Author
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 […]
Class action lawsuit could strike down restrictive AZ rules for birth certificate gender changes
A lawsuit challenging the state’s process for changing gender markers on birth certificates now has the potential to benefit all transgender Arizonans. On Thursday, a federal judge in Tucson approved a class action request in a lawsuit first filed three years ago by a trio of trans minors and their parents who argued that the […]
Abe Hamadeh asks the Arizona Supreme Court to greenlight his new trial
The Arizona Supreme Court should give failed GOP attorney general candidate Abraham Hamadeh another chance to overturn his 2022 loss, his legal team argued last week in an appeal to the high court. The request aims to revive Hamadeh’s latest attempt to challenge his defeat, which was dismissed last month. The Republican, who lost the […]
Campaign launches to give Arizonans a constitutional right to abortion access
Arizona reproductive rights advocates have officially taken the first step toward protecting abortion access, filing an initiative for the 2024 ballot on Tuesday. The initiative, entitled Arizona for Abortion Access, is the culmination of a monthslong effort to enshrine the procedure as a right in the state constitution. If it makes it onto the 2024 […]
Hobbs signs rental tax ban, a GOP priority, after deal for Prop 400 backing
Arizonans can now look forward to relief from rental taxes, after Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a bill on Tuesday that bars cities from collecting them starting in 2025. The measure was at the top of Republicans’ legislative priorities for the recently concluded legislative session. A proposal sent to Hobbs in February was roundly rejected, but […]
GOP renews bid to ban rental taxes, lawmakers and Hobbs mum on secret deal
Republicans are trying once again to ban rental taxes and, while city officials remain vehemently opposed, a rumored deal with Gov. Katie Hobbs might make it a reality this time. Eliminating the tax, which more than 70 cities and towns across the state collect, was at the top of the party’s priorities for this session. […]
Hobbs has questions about data breach that exposed ESA student info
A data breach exposed the personal information of thousands of Arizona students enrolled in the state’s school voucher program, according to Gov. Katie Hobbs, but the state’s top education official says it’s not a problem. Earlier this month, ClassWallet, the online financial administration platform that handles payments for Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, suffered a […]
GOP leaders ask judge to bar transgender girls from joining school sports teams
Republican lawmakers are challenging a federal judge’s ruling that gave two transgender students permission to play on girls’ sports teams, claiming that their participation is fundamentally unfair to other girls hoping for a spot on the same team. Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Zipps blocked the state’s trans athletic ban for two Arizona […]
Hamadeh gears up to appeal latest dismissal, sanctions still pending
Abraham Hamadeh, who has unsuccessfully attempted to overturn his 2022 loss three times, is appealing his latest rejection, hoping the courts will reconsider his case after a judge dismissed it last week. Late Tuesday, the Republican filed a notice of appeal asking the Arizona Court of Appeals to take up his motion for a new […]