Speak Out Now: Bills in Committee Starting Monday

Multiple bills that threaten separation of church and state are headed for hearings this week. Now is the time to take action by using the Request to Speak system and contacting Committee members (thank you to our friends at CEBV for compiling this Committee guide). 

  • Oppose HB2123: (House Public Safety, Monday 2p) Provides expanded confidentiality to religious leaders using narrowly defined terms; such protections should be extended to all religions and none for those who are targeted by extremists. Religious privilege. 
  • Oppose HB2138: (House Health and Human Services, Monday 2p) Expands definition of "physician" within the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to include licensed naturopathic physicians. Non-scientific.
  • Oppose HB2670: (House Education, Tuesday 4p) Requires health education in grades 7 and 8 to include fetal development — may be added in 1-12 if age appropriate, parents can opt-out — but doesn't include info about birth control, abortion, consent, etc. Anti-reproductive choice. 
  • Oppose HB2438: (House Judiciary, Wednesday 8:30a) Bans judges from amending birth certificates in an attempt to prevent accurately reflecting transgender individuals' identities — a form of legal erasure. Anti-LGBTQIA+.
  • Oppose HB2216 (House Government, Wednesday 9a) Forces taxpayers to fund fake "pregnancy clinics" that are a front to push anti-choice propaganda. Anti-reproductive choice. 
  • Oppose SB1256 (Senate Government, Wednesday 9a) Prevents state agencies or contractors from providing or requiring DEI in hiring, training and promotion. Racist.
  • Oppose SB1269 (Senate Education, Wednesday 2p)  Allows volunteer school chaplains into district/charter schools without specifying chaplains' roles, requiring any training or certification, or requiring accommodation of a range of belief systems be accommodated. An attempt to replace trained social workers, take away parents' rights to manage children's religious education, and track students' religious affiliations. Religious Privilege.

New to advocacy? We're here to help! info@secularaz.org.  

 
 

This Timeline Stinks

It's no secret that school boards are ground zero for white Christian nationalist nonsense. Secular AZ's Jeanne Casteen wrote about the bad behavior in Deer Valley and Peoria Unified last week. Here's an excerpt:

My whiplash stems from multiple channels. First, the daily barrage of mind-bogglingly cruel executive orders, statements, and policies coming from the Broligarchy has my head swiveling like someone watching the Australian Open.

Then, in the last two weeks, I tracked both the Peoria (PUSD) meeting that lasted over eight hours, and the Deer Valley (DVUSD) meeting that lasted fourteen minutes. Spoiler alert: they both showed the incompetence of their “leaders.”

Read the rest of Jeanne's article here. 

Religious Exemptions and Vaccine Laws: What Now?

For those of us who understand that public health policy must be based on science, rather than mythology and magical thinking, the news out of Washington DC is terrifying. 

What should we expect? Friday at noon, we welcome special guest Dorit Rubenstein Reiss, LLB PhD, professor of law and the James Edgar Hervey Chair in Litigation at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). She specializes in vaccines law and policy, including exemption laws and tort liability related to non-vaccination.

Register for this virtual presentation

 
 

AZ Legislature Update

As several deadlines approach (the last day to introduce bills in the Senate is Feb. 3 and House is Feb. 10), we're seeing an onslaught of terrible bills. 

Last week, Secular AZ's Jeanne Casteen provided an update on exactly what's happening at your Capitol. 

Watch the AZ Leg update here. 

Save Your Spot: Secular Day at the Capitol on March 6

Our annual Secular Day at the Capitol event is right around the corner! This year, we'll meet at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza on March 6th for a day of activism, community and inspiration. 

Guest speakers include Seth Andrews, Will Humble, and more. Lunch will be provided; RSVP required.

More info and RSVP here. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 6, 6p: Devil's Toybox Game Night in Tucson

February 7, 12p: Religious Exemptions and Vaccine Policy with Prof. Dorit Rubenstein Reiss (virtual event)

February 14, 12p: LW v Skrmetti: Implications for Trans Youth with Garnet Henderson (virtual event)

February 21, 12p: Prof.  Madiba Dennie on "The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back" (virtual event)

 
 
 
 
 

Secular AZ
PO Box 47756  | Phoenix, Arizona 85068
6023804810 | info@secularaz.org

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