| | Hello Secular Fam, Whew... it's hot. Though it feels like things slow down a bit during Arizona summer, there are still plenty of actions you can take to affect change and stand up for the separation of church and state: - Attend One Million Rising trainings on July 30 and August 13. Learn about strategic non-cooperation to fight authoritarianism. RSVP.
- Help Voters Re-Register on July 30 with SOSAZ. Info here.
- Attend A Show of Resistance at the First Studio Gallery on August 1. Info here.
- Attend a Rush Hour Resistance Rally. Info here.
- Request "Know Your Rights: Immigration and Deportation" cards. You can distribute these to those who need them. Request cards.
- Protect our neighbors. Borderlands Resource Initiative and Puente offer trainings on how to help those targeted by ICE. More info, trainings and know your rights resources.
- How well do you know your lawmakers? Did your Arizona state lawmakers vote to uphold separation of church and state, as the Arizona and U.S. Constitutions both demand, or did they vote for public policy based in religious dogma? Find out here: Read Secular AZ's 2025 legislative report and lawmaker scorecard.
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|  | We're Number One! Once again, Arizona ranks among the top... worst-performing schools in the nation, that is. When it comes to quality and safety, Arizona's public school system comes in near the bottom, in 48th place. So where does AZ "excel"? Dropout rate (tied for 47th-highest), median ACT score (tied for 49th-worst), and student-to-teacher ratio (last) all stand out. But of course, this all really comes down to being 48th in school spending. Thanks, AZGOP, for years of concerted effort to funnel taxpayer dollars into private, religious, and charter schools through vouchers — against the will of the voters. (And speaking of ESAs, it came out last week that parents are using voucher funds to pay for college. The largest sum went to a private religious school, Grand Canyon University.) None of this is the fault of Arizona educators. Blame for our struggling education system lies squarely at the feet of right-wing policy-makers and their committment to hollowing out public education in the name of "school choice." Read more from the Phoenix New Times |
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 | Scholarship Deadline Approaching Calling all student activists: There's still time to apply for the Secular Student Scholarship! The 2025 scholarships are available to full-time students enrolled in high school, trade school, college, or university in the United States and are designed to support students who in addition to pursuing excellence in their academic studies are also activists for secular values on their campus and/or in their community. Several scholarships are available specifically for Arizona students. Apply here |
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| | | |  | Tale as Old as Time (Literally) Join us on August 1 at noon (AZ Time) as special guest Laura Poppick joins us to talk about her new book Strata: Stories from Deep Time, which provides context for modern environmental change by exploring moments of global transformation in Earth's deep geologic history. Laura Poppick is a science and environmental journalist whose stories have appeared in the New York Times, Scientific American, National Geographic, and elsewhere. She has been listed as a finalist for the National Association of Science Writers Science in Society Journalism Award and the Maine Literary Awards. RSVP for this virtual author talk. |
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 | Desert Pollinators In Danger Last week, we took a (much needed) break from "rage Friday" and enjoyed a "science Friday" instead! Special guest Tara Cornelisse, PhD, joined us to to discuss extinction risk in North American pollinators, with a focus on the southwestern U.S. Learn the state of pollinator health in our region, and what you can do to help. Dr. Cornelisse is an invetrebrate zoologist with over 20 years of experience in entomology and conservation biology. At NatureServe, she assesses the status of a myriad of invertebrates, and her research informs conservation and species priorities at state and national levels. Click here to watch this virtual presentation. |
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| | | | | | | | | | THIS WEEK IN SECULAR NEWS Nothing to see here, just the DOD banning books: Thanks to an ACLU lawsuit, the Department of Defense finally released a list of almost 600 books that it's banning in schools it operates for about 67,000 children of military famillies around the U.S. and the globe. You'll be shocked, just shocked, to learn that most titles deal with LGBTQIA+ issues, race, and sexual health. The DOD’s list was apparently created in response to Trump EOs that fight “gender Ideology extremism” and “radical indoctrination” in federally funded programs, including the military. Read more. Andy Biggs no longer cares about releasing Epstein files, exposing child sex trafficking. AZ Rep. Andy Biggs (a staunch MAGA Republican and long-time Q-Anon warrior with a focus on exposing and stopping pedopiles) this week voted against releasing the Epstein files, a stark U-turn from his previous calls for transparency. Why the sudden change of heart? Is it because King Donald deemed the files a hoax? Looks like Biggs's unwavering commitment to exposing child sex trafficking only extends as far as Trump's approval, proving that some "deeply held beliefs" are easily sacrificed for a gubernatorial endorsement. Read more. Undermining public health and making us all sicker. "Health" Secretary RFK Jr. and allies are actively working to undermine U.S. immunization efforts, with a focus on dismantling the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Using cases based on dubious "science" that falsely links autism to MMR vaccines, RFK is attacking the system designed to protect both the public and vaccine supply by appointing anti-vaccine advocates to key health agencies and legitimizing debunked theories, potentially making vaccines scarce and fueling preventable disease outbreaks. Again we ask: If a declared enemy of the state were to take actions to destroy the U.S., what, exactly, would they do differently? Read more. (Trigger warning: CSA) It's always the ones you most suspect. Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters, vocal crusader against "pornography" and champion of Trump bibles in every classroom, got called out for his, ahem, hands-on approach this week. Board members noticed Walters (who's forced out a principal out over their private life and threatened schools over book content) displaying nude images on his office TV during an executive session. But the "Good Lord's Porn Enthusiast" wasn't the only Christian Nationalist hypocrite in the news. In the last week alone, we've seen the CEO of My Faith Votes get caught with child pornography; an abortion-ban-authoring TX Rep. is alleged to have shared disturbing fantasies involving his kid's school bake sale and paying for his mistresses' abortions; and oh yeah, Speaker Holy Mike Johnson literally shut down the House rather than release the Epstein files. So much for pRoTeCtInG tHe cHiLdReN. |
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| | | | Secular AZ
PO Box 47756 | Phoenix, Arizona 85068
6023804810 | info@secularaz.org |
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