Meet Secular AZ's New Executive Director.

Secular AZ is proud to introduce you to our new Executive Director, Jeanne Casteen! Among other things, Jeanne has been a lifelong educator and advocate, mother of four, middle and high school teacher, and school board president. We're excited to benefit from her strength, ideas, and experience. Read from Jeanne about her background, what brought her to Secular AZ, and what she'll be bringing to our movement.

Now Available: Our Guide to Legislative Invocations for Municipal Lawmakers

If you’ve been following us, you may already know that it’s common for AZ lawmakers to start government meetings with a prayer. Inadvertently or intentionally, many of these invocations have the effect of marginalizing religious minorities and even violating constitutional law.

While it’s true some lawmakers use prayer to advance a religious agenda, many others simply lack a comprehensive understanding of how to appropriately begin a government meeting. So we’ve created this booklet breaking down the thorny legalities of legislative prayer and the best practices surrounding it. Read it to educate yourself, or better yet forward it to your own City Council Members and County Supervisors!

Vote for Your Favorite Secular Invocation!

The AZ Senate and House open each business day with an invocation, offered by a legislator or someone they invited. The vast majority are Christian prayers, despite the fact that this type of prayer excludes the over 30% of Arizonans who aren't Christian.

Since 2010, Secular AZ has worked to bring secular invocations to the Senate and House, so as include Arizonans of all faiths and no faith. Along the way, we've seen successes and lots of controversy.

Watch a selection of the most notable invocations in recent years, from Arizona and around the U.S. Vote your fave and support us at the same time!