Advocacy
Victim Witness Services Coconino County — June 2021 Newsletter
June 2021
Celebrating with Pride
WHAT’S INSIDE
A slice of poetry for when you need a boost.
Staff spotlight: learn about our staff and how we help people in our community.
Announcements and more!
Arizona Education Association Legislative Update — Legislature Adjourned Until June 10
This week, the Arizona Legislature adjourned until June 10, 2021, without passing budget bill. Both the House and Senate were able to get budget bills out of committees earlier in the week, but never voted on them on the floor. The likely reason is that they didn’t have enough votes to pass this terrible budget that would slash state revenue by $1.7 billion, significantly reducing our state’s ability to provide a quality public education for our students.
Legislators are further apart on the budget now than when they started. The budget includes a flat-tax proposal that favors the rich, harms cities and towns, and is opposed by most Arizona voters.
First Things First — Community organizations collaborating to better support AZ families
The scramble to catch up on missed childhood immunizations, especially for preschoolers who will start kindergarten in the fall, has led to plans for several mobile, pop-up immunization events in northwest Arizona over the next few months. The goal is to increase childhood immunizations in one of the highest areas of need in the state.
Arizona Education Association Legislative Update
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and Representative Udall has an odd way of thanking teachers. on May 5, she amended the Teacher Gag Bill, Senate Bill (SB) 1532, making it even more awful. SB1532 will fine teachers $5,000 for discussing any social, political, or controversial issues unless equal weight is given to the subject. This means the viewpoints of neo-Nazis and the KKK could be taught alongside Martin Luther King, Jr., and the civil rights movement.
Children’s Action Alliance — Restore supports for all Arizona kinship families
In Arizona, more than 200,000 children live in kinship families—families in which grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends are raising children with no parents in the home. Most kinship arrangements involve children who are not involved in the foster care system. Many times, relatives intervene to care for children who are experiencing abuse and neglect. They keep children safe and out of the overburdened foster care system.
LGBTQ+ Youth Opportunity — seeking youth 12-24 to join Youth Pride Event Planning Committee
Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth, Flagstaff Library, and One•n•ten encourage youth to support planning our Coconino Youth Pride virtual event scheduled for June 26th at 4 p.m. We are leaning on our community’s youth-serving organizations and programs to recruit and encourage youth to share their skills and leadership.
Participating youth will steer event planning through participation in five planning meetings May-July 2021. Whether they’re are skilled in graphics for flyers, recruiting other youth, community promotion, MCing, or moderating a chat…we need them!
Center for the Future of Arizona Statement on Statement on Governor Ducey Signing H.B. 2862 Into Law
The Center for the Future of Arizona thanks Governor Ducey for signing H.B. 2862, legislation that supports Arizona schools in providing learner-centered education to better meet the needs of every student and family.
The enactment of H.B. 2862 builds on CFA’s decade of work with policymakers, public schools, and communities to expand learner-centered education in order to create more excellent and equitable outcomes for all Arizona students.
This legislation complements work already underway in Arizona to support schools that want to make the shift to learner-centered education, including the Arizona Personalized Learning Network that provides support and training to school districts and charter networks committed to personalizing learning for their students.
Arizona Education Association Legislative Update
Thank you to the hundreds of activists who sent emails to legislators and the governor to defeat this discriminatory legislation. Governor Vetoed SB1456, which would have affected not only sexual education curriculum, but all learning materials in the classroom and make it harder for LGBTQ kids to see themselves in school curriculum.
Connections Spotlight — Creativity Takes Courage. Next CCC&Y Youth Expression event on May 2
Adolescence is a complex and emotional transition from childhood to adulthood. It’s a time of establishing an identity and taking new (hopefully healthy) risks to expand your sense of self and capabilities. It’s a time when peers are of utmost importance, and we crave belonging.
Creativity Calling meets all of these critical needs from expression to connection! The arts are an opportunity to express yourself and interact with the world. Art expression allows us the chance to access our deepest and most
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff Seeking Children Who Could Benefit from a Mentor
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff is seeking children who could benefit from a mentor.
How to make a referrals:
Let the child’s guardian know you plan to make a referral
Visit www.flagstaffbigs.org
Click “Enroll a Child”
Select “Click Here to Start Child Application”
Enter in zip code 86001
Enter all required fields and click submit
A member of the BBBSF team will contact the family to follow up!
