Unintended Consequences Will Follow Loss of Abortion Care in Arizona (video)

Rep. Pam Powers Hannley

“Parental choice!” is the rallying cry for Arizona Republicans who promote spending state tax dollars to pay for private and religious schools.

Republicans shout “My body! My choice!” on the Floor of the Arizona House when they rail against wearing facemasks to prevent the spread of COVID.

They cry for the freedom to be unvaccinated — against COVID, measles or anything else.

They exercise their power to protect their right to carry assault weapons to the grocery store and to keep guns cheap and plentiful in Arizona.

BUT when it comes to reproductive rights and body autonomy for women, Republicans insist on government control over family planning choices that are NONE of their business. This is the height of hypocrisy. Government has no right to insert itself into private medical decisions.

Continue reading Unintended Consequences Will Follow Loss of Abortion Care in Arizona (video)

Podcast: JUNE 24, 2022 … SCOTUS Ends Abortion Rights in Arizona

Rep. Pam Powers Hannley Podcast

Season 2, Episode 11 of a View from the Left Side is a compilation of footage that I recorded on June 24, 2022, the day the Supreme Court of the United States struck down Roe v Wade, the landmark abortions rights decision from 1973. The Roe decision made abortion care up to the age of viability of the fetus legal in the US for nearly 50 years. 

Now, SCOTUS has decided that access to legal and safe abortion care is a states rights issue. Why should a person’s rights change when they cross state lines in the US? Whether or not to become pregnant is a parental choice issue — NOT a government concern. 

Continue reading Podcast: JUNE 24, 2022 … SCOTUS Ends Abortion Rights in Arizona

Arizona Reacts to End of Abortion Rights (video)

Planned Parenthood & Dems Press Conference

Planned Parenthood of Arizona (PP) and the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) held a joint press conference at the Arizona Capitol on June 24, 2022, the day the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v Wade, the landmark abortion rights case from 1973.

At the press conference, PP President and CEO Brittany Fonteno said that Planned Parenthood stopped all abortion care services and canceled appointments in Arizona that day, due to multiple conflicting state laws on the books.

Continue reading Arizona Reacts to End of Abortion Rights (video)

Stop Abortion Bans Rally, May 14, 2022 (video)

Stop Abortion Bans in Tucson

In early May 2022, a leaked Supreme Court opinion showed the court may be leaning toward eliminating or severely limiting Roe v Wade, the landmark abortion rights case from the early 1970s.

There were rallies and marches around the country to protest this ideological strike against women’s rights and body autonomy by a Supreme Court packed with appointees from a discredited President.

Here are two of the speeches from the Tucson rally on May 14, 2022 — one by Congressman Raul Grijalva and the second one by State Senator Stephanie Stahl Hamilton. The video clip begins with Mayor Regina Romero leading the unity clap as I arrived at Armory Park.

Continue reading Stop Abortion Bans Rally, May 14, 2022 (video)

Black History Month in #AZLeg Starts with Anti-Abortion Manifesto (video)

Rep. Walt Blackman's anti-abortion speech

Rep. Walt Blackman used the first day of Black History Month to sharply attack women’s right to choose and to insult women. Blackman claimed that black women have been duped into having an abortion by Planned Parenthood. This is insulting to anyone who has suffered an unwanted pregnancy.

Blackman — like other Republicans — ignores the role of the FATHER in unwanted pregnancy. If men want to prevent abortions, have sex only with your wives, wear a condom when you don’t want to create a new life, and “just say no” to unprotected sex. Older men should consider getting vasectomies to prevent abortions.

Stop trying to control women’s lives and decisions.

Continue reading Black History Month in #AZLeg Starts with Anti-Abortion Manifesto (video)

Podcast: Updates from Taxes to Reproductive Rights & COVID … What’s the Latest?

Rep. PPH's podcast

One of my pet peeves is reading a cliff-hanger news story, only to be left hanging when there is no follow up. Several stories reported in my previous podcasts have had newsworthy developments since those episodes aired.

To catch you up on the details, Episode 8 is a compilation of updates.

Many of my podcasts referred to petition drives and court cases that were trying to stop bad Republican bills from being enacted. These issues were decided last week. Why last week? Because September 29, 2021 is the 91st day after June 30, 2021, which was the end of the Legislative session. Unless passed with an emergency clause or stopped by the courts or the voters, bills passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor are enacted 90 days after the end of session.

Three previous guests return to discuss the status of the contested laws – particularly the flat tax, the alternative tax to get around Prop 208, the voter suppression bills, the bills attacking the power of the Secretary of State and the power of the governor, Arizona’s latest radical anti-choice bill SB1457, and mandated COVID public health protections.

The good news is that progressives had some wins in the courts. We also had some disappointments. Needless to say, the struggle to beat back oppressive legislation continues. Of course, Governor Doug Ducey and Attorney General Mark Brnovich are appealing cases that the state lost. Brnovich is even appealing the court’s ruling that Republican Legislators acted unconstitutionally when they stuff dozens of unrelated failed bills into the budget. Who is paying for these unnecessary lawsuits generated by unconstitutional or burdensome laws enacted by Republicans? You are. The taxpayer.

Continue reading Podcast: Updates from Taxes to Reproductive Rights & COVID … What’s the Latest?