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Arizona abortion access initiative to start signature gathering
The initiative seeking to make abortion a fundamental right in the Grand Canyon state has officially launched the signature gathering effort necessary to land on the 2024 ballot. Reproductive rights advocates gathered Thursday to urge Arizonans to support the campaign for the Arizona Abortion Access Act, which aims to enshrine the procedure as a right […]
Campaign launches to open AZ primary elections
There are more Arizona voters registered with no political party than with either of the two major parties, but primary elections in the Grand Canyon State continue to operate under a two-party system — but a newly launched campaign aiming for a spot on the 2024 ballot seeks to change that. Dubbed the “Make Elections […]
DACA faces ongoing challenge, AZ immigration advocates call for change
More than 30,000 DACA recipients call Arizona home, but a federal judge’s ruling earlier this week — which determined the policy that shields them from deportation is illegal — puts their future safety in jeopardy. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen sided with nine Republican-led states in an ongoing dispute against DACA, Deferred Action […]
Abortion advocates appeal rejected injunction of 2021 fetal abnormality abortion ban
A panel of federal judges on Monday heard arguments in the case to block a 2021 law that criminalizes doctors who perform abortions of fetuses with genetic abnormalities. The ban was previously put on hold by an injunction shortly after it went into effect two years ago, but the U.S. Supreme Court later ruled to […]
Hobbs, Horne spar over federal COVID aid for private schools
Nearly $27 million in federal pandemic aid for private schools is in limbo while the Arizona Department of Education and the Governor’s Office spar over who has the authority to spend it. On Friday, Gov. Katie Hobbs sent a letter to Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, accusing him of dragging his feet when it […]
Horne sues AG, governor over dual language instruction in Arizona schools
Arizona’s public schools chief is taking the governor and attorney general to court in an ongoing spat over how English Language Learner students should be taught. On Wednesday, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, a Republican, filed a lawsuit in Maricopa County Superior Court asking the judge to settle a disagreement over the interpretation of […]
Horne cancels $70 million in COVID-19 funding to set up tutoring program
State schools chief Tom Horne is canceling millions of dollars in contracts funded by COVID-19 aid that his Democratic predecessor awarded to Arizona education programs in order to funnel the money into a new tutoring program for struggling students. But the tutoring will help only about 10% of the students who are falling behind academically. […]
The AZ Supreme Court rebuffed 2 more requests to overturn GOP losses in 2022
Two lawsuits aiming to overturn the 2022 election were sharply rebuffed by the Arizona Supreme Court last week. On Aug. 24, the high court shot down a special action petition urging justices to void the election results in Maricopa County for failing to go through appropriate legal avenues. Scottsdale-based attorney and avid Kari Lake fan […]
Survey: gender-affirming care bans hurt LGBTQ people, increase fears about personal safety
Bans on gender-affirming care, pushed by Republican politicians as necessary protections for trans youth, are making LGBTQ people feel less safe. A national survey from the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, found that the proliferation of gender-affirming care bans negatively affects the mental and physical health of about 80% of trans […]
The Arizona Supreme Court will consider reviving a Civil War-era abortion ban
The Arizona Supreme Court has agreed to consider the petition of an anti-abortion doctor who argues that a near-total abortion ban from 1864 should be the law of the land. In March, Dr. Eric Hazelrigg, medical director of a chain of anti-abortion clinics, filed an appeal with the state’s high court, urging the justices to […]
Schools chief says AZ schools shouldn’t let trans kids use their preferred bathroom
Arizona’s top education official is continuing to lash out at trans inclusive policies, issuing a statement advising public schools across the state to keep school facilities, like bathrooms and locker rooms, separated by biological sex. “The Arizona Department of Education strongly advises that schools not initiate a policy that allows biological boys to use restrooms, […]
AG Mayes asks AZ Supreme Court to reject Hamadeh’s appeal
The Arizona Supreme Court should reject Abraham Hamadeh’s insincere attempt to fast-track his appeal that aims to overturn his 2022 election loss, say lawyers for Attorney General Kris Mayes. A little over a week ago, Hamadeh’s legal team filed a special action with the high court aimed at skipping over the Court of Appeals in […]