Phoenix, AZ – The lawsuit filed today by abortion amendment proponents is another attempt to mislead voters, not serve them. The summary that appears in the state’s voter information pamphlet should provide voters a clear understanding of the measure they are voting on and track with language in existing law. Arizona’s nonpartisan Legislative Council tasked with impartially summarizing the proposed amendment finalized the description after a hearing Monday. The council used language on Arizona’s current 15-week law straight from Arizona statute 36-2322 and on the proposed constitutional amendment from the ballot measure itself. It Goes Too Far Campaign Manager, Leisa Brug said about the summary, “It shouldn’t read like an advertisement for the amendment, it should provide voters with a clear understanding of what current law states and what the amendment would do if passed.” Brug continued, “The summary reads very close to the amendment language but uses common wording missing from the amendment, like ‘woman’ and ‘physician.’ The nonpartisan summary uses both the terms ‘fetus,’ which is taken from the amendment, and ‘unborn human being,’ which is taken from state law. Brug points out, “This provides a balanced approach based on legal language, not on propaganda.” Learn more at ItGoesTooFar.com

PHOENIX – Arizona for Abortion Access is holding a press conference after filing its lawsuit against the Arizona Legislative Council for its decision to disregard its statutory duty to produce an impartial summary of the Arizona Abortion Access Act.  Background: On July 8, the Legislative Council met at the Capitol to determine the language that would be presented to Arizona voters in the 2024 General Election Publicity Pamphlet. By rejecting Arizona for Abortion Access’s common-sense request to use neutral, universally-recognized medical terminology instead of a phrase rooted in anti-abortion advocacy, the Legislative Council failed to produce an impartial summary for voters before they cast their ballots this fall. Campaign representatives will explain the terms of the lawsuit, the process going forward and answer relevant questions.  Watch the Arizona Abortion Access Act section of the Legislative Council session here.   Who: Arizona for Abortion Access representatives When/Where: July 10 at 12 PM via Zoom   Why: Arizona voters have a right to clear, accurate and impartial information from the state before they are asked to vote on ballot initiatives. The decision of the Arizona Legislative Council fails to abide by that responsibility by rejecting the request to use the neutral, medical term “fetus” in place of “unborn human being” in the 2024 General Election Publicity Pamphlet.  To participate in the virtual press conference, RSVP to Dawn Penich, 480-734-6904. PHOENIX – Arizona for Abortion Access is holding a press conference after filing its lawsuit against the Arizona Legislative Council for its decision to disregard its statutory duty to produce an impartial summary of the Arizona Abortion Access Act.  Background: On July 8, the Legislative Council met at the Capitol to determine the language that would be presented to Arizona voters in the 2024 General Election Publicity Pamphlet. By rejecting Arizona for Abortion Access’s common-sense request to use neutral, universally-recognized medical terminology instead of a phrase rooted in anti-abortion advocacy, the Legislative Council failed to produce an impartial summary for voters before they cast their ballots this fall. Campaign representatives will explain the terms of the lawsuit, the process going forward and answer relevant questions.  Watch the Arizona Abortion Access Act section of the Legislative Council session here.   Who: Arizona for Abortion Access representatives When/Where: July 10 at 12 PM via Zoom   Why: Arizona voters have a right to clear, accurate and impartial information from the state before they are asked to vote on ballot initiatives. The decision of the Arizona Legislative Council fails to abide by that responsibility by rejecting the request to use the neutral, medical term “fetus” in place of “unborn human being” in the 2024 General Election Publicity Pamphlet.  To participate in the virtual press conference, RSVP to Dawn Penich, 480-734-6904.

Phoenix, Ariz. (July 10, 2024) – Today Our Voice, Our Vote Arizona (OVOV AZ), a member-led organization committed to advocating for sustainable progressive public policies in Arizona, announced its endorsement of U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego and the Biden-Harris Presidential ticket in the 2024 election. These endorsements come at a critical moment in the race, drawing attention to what is at stake if voters do not defeat Donald Trump and Kari Lake.  In addition to the endorsements, OVOV AZ also announced the launch of its statewide electoral and organizing campaign called The Power of Us to knock on one million doors and organize Black communities to boost voter turnout in November.  Both announcements were made during a launch event at Eastlake Park Community Center, where 100 canvassers and organizers from across the state gathered to kick off the Power of Us campaign before heading into a day-long training.  “Biden, Harris, and Gallego have earned our endorsement because they will protect the progress we’ve made. They have demonstrated their commitment to the progressive future we’re fighting for,” said Sena Mohammed, executive director of OVOV AZ. “Reproductive rights are on the ballot. Immigration is on the ballot. Democracy itself is on the ballot. We’re not just trying to empower the Black community in Arizona to vote, we’re also trying to change the entire political landscape in our state. Elections are won and lost by slim margins in Arizona — and Black voters hold more power than people think.” Upholding its position as one of the largest community and voter engagement organizations in Arizona, OVOV AZ has set an ambitious goal to knock on one million doors this election cycle. As part of the Power of Us campaign, OVOV AZ will also host statewide community town halls and launch mobilization events to encourage voters to cast their ballots this November. Volunteers and canvassers will prioritize mobilizing voters in the New American Majority, a diverse group that includes young people between the ages of 18 and 35, unmarried women, and people of color. According to a report by the Voter Participation Center, Arizona has one of the top 10 largest populations of unregistered people of color in the nation.  “Building the future we believe in depends on every person showing up at the polls in November. Every door we knock on opens up a dialogue about the Arizona we want to build an Arizona where our air is clear and healthy, immigrants are celebrated, and housing is affordable for everyone,” said Karen Hernandez, managing director of electoral engagement at OVOV AZ. “ This get-out-the-vote effort is about making sure Arizonans show up in force at the polls to make their voices heard.” Following these endorsements, OVOV AZ announced a strategic six-figure ad buy supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. The first ad, released today, focuses on representation. It opens with the old adage, “If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu.” and draws a sharp contrast between who was at the table during Trump’s presidency versus the Biden presidency. The ad ends with a clear call to action to voters: “You have power. Use it.” View the full ad here. Additional ads will run for seven weeks after Labor Day and target Black voters in Arizona. To learn more about OVOV AZ and its initiatives, visit www.ourvoiceourvote.us .

Arizona for Abortion Access filed a lawsuit Wednesday to push back on what they call “politicized language” in the publicity pamphlet summary for their citizen initiative, which would permit abortions up to fetal viability. The suit is against the Legislative Council. “The staff draft of the summary for the Arizona Abortion Access Act, used the term ‘unborn human being’ when describing existing Arizona law regarding abortion, but also used ‘fetus’ when describing the effect that our initiative would have,” The group’s communications director Dawn Penich said. “Our attorney appeared at the session in order to urge Legislative Counsel to change the term ‘unborn human being’ to ‘fetus’ to not only be consistent, but to use a neutral, objective and medically accurate term, instead of a phrase that is a watchword of anti-abortion advocates.” The group’s attorneys said the term “unborn human being” and “unborn child” are commonly used by “anti-abortion activists and groups in their advocacy against reproductive healthcare.” “This fall when voters seek information about what is on their ballots, that information by law should be accurate and not tinged with inflammatory political rhetoric,” said Campaign Manager Cheryl Bruce. All Republican members of the Senate signed a legislative proclamation titled “Declaration in Support of the Sanctity of Human Life,” in which they urged members to reject the initiative in order to protect “(e)very life, born and pre-born,” and “unborn children” in February, attorneys for the group said in the complaint, among over other examples of similar language being used by pro-life advocates. “Our point is that statutory language does not have to be neutral and does not have to be impartial, but the language that the Legislative Council puts into the publicity pamphlet does have to be impartial,” said Andrew Gaona, one of the four attorneys representing the group in the case. “So, the mere fact that the phrase unborn human being appears in places and existing Arizona law doesn't decide the issue.” Gaona said the council asked for expedited consideration of the case, anticipating a scheduling conference in the next week, to ensure the case can be litigated in time for the Legislative Council to reconvene to adopt new pamphlet language before they are sent out to voters, if the court deems it necessary. In a request for preliminary injunction, attorneys for the group said lawmakers’ deliberation on the pamphlet summary on June 8 further proved their point that when provided a decision between one term that is “rooted in anti-abortion advocacy” and one that is “neutral and objective and medically accurate,” statute requires that the latter be used. The case was assigned to Maricopa County Superior Court judge Joseph Mikitish.

A few Republican legislative candidates are speaking out against Rogers after she allegedly threatened to sabotage LD2 Republican candidate Ari Bradshaw’s campaign after he criticized LD7 House candidate Steve Slaton for using the N-word. On June 24, Bradshaw posted on X that Rogers called him in December 2023 and threatened his campaign. The Mountain Daily Star posted the alleged conversation on July 8 with Bradshaw and Rogers addressing each other by their first names. Rogers told Bradshaw that his posts about Slaton’s use of racial slurs are “defamatory” and Bradshaw said he directly heard Slaton use the word in reference to Marshall. “You are really playing with fire legally, politically and in all respects,” Rogers told Bradshaw. “I don’t think you have a clue how dangerous what you’re doing has been.” Rogers on Wednesday followed through on her threat to sabotage Bradshaw’s campaign, sharing text screenshots posted by College Republicans United of two anonymous individuals discussing Bradshaw’s alleged selling of fentanyl, cocaine and psychedelics. Bradshaw denied the allegations and said he intends to file a defamation suit against the people spreading the “disgusting defamatory rumor.” “I have never seen fentanyl in my life. I have never seen cocaine in my life,” he wrote in a post on X. “Wendy is grasping for straws and propagating falsehoods because she’s upset that I’ve been exposing her and her racist slate mate.” Bradshaw doesn’t have a primary opponent, but he and Wilmeth face Democrat single-shot candidate Stephanie Simacek in a swing district that could determine which party controls the legislature in 2025. LD7 House candidate and former state Rep. Walt Blackman and Cook have backed Bradshaw and are running against Slaton and Rogers respectively. “Don’t believe the negative statements by a carpetbagger who chose to run in a district in rural Az with a person that is a racist and makes false claims about their service record,” Cook wrote in a post on X. Both Cook and Rogers have recently flaunted endorsements from the Arizona Police Association. The association endorsed both Cook and Rogers on June 18, but only contributed to Cook’s campaign on Jan. 2 with a $200 contribution, according to a March pre-election campaign finance report. The PAC also contributed $200 to Marshall’s campaign.

LD4 Democrats will select three candidates Wednesday night for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to fill a House vacancy left by former Rep. Laura Terech. Terech, a former member of House MOE, resigned on June 30 and accepted a position in the Secretary of State’s office to work on special projects. “I look forward to serving our state and participating in the work that plays such a critical role in Arizona’s democracy,” Terech said in a written statement about her new job. LD4 Democratic Chair Lucy Marshall confirmed to our reporter Wednesday that Karen Gresham and Kelli Butler are running to join the slate of three candidates whose names will be forwarded to the board of supervisors. She also said former House Minority Leader Eric Meyer is running. Gresham and Butler are both running for the district’s two House seats this November. Meyer served in the House from 2009 to 2017.