Skeptics April 16 th , 2012 Song The Reason Rally The out of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Skeptics

April 16 th , 2012 Song The Reason Rally

The out of control Arizona Legislature and the bills that they are working on.

 Welcome  Announcements  Introductions  Presentation  Discussion  Meeting Summary  Wrap Up

 Atheist Cartoon  Atheist Quote  Mission Statement  Atheist News

 "Men never commit evil so fully and joyfuly as when they do it for religious convictions" -- Blaise Pascal

Social Support of the Southern Arizona Atheist/Agnostic/Freethinking Community Supporting the Tucson Atheist community by:  Maintaining the separation of church and state  Coping with the expectations of the religious majority  Protecting our right to believe as our conscience dictates  Defending our freedom from religious oppression

Social Support of the Southern Arizona Atheist/Agnostic/Freethinking Community Supporting the Tucson Atheist community by:  Maintaining the separation of church and state  Coping with the expectations of the religious majority  Protecting our right to believe as our conscience dictates  Defending our freedom from religious oppression  Providing a Reasonable place to exchange ideas!

 Monthly meetings  Movie night  Purely social events  Drinking Godlessly  Caffeinated Godlessness  Working with other “secular” organizations

 Monthly meetings  Movie night  Purely social events  Drinking Godlessly  Caffeinated Godlesness  Working with other “secular” organizations  Affiliated with American Atheists  Member of the Secular Coalition for Arizona  Member of the AZ Coalition of Reason  Affiliated with FreeThought Arizona

 Here is where I usually put some news items that may be of interest to Tucson Atheists. However, since today’s meeting is primarily about news that affects us in a very personal way I’ll skip this for tonight.

 Desert AIR  FreeThought Arizona Blog  Review of Past Activities  Upcoming Activities  FreeThought Arizona Organization  Skeptics of Tucson

 Weekly (ish) Podcast  5 Tucson Atheists  Brandon Northcutt  Philip Olson  David Foster  Kiera Topping  Don Lacey  Available on iTunes  www.desertairpodcast.com

 Here’s an opportunity to get your ideas into print!  I’ve taken over the FreeThought Arizona Blog.  I’m now the administrator.  If you want to get your feelings published  Write up a Blog piece  Email it to me at AZAtheist@cox.net  Look for your piece at tucsoncitizen.com/freethought-arizona/

 Meeting  Social Activities:  Movie Night  Drinking Godlessly  Caffeinated Godlessness (Civilized Discussions…)  Laffs Comedy Cafe

 Next meeting: May 21 st  Movie Night: April 23 rd  Caffeinated Godlessness: Apr 19 th  Drinking Godlessly: Apr 26 th

 FreeThought Arizona  http://tucsoncitizen.com/freethought-arizona/  Now on Facebook too!

 Next Scheduled Meeting is May 14 th  Subject: TBD  NOTE! The Skeptics Meetups are now on the Second Monday of the month.

Name

 Should the government get out of the marriage business altogether?  Presentation by Mitchell Timin

... Everyone Else Loses. This has been a disappointing week in Arizona politics, with secularism taking a major hit and real Arizonans facing damaging new laws as a result. As the legislative season comes to a close, we anticipate a continuous onslaught of anti-secular bills coming up for last-minute votes or for the Governor's signature. Secular Coalition for Arizona will be working hard to make sure you get up-to-date information and opportunities to voice your concerns to your legislators about specific bills. We'll try to stay in contact daily through these last few days of session, and we appreciate how hard you have all been working to respond to the Religious Right's eleventh- hour sneak-attacks on our rights; please continue to help us get our secular message to elected officials through these last critical days . You can also check our website for updates and more detailed talking points beginning next week: www.secularAZ.org

 Bills Still Requiring Action  SB1365-Free Exercise of Religion  SB1359-Wrongful Birth  HB2563-Bible Curriculum  HB2625-Healthcare Coverage and Religious Beliefs  HB2800-Public Funding of Family Planning  HB2774-Religious Property Tax Exemption

 SB 1365 empowers doctors, hospitals, lawyers, pharmacists, other professionals, and some organizations to deny essential services to vulnerable groups of people (including LGBT people, religious minorities, and nonbelievers). This bill would make it possible, for example, for doctors to withhold medical information, services, and comprehensive referrals; enabling medical professionals to fail to provide comprehensive care endangers the lives and well-being of Arizonans and should never be encouraged by the State. And because the bill does not require professionals to disclose to patients or clients that they are invoking their right of religious exercise under the bill, patients or clients may never know that they did not receive full information from trusted professionals and will be disempowered from making informed decisions about their own well-being.  It was voted on in the State House of Representatives TODAY.

A. A person is not liable for damages in any civil action for wrongful birth based on a claim that, but for an act or omission of the defendant, a child or children would not or should not have been born. B. A person is not liable for damages in any civil action for wrongful life based on a claim that, but for an act or omission of the defendant, the person bringing the action would not or should not have been born. C. This section applies to any claim regardless of whether the child is born healthy or with a birth defect or other adverse medical condition. D. This section does not apply to any civil action for damages for an intentional or grossly negligent act or omission, including an act or omission that violates a criminal law.

 Transmitted to the Governor 4/12/12  CAP sponsored

Voting NO Aboud Cajero Bedford Gallardo Jackson Landrum Taylor Lopez Lujan Meza Schapira

 HB 2563 allows the teaching of the Christian bible in schools, but excludes all sectarian and denominational materials that present other belief or nonbelief perspectives (including the Book of Mormon; Jewish texts like the Tanakh, Talmud and Midrash; the Koran, etc). This is unconstitutional.  Expensive constitutional lawsuits, costing taxpayer money, are sure to follow.

 Biblical Influence: Schools; Electives  Passed Senate  Transmitted to Governor on 4/12/12  Same split at SB1359  Awaiting Governor Signature

 HB 2625 allows employers to refuse to provide coverage for medications used for contraception if the employer has a religious objection. Women who use contraceptive medications for other medical reasons (such as the treatment of cysts or endometriosis) may need to prove to their employer that they are not taking the pill for contraceptive purposes — a clear violation of privacy.  Further, HB 2625 opens the door for employers to discriminate against employees who use contraceptives by striking from statute the language that restricts employers who fail to provide health coverage for contraception from discriminating against employees who choose to obtain such coverage elsewhere.

 HB2625 endangers the religious liberty of individual Arizonans by preferencing the religious beliefs of an employer over those of an employee  HB2625 violates Arizonans’ constitutionally protected right to privacy

 In Committee

 HB2800 is a bill specifically designed to prevent Planned Parenthood from being reimbursed by the state for the important healthcare services the organization provides -- simply because Planned Parenthood also performs legally protected abortion services. Public funding of abortion is already prohibited, and healthcare clinics that provide abortions do not use public funds for those procedures.  This bill represents a religious bias against Planned Parenthood rather than responsible public policy.

 This bill is in committee

 SB2774 (property tax exemptions; religious property) represents state financial endorsement of religious institutions, which is explicitly forbidden by the State Constitution. Tax exemptions should be reserved for nonprofit organizations that promote the common good, not sectarian doctrine.  In conference.

 We’re not winning.  Contact Representatives on:  HB 2036  SB 1009  SB 1359  Contact Senator on:  SB 2774

 http://www.azleg.gov/alisStaticPages/HowToContac tMember.asp  in Congressional District 8 in Legislative District 30  AZ Senate: Frank Antenori (Majority Whip)  AZ Representatives: Ted Vogt, David Gowan

 Bills Resolved This Past Week  HB2036-Extreme Abortion Bill-Signed into law on 12 April  SB1009-Requires public schools to teach Childbirth and adoption as preferable to abortion-Signed into law on 12 April  HB2626-The Empowerment Accounts bill that would have used public money to directly fund religious education was VETOED by the governor last week.