Environmental Day at AZ State Capitol 2025

by Carolyn Classen, blogger “Please join Sierra Club, Chispa Arizona, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, AZ AANHPI for Equity, and many other groups for our annual lobby day at the Arizona Capitol. Meet with your legislators, hear from great speakers, and connect with others who are doing advocacy work both inside and outside the Arizona … Read more

City of Tucson Proposition 411 passes

The City of Tucson Elections Dept. published their special election results tonight: Prop. 411 Yes  52,844 No  19,149 “Proposition 411 is a proposal to amend the Tucson Charter authorizing a 10-year extension of a temporary half-cent (0.5%) sales tax to fund street improvements.” https://www.tucsonaz.gov/clerks/elections https://www.tucsonaz.gov/files/clerks/electionReports/22SAZTUC_UNOFFICIAL_CANVASS_051722.pdf In the Choice is Yours booklet, there was no opposition … Read more

Senator Coverup McSally: Just say no to Uranium Mining in the Grand Canyon

Apparently, it is easier for Senator Martha Coverup McSally to justify Mr. Trump’s high crimes and misdemeanors than it is to say no to corporate interests who want to launch uranium mining ventures in the Grand Canyon. Last year, the House of Representatives, led by Arizonans Raul Grijalva and Tom O’Halleran, passed a measure banning … Read more

ACTIONS NEEDED BEFORE MONDAY MORNING on HB2111 and 3 Request to Speak items

Legislative UPDATE from Sandy Bahr from the Sierra Club, Grand Canyon Chapter

This week, the last week to hear bills in committee in the house of origin, is referred to as “hell week,” due to the super long agendas with long lists of bills and strike-everything amendments and the meetings that drag into the night. While there was time to hear a plethora of bad water bills in the Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee, there was no time to even consider ecological water. In fact, many good bills went in the dustbin this week — ecological water, voters’ bill of rights, Equal Rights Amendment, reversing the ban on bans of plastic bags, banning fracking, climate resolutions, and more. While these important bills are dead in their current form, the Sierra Club is not giving up and will continue to look for ways to amend them on to other bills and have our voices heard. Meanwhile, we will also focus on a few of the good ones that got through the first part of the process and on stopping the ones that roll back protections, suppress votes, and make it more difficult to qualify a citizen initiative.

Please send a message to your Representatives asking them to oppose HB2111.

HB2111 S/E water supply; adequacy; exemptions (Griffin) allows counties such as Cochise and Yuma that have adopted water adequacy provisions for subdivisions to rescind them unanimously. If they rescind them, they cannot readopt them for five years. This is likely to result in ever more harm to the San Pedro River due to excessive groundwater pumping and will weaken the limited protections for consumers.

If you are not sure who your legislators are, just use this Find My Legislator link and enter your address. To contact legislators, go to Members.

There are three bills being heard in the House Appropriations Committee Monday morning at 8 a.m. This is an opportunity to weigh in on Request to Speak and leave a comment that becomes part of the public record.

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Join us for a day of action in Phoenix – Environmental Day at the Capitol

Meeting with Sen. Farley
Environmental Day at the Capitol 2018

It all started at Environmental Day at the Capitol 2018… The Sierra Club had arranged for small group meetings with each of our state legislators. Those of us from district 9 got to meet with Sen. Farley and Rep. Friese. We were ushered into their offices where we were greeted warmly. After introductions, a few of us lobbied for upcoming bills – referring the legislators to one-sheets provided by the Sierra Club. At the end of each meeting, we thanked our hosts for their time. While shaking hands on the way out the door, I announced that I would be starting an advocacy group to support their efforts for the environment. That was the beginning of Sustainable Tucson’s environmental advocacy team!

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