keep loaded and unlocked weapons within reach in their cars while dropping off and picking up children. PASSED SENATE JUDICIARY ON PARTY LINES 2/21
