Babies, women, and parents were all winners in the Arizona Senate this week! Four CAP-supported bills made it to a final vote on the Senate floor, and all four passed. They now move to the House for consideration.
Senators passed all four bills down party lines, with a slim 16 Republicans for and 14 Democrats against. That speaks volumes about where we are today socially and politically. Consider that nearly half of Arizona’s senators voted against protecting preborn babies with disabilities and protecting women from the dangerous practice of do-it-yourself home abortions, as well as voted against giving parents more access to curriculum, both in sex education and general classes.
They also voted against protecting the youngest students from inappropriate sex education; and they voted against helping more Arizona families choose the best educational option for their children.
Thankfully, one more senator voted in favor of these pro-life, pro-family, pro-parental rights bills than voted against them. This is how close Arizona is to a radical leftist agenda.
But, today, we celebrate the victories. The full Senate passed these bills:
- Against strong opposition and over a number of hurdles, the full Arizona Senate passed a major pro-life bill this week. SB 1457 would prohibit abortions based on genetic abnormalities like Down syndrome; it would prohibit the abortion industry from circumventing safety precautions by sending the abortion pill through the mail; and it establishes Arizona laws be interpreted to value all human life, among other things. Read here, Senator Nancy Barto’s op-ed on why she sponsored the bill.
- SB 1456 would prohibit sex education in Arizona public schools until 5th grade, and ensure parents have reasonable access to the sex ed curricula in grades 5-12. It also requires public hearings and a 60-day review period before school boards or governing authorities can approve sex ed curriculum.
- SB 1058 would ensure parents with children in district or charter schools have access to review available lesson plans and instructional materials used in their child’s school, and establishes that the materials be reasonably accessible. It also ensures the requirements do not burden teachers or schools with additional mandates beyond what they already prepare for review and approval.
- The scholarship tax credit programs, administered by school tuition organizations (STO’s) in Arizona, have provided many students the opportunity to attend schools that their parents choose as best meeting their child’s educational needs. These programs benefit many students, including those in foster care, students with special needs, and students from low-income families. Currently, students granted STO scholarships may only use the money to pay for tuition, leaving other school-related expenses often out of reach. SB 1273 allows school tuition organization scholarships to be used for a variety of other expenses directly related to the student’s education. These include registration fees, standardized testing for college credit, and school-sponsored extracurricular activities, many of which require fees to participate.
For more details on the battle to get SB 1457 out of the AZ Senate, watch this brief video.
You can follow all CAP-supported bills on our BILL TRACKER.
Bad bill of the week:
HB 2251 – would require all public schools to teach students comprehensive sex education beginning as early as kindergarten, and change the parental opt-in requirement to an opt-out option.
ICYMI
- Join us for our CAP Family Dinner with Former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo! Click here for more details.
- A third COVID-19 vaccine is now available. It differs from the others. Al Mohler discusses the ethical issues surrounding this particular vaccine
- The U.S. House is considering HR 1, a sweeping elections bill. Read Heritage Foundation’s take on it here.
- Read the latest here about the court battle to protect women’s sports.
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