Republican AZ Legislative Priorities

Republicans control our Legislature by a thin margin. As a result, they can jam through some pretty awful legislation. Our Legislative Committee Chair provided this grim report at this morning’s Monthly Democratic Action Meeting. 2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION SUPPRESS THE VOTE: 25 bills designed to make voting more difficult – particularly voting by mail PEVL Purge […]

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Stop Voter Suppression

With the American Rescue Plan set to address the economic and health crises, it’s now time to turn to the For the People and John Lewis Voting Rights Acts. The bills pushed by Republican legislators to suppress votes create the same level of crisis for our constitutional democracy as COVID caused our health and economy. […]

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Letter to the Editor: More than ever, every vote counts

This week, two significant things happened to me — my early voting ballot arrived in the mail, and I went to see Stacy Abrams (founder of “Fair Fight,” an organization that supports voter rights) speak in Phoenix. Ms. Abrams spoke forcefully about how voter suppression efforts (purging voter registration rolls, problems with poll locations and […]

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Court Strikes Down Voter Suppression Laws/Hobbs Opposes Appeal

This week the U.S. Court of Appeals struck down two Arizona voter suppression laws on the ground that they violate the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Hispanics and Native Americans. The 2016 law prohibited anyone other than family members and caretakers from delivering a voter’s mail-in ballot. Ballot harvesting, as it’s called, was a […]

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Legislative Alerts for Week of January 27, 2020

Election Integrity / Voting Rights SB1092 update – As reported last week this bill, sponsored by Michelle Ugenti-Rita, would have required additional early voting ID requirements.  However, it was tabled.  We have heard it was in response to RTS comments.  What we are doing here matters!  But remember, nothing is dead until the Legislature adjourns. […]

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Voting on Election Day should be easier

In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a mandate in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that forced certain states with a history of voter discrimination to receive federal approval before making any change to their electoral processes. Arizona was one of these states, and since 2013 more than half of the polling places in […]

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Arizona Senators should support “For the People Act”

Sep 8, 2019 Our democratic government and society depend upon the integrity of our elections. I believe that all of us, regardless of political party, desire the continued ability to participate in, and trust the results of, our open elections. Yet many states have failed to take steps to assure the security of ballots, and […]

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Partisan politics have no place in voting rights

Published in the Arizona Daily Sun on July 21, 2019. Many long for the days when our two-party system tried to work for the benefit of the people of the United States. The hostility generated by party politics must stop. Our country has been polarized before and especially during and after the election of 2016. […]

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Legislative Alerts ~ Week of May 13, 2019

We are in day 120 of the legislature session – it is nominally supposed to last 100 days.  The delay is due to disagreements over the budget.  Remember to send your ideas on budget priorities to your representatives. SB 1451 – SCR 1023 – HCR 2005 – OPPOSE STRONGLY – These bills & continuing resolutions […]

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Legislative Alerts ~ Week of April 15, 2019

Criminal Justice Bill Alerts The following are bills related to Criminal Justice in Arizona.  They are out of committee so it is not possible to use the RTS system.  Contact your Senators about these bills this week. CONTACT Senators  – LD6 & LD7 Sylvia Allen (R) LD6                   602-926-5409 Jamescita Peshlakai (D) LD7 […]

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