SECULAR NEWS

Definitely not a grassroots movement. Ever notice how the same old tired, bigoted school board policies conveniently pop up everywhere? Shocking, I know. Turns out, it's not spontaneous combustion. The Lookout exposed the Arizona Coalition of School Board Members – apparently, a fan club for far-right groups – is orchestrating this anti-LGBTQIA+ crusade. They're pushing identical, "model" proposals to restrict affirming guidelines and shove conservative dogma into curriculums, especially targeting trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse students. So, when you see "parental notification policies" magically appear in Humboldt Unified and Mesa Unified board meeting agendas, just remember: it's not grassroots effort that represents the local will of the people. Instead,, it's part of a grand, national scheme. Read more. 

Healthcare providers file lawsuit to expand abortion access in AZ. Despite the fact that voters overwhelmingly passed the Arizona Abortion Access Act, several restrictions to accessing reproductive healthcare remain on the books. Arizona doctors have filed a lawsuit challenging several state abortion restrictions, arguing they violate the constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2024. The suit targets laws mandating a 24-hour waiting period, forcing two clinic visits, banning abortion for fetal diagnoses, and prohibiting telemedicine for medication abortion. Plaintiffs contend these medically unnecessary barriers disproportionately harm vulnerable communities and undermine patient care, directly contravening the recently enshrined right to abortion in Arizona. Read more. 

House GOP bill cuts gender-affirming care from Medicare. The Republican tax bill that just passed the House cut Medicaid coverage for gender transition care, extending beyond minors to include adults.The legislation alters the Affordable Care Act by prohibiting states from designating "gender transition procedures" as an "essential health benefit," potentially impacting many relying on Medicaid for critical care. This move is a direct assault on the healthcare access of transgender individuals. Read more. 

Who woulda thunk it? In news that surprises absolutely no one who's paying even the least bit of attention, Arizona's brilliant $1 billion ESA voucher "experiment" is predictably siphoning funds from high-performing public and charter schools, not just the "underperforming" ones it supposedly targets. Turns out, giving away tax dollars for private schools, homeschooling, art supplies, or jet skis primarily benefits those already opting out of public education anyway. Now, even high-performing districts are losing students and positions, proving that creating a "two-tiered" system is a smashing success... for the already-rich and those who want to burn down public education in Arizona altogether. Read more.