#phoenix2018

Phil with Phoenix and London on his birthday.

At the capitol today, we were welcomed in by Representative Gonzales. (mother of fellow power-house Sandra Gonzales, the Program Director at the Chicanos Por La Causa community center that we served at Wed and Thurs)

Let’s pause here. Sally Gonzales, who served years on the Tribal Council for the Yaqui Tribe, is the first Indigenous woman elected to Arizona state legislature. 

BAM. 

She is a woman of the community she represents, and has spent a significant part of her life involved IN the community as a teacher. Now she passionately serves as the representative for District 3 in Arizona. 

She admitted that with the current split of 25 democrats and 35 republicans in the state house of representatives, her focus is not as much on trying to pass good legislation, but more on making sure that bad legislation does not pass. Damage control. How the 25 democrats try to do this without majority support is that they communicate what’s happening in the house to the public, via media outlets. Once the public has a better understanding of what is going on, they may communicate their support or push-back to their representatives. This way other non-democrat representatives are held accountable to the informed convictions of their constituents. IMAGINE, people outside the capitol understanding what’s being discussed in the capitol and sharing their convictions about it. Novel. 

Gun violence bills, public education bills, and health care reform are at the front of Rep. Gonzales’ mind. A week or so ago, each of democrat reps took their introduction time on the floor to share the names of 3 students the comments of these students on the gun violence crisis. Creative tactics of elevating the voices of people who are demanding change--this is a major foci of Rep. Gonzales. In the house, one of Rep. Gonzales’ co-workers, Representative Isela Blanc was the among the first two formerly undocumented persons to be elected to state legislature. Rep. Blanc was proud to share with us that she had been arrested in D.C. at a DACA protest. 

Although this is Gonzales’ 8th year as a rep, and thus her last year in the house, she plans to run for the senate this August.