The Campaign Within to be released in June
The first time I met Neil Giuliano was on a Tempe based airline America West flight from Phoenix to Washington DC in January 2001. I had just turned 19, was about to leave on a Mormon mission to Russia and my mind was finally waking up to the reality of the world around me. Neil had been embattled with the Boy Scouts of America over the use of public buildings and discrimination against gay men. Neil, one of the first out gay mayors in the nation, was going up and down the aisle speaking to people on the plane and I recognized him from his picture in the newspapers. I admit I was a little star struck and made sure to say hello and shake his hand and let him know I was an Eagle Scout. He chucked a little bit and smiled and said, “alright” as he nodded his head. What he didn’t know and what I couldn’t say was that I was deeply in the closet and meeting someone in person who I knew was gay and out was a big deal for me. At that time I was a registered Republican (as was Neil) and I was flying to DC to go to the inauguration of George W. Bush, whom I had voted for in my first ever presidential election. Neil asked me about my trip to DC and suggested things I should do while I was there.
Fast forward to 2008 when his and my paths crossed again. I had long since come out of the closet and was actively involved in Tempe and Phoenix community building and so it was only a matter of time before we ran into each other. He didn’t remember meeting me on the plane (and why would he?) but I did. Since then I’ve gotten to know Neil a lot better and consider him a good friend.
I’m feeling really excited for him because after years of working on his memoir, it’s about to be published. Read more 
Marching against SB1070 in Downtown Phoenix
The controversial Arizona immigration law commonly referred to as SB1070 made its way to the United States Supreme Court yesterday and there is a lot at stake. I had my eye on the news and Twitter all day to keep abreast of the proceedings and by the time I left my house to walk over to the march, the oral arguments had wrapped up and it sounded like the Justices were siding with the State of Arizona. The official ruling will not be made until June, so we’ll see.
For a more in depth discussion of the oral arguments, check out this post from the Supreme Court Blog.
To the west of Central Avenue down Washington Street, the Tea Party was having their own rally at the Capitol Building. (I read there were 25 people there and some state reps spoke about the court upholding the law.) At the march I was in, an estimated 500 people showed up. There were families, children, signs, masks, and flags. I thought the timing of the march was perfect: we hit the street at about 5 p.m., in other words, during the middle of downtown rush hour traffic. I thought that was effective. We were not allowed to march on the streets, but the sidewalks were just fine.
For the record I’m opposed to SB1070 and have been since the day the (then unelected Jan Brewer) signed it into law and I marched in the first Alto Arizona protest in May 2010.
SB1070 fails to secure the border (as Brewer always say we have to do), it separates families, it’s racist, it’s ineffective. We all agree that there must be immigration reform but SB1070 is not the way to do it. We’ll see what the Supreme Court thinks.
These are the pics I took while marching through the streets of downtown Phoenix. Read more
Gov. Brewer to County and State Corrections Officials: No More Shackling Pregnant Inmates
This is the text of an email I got from Anjali Abraham, the Public Policy Director of the ACLU of Arizona.
As you’ve probably realized, I don’t usually get to report good news about the state of our civil liberties these days. But this time, I have wonderful news to report. All you spring training fans—get ready to enjoy the thrill of crossing home plate (legislatively, that is).
Governor Brewer has signed our SB 1184, a bill that limits the ability of county and state corrections officials to shackle pregnant inmates. Under this bill, corrections officials cannot shackle pregnant inmates during transportation to a facility for delivery, during labor and delivery, and during postpartum recovery. This unconstitutional practice is extremely dangerous to both mother and child. The ACLU of Arizona has pursued this legislation for years, and 2012 turned out to be our year. And with the signing of SB 1184, Arizona becomes just the 15th state in the nation to effectively ban this practice by law. Read more
My Letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee: Stop HB 2625
Before I was any other kind of activist, I was a Feminist. I was reared by educated, articulate, powerful women who taught me about love, justice, and equality. So issues pertaining to women’s rights, women’s health, women’s choice hit close to home for me which is why I’m fired up about HB 2625, a law that would allow employers to fire women who use birth control. Republicans always advocate for “smaller government” and now we all know what that means: government so small it can pass laws that fit in your uterus.
I wrote to the Senate Judiciary Committee today to voice my opposition to HB 2625. I’m proud of this letter because I got to use the words “vagina” and “menstrual cramps” to Arizona Senators. (This afternoon I received a reply from Steve Gallardo of District 13 who said he was opposing this bill. I’ve sent him a thank you.)
Senate Judiciary Committee members,
I grew up with a single mother and two sisters and I take issues relating to women very seriously.
Contraception isn’t just about sex, it is also an issue of health, but since the Arizona legislature seems intent on discussing private health issues of Arizonans, let’s talk about some now.
There are women in my life who use birth control as a way to deal with menstrual cramps. Taking birth control allows them to be at work every day of the month. Another female friend also has a heavy monthly flow and taking birth control helps reduce it.
You were elected to deal with issues pertaining to the economy, jobs, taxes, and schools, not vaginas and menstrual cramps. Read more
Good News! Bad Bills Failed in the Arizona Senate
But let’s not get too happy. There are still plenty of bad bills that could possibly pass. Stay on your toes and keep sending those emails and making those calls. Make your voice heard.
Today 4 bad bills failed! People like to pick on Arizona because it’s easy to do and for good reason- the Arizona legislature gives us plenty of bills to be angry about. So when the legislature does something RIGHT, like vote down bad bills, we need to celebrate and point out the fact that Arizona is not always a divisive, extremist state.
These bad bills failed today during the Senate floor vote. The Arizona Education Association strongly opposed all four of these bills that had a direct impact on Arizona schools. An explanation of each bill and the vote detail can be found below.
SB 1155 taxes and tax rates (sponsor: Biggs) FAILED 15-15
SB 1202 schools; partisan instruction prohibited (sponsor: Klein) FAILED 14-16
SB 1203 schools; course of study; approval (sponsor: Klein) FAILED 13-17
SB 1205 classroom instruction; FCC standards (sponsor: Klein) FAILED 14-16 Read more
Rep. Michelle Ugenti (R-Scottsdale) to Students: “Welcome to Life”
Last week a House committee passed HB2675, a bill sponsored by Rep. John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) which would require all students, even the poorest, to pay $2000 per year to attend a university.
So let’s see, you earn a full ride scholarship then the Big Republican Government regulates that the scholarship doesn’t matter and then the Big Republican Government requires you to pay $2,000 out of pocket anyways, all the while the Republicans bitch about “Big Government” while imposing big government regulations on the poor and middle class.
About 100 students went to protest the bill at the Capitol where they were greeted with open hostility by Rep. Michelle Ugenti (R-Scottsdale), who told them “Welcome to life.”
“Welcome to life” while she enjoys government financed health care and other government benefits, benefits subsidized by tax payers.
Oh honey, let me tell you about life! Read more
ALERT: Stop AZ lawmakers from blocking clean energy progress
The Arizona Legislature is back to work ensuring that Arizona remains a backwater laughing stock. With that in mind, I’ll be posting a lot of these ALERTS to do my part to share information and ways for the citizens of Arizona to stay active. This email came from the Vote Solar Initiative.
We need your help to defeat a bad bill that would set up a huge roadblock to progress on renewable energy and energy efficiency in Arizona. The bill has its first committee hearing in Phoenix next week. Click here to help us tell legislators to stop this solar setback in its tracks!
Just introduced by Representative Debbie Lesko, HB 2789 would require the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) — the publicly elected body that has sole authority to regulate power rates under the State Constitution — to get approval from a majority in the Legislature before it can approve or amend programs or policies that would advance renewable energy or energy efficiency. This would add a layer of government regulation with no benefit for Arizonans, who not only directly elect ACC Commissioners but also already have the opportunity to provide comment throughout the ACC decisionmaking process. Read more
ALERT: Help Restore the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund!
This came from the Arizona Preservation Foundation:
Advocates for Arizona’s parks, open space, heritage, and historic preservation are encouraged to help restore the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund. During the 2010 state budget crisis, the entire Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund was swept into the General Fund AND the language authorizing its existence was removed. (You can read about what happened here and here. It’s horrible what Arizona Republican lawmakers did in 2010.)
In this Centennial of Statehood, House Concurrent Resolution 2047, “Enacting and Ordering the Submission to the People of a Measure Relating to the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund,” has been introduced by Representative Russ Jones of Yuma. Review the bill’s language here. Read more
Elder Jay E. Jensen and Marriage Equality
On January 8, 2012 Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy spoke at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. The talk was same old, same old. The Desert News covered his Church Educational System (CES) Devotional address and reported that he spoke about the three themes of the Holy Ghost. I don’t want to embed the video but here’s a link
The Desert News failed to report this quote from his address (skip ahead to the 18 minute mark of his talk to hear it):
“The adversary seeks to deorganize and to destroy, especially families, as evidenced today by abortion, divorce, and same-gender marriage.”
Let that sink in for a moment.
Divorce AND marriage are destroying families. What?! Read more
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Steps Down from Congress
Congresswoman Giffords was an outstanding member of Congress who served with great honor. Among many things she worked for border security and solar programs for Arizona and did so in a bipartisan manner. She deserves our support and thanks. Read more
Jan Brewer’s State of the State and New Policy Plan 2012
Jan Brewer delivered here State of the State address on Monday. You can read it here. Brewer’s State of State- Jan. 9, 2012.
I read it, seemed ok. Nothing too detailed, but I guess a State of a State address right before a state’s centennial would be more celebratory than detailed. Dare I say I kind of liked what she said? At least I like most of what she said. I try to find common ground with people and Brewer and I love Arizona and I’m willing to build on that.
She was specific that Prop 100 would end in 2013 stating:
An integral part of our recovery plan was the passage of Proposition 100—the one-cent sales tax approved overwhelmingly by the voters for three years. The voters were promised it would be temporary. Many doubted that. Well, I gave my word to the voters. And, a promise is a promise…So, I’m here today to say: This tax will end on my watch! This tax will end after three years in 2013.
Her policy plan titled “The Four Cornerstones of Reform” focused on Economic Competitiveness, Education, State Government, and Renewed Federalism. You can read her policy plan here Governor’s policy plan- Jan. 9, 2012. It’s pretty much what you would expect from a right-wing Arizona Republican- government is bad, we need less government. Read more
Like Father Not Like Son
In November 2011, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney signed an anti marriage equality pledge. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) created the pledge that commits signatories to fight for a “federal constitutional amendment defining marriage, to appoint federal judges who don’t see a Constitutional right to same-sex marriage, and to back the Defense of Marriage Act” should they be elected to the office of the presidency.
Brother Romney signed this pledge along with Michelle Bachmann and Rick Santorum. All three were praised by NOM as “three marriage champions.” Of course they are referring to what they call “traditional marriage” and that’s why it really bugs the hell out of me that Romney is being hailed as some great defender of “traditional” marriage.
Politics makes strange bedfellows, for as Mitt Romney lives and breathes he is a product of non-traditional marriages. His father, George Romney, was the descendent of Mormon polygamists who were living The Principle (as it was and is called today) across the border in Colonias Mormonas in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. In the 19th century, to escape persecution and discriminatory marriage laws in the United States, Brigham Young sent some of his followers to Canada and Mexico so they could live their alternative polygamous lifestyles. Read more
New Post on Downtown Phoenix Journal Plus Book News
I was at the Herberger Theater last night to hear outgoing Mayor Phil Gordon offer insights and advice to Mayor-elect Greg Stanton. Mayor-elect Stanton then shared his vision for Phoenix and talked about how to turn his campaign promises into realities.
The story is posted on the Downtown Phoenix Journal website. Read more
Another Bad Day For Arizona
From the The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission’s (AIRC) website: the mission is to redraw Arizona’s congressional and legislative districts to reflect the results of the most recent census. The concept of one-person, one-vote dictates that districts should be roughly equal in population. Other factors to be considered are the federal Voting Rights Act, district shape, geographical features, respect for communities of interest and potential competitiveness. The state Constitution requires the commissioners – two Republicans, two Democrats and an independent chairwoman – to start from scratch rather than redraw existing districts.
Last night Jan Brewer and the Republican controlled Senate removed the Independent from the Independent Redistricting Commission. Contrary to popular belief that Arizona is a big Red state, Arizona is actually 1/3 Republican, 1/3 Democrat, and 1/3 Independent. Voters of this state approved the creation of the AIRC to keep politics out of the process of drawing lines but Jan Brewer with the rest of the Republicans in the Senate have rejected the will and vote of the people. The Republicans in this state are desperate to gerrymander the new district lines and apparently will stop at nothing. Read more
Rocky Mountain Poll: In Arizona, Obama leads Romney & GOP field
I got this in an email from the Arizona Democratic Party:
PHOENIX — A Rocky Mountain Poll of Arizona voters has President Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney and other potential Republican challengers for the presidency. Read more
