Republicans never cease to amaze me. There’s currently a Republican Arizona lawmaker out of Tucson promoting a religious studies bill in this years legislative agenda. Terri Proud (R) district 26 wants a law that specifically teaches religion in the classrooms. The Associated Press reports:

Republican Rep. Terri Proud of Tucson sponsored the measure, which asks the state Board of Education to design a course called “The Bible and its Influence on Western Culture.” The course would be an elective at high schools that choose to offer it.

Public schools across the country have generally avoided Bible courses, but hundreds offer such classes as electives.

The bill stipulates that the course maintain “religious neutrality,” and requires the state Attorney General to review the curriculum to ensure it doesn’t conflict with the U.S. Constitution.

Proud, who is on the House Education Committee, said she wants students to learn about the Bible’s influence on art and literature, noting that there are biblical references in everything from Michelangelo’s paintings and Shakespeare’s plays to modern movies and television.

“This is such an essential foundation for our kids’ knowledge,” she said. “We are so engulfed in it.”

If students aren’t taught those references, Proud said, they face a learning gap from high school to college.

Proud said teachers in her district told her they have a fear of mentioning Christianity or the Bible in the classroom, and she hopes the law will give them some guidance.

“There’s nothing wrong with bringing religion into a classroom,” she said. “The issue is we can’t bring devotion.”

So in a 2012 Arizona where Ethnic Studies has just been banned by Republicans promoting an anti-Immigrant agenda, another one of those Republicans is promoting pro religion studies. According to Proud, “the Attorney General for the state of Arizona would have to review the curriculum to ensure it doesn’t conflict with the U.S. Constitution.”

Keep in mind that the current Attorney General for the state of Arizona is Tom Horne, who worked closely with Steve Montenegro (R) district 12 to promote HB2281 while Horne was the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

How will Horne react to this bill that specifically promotes religion in the classrooms, in high schools, and in Tucson nonetheless? Proud is quick to state “There’s nothing wrong with bringing religion into a classroom,” she said. “The issue is we can’t bring devotion.”

Victoria Lopez, a program director with the Arizona office of the American Civil Liberties Union, said a Bible-focused class is “troubling.”

Lopez said it’s difficult for a school to teach such a course without imposing a particular religious view.

“It’s very easy for teachers to cross the line and violate students’ religious rights,” she said. “There’s a lot of room here for those violations to take place.”

Though the course would be an elective, Lopez said it’s a problem that public resources and agencies would be involved in some form of religious study.

We’ll see what kind of legal challenge this bill will bring if it does in fact translate into law and specifically how Attorney General Tom Horne the primary anti ethnic studies advocate will handle this specific studies issue.

For the record, I am a Christian who supports ethnic studies.

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and W60 AM Radio, Los Angeles, San Diego and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana and the Tucson Citizen in Arizona.

After today’s shocking and disappointing news that Board of Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox had recommended the appointment of ex legislator David Lujan to replace outgoing Senator Kyrsten Sinema who resigned to run for the newly created district 9, I spoke to Senator Steve Gallardo who by the way has been very active as a state senator.

According to a tweet from Maricopa County reporter for the Arizona Republic and AZ Central Michelle Lee,

Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox says she quizzed @davidlujan hard on why he missed SB1070 vote, which she said she knows ppl are concerned about

I hardly think that quizzing David Lujan “hard” over his missed SB1070 vote qualifies for holding him accountable for failing to do his job, not just as minority leader in the house, but as a Latino Democratic legislator who had claimed to oppose SB1070. Lujan outright lied to reporters stating he was out of town, only to be caught by super sleuth reporter and New Times blogger Stephen Lemons of the famed “feathered Bastard” blog. When confronted by Lemons Lujan fessed up to his lie and admitted he was AWOL enjoying a party with his parents. He had no choice but to fess up, Lemons caught him red handed promoting himself for AG at a precinct meeting.

To add insult to injury it appears Wilcox and Lujan are in cahoots to make it look like state senator Steve Gallardo supports the decision or supports Lujan’s replacement of Sinema. The fact is that Steve Gallardo (D) district 13, Leah Landrum (D) district 16, and Linda Lopez (D) district 29 all sent a letter to Wilcox outlining their support for ex legislator Ken Clark. Gallardo tells me he spoke to mary Rose Wilcox personally and expressed his discontent with the possibility of Lujan sliding into Sinema’s vacated seat.

According to another tweet from the AZ Republic reporter Lee:

#Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox says @davidlujan committed to introducing bill to repeal SB1070 with @Steve_Gallardo.

Gallardo shared with me that he has not spoken with David Lujan or Mary Rose Wilcox about Lujan cosponsoring a bill to repeal SB1070. Gallardo confirmed that he has a bill to repeal SB1070 and has been garnering support from other members, but has never had a reason to talk to Lujan about it.

Gallardo is extremely offended by the suggestion or the insinuation that Lujan has anything to do with having cosponsored a bill with Gallardo.

This is just another in a long line of politically shoddy moves by Supervisor Wilcox and the Democratic party. It’s obvious the Republican party doesn’t have to do much to stay in power in Arizona with such political ineptness courtesy of Arizona’s Democratic elected officials.

One last thing, where have the “supreme” Latino leaders and “activists” been on this issue? I haven’t seen a one of them vocalize their discontent for a guy who not only slapped the Latino community in the face by not showing up to vote against SB1070, but a guy who after having had what is akin to unwanted sex with the Latino community, has now returned promising to play nice and ask next time before he bends them over.

What the heck?

Carlos E. Galindo is a radio talk show host & political analyst conducting radio shows in both English and Spanish on four radio stations in Arizona. Mr. Galindo is a weekly contributor to KPFK 98.7 FM Los Angeles and has appeared on CNN, Univision and Telemundo as a political analyst. Mr. Galindo is also an Op-Ed columnist on Prensa Hispana Arizona. www.nospinonair.com/http://www.carlosgalindo.com