June 2021

A Recap of the Legislature’s Bad Bills

By Dee Maitland|2021-06-13T17:13:51-07:00June 13th, 2021|Arizona Democratic Party, Elections|

First let’s start with the just-plain-stupid category of proposed bills such as: a bill passed allowing higher speed limits and lowering the fines; a passed bill designating gun shops as essential; and one that didn’t pass that would remove the mandate to vaccinate pets. Why? Why? Why? Is there any evidence that Arizona roads and drivers can handle higher speeds safely? Guns are essential because the rise in murders and suicides is not yet high enough? And Senator Anti-vax Barto (R-LD15) obviously has not seen a rabid animal. The 11 awful voter suppression bills that passed are disturbing similar. All [...]

Reproductive Rights: The Battles of 2022

By Larry Bodine|2021-06-13T13:35:51-07:00June 13th, 2021|Arizona List|

Arizona List will hold an outdoor movie event on Wednesday, June 23 at 8 pm with Rep. Melody Hernandez who will talk about SB1457 the anti-abortion bill that Ducey signed into law this year. It will be followed by a St. Frances a recent comedic drama that deals with reproductive rights issues. RSVP at Arizonalist.org/21movie Arizona List will also present a discussion series this summer to discuss the biggest issues at the legislature this session with legislators, local leaders, and national experts about these issues. Our first panel will be Thursday, June 17 at 7 pm and will focus on [...]

Attorney General Brnovich Set to Use Nazi Gas as He Restarts Executions

By Lynn Shapiro|2021-06-12T13:15:39-07:00June 12th, 2021|Arizona, Criminal Justice|

The gas chamber used for executions in Florence, Ariz. The state last killed a death row inmate with lethal cyanide gas in 1999, drawing outrage. Moratoriums on the death penalty have been the rule in Arizona for the last seven years, resulting from the torturous death of Joseph Wood in 2014. Wood took almost two hours to die when Arizona Corrections Department officials injected him with 15 doses of a lethal cocktail. One of the drugs used to kill Wood was midazolam, a sedative also used in Oklahoma's botched execution of Clayton Lockett two months earlier. Adding to the death penalty's suspension in [...]

Arizona Legislature Should Expel Insurrectionist — as Oregon Just Did

By David Gordon|2021-06-12T13:07:07-07:00June 12th, 2021|Arizona|

Oregan Republican Rep. Mike Nearman opens a door to let rioters into the Capitol on January 6. The Oregon State Legislature, in a bipartisan 59 to 1 vote, just voted to expel one of its members for helping to plan an armed attack on that state's capitol. The only person voting against the measure was Mike Nearman, the state legislator accused of helping to orchestrate the attack. Travel to Arizona and the State Legislature here can not get its act together in a bipartisan way to expel Legislative District (LD) 11, Representative Mark Finchem, even as more video [...]

Join ‘Our Black is Beautiful’ Juneteenth Celebration

By Larry Bodine|2021-06-09T20:02:15-07:00June 9th, 2021|Black Lives Matter|

From 11 am to 1 pm join us virtually on the Pima Community College Tube Channel as we reminisce about past Juneteenth events, entertain you with history, song, poetry, dance, appearances from city officials, pastors, local small businesses, the Buffalo Soldiers, and the Juneteenth Board and Committee. Simply visit youtube.com/PCCTVSTREAM on June 19 at 11 am and 9 pm. Then join us for a live Tucson Juneteenth local vendor and food truck event at the Dunbar Pavilion 325 W. 2nd Street from 4 pm to 8 pm. Last but not least, join us for an encore performance again on the [...]

LD2 Representative Daniel Hernandez Aims for Congress in Tucson’s CD2

By David Gordon|2021-06-09T13:43:09-07:00June 9th, 2021|Local Candidates and Electeds, US Cpngress|

Arizona Representative Daniel Hernandez (D-LD2) states he has always wanted to help people since he was a small child. First, he wanted to help people by training in the medical profession. Later, the influence of former House Representative Gabby Giffords steered him toward assisting others through public service. Since 2017, Hernandez has served the people of LD2 Two and Grand Canyon State as a member of the Arizona House. In that time, he has supported and voted for measures to: Support democracy and the right to vote. Provide gun-free safety zones in schools. Safeguard water safety. Fund childcare services. Protect and increase rights [...]

Video: Andres Portela, Tucson Council Candidate, Ward 6

By Larry Bodine|2021-06-09T13:12:07-07:00June 7th, 2021|Economics, Elections, Tucson|

Our Voice, Our Vote–Arizona advocates for progressive public policies and mobilizing voters. Andrés Portela is an Afro-Latino activist running in the August 3 Democratic primary for the Tucson City Council to represent Ward 6. If elected, he would be the first African-American on the City Council since 1980 Andrés spoke about building community through prioritizing our H.O.M.E. Housing: helping families avoid evictions, placing the homeless in housing and installing a public advocate to fight predatory landlords. At one time Andres had to live in his car, but today he is married and owns a house. Opportunity: Using the [...]

Videos of Candidates and Speakers at Democrats of Greater Tucson

By Larry Bodine|2021-06-13T20:35:55-07:00June 7th, 2021|Immigration/Refugees, Labor, Law Enforcement, Local Candidates and Electeds|

Democrats of Greater Tucson meets every Monday at Noon via Zoom. Visit the EVENTS page to see our upcoming speaker. Many thanks to Anne Simmons, our Video Production Editor, for editing the videos. If you are a candidate, elected official, and or community leader, you are invited to contact sandeemb@comcast.net about speaking at DGT. For any other questions, contact DGT President Larry Bodine at Larry@TheDGT.org. Democrats of Greater Tucson meets every Monday at Noon via Zoom. Visit the EVENTS page to see our upcoming speaker. Many thanks to Anne Simmons, our Video Production Editor, for editing the videos. If you [...]

Mark Finchem Has a Lot of Explaining to Do About January 6

By David Gordon|2021-06-05T12:09:45-07:00June 5th, 2021|Criminal Justice, Local Candidates and Electeds, Uncategorized|

Do you know where your Arizona state representative was on January 6, 2021, when Trumpist domestic terrorists attempted an insurrection and stormed the Nation’s Capitol? The people who reside in LD 11 may be surprised to know that one of their state representatives, Mark Finchem apparently was closer to the attack than he professed to be at the time. Recent reporting by Jerold MacDonald-Evoy of the Arizona Mirror has relayed that footage obtained on social media showed the LD 11 State Representative and aspiring Secretary of State Candidate (God help us all) was steps away from the East Capitol pathway leading up to [...]

The Big Lie Persists and Threatens Our Voting Rights

By Paul Waugaman|2021-06-03T16:33:04-07:00June 3rd, 2021|Elections|

The veteran columnist and commentator, Elizabeth Drew, wrote an essay entitled The Big Lie and Its Consequences. She says that the Republican Party has taken the Big Lie about the 2020 presidential election to new lengths to suppress voting and to manipulate voting results to benefit their candidates up and down ballots. She goes on to conclude: "Republicans at the state level are rushing out legislation designed to make it harder for Blacks to vote," says Elizabeth Drew. "By questioning the very integrity of America's electoral system [the Republican Party] now represents an open threat to the US [...]