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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