Democratic women senators of Arizona have banded together and put their names, all 73 of them, to an open letter addressing the problematic Senator Kyrsten Sinema. We publish the letter, which was released by EMILY's List, in its entirety here:
After a year of obstructing every major policy of President Joe Biden’s agenda by protecting the Jim Crow filibuster and opposing several key elements of the Build Back Better bill, Senator Kyrsten Sinema has demonstrated that she cares more about protecting the interests of her corporate donors rather than democracy and voters who elected her.
Emily’s List, an organization that claims to ignite change, has stood firmly by our Senator and her defense of a racist, archaic Senate rule that stands in the way of legislation sitting in the Senate that would protect women’s reproductive rights, protect voting rights, raise the minimum wage, advance workers’ rights, act on the climate crisis, prevent gun violence, enact immigration reform, and so much more.
With this continued support of Senator Sinema and silence in the face of a crisis for our democracy and women’s rights, Emily’s List is losing credibility as an institution that promotes progress. Emily’s List claims to “reject apathy and the status quo” and to be “…committed to driving progressive change”, but these claims ring increasingly hollow when the organization fails to recognize how detrimental the Jim-Crow era Senate rule is to our democracy and progress and enables one of its only defenders among the Democratic caucus.
We, the undersigned Democratic women active in Arizona’s politics, call on Emily's list to immediately make a public demand to Senator Sinema to support ending the filibuster now. With the upcoming vote on filibuster reform planned for Tuesday, January 18th, the day after MLK Day, delay is unacceptable.
Celia Barotz, Former City of Flagstaff Vice-Mayor and Councilmember
Nancy Bonsall AZ LD10
Dorothy M. Barth, AZ CD2
Roberta Callahan, CD8 and LD20
Hazel Chandler, CD6 and LD 20
Casey Clowes, AZ CD9 and LD26
Georgia Conroy, AZ CD3, LD3
Carole Edelsky, AZ
Sharon Edgar, AZ CD1 and LD6
Barbara Erickson, AZ CD2, LD9
Gina Griffiths, AZ CD6 and LD28
Barbara Groleau, CD6 and LD20
Linda Guarino, AZ CD1 and LD6
Ann Heitland, AZ CD1 and LD7
Betts Putnam-Hidalgo, PC and state committee representative for LD3
Robin Hiller, AZ CD2
Deborah Howard, AZ CD8 and LD22
Mary Keerins, AZ CD2, LD9
Emily Kirkland, AZ CD9 and LD26
Rivko Knox, AZ CD 6 and LD 20
Molly McKasson, AZ CD2
Isabel O`Neal, AZ CD5 and LD12
Eva Putzova, AZ CD1 and Former City of Flagstaff Councilmember
Jenise Porter AZ CD2, LD9
Carol Schneiderman, AZ CD2 and LD3
Belén Sisa, AZ Immigrant Rights Activist
Patti Serrano, Executive Committee Member of ADP, AZ CD5, LD 17
Eve Shapiro, AZ CD2
Aubrey Sonderegger, AZ CD1 and LD6
Lee Stanfield, PC in AZ CD2 and LD10
Christine (“Wendy”) Sticht, AZ
Joanna Sweatt, AZ CD5, LD17
Barbara Tellman AZ CD3, LD3
Beth Trachy, AZ CD7 and LD 24
Barbara H Warren, AZ CD2
Marilyn Weissman, AZ CD1 and LD 6
Sonya Landau, AZ CD2
Katya Peterson, AZ CD2
Cynthia Soffrin, CD2? And LD10
Jean de Jong, AZ CD2
Stephanie Keenan, AZ
Ellen Shenkarow, AZ PC63
Dianne M. Bret Harte, AZ
Beth Mitchneck, AZ CD2, LD10
Claire E. Scheuren, AZ CD 2 and LD 9
Mary Marjorie King, CD2
Laurie Melrood, AZ CD 3 and LD 3
Paula Glitsos Walsh, AZ CD9, LD28
Peggie Jo Vincent, AZ CD-3, LD-1
Shayna Stevens, CD-9, LD-18
Xenia Orona, AZ CD 7 and LD-27
Jennifer Tanner, AZ CD 1 and LD 6
Rebecca Garelli, AZ CD5, LD 12
Elaine Paul
Toby Friedman AZ CD2 and LD6
Charlotte Mullis, AZ
Lori Lagorio, AZ CD2 and LD6
Carolyn Kavanagh, AZ CD2
Virginia Desmond, AZ CD2
Kim Crooks, AZ CD2
Cynthia Lang, AZ CD2
Marilyn Bernhardt, CD2 and LD 6
Rosemary Hooper AZ CD 2
Ann Barry, AZ
Maureen Delaney, AZ CD7 and LD24
Karen Taylor, AZ LD 6
Cathleen Banister-Marx, AZ LD 6
Peggy Natiello, CD2 and LD6
Rosemary Hooper AZ CD2
Elizabeth Holley, Tucson, CD 2, LD 10
Martha Lynne, Tucson, CD3, LD3
Jennifer Bosma, CD2, LD9
Laurie Seymour, AZ