This blog entry is about the Secular Coalition for Arizona. Please log onto the website at www.secularaz.org and read about the organization. While you’re at it sign up for the “Take Action!” email list located at the top of the column on the right.

Perhaps a little mood music while you read this entry is in order. The Arizona State Legislature begins operation on the 14th. Are you all ready for this? The last call for donations has just been sent out by the CAP (Center for Arizona Policy) as they gear up to impose their will on everyone in the state regardless of religious affiliation. There have been a few posts here about the CAP and a few mentions of the Secular Coalition for Arizona. Both organizations are mentioned in the left sidebar on this page and it’s worth reading over from time to time.

The Secular Coalition for Arizona is also gearing up for the legislation session. Many of the affiliates of the coalition met this weekend in Mesa to make plans for the coming year as we closed out our second year of operation. Last year we hired a full time lobbyist to support the members of the coalition and this year we’re adding a development director to further enhance the effort to keep and maintain the secular character of the state government. Present at the meeting was the entire board of directors along with representatives from Flagstaff Freethinkers, FFRF Valley of the Sun Chapter, FreeThought Arizona, Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix, Military Atheists Agnostics and Freethinkers, Phoenix Atheist Meetup Group, Prescott Freethinkers, Secular Student Alliance from Mesa Community College, Sedona/Verde Valley Secular Freethinkers, and Tucson Atheists along with a couple of Liaison Members at Large. In all there are 15 member organizations in the coalition, up from 10 last year. We are often joined in our efforts by other groups such as Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

The Secular Coalition for Arizona is starting to make its presence known and receiving press coverage. This year instead of being constantly on the defensive, we will be promoting at least two bills before the legislature. One is an Oregon-style “Death with dignity” bill and the other proposes to teach science based sex education in public schools. We will also work against many of the bills proposed by the CAP specifically, ones that blur the line between church and state and those that are based on dogma instead of science and reason.

The main issues that drive the Secular Coalition for Arizona are: Science-based Medicine, Secular Public Schools, Marriage Equality, End-of-life Choices, Religious Privilege in Tax Laws, Women’s Healthcare, Military, and Government Involvement in Religious Expression.

Please log onto the website at www.secularaz.org and read about the organization. While you’re at it sign up for the “Take Action!” email list located at the top of the column on the right.