Just like education, the State of Arizona lags way behind the rest of the nation - it could be the 38th State to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment for women to make ERA the law-of-the-land.
Whether or not there's 'a new era' here in Arizona or the City of Mesa for extending equal rights-protection in the workplace or in public accommodations is just not where Mesa is ready-to-go. . .
What's missing to nudge Mesa into here now?
Who stands in the way: Eddie Farnsworth is one
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THIS FROM AN EARLIER POST ON THIS BLOG:
Why Can't Mayor John Giles Come Out For LGBTQ Non-Discrimination??
Kicking-The-Can Down The Road Again?
11 February 2018
Time-and-time again Giles has said "it's the right thing to do" here in Mesa, delaying action until after last year's election - nothing happened to get it in front of the Mesa City Council to get the Non-Discrimination Ordinance approved - so why can't he exercise the leadership skills to do it?
Once elected to public office, officials have the duty to serve the public interests - not narrowly-defined religious principles whose adherents are obligated to obey the chain-of-command for faithful followers . . albeit with some fractures.
Many elected local officials and state legislators here in Mesa, have been bishops and presidents in LDS wards and stakes who have "received callings" to elected office, carrying with them the heavy baggage of the dictates of their religion to civil governance. Equality for all and human rights gets left by-the-wayside when they're caught in the middle of "Do What You're Told To Do" or "Do What's Right".
It's a struggle to say the least, with John Giles and other fellow Mormons not getting on the same page too soon.
Or that's what the following article by Andrew Nicola seems to say in a narrative, where the AZ State Legislature can't even get to "a hearing" of the issue at hand: thanks to the opposition of Eddie Farnsworth. . .
. . . while Giles gets a good feature with this quotation:
The idea that civil rights are only for certain classes of people and not for everyone seems obviously wrong to me
Well then, John > Take action to Fix It!
It's more than an idea
Bill to bar discrimination against LGBT people can't get a hearing
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Arizona lawmakers have tried in at least one previous session to update the state’s non-discrimination laws to add these protections, but they failed to gain enough traction.
(Blogger Insert:
3 who opposed in the last session, including Bob Worsley
In other gender-related or statute of limitations for sex abuse claims, Howie Fischer [Capitol Media Services] noted
"Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, complained that a seven-year window was “putting organizations that may not have had good procedures in place in the past …. at a tremendous financial risk.” That brought an angry reaction from Contreras.
“I have people that are still hurt,” he told Worsley, saying “they all have to pay for the harm they’ve done.”
It died because it was never allowed to go to the full Senate for a vote.
Source: AZ Capitol Times 30 Jan 2019
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They’re trying once again. This time, with more bipartisan support.
Rep. Daniel Hernandez, D-Tucson, co-sponsored House Bill 2546 along with a handful of other Democrats.
Republican Sen. Kate Brophy McGee of Phoenix has introduced a concurrent bill – Senate Bill 1249 – in that chamber, where Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, is a co-sponsor along with several Democrats.
“The bill has been introduced in prior years,” McGee said at a news conference Tuesday. “Last year, I was the only Republican to sign on. This year, we have another Republican who signed on … and conversations with my colleagues behind the scenes tell me that there may be more Republican votes.”
The bill may face some resistance.
The Center for Arizona Policy, a high profile-conservative nonprofit, released a statement saying, “These bills undermine constitutional guaranteed freedoms of speech and religion, threaten women’s equality and privacy, and harm small businesses.”
One Community, a metro Phoenix coalition fostering diversity and inclusion coalition, supports the bill. Its president, Angela Hughey, is optimistic, telling KJZZ host Lauren Gilger that this year’s effort has more bipartisan names and statewide businesses backing it.
“The business community resoundingly is very supportive of this,” she told KJZZ.
She said six Arizona municipalities have adopted LGBTQ-inclusive ordinances, and 19 states offer statewide protections.
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Whether or not there's 'a new era' here in Arizona or the City of Mesa for extending equal rights-protection in the workplace or in public accommodations is just not where Mesa is ready-to-go. . .
What's missing to nudge Mesa into here now?
Who stands in the way: Eddie Farnsworth is one
AZCentral.com-Jan 19, 2019
This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification. ... Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, is expected to block the Equal Rights Amendment bill ...
ThinkProgress-Feb 26, 2014
Eddie Farnsworth (R) explained, lawmakers introduced it in response to .... entire professional careers enjoying the protections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Arizona Capitol Times-Apr 27, 2017
Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, who chairs that panel, was unlikely to give it a hearing. Farnsworth said he's not against the concept of equal rights. “I have seven
__________________________________________________________________________________
THIS FROM AN EARLIER POST ON THIS BLOG:
Why Can't Mayor John Giles Come Out For LGBTQ Non-Discrimination??
Kicking-The-Can Down The Road Again?
11 February 2018
Once elected to public office, officials have the duty to serve the public interests - not narrowly-defined religious principles whose adherents are obligated to obey the chain-of-command for faithful followers . . albeit with some fractures.
It's a struggle to say the least, with John Giles and other fellow Mormons not getting on the same page too soon.
Or that's what the following article by Andrew Nicola seems to say in a narrative, where the AZ State Legislature can't even get to "a hearing" of the issue at hand: thanks to the opposition of Eddie Farnsworth. . .
The idea that civil rights are only for certain classes of people and not for everyone seems obviously wrong to me
Well then, John > Take action to Fix It!
It's more than an idea
Bill to bar discrimination against LGBT people can't get a hearing
Arizona bills to expand non-discrimination protections to LGBTQ have bipartisan support
Sen. Kate Brophy McGee, R-central Phoenix, is co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill to update the state’s non-discrimination laws to add protections for the LGBTQ community.
(Photo by Ariel Salk/Cronkite News)
By Ariel Salk | Cronkite News
Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019
PHOENIX – Arizona is one of many states that does not protect employees from being fired, denied housing or refused service because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 
(Blogger Insert:
3 who opposed in the last session, including Bob Worsley
In other gender-related or statute of limitations for sex abuse claims, Howie Fischer [Capitol Media Services] noted
"Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, complained that a seven-year window was “putting organizations that may not have had good procedures in place in the past …. at a tremendous financial risk.” That brought an angry reaction from Contreras.
“I have people that are still hurt,” he told Worsley, saying “they all have to pay for the harm they’ve done.”
It died because it was never allowed to go to the full Senate for a vote.
Source: AZ Capitol Times 30 Jan 2019
__________________________________________________________________________________
They’re trying once again. This time, with more bipartisan support.
Rep. Daniel Hernandez, D-Tucson, co-sponsored House Bill 2546 along with a handful of other Democrats.
Republican Sen. Kate Brophy McGee of Phoenix has introduced a concurrent bill – Senate Bill 1249 – in that chamber, where Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, is a co-sponsor along with several Democrats.
“The bill has been introduced in prior years,” McGee said at a news conference Tuesday. “Last year, I was the only Republican to sign on. This year, we have another Republican who signed on … and conversations with my colleagues behind the scenes tell me that there may be more Republican votes.”
The bill may face some resistance.
The Center for Arizona Policy, a high profile-conservative nonprofit, released a statement saying, “These bills undermine constitutional guaranteed freedoms of speech and religion, threaten women’s equality and privacy, and harm small businesses.”
One Community, a metro Phoenix coalition fostering diversity and inclusion coalition, supports the bill. Its president, Angela Hughey, is optimistic, telling KJZZ host Lauren Gilger that this year’s effort has more bipartisan names and statewide businesses backing it.
“The business community resoundingly is very supportive of this,” she told KJZZ.
She said six Arizona municipalities have adopted LGBTQ-inclusive ordinances, and 19 states offer statewide protections.
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