Cutting off the universities' funding wasn't enough for certain vengeful members of this state legislature, too focused on their anger at our former governor to see clearly into the future of Arizona. Here are some other major changes they want to make to our institutions. While we're distracted with our deepened poverty, these bills could sneak in the back door:
While you're calling your representatives and senators about the budget cuts, make sure to tell them how you feel about these bills:
Gun-toting students and teachers:
"H.B. 2607. Schools; Disruption; Interference; Concealed Firearms.
The intent of the bill is to allow a person with a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm on the property of an educational institution, which includes state universities."
If you're a graduate student teacher, you know why this bill is so dangerous. Have you ever had a heated discussion with a student over a grade, a disagreement, a course policy, or just had someone who was a little 'off' in your class? Consider that if you are an international student (forbidden by federal law from carrying a firearm at all), you could end up being the only one in your classroom NOT carrying a gun. Is it hard to imagine students carrying guns in their backpacks, and accidentally causing them to go off when dumping their bags on the floor when they enter class?
When this bill was originally proposed, the Tucson and U of A police came out against it strongly. It would mean that they could no longer respond to reports of someone carrying a gun until that person was actually threatening or firing with it. Pres. Shelton is also against it.
Exclusion of domestic partners from health benefits:
"S.B. 1174. State Employee Health Insurance; Coverage
This bill would define dependent so as to exclude domestic partners from obtaining either employee or retiree health insurance provided by the Department of Administration."
So many high-quality faculty live with domestic partners. This bill is only more encouragement to move to another state where the government interferes less in the personal lives of valued faculty and employees. Don't let us loose our excellent teachers because of bigotry.
Reversing Affirmative Action or anything like it:
"SCR 1031. Discrimination; Preferential Treatment; Prohibition.
A Senate Concurrent Resolution that would place on the ballot a prohibition of discrimination or preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the areas of public employment, public education, or public housing."
This would probably make it difficult to offer scholarships to minority students, develop programs specifically designed to retain minority students, and offer assistance to struggling students.
Are you as angry as we are? Write to your state legislature and tell them you won't stand for it.
Tell them you won't let them turn back the clock on Arizona by decades while demolishing education and any hope for its recovery. Tell them you don't want Arizona to be known for its ignorance and backwards policies. Good state policy and good education attract good employers. If Arizona wants to excel economically, it should not waste its time on punishing its own residents, but rather focus on how to make them better educated, more economically secure, and better informed.
Take a couple of minutes to look up your state legislator and tell her/him to vote against these ballot measures: http://www.azleg.gov/
On this page, you can get updates about these bills and some of the budget cuts:
https://www.email.arizona.edu/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.externalrelations.arizona.edu%2Fgovernment_state_update.cfm
While you're calling your representatives and senators about the budget cuts, make sure to tell them how you feel about these bills:
Gun-toting students and teachers:
"H.B. 2607. Schools; Disruption; Interference; Concealed Firearms.
The intent of the bill is to allow a person with a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm on the property of an educational institution, which includes state universities."
If you're a graduate student teacher, you know why this bill is so dangerous. Have you ever had a heated discussion with a student over a grade, a disagreement, a course policy, or just had someone who was a little 'off' in your class? Consider that if you are an international student (forbidden by federal law from carrying a firearm at all), you could end up being the only one in your classroom NOT carrying a gun. Is it hard to imagine students carrying guns in their backpacks, and accidentally causing them to go off when dumping their bags on the floor when they enter class?
When this bill was originally proposed, the Tucson and U of A police came out against it strongly. It would mean that they could no longer respond to reports of someone carrying a gun until that person was actually threatening or firing with it. Pres. Shelton is also against it.
Exclusion of domestic partners from health benefits:
"S.B. 1174. State Employee Health Insurance; Coverage
This bill would define dependent so as to exclude domestic partners from obtaining either employee or retiree health insurance provided by the Department of Administration."
So many high-quality faculty live with domestic partners. This bill is only more encouragement to move to another state where the government interferes less in the personal lives of valued faculty and employees. Don't let us loose our excellent teachers because of bigotry.
Reversing Affirmative Action or anything like it:
"SCR 1031. Discrimination; Preferential Treatment; Prohibition.
A Senate Concurrent Resolution that would place on the ballot a prohibition of discrimination or preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the areas of public employment, public education, or public housing."
This would probably make it difficult to offer scholarships to minority students, develop programs specifically designed to retain minority students, and offer assistance to struggling students.
Are you as angry as we are? Write to your state legislature and tell them you won't stand for it.
Tell them you won't let them turn back the clock on Arizona by decades while demolishing education and any hope for its recovery. Tell them you don't want Arizona to be known for its ignorance and backwards policies. Good state policy and good education attract good employers. If Arizona wants to excel economically, it should not waste its time on punishing its own residents, but rather focus on how to make them better educated, more economically secure, and better informed.
Take a couple of minutes to look up your state legislator and tell her/him to vote against these ballot measures: http://www.azleg.gov/
On this page, you can get updates about these bills and some of the budget cuts:
https://www.email.arizona.edu/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.externalrelations.arizona.edu%2Fgovernment_state_update.cfm
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