Bill aims to protect Arizona’s LGBTQ community and faith institutions from descrimination

by Adnan Alam
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THIS IS YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2GO BRIEFING.

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I’M JOHN BROWN (  go to story ) 

Proposal would protect LGBTQ community and faith institutions in employment, housing and public accommodations (wrap/ Thalia Lopez) 

HOST INTRO: 

A group of bipartisan legislators, community, business, and faith leaders announced a new bill on Monday that will extend Arizona non-descrimination protections. Cronkite News’s Thalia Lopez reports on what communities the bill will protect.  

TL: IN ARIZONA THERE ARE NO STATEWIDE LAWS THAT PROTECT GAY AND TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS FROM BEING FIRED, DENIED HOUSING OR REFUSED SERVICE. NEW LEGISLATION SPONSORED BY ARIZONA REPRESENTATIVE AMISH SHAH, A DEMOCRAT AND CO-SPONSORED BY REPRESENTATIVE RUSTY BOWERS, A REPUBLICAN, WOULD PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR LGBTQ MEMBERS IN EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS. AS WELL AS PROTECT RELIGIOUS RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS OF FAITH. 

REPRESENTATIVE AMISH SHAH SAYS THIS BILL ISN’T ABOUT SPECIAL TREATMENT. 

AS: “IT’S ABOUT EQUAL TREATMENT AND ABOUT OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR OF BEING DENIED HOUSING, DENIED SERVICES FOR WHO THEY ARE OR WHO THEY LOVE.” 

TL: SHAH SAYS NOT HAVING PROTECTIONS FOR THESE COMMUNITIES DAMAGES ARIZONA’S ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY BY PREVENTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS.  

THE BILL WOULD ALSO BAN CONVERSION THERAPY FOR LICENSED PROFESSIONALS. THAT HAS BEEN DENOUNCED BY MAJOR MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.  REPRESENTATIVE RUSTY BOWERS SAYS THE LEGISLATION WAS CAREFULLY WRITTEN. 

RB: “THIS CONSTRUCT OF THIS PARTICULAR PART OF THE BILL IS VERY FINELY CRAFTED TO PRESERVE THE EXERCISE OF RELIGION IN COUNSELING AND ALSO TO PRESERVE THOUGHT AND CAREFUL MEDICAL TRAINING IN THE PROVISIONS OF THAT ASPECT OF THIS BILL.” 

TL: THE BILL HAS A LONG ROAD AHEAD IN THE STATEHOUSE. HOWEVER ALREADY MORE THAN 34-HUNDRED BUSINESSES IN ARIZONA HAVE SIGNED ON TO A  UNITY PLEDGE TO SUPPORT AND ADVANCE WORKPLACE EQUALITY AND NON DISCRIMINATION POLICIES FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. 

THALIA LOPEZ, CRONKITE NEWS. 

Arizona lawmakers move to partially restore jury challenges

ARIZONA LAWMAKERS ARE ADVANCING A PROPOSAL TO PARTIALLY UNDO THE STATE SUPREME COURT’S ELIMINATION OF THE PRACTICE OF ALLOWING LAWYERS TO REMOVE POTENTIAL TRIAL JURORS WITHOUT EXPLANATION. LEGISLATORS SUPPORTING A BILL ENDORSED LAST WEEK    BY A STATE HOUSE COMMITTEE SAID RESTORATION OF SO-CALLED   PEREMPTORY (PUR- EMPT-OREE)  CHALLENGES IN CRIMINAL CASES WOULD PRESERVE A RIGHT INTENDED TO HELP ENSURE JUST AND FAIR VERDICTS. PROPONENTS OF ELIMINATION OF THE CHALLENGES SAY IT WOULD HELP PREVENT DISCRIMINATION IN JURY SELECTION. THE RULE CHANGE TOOK EFFECT JAN. 1, ELIMINATING PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES IN BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES. ARIZONA WAS THE FIRST STATE TO ELIMINATE PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES. 

Ducey orders flags at half-staff for Maricopa County judge

 ARIZONA’S GOVERNOR ORDERED FLAGS AT ALL STATE BUILDINGS  BE LOWERED TO HALF-STAFF, MONDAY, IN HONOR OF MARICOPA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE, ROSA MROZ WHO DIED EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. DOUG DUCEY CALLED MROZ AN ADVOCATE FOR JUSTICE AND A DUTIFUL PUBLIC SERVANT IN A TWEET ON SATURDAY. MROZ DIED AFTER BEING HIT BY A CAR WHO FAILED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT IN PHOENIX. MROZ WAS ONE OF THE FIRST JUDGES OF ASIAN DESCENT IN MARICOPA COUNTY. THE NATIONAL ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION HONORED HER WITH A TRAILBLAZER AWARD IN 20-20. 

Faith Leaders Want To Move Next Year’s Super Bowl 

(Raising awareness about new Arizona laws that restrict voting, faith leaders want the NFL to drop Glendale as a Super Bowl host city next year.) 

IN THE LATEST FIGHT OVER VOTING RIGHTS…

MORE THAN 200 FAITH LEADERS IN ARIZONA AND AROUND THE NATION WANT THE N-F-L TO MOVE NEXT YEAR’S SUPER BOWL OUT OF GLENDALE.

THEY SAY THE FOOTBALL ORGANIZATION SHOULD MOVE THE GAME BECAUSE OF BILLS THAT CHANGE VOTING RULES IN THE STATE. ONE BILL WOULD REMOVE VOTERS FROM THE LIST OF ARIZONANS WHO AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE MAIL-IN BALLOTS IF THEY FAILED TO VOTE IN CONSECUTIVE ELECTION CYCLES. 

REVEREND DONTA’ MCGLIVERY (DAWN-TAY MICK-GILL-VER-EE), OF PHOENIX SAYS HE SIGNED THE PETITION ADDRESSED TO THE N-F-L COMMISSIONER BECAUSE VOTING LAWS ARE FLAWED.

MCGLIVERY_1.MP3: “that is really what we are standing against, that it purges more than 100,000 people from the state, with the highest number of voters, are 7 districts who are majority people of color.”

NEARLY THIRTY YEARS AGO, THE N-F-L DROPPED GLENDALE AS SUPER BOWL HOST CITY BECAUSE ARIZONA REFUSED TO RECOGNIZE DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR DAY AS A FEDERAL HOLIDAY. 

LAST YEAR, MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL MOVED ITS ALL-STAR GAME OUT OF ATLANTA BECAUSE OF A BILL THAT RESTRICTS VOTING ACCESS TO GEORGIA RESIDENTS.

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WE HAD HELP TODAY FROM Thalia Lopez and Eric Castellon (CAST-EH-LAWN). Thanks to Mason Miller for producing the show.. (list everyone who contributed for the show including the producer credit as well) 

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YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORIES YOU HEARD IN TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE, BY GOING TO CRONKITENEWS-DOT-AZPBS-DOT-ORG. 

THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2 GO. I’M JOHN BROWN . 

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