Legislative roundup 3/4/22

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:

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 from participating in girls’/women’s sports teams
  • SB1138 – banning gender reassignment surgery for all people under 18
  • SB1164 – a ban on all abortions past 15 weeks gestation

The first bill is in Senate Education Committee on Tuesday and the other three are in House Judiciary on Wednesday. We’ve released an action form where you can quickly contact the appropriate lawmakers:

Contact lawmakers now

What happened this week:

Floor bills:

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 House Floor 2/28

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.

 

Senate Judiciary Committee 2/21/22:

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

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. The bill is moving despite federal law that protects nearly every school as a gun-free zone. PASSED

House education 3/1/22:

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 3/1/22:

SB1131: ESA expansion for cops, first responders, vets, healthcare workers PASSED

SB1412: Lowering substitute standards for certification PASSED

SB1657: More ESA expansions PASSED

SB1707: More ESA expansions PASSED

House Government  2/16/2022

The following restrictions on voting rights passed committee and will proceed to the floor:

 

HB2009: school violations; fines

HB2041: ballot fraud countermeasures; paper/ink

HB2240: elections; voting centers; validation requirements

HB2239: electronic ballot adjudication

HB2242: voter registration; validation

HB2276: state law; violations; schools; universities – something about fining schools for constitutional violations?

HB2377: polling places; photographs

HB2378: election lawsuits

HB2491: elections; signature matching

HB2492: voter registration; citizenship

HB2567: nominating petitions; multiple petition signatures

HB2578: emergency executive powers; legislative oversight

 

Coming up next week

Senate Education 3/08/22:

HB2161: Parental rights: access to school communications including student club participation; consent for surveys related to gender expression, perceptions, stereotypes. Position: OPPOSE

House Judiciary 3/9/22:

SB1138: Gender transition restriction OPPOSE

SB1164: 15-week abortion ban OPPOSE

SB1165: Bans trans girls in sports OPPOSE

 

Senate Finance 3/9/22:

HB2166, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-15), would exempt guns and “firearm safety equipment” from sales tax OPPOSE

 

Senate Commerce 3/2/22:

HCR2031: strips municipalities of the ability to create policies for employees OPPOSE

 

Senate Health & Human Services 3/9/22:

HB2086: bans on vaccination requirements for HPV and COVID. OPPOSE

 

Status on major church/state bills:

 

HB2449: Clergy allowed in care facilities; SCHEDULED FOR SENATE SECOND READ

HB2507: Massive religious privilege expansion; SCHEDULED FOR SENATE SECOND READ

SB1399: Foster care; religious foster care; adoption TRANSMITTED TO HOUSE