democrats

Arizona Legislature

Speaking Truth to Power in the #AZLeg (video)

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Arizona House
Taking our first votes of the 53rd Legislature

This has been an action-packed week in the Arizona Legislature. We returned to work on Monday– just a few days after immigration restrictions and the Muslim travel ban and related protests unfolded at airports (including Sky Harbor).

This week I was proud of the Democrats in the Legislature. I am particularly proud of my Sisters who are also first-time Legislators: Representatives Athena Salman, Isela Blanc, Kelli Butler, Winona Benally, Mitzi Epstein, and Kirsten Engel.

Yes, we’re the minority, but we’re a fiery bunch with a lot to say. Thirteen of the 25 Dems in the House are new, and several of the newbies are unabashedly Progressive (like me) or Progressive-leaning, depending upon the issue.

Often, the people who spoke truth to power this week included some or all of the women listed above. But don’t take my word for it. Watch the videos.

Jan 30: Democrats made statements about the Muslin travel ban.

Jan 31: Democrats spoke out against snake shot and rat shot in the city. (The vote broke along party lines, see below.)

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Open Letter to Frederick Hess

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Cross-posted from RestoreReason.com.

I could barely get through your post on educationnext.org before I began formulating my response. This is not the first time I’ve wanted to respond to a post on this blog, but I definitely couldn’t let this one go unanswered. I read your blog because I try to ensure I am informed about education from a variety of opinions and viewpoints. But, as Daniel Moynihan said, “You are entitled to your own opinions, but not to your own facts.”

In your post titled “Education Is So Far Left, It Can’t Really See the Right”, you condescendingly lay out the “blind spots” of those in “education.” Your interchange of “those in education” and “Democrats” as if there is no difference is your mistake #1. Although more teachers tend to be Democrats than Republicans, teachers are typically focused on their students in the classroom, not in setting education policy. I am a school board member and active in my state’s school board association. One thing I’ve learned in the past four years, is that those who serve with me are politically diverse and it is this diversity that ensures all viewpoints are represented. These governing board members are at the forefront of charting the course of education at the local level and they have many different ideas about how to do that. Its a great strength of the local control our system of district education offers. While I’m on the subject of ideas, I have a few others for you.

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Political topography of Arizona

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Arizona Secretary of State voter registration  totals as of Aug. 30, 2016: 7 of 15 Arizona Counties have more Democrats registered than Republicans in:Apache, Coconino, Greenlee, Navajo, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yuma Counties. If you’re wondering where these counties are, here’s a map of the 15 counties. So most of the Democratic counties are in the Northeast and … Read more

Independents can’t vote in Arizona Presidential Preference Election on March 22

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Information flyers below from  former ACLU Southern AZ  board member Paul Barby, about the upcoming PPE on March 22, 2016 in Arizona.  Take heed Independents (now listed at 1,201,030 registered voters on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website).  You can vote in the Democratic, Green, or Republican primaries if you register for that party by Feb. 22, 2016 … Read more