Arizona
AFL-CIO Legislative Update
In this issue...
1. News Highlights
2. State Capitol Update
3. Hero and Villain of the Week
4. Upcoming Events
News Highlights
AFL-CIO Leads 15,000 Strong March on Wall Street
“Fix the Mess You Made” Trumka Declares
From the AFL-CIO
Over 10,000 people brought Main Street to Wall Street
Thursday in a march led by the AFL-CIO and National People's Action (NPA). Wall Street tanked America's economy, killed
jobs, took $700 billion in taxpayer bailouts - then went right back to business
as usual, choking off credit, handing out $145 billion in 2009 executive pay
and bonuses and fighting meaningful financial reform. We're 11 million
jobs in the hole and it's time for the financial industry to pay up to create
them. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and thousands of union and
community activists from across the country rallied and marched down Broadway in the heart
of the financial district on April 29 to demand GOOD JOBS NOW and HOLD BANKS
ACCOUNTABLE. Read
more about the march.
Arizona
AFL-CIO Asks Obama to Take Action on Immigration
Arizona is on the wrong track, and it is time for Congress to kick-start
immigration reform, says Arizona AFL-CIO Executive Director
Rebekah Friend. Arizona labor leaders, together with AFL-CIO President Richard
Trumka and other community groups around the nation, are calling on President
Obama to put a stop to misguided immigration enforcement efforts like SB1070
and immediately begin work passing comprehensive immigration reform. According
to opponents, the bill
recently signed by Governor Jan Brewer will weaken the trust between
communities and law enforcement and impose another unfunded
mandate on police agencies. In a letter sent to President Obama, Friend said
“Our concerns for the livelihoods of working families and a desire for a
sensible approach to immigration drive us to oppose this law.”
State
Capitol Update
The state legislature ended its 2010 regular session last Thursday,
capping a disastrous four months for Arizona families.
Notable
“Bad Bills” Fail to Pass: Although they were ready for a
final vote, several bills that would be dreadful for working families failed to
pass before the legislature adjourned. Those bills would have eliminated Clean
Elections (SCR1009), placed new restrictions and fines on
union picketing (SB1242), given
steep tax cuts to corporations
(HB2250), and suspended voter-protection
of certain funds (HCR2039).
Motion
Picture Production Tax Credits Doesn't Receive Final Floor Vote: Despite
rapid progress in the last month, the motion picture production tax incentive
bill SB1409 was not given a final floor vote in the House before the
legislature adjourned. The tax credits, which support jobs in the film industry in Arizona,
are due to expire at the end of 2010. The Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television
and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the Arizona AFL-CIO and other allies
fought for the bill’s passage. Read
the bill summary.
Arizona’s
Immigration Law Amended; New Teeth Added: Less than a week after
Governor Jan Brewer signed SB1070 into law, Republicans in the Arizona Legislature passed additional
amendments to the immigration bill. While Republicans
claimed the changes clarified the law’s language and its “prohibition” of
racial profiling, Democrats argued that HB2162 would lead to further abuses of
the rights of Hispanic Arizonans. In particular, the replacement language would
allow police officers
to inquire about a person’s immigration status during stops for even minor
civil violations, such as tall weeds in a yard. Read
the bill summary.
KidsCare
Revived; Drastic Cuts Undone to Regain Federal Funds: Following
the passage of health care reform through Congress, the Arizona State
Legislature has been under pressure to revive
the state children’s health insurance program and reverse cuts to Medicaid
enrollment. The motivation is simply a matter of dollars,
rather than lives, however— nearly $7 billion in federal funds were at stake if
Arizona failed to repeal the cuts made by the majority Republicans earlier in
the session. In the last two days of the session, SB1043 “Health Care Funding;
KidsCare & Prop 204” passed the House overwhelmingly, and the Senate
concurred with a handful of Republican “Aye” votes.
Hero and
Villain of the Week
Heroes of the Week: Marchers Confronting Wall Street
Led by the AFL-CIO, thousands descended on Wall Street last week
demanding that big banks stop fighting reform, starting lending in their
communities and pay for the jobs they destroyed. These people—the “other 98%”
of America— delivered the message from Main Street to Wall Street that it was
time banks fixed the mess they made. “We’re
here today for the folks who were played for suckers in the casino economy and
will be silent no more,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.
Those who marched on Wall Street are the Arizona AFL-CIO’s Heroes of the Week. Join
the fight for reform.
Villains
of the Week: Sen. Russell Pearce (R-18)
Despite the nationwide outcry against Arizona’s harsh new immigration
law, Sen. Russell Pearce seems to believe the law doesn’t go far enough. That’s
why he supported amendments to House Bill 2162, passed in the last hours of the
legislative session, which will radically
broaden the scope of the law and further erode trust between
the Hispanic community and law enforcement. The changes to SB1070 will allow
police to check the immigration status of persons for even minor civil or
municipal violations. “This
is so
overreaching,” said Assistant Minority Leader Kyrsten Sinema to
the Arizona Capitol Times. “Now, someone can just call the police on their
neighbor for a barking dog, or overgrown lawn, and the
police can show up and check their immigration status.” Read
more about the changes, including their nefarious intent.
Upcoming Events
Rally against Arizona’s new immigration law: Join
the Arizona AFL-CIO, Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, Pastor Warren Stewart and
other community leaders in a rally against SB1070, the recently passed
immigration enforcement law. We need your support to make sure all of our
voices are heard!
TODAY,
Wednesday
May 5th, 2010
6:00pm, followed by candlelight vigil at 8:00pm
Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church
1401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, AZ
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