Senator Sonny Borrelli
Republican, LD-5
2022 Legislative Score
0%
0 out of 17 votes matched Secular AZ positions
2022 Vote Summary:
SB1211: Materials; activities; review; posting; schools
What it did: Forced schools to publicly post all materials intended to be used for teaching online before their implementation.
Why we opposed it: Law would be a severe administrative burden on teachers and staff in order to discourage the teaching of subjects that do not conform to white Christian nationalist views
Outcome: Passed Senate, held in House.
SB1707: ESAs; grant recipients; qualified students
What it did: Expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (school vouchers)
Why we opposed it: School voucher programs funnel public money into religious schools and private schools that may discriminate for religious reasons.
Outcome: Passed Senate, held in House
SB1657: ESAs; STOs; student empowerment fund
What it did: Expanded Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (school vouchers)
Why we opposed it: School voucher programs funnel public money into religious schools and private schools that may discriminate for religious reasons.
Outcome: Passed Senate, held in House.
SB1567: Employers; vaccinations; religious exemptions
What it did: Exempted Arizonans from being subject to vaccination requirements by the employers if they refuse to be vaccinated for religious reasons
Why we opposed it: Endangered the public health to encode special privileges for religious individuals into law.
Outcome: Passed Senate, held in House
SB1514: Hospitals; visitation; policy
What it did: Granted clergy special privileges to enter health care facilities and ignore their safety protocols.
Why we opposed it: Encoded special privileges for religious individuals into law.
Outcome: Passed Senate, held in House
SB1399: Foster care; religious foster care; adoption;
What it did: Banned the state from taking action against foster care agencies on the basis that they discriminate for religious reasons.
Why we opposed it: Constituted a state endorsement of religion-based discrimination.
Outcome: Signed into law
SB1211: Materials; activities; review; posting; schools
What it did: Forced schools to publicly post all materials intended to be used for teaching online before their implementation.
Why we opposed it: Law would be a severe administrative burden on teachers and staff in order to discourage the teaching of subjects that do not conform to white Christian nationalist views
Outcome: Passed Senate, held in House.
SB1165: interscholastic; intramural athletics; biological sex
What it did: Banned transgender female students from participating in girls’/women’s sports teams.
Why we opposed it: Perpetuated religious-based discrimination against transgender youth.
Outcome: Signed into law
SB1164: abortion; gestational age; limit
What it did: Banned all abortions that happen after 15 weeks of gestation.
Why we opposed it: Restricted healthcare for religious reasons.
Outcome: Signed into law
SB1138: irreversible gender reassignment surgery; minors
What it did: Banned gender reassignment surgery for minors.
Why we opposed it: Perpetuated religious-based discrimination against transgender youth
Outcome: Signed into law
HB2707: moment of silence; quiet reflection
What it did: Required teachers to have students recite the Pledge of Allegiance and observe a two-minute moment of “silent reflection.” Required teacher to “encourage” parents to instruct their children on how to use the silent reflection.
Why we opposed it: Mandatory recitation of the Pledge including the phrase “under God” in public schools constitutes religious coercion. Silent reflection provisions also create conditions in which children may be coerced into prayer in classrooms.
Outcome: Signed into law
HB2507: Religious services; essential services
What it did: Amends Arizona’s civil rights code to declare all religious organizations “essential services,” and gives preferential treatment to these entities in matters when enforcing criminal and public safety codes.
Why we opposed it: A massive expansion of religious privilege. Makes the practice of one’s religion an allowable defense in any civil or criminal case. (See our article series.)
Outcome: Signed into law
HB2449: care facilities; clergy visitation
What it did: Granted clergy special privileges to enter health care facilities and ignore their safety protocols.
Why we opposed it: Created special privileges for certain religious individuals without equal guarantees for secular people or religious minorities.
Outcome: Signed into law
HB2439: school library; review; policy
What it did: Banned books from schools that discuss even the most minor aspects of sexuality or race.
Why we opposed it: Book ban bills are an instrument to censor literature that does not conform to white Christian nationalist viewpoints.
Outcome: Signed into law
HB2495: Schools; sexually explicit materials; prohibition;
What it did: Banned books in schools that talk about sexuality or race.
Why we opposed it: Bills like this are used to censor all forms of literature that do not conform to white Christian nationalist viewpoints.
Outcome: Signed into law
HB2161: parental rights; schools; educational records
What it did: Forced schools to disclose information that would “out” LGBTQ+ students to their parents.
Why we opposed it: This bill actively sought to suppress LGBTQ+ identity in schools so as to promote religious views on heteronormativity
Outcome: Signed into law
HB2853: Arizona empowerment scholarship accounts; appropriation
What it did: Expanded the Empowerment Scholarship Account (school voucher) program
Why we opposed it: School voucher programs funnel public money into religious and private schools, including those that may discriminate for religious reasons.
Outcome: Passed Legislature