Month: September 2015

Krishna Fest 2015 on September 5

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More info at Govinda’s Natural Foods: http://www.govindasoftucson.com/ Carolyn’s note:  We’ve attended this lively festival in the past, and there is terrific Indian dancing, food and culture to enjoy.  And the fire dancing is mesmerizing.

California following Oregon’s lead on universal (automatic) voter registration

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Maybe Arizona’s queen of voter suppression, Secretary of State Michele Reagan, should pick up the phone and call her counterparts in Oregon and California to learn more about what a secretary of state who actually wants to increase voter participation in elections does to make it happen.

Think Progress reports, One Simple Change Could Drastically Improve Voter Turnout In California:

Voting-RightsAs soon as this week, the California Senate could pass a bill to address its dismally low voter turnout by making registration automatic for the millions of residents with drivers licenses.

Copying a landmark law passed by Oregon earlier this year, the policy would connect DMV records with voter registration rolls, putting the burden on the voter to opt-out rather than opt-in. According to California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, this could help bring the 6.6 million California citizens who are eligible but not registered to vote into the democratic process.

“We have a lot of work to do on the strength of our democracy,” Padilla told ThinkProgress. “We need to focus on the whole pipeline: both getting more currently registered people to cast ballots, and getting more eligible Californians on the voter rolls.”

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Education organizations to urge Governor Ducey to call a special session to resolve Prop. 301 lawsuit

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ProgressNow Arizona will be standing with more than a dozen organizations at a press conference tomorrow morning to urge the Governor to call a special session and pay the state’s debt to schools. Please join us!  

Media Advisory

Education organizations and advocates urge Governor Ducey to call special session, end inflationary funding lawsuit 

WHAT:                       

DuceyClassroomsMore than a dozen organizations are joining together to call on Governor Doug Ducey to put an end to the expensive [Prop. 301]  inflationary funding lawsuit by calling a special session and demanding legislative leaders honor the will of the voters and pay the court-mandated debt to schools. Advocates are urging the Governor and legislature to use the estimated $325 million in state surplus revenues to address the urgent needs of schools and the students they serve. The press conference will be conducted in both English and Spanish.

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Recall Diane Douglas petition drive begins

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Diane DouglasTea Party Darlin’ Diane Douglas, Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, ran for office promising to repeal “Common Core” standards.

Once elected, however, she discovered that she does not possess the power to unilaterally do so. Hell, Douglas doesn’t even possess the power to boss around the Arizona State Board of Education board members.

Douglas also learned, what she should have known all along, that she has no real influence over the state education budget, which is controlled by the governor and the legislature. She is expected to simply do as she is told by her betters.

Frustrated at every turn, Diane Douglas turned to engaging in personal disputes with the governor, and the board members of Arizona State Board of Education over her attempt to fire employees. Douglas is currently pissing away your tax dollars on yet another intra-government GOP lawsuit over the scope of the powers of her office.

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