Week in Review: Progressive Politics 101?

Arizona State University (ASU) professor Dr. Owen Anderson could face discipline from his “woke” superiors—but not because of anything he did.

Rather, it’s something he didn’t do: Dr. Anderson refuses to take the government-run school’s discriminatory “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) training. This week, the Goldwater Institute sued ASU on Dr. Anderson’s behalf for using taxpayer funds to mandate DEI training among faculty—in violation of state law. “This ‘training’ is simply racism under the guise of DEI. It goes against my conscience, and I want no part of it,” Dr. Anderson says.

But that’s not all. A new Goldwater report revealed earlier in the week that ASU is requiring its journalism students to take a mandatory course that teaches them to avoid “microaggressions” and check their “privilege.” Mandatory faculty training is apparently next, with topics in the “Inclusive Communities” faculty training ranging from the “need for transformative justice” to “how…white supremacy [is] normalized in society.” DEI is seeping into every aspect of college life at public universities nationwide. But Goldwater is scoring win after win against the DEI regime, enacting reforms to stop discriminatory practices in Texas and Florida public higher ed, including the nation’s most powerful law to completely dismantle DEI in Texas.

DEI has no place in public higher education—so Goldwater is putting a stop to it.

Read more about our lawsuit here, and read our new policy report here. 

Gun Owners Targeted in Pima County, AZ

A $1,000 fine for failing to report a lost or stolen firearm to the government…within two days?

That’s exactly what the Pima County, Ariz., Board of Supervisors brazenly passed this month. But it’s illegal—and they know it.

This week, the Goldwater Institute sent a letter to the board on behalf of the Arizona Citizens Defense League, urging the county to ditch the mandate.

Arizona law prohibits cities, counties, and other local government entities from passing almost any type of firearm-related regulation. And Arizona courts have limited the ability of cities and counties to add regulations beyond any enacted by the state legislature. What’s more, a majority of the Pima County Board of Supervisors recognized that firearms regulations belong at the state level. Four of the five supervisors voted for the ordinance anyway.

Now, the board has a choice: immediately repeal the illegal ordinance, or face litigation.

The Goldwater Institute will always defend constitutional rights, as well as keep rogue government entities in check when they thumb their nose at the law.

Read more here. 

Give Us More Money…or Else

It’s an open threat to parents: give us what we want, or we won’t teach your kids.

The largest teachers union in Tucson, the Tucson Education Association, recently adopted a “strike-ready” resolution that leverages schoolchildren to demand more money…or else. That’s illegal: state law prohibits government employees from going on strike.

This week, the Goldwater Institute demanded to know if the Tucson Unified School District supports an illegal strike and how the district plans to keep schools open.

The “strike-ready” resolution calls for the union to increase its membership from a paltry 33% of Tucson public school teachers to 66% by next year. Why? So that the union can threaten to walk away from schools and students if their demands aren’t met.

Tucson parents deserve to know how the district will respond should the teachers union follow through on its immoral and illegal threat. Goldwater will keep fighting to hold the union and the district accountable, because teachers must never deprive children of the education they deserve—especially not as a power play to win a more lucrative contract.

Read more here.