UPDATE: March4Schools Coalition rally briefly shuts state house doors

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The March4Schools Coalition rally at the State Capitol building today caused a brief ruckus. Boisterous education rally briefly shuts state House doors

Several hundred education supporters chanting "save our state" flooded the front of the House of Representatives this morning, prompting security to briefly lock the House doors.

Your Arizona state legislators: afraid of citizens peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights of free speech, assembly and petitioning their government, hiding behind locked doors. Cowards.

The other day citizens were denied the right to testify on a bill in front of Sen. Russell Pearce's committee. Pearce had the room cleared of citizens who peacefully protested his authoritarian disregard for their First Amendment rights, referring to these concerned citizens as "anarchists." They are not anarchists, Senator. You are a totalitarian and a cowardly bully.

At the rally, education supporters were joined by people who have worked against cuts to human services programs ranging from health care to the disabled.

But the focus was on education, which has been a flashpoint during budget talks all year long.

Rep. Nancy Young Wright, a Tucson Democrat, told the crowd she was happy her niece and nephew go to school in another state because Arizona's priorities are all wrong.

Fourth-grade teacher Liza Green held a sign that said: "Sen. Harper: I'm a trough feeder and I vote!"

It was a reference to a speech that Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, made on the Senate floor in which he referred to teachers and the education lobby as feeding at the public trough. [You mean like your colleague Rep. Steven Yarbrough, Senator?]

After the brief standoff at the entrance to the House, security opened the doors and opened up hearing rooms for the crowd.

Inside, organizers were passing out the names and phone numbers of the Republican members of the Appropriations Committee, urging them to call and ask them to vote against the budget package.

The committee hearing, scheduled to start at 9 a.m., started at 11:38 a.m.

The special Saturday budget hearings are continuing.