by Corinne Murdock | Jan 10, 2022 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
The evangelist daughter of civil rights activist Reverend A.D. King and niece of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Alveda King, will be the featured speaker at the Arizona for Life March and Rally on Saturday. King’s remarks will be paired by those from Karyme Lozano, former ASU Sun Devil and retired NFL player J.D. Hill, and former President Donald Trump. The president’s message will be screened to the crowd prior to his own rally later that day in Florence, Arizona.
In a press release, King characterized the pro-life movement as a continuance of the original civil rights movement.
“It is such an honor to be given the opportunity to speak in front thousands of people that make up the amazing pro-life community in Arizona,” said King. “As a mother of six, it truly inspires me to see the continuation of the civil rights movement embodied in the pro-life movement.”
In an interview with AZ Free News, Ashley Trussell — board member of the group behind the event, Arizona Life Coalition (ALC) — explained further that abortion is a current civil rights issue.
“Our goal is to abolish abortion,” explained Trussell. “Alveda was picked strategically because of her fight for the unborn. She’s always been an advocate for civil rights just like her father and uncle. We believe abortion is the current civil rights atrocity. She has been through abortion, she knows what it does in the black community, and she has been their voice.”
The keynote speaker for the 2020 Arizona for Life March and Rally was prominent pro-life activist Abby Johnson, whose experience of walking away from years as a Planned Parenthood director after seeing an ultrasound was captured in her memoir-turned-movie, “Unplanned.” Trussell asserted that ALC provides the support women truly need.
“The ALC protects life from conception to natural death. We definitely believe women have a choice, it’s just not abortion: there’s parenting or adoption,” said Trussell. “90.1 percent of women that see their ultrasound will keep their baby. If individuals are exposed to the different choices and options they have, they’re more likely to choose life. I don’t think women, especially young women, hear that enough: this is a gift. I know you’re scared and I know you don’t have all the answers right now but we’re going to walk alongside and help you.”
King’s appearance will occur just months before the anticipated Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling on a watershed case on abortion: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. SCOTUS will determine whether Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks violates the Constitution. A ruling in favor of Mississippi would essentially overturn precedent set by the 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide, Roe v. Wade, and upheld by the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the last abortion clinic left in Mississippi, argued during the late November hearing that precedent, or “stare decisis,” should be honored first and foremost. The abortion clinic also claimed that the interests of the woman outweighed those of the state; they claimed this was even more true before the unborn child has viability.
SCOTUS will likely hand down a case in May or June.
Trussell explained the significance of a ruling in favor of the Mississippi law: since Arizona only has one law permitting abortion, that being in the event a mother’s life is at stake, a ruling to uphold the law would mean the end of nearly all abortion in Arizona.
“In Arizona, there’s no legal abortion on the books except from a 1901 law. If it goes back to state rights, then abortion is immediately illegal. The only exception in the case is in the mother’s life. And with medical advances today, there’s almost no reason to abort the baby for the life of the mother,” state Trussell.
The pro-life rally will convene to hear an address at 11 am in downtown Phoenix before marching to Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza from 11:30 to 12:30 pm, where there will be another rally with speeches lasting until 2 pm.
Sign-ups for the event and further details remain open as of press time; attendance is free to the public.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Corinne Murdock | Jan 10, 2022 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Last month, State Senator Kelly Townsend (R-Mesa) requested Attorney General Mark Brnovich investigate Pima County for denying reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs conflicting with their COVID-19 vaccination requirement. At this point in the investigation, Townsend has requested Pima County employees to file complaints to the civil rights division of the attorney general’s office.
The county requires current and future employees to get vaccinated. However, the county must abide by A.R.S. § 23-206 which requires reasonable accommodations for religious beliefs.
“If an employer receives notice from an employee that the employee’s sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances prevent the employee from taking the COVID-19 vaccination, the employer shall provide a reasonable accommodation unless the accommodation would pose an undue hardship and more than a de minimus cost to the operation of the employer’s business,” read the statute.
Pima County contended that the law poses an undue hardship. In a statement released Thursday, Townsend asserted that Pima County’s allegations of undue hardship conflicted with their previous two years of mitigations without a vaccine.
“[T]he County alleges that it cannot provide reasonable accommodations in certain situations due to the hardship it would cause them, even though employers have successfully adjusted to accommodate COVID-19 in the workplace for nearly two years,” stated Townsend. “I am confident the attorney general will continue to investigate, and where appropriate prosecute, instances of personal freedom infringement across Arizona, including in Pima County.
Townsend promised further that she would continue to fight for individuals to make their own medical decisions.
Late last month, Brnovich responded to another request from Townsend concerning another COVID-19 topic: forced quaratines of K-12 students. Brnovich issued an opinion declaring that students had a right to legal counsel in the event that their school required them to quarantine for COVID-19 exposure.
In September, another one of Townsend’s inquiries to Brnovich on the legality of COVID-19 response measures prompted action from the city of Tucson. After Brnovich opined that the city acted unlawfully when it handed down five days unpaid suspension to unvaccinated employees, the city halted its vaccine mandate.
Within a week, the CDC changed its guidelines to halve the quarantining recommendation from 10 days to five. As AZ Free News reported, the changes came after a request letter to the CDC from Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 10, 2022 | News
By Terri Jo Neff |
Employers who mandate COVID-19 vaccinations as a prerequisite to employment or continued employment could be held liable for damages if an employee is denied a religious exemption and then suffers significant injury due to the vaccine, according to legislation introduced Friday by State Rep. Quang Nguyen.
“The reality is COVID-19 is going to be with us for a long time,” Nguyen said of his motivation for the bill. “If businesses and employers are intent on mandating vaccinations as a condition of employment, they should be held accountable if their employees face serious harm or illness.”
Some COVID-19 vaccines have been granted liability protection from the federal government, which limits the options for affected individuals who are injured in connection to a vaccination. Current state law only provides for an affected employee to seek recourse via the workers’ compensation system.
Nguyen, a Republican, serves Legislative District 1 which includes Prescott and portions of Yavapai and Maricopa counties. His HB2043 creates a separate pathway for an employee to seek recourse if they are significantly injured due to a mandated vaccine after being denied a religious exemption.
“This is one of the most important bills I’m introducing this coming session,” Nguyen said. “Public and private health mandates are not a good solution and could instead cause harm in some cases.”
According to the current bill language, anaffected employee who prevails in state court could be entitled to at least $500,000 in actual damages. Punitive damages could also be sought in cases where egregious or malicious conduct is alleged.
Another 11 representatives have signed on to HB2043 as co-sponsors.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 9, 2022 | Economy, News
By Terri Jo Neff |
When all of the investment income earned by Maricopa County residents is combined, the county ranks #13 in the United States with an Investment Index of 26.48. By comparison, Pima County ranked 79th in the nation with an Investment Index of 4.93.
That’s the findings of SmartAsset, which used data sourced from the Internal Revenue Service’s Statistics of Income County Data to compare the 3,006 counties in the U.S. on three metrics: Net Capital Gains, Ordinary Dividends, and Qualified Dividends*. The rankings are based on countywide totals without a per capita adjustment.
“We calculated an Investment Index for all U.S. counties based on a combination of these three statistics and ranked them accordingly to provide a holistic view of what areas of the U.S. are generating the most investment income,” SmartAsset announced Friday.
The Top 10 counties by Investment Income are:
New York County (NY), Investment Index of 100.00
Los Angeles County (CA), Investment Index of 80.03
Cook County (IL), Investment Index of 57.25
Palm Beach County (FL), Investment Index of 45.24
Santa Clara County (CA), Investment Index of 44.64
King County (WA), Investment Index of 41.81
Harris County (TX), Investment Index of 34.25
San Francisco County (CA), Investment Index of 31.78
Miami-Dade County (FL), Investment Index of 30.17
Orange County (CA), Investment Index of 30.11
*Ordinary Dividends are payments made by a company to their shareholders and are taxed as regular income, whereas Qualified Dividends are dividends that meet certain requirements set by the IRS and are taxed at a lower capital gains tax rate. Net Capital Gains refers to the amount an asset has increased or decreased in value realized when the asset is sold.
A nationwide map is available at https://smartasset.com/investing/capital-gains-tax-calculator?year=2021#us
by Corinne Murdock | Jan 8, 2022 | Education, News
By Corinne Murdock |
After nearly two years of ever-changing pandemic protocols, it appears that some members of the Democratic Party and teachers unions disagree with remote learning as a viable mitigative strategy for COVID-19. State Representative César Chávez (D-Maryvale) commended Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s insistence that “enough is enough” with distance learning for K-12.
“Mayor Lightfoot’s statement is commendable,” wrote Chávez. “We have wedged a gap within a generation of children that might never obtain the lost curriculum due to the pandemic. We need to stop politicizing this situation, roll up our sleeves, and get these kids back in school.”
Chávez’s commentary provoked Arizona Education Association (AEA) President Joe Thomas to ask, “Was your account hacked?” Thomas has been one of the principal activists pushing for remote learning coming off of the holidays. As AZ Free News reported, Thomas was one of the individuals responsible for launching the RedforEd movement.
Chávez joined the likes of Governor Doug Ducey with his stance on remote education. Following the organized push by teachers unions to close schools, Ducey pledged that in-person education would continue for all of Arizona. To back his promise, Ducey announced that families could receive up to $7,000 if their child’s school faces unexpected closures.
For that, former state representative and current attorney general candidate Diego Rodriguez called Ducey “the worst governor in Arizona history.” It appears that Chávez wouldn’t be at odds only with his former colleague — other Arizona Democrats signaled support for teachers demanding remote learning.
State Representative Mitzi Epstein (D-Ahwatukee) asserted that she supported school closures; the Arizona House Democrats agreed with her remarks. State Representative Kelli Butler (D-Paradise Valley) excoriated Ducey for “punishing” schools if they decided to close due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
State Representatives Athena Salmon (D-Tempe) and Andrea Dalessandro (D-Sahuarita) insisted that teachers have “safe environments” in which to teach. Likewise, State Senator Juan Mendez (D-Tempe) retweeted commentary criticizing Ducey for jeopardizing children.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Terri Jo Neff | Jan 8, 2022 | News
By Terri Jo Neff |
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) announced this week it will hold its 2022 national convention in Phoenix in October.
The USHCC promotes the economic growth, development and interests of more than 4.7 million Hispanic-owned businesses which employ 62 millions Americans while contributing over $800 billion annually to the American economy.
The 43rd annual national convention, described by USHCC as “the largest gathering of Latino business leaders,” serves as the meeting ground for thousands of community leaders and advocates; elected and appointed officials; a national network of more than 260 affiliated Hispanic Chambers of Commerce; members of the corporate, philanthropic, and academic communities; entrepreneurs; college students and more.
“The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is excited to host our 2022 National Conference in Phoenix, a city fueled by the economic power, tenacity, and resilience of Hispanic-owned businesses,” said Ramiro A. Cavazos, USHCC President & CEO. “We are proud and honored to host our largest event of the year in one of the largest Latino communities in America.”
The three-day national convention will include more than 25 workshops, exciting keynote speakers, engagement from local, state, and federal government officials, informative plenary sessions, and inspiring remarks from leading business experts across several fields are at the center of a Conference experience that seeks to inform and empower our community and spotlight the integral role of Latinos politically, economically and socially.
The conference will also feature the participation of the nation’s leading elected officials and presidential appointees who will connect with an audience of more than 1,000 national stakeholders representing the fastest growing demographic in America—Latinos.
For Monica Villalobos, the CEO of Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, being selected the host chamber for the 2022 convention is an honor.
“It is an opportunity to not only showcase the success of small businesses in Arizona but also to bring valuable resources from around the country to our state,” Villalobos said. “This is a BIG win for us and the collaborative environment between community partners, other chambers plus business and corporate leaders will contribute to a very successful experience for all attendees.”
According to USHCC, the U.S. Latino community represents an annual economic impact of $2.7 trillion. And in Arizona, Hispanics in Phoenix comprised 42 percent of the population. In 2020.
