Talk, not sue
Common sense prevails among Democratic legislators, as found in the comments by state Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, and state Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale. In response to HB 2161 allowing parents to sue teachers who “usurp” the “fundamental rights” of parents, Marsh noted the vague language of the measure, adding to the existing teacher shortage. Quezada’s comments about recently passed SB 2439, promoting parent access curriculum that is presently available, simply suggested talking to your child, a practice apparently unpopular with Republican legislators.
Clear debate defeated SB 1211, when Sen. Jennifer Pawlik, D-Chandler, was joined by state Rep. Joel John, R-Arlington, opposing the listing of every single item and every lesson every single day. How would legislators respond to a bill requiring legislators to post every item, every bill and all related documentation at the start of every legislative session? Perhaps such an excessive request might show current legislators that talking, not suing, is needed to create parent, voter, child, women, homeless, (and other group) advocates.
People are also reading…
Roger Shanley
East side
So much pain
I have had severe pain since ‘96, when I shattered a vertebra in my low back resulting in severe sciatica. I have since endured a spinal fusion in my neck, caused by a spinal disease. As soon as OxyContin came out, I was told that my pain would be permanent and that I should begin using this “painkiller.” My life began to change immediately. I started out taking 20 mgs and after over 20 years of becoming acclimated to it, I went to 80 mgs. Then the roof fell in. People of all ages and backgrounds began to tragically die of overdoses. The government got involved and decided to stamp out opioids. Why can’t the medical establishment prescribe enough painkillers for people like me? I am very tired of enduring high levels of pain all day, grinding my teeth down to nubs and becoming an irritable jerk. This is literally taking years off my life. Please let me have my painkillers back and start living again.
Robert Garr South side
Florida education law
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a rising star, is taking flak from the usual suspects — Hollywood, Disney, the radical left — for signing a bill that prohibits teaching sex to K-3rd grade students in public schools. Why don’t we just let children be children before we launch them into the ways of the world at age 8? Let them explore the joys of being young: discovery, companionship, recreation, friendship, imagination, family. In this matter, government acted quickly and correctly to stop the madness.
Jim Crumpacker SaddleBrooke
AZ’s cultural revolution
When China’s late communist leader Mao Zedong declared war on education through his “Cultural Revolution,” most historians agree that he successfully instilled a fanatical devotion to him in China’s youth, but they also agree that he destroyed an entire generation in the process, by denying them the education essential to functioning in a complex world.
Arizona’s own cultural revolution seeks to empower parents to sue teachers, which I think will essentially mean the end of quality education because, given the complexity and diversity of opinions, some parent could always have objections to what is being taught.
I was an educator for over 25 years and the reality is this: Once children learn the basic skills of reading, writing and math, they need lessons that stimulate curiosity, imagination and (dare I say it) critical thinking. And teachers should not be shackled with the fear that everything they say or do will be misinterpreted just because some political pressure group views it as an easy path to votes and power.
David R. Hoffman Downtown
Stealing the election
I think this was the plan by Trump and the GOP party to keep him in office:
Cast doubt on the election results by claiming voter fraud
File lawsuits and advocate recounts to prevent certification of results
Get certain secretaries of states to overturn the election results and certify the results for Trump
Have a handful of Republican state legislatures put forward slates of fake “Trump electors”
Delay the certification process
Have GOP lawmakers in Congress simply vote to reinstall Trump on Jan. 6
Have Vice President Mike Pence overturn the 2020 election for Trump
This is how the GOP party, who claim the election was stolen, were actually the ones working behind the scenes to steal the election. And how terrifyingly close that plan almost worked and might still work in the future. Remember that when you head to the polls to vote in November.
Rochelle Lang
Northeast side
One good idea
Re: the April 24 article “Suit seeks to prohibit machines that count AZ ballots.”
Two Republicans, Kari Lake and Mark Finchem, are suing to block the use of the machine counting of ballots. Mostly, I think what they propose are bad and unworkable solutions toward achieving election integrity. But they do propose one very good idea I think we should pursue: They want “each ballot to have a unique identification number known only to the voter, so each (voter) can tell if his or her ballot was counted properly.”
Providing voters with a tool they could use to check how their own ballot was counted would go a long way to ensuring election integrity and public confidence. Having the ballot number known only to the voter would protect the secrecy of the voter’s choices. I hope we can adopt this idea.
John McConnaughey
Oro Valley
Freedom to vote
Thank you for the article highlighting the various voting rights legislation being proposed in Arizona for this legislative session. As regional director for Arizonans for Fair Election, I encourage all to look for the AZ Fair Elections petition (AZFE.org) which protects the freedom to vote for all citizens, protects the ballot from partisan meddling, safeguards voters’ rights to pass laws through ballot initiatives (like this), fights corruption and ensures ballot access for differently-abled people. Regardless of what side of the aisle we are on, voting is our one collective freedom that must be preserved to protect and ensure our democracy. The petition initiative process where we gather signatures to get legislation on the ballot for a vote is direct democracy in action, so I encourage all Arizonans to seek out the ballot to sign, to exercise this important right in service to our other most important civic duty: voting.
Betsy Boggia Downtown
Student loan forgiveness
My dilemma regarding the forgiveness of federal student loans the Biden administration is considering: first impulse, heck no. I paid off student loans 40 years ago and granted $8,000 does not seem like much today, but relatively speaking I earned a lot less 40 years ago. Today, I have two daughters with student loans, one is a special education teacher with a double master’s degree and $78,000 in student loans. Her best year never topped a $50,000 salary. Yes, she knew a teacher would never be compensated like other career fields, but I’m torn in my convictions when it comes to forgiving some of her loan amount. What I would like to see is a match, dollar for dollar, by the institutions who were recipients of these loans. Let endowments help offset the taxpayer burden and require schools to only offer courses with job potential.
Maryam Wade
Northeast side
