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Kelly Townsend |
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Co-Founder
of the Greater Phoenix
Tea Party and
far right Republican extremist member of the Arizona
Senate representing District 16 since 2021 and
previously a member of the Arizona House of
Representatives from 2013 to 2021. From 2017 to
2018, Townsend was the Majority Whip of the
House of Representatives. In 2018, she stirred
some controversy during a highly publicized
teachers' protest for more education funding by
responding to a constituent that the money in
the budget that was set for other items to
include a suicide hotline, training for police
officers, money for Alzheimer's research, etc.
would no longer be available. She also offered
to help any teacher, parent, or student harmed
by the illegal strike to find legal
representation in a class action lawsuit and
suggested that it was up to the lawyers to
determine who the defendants would be.
Representative Townsend was an ardent opponent
of the political and ideological nature of the
movement, yet maintained that she did support
the teachers throughout the movement, despite
the heckling online and at the Capitol. In 2019,
she said that mandatory vaccination for children
was "Communist". Following the 2020 United
States presidential election, Townsend supported
the "Stop the Steal" movement which falsely
claimed that
Donald Trump won the election
nationally and in Arizona. Months later, she
supported legislation that would require voters
in Arizona who vote by mail to include
identification paperwork along with their
ballots. In 2021 Townsend sponsored Senate Bill
1503, which would, if passed, prohibit returning
early ballots by mail and instead require them
to be hand delivered. |
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Kelly
Townsend
Took
Taxpayer
Money, Cash
From Pfizer
To Fund
Campaigns |
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"Republican
State
Senator Kelly
Townsend ran
her
campaigns
with
taxpayer
funds and
took money
from a
laundry list
of lobbyists
and even big
pharma
corporation
Pfizer as
she climbed
the ladder
of Arizona
politics" |
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Jul. 18,
2022 |
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| Center for Arizona Policy |
| 2022 Survey Questions For Arizona Candidates |
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| Position Sought: State Senate District 7 |
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| Question 2: Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law. |
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| Candidates' Position: Oppose. |
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| Question 4: Allowing biological males that identify as transgender to play on female sports’ teams. |
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| Candidates' Position: Oppose |
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| Question 8: Allowing parents to seek professional counseling for their minor child with same-sex attraction or gender identity issues.* |
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| Candidates' Position: Support |
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| Question 9: Protecting individuals and businesses from being required to provide services or use their artistic expression in a manner that violates their moral or religious beliefs.** |
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| Candidates' Position: Support. |
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| * This is in reference to the dangerous and disproven "Reparative Therapy". |
| **Discriminatory "Religious Freedom" laws. |
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The FBI
Subpoenaed
Karen Fann
And Kelly
Townsend For
Information
On The
January 6
Insurrection |
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"Fann,
a Prescott
Republican,
hired and
helped lead
the “audit”
of Maricopa
County’s
2020
Presidential
election
results. She
was also in
communication
with a
number of Trump allies
such as OANN
correspondent
Christina
Bobb — who
also worked
for the
Trump
campaign and
sent emails
to Fann on
behalf of
Trump
attorney
Rudy
Guiliani in
December
2020 that
included
witness
declarations,
statements
and expert
testimony.
Bobb’s
non-profit
would also
supply
volunteers
for the
“audit”
itself as
well as
funding.
Quintero
also
confirmed
that Townsend,
a staunch
supporter of
the “audit”
efforts and
bogus
election
fraud
claims, was
issued a
similar
subpoena.
Quintero
said she is
not aware of
any other
senator who
was issued a
subpoena." |
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Jun. 30,
2022 |
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Kelly
Townsend
Encourages Vigilantes
To Camp
Outside
Ballot
Drop-Off
Boxes. Is
That Legal? |
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"The Arizona
Secretary of
State's
Office has
rules in
place for
what
citizens can
and cannot
do at voting
locations.
"Any attempt
to
intimidate,
coerce, or
threaten a
person to
vote or not
vote is
strictly
prohibited
and may be
criminally
punishable,"
the office's
website
states.
Arizona law
further
states it is
illegal "to
practice
intimidation
upon or
against any
person, in
order to
induce or
compel such
person to
vote or
refrain from
voting for a
particular
person or
measure at
any
election." “If
they do
anything to
affect the
people who
are voting
so that they
are less
likely to
vote, or
affect the
way they
vote. If
they do that
in any
threatening
manner, that
would be
illegal,"" |
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Jun. 1, 2022 |
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This Arizona
Lawmaker
Displayed
The Nazi
Flag On
Twitter, But
Hates
Anti-Semites |
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Mar. 3, 2022 |
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Shame On
Every
Republican
Who Voted To
Sabotage
Arizona's
Schools |
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"It’s not
surprising
that our
leaders
finally
broke down
and agreed
to allow the
public
schools to
spend money
that’s
already
sitting in
their bank
accounts –
money the
Legislature
appropriated
last June.
What is
stunning is
that 20
Republicans
– 14 in the
House and
six in the
Senate –
actually
voted to
stiff the
schools and
to heck with
the impact
on the one
million
Arizona
children who
attend
them." |
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Feb. 22,
2022 |
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Trump-Anointed Arizona Candidate Has Questionable Ties To The Bundys, The Oath Keepers And The Controversial 'Constitutional Sheriffs' |
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| "Kelly Townsend was serving her first term as a member of the Arizona state House in April 2014 when she traveled to Bunkerville, Nev. to support the Bundy family in their fight with the federal Bureau of Land Management. |
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| The standoff galvanized the far right as hundreds of armed supporters streamed to Nevada to support the Bundys, along with organizations like the Oath Keepers and the Constitutional Sheriffs & Peace Officers Association, or CSPOA. The armed supporters ultimately forced the Bureau of Land Management to abandon its plan to round up Cliven Bundy’s cattle in response to his refusal to pay fees for the privilege of grazing his herd on federal land. Townsend and a handful of other Arizona state lawmakers was at the Bundy ranch two days later to celebrate the federal government’s retreat. |
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| Townsend was one of seven state legislators summoned to Bunkerville in 2014 by CSPOA. The group also included Kelli Ward, who currently serves as chair of the Arizona Republican Party, and who like Townsend has pushed various bogus "audits" of the 2020 election. At the time, CSPOA trumpeted support from then-state Senate Majority Leader Andy Biggs, who would become a key congressional ally in Trump's scheme to overturn the 2020 election, although by all accounts Biggs did not go to Bunkerville. |
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| Earlier this month, as a member of the state Senate running for Congress in Arizona’s new 6th District, Townsend warmed up a crowd waiting to hear Donald Trump in Florence. Townsend laid out four issues: educational “indoctrination” (she touted vouchers so parents “can get your kids out of these cesspools”), border security, “medical tyranny” and “election fraud.” |
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Jan. 27, 2022 |
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Trump-Supporting Arizona Politicians Push Election Lies At Florence Rally |
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Jan. 16, 2022 |
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| "Kari Lake, a former TV anchor who's running for governor, began her speech with the theme of some of the other speakers, praising America under Trump and listing its problems under Biden. As did others, she called Trump “president” and slammed the 2020 election as “rotten to the core.”" |
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| "We are so blessed to have Donald Trump with us here today. We know the election was stolen,” state Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, said when she took the stage, echoing the sentiments of other speakers and crowd members, who cheered her in response." |
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| "Like-minded Trump supporters in the Legislature included speakers at Saturday's rally such as Rogers, Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley, Sen. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City, and former representative Anthony Kern, who's running for the state Senate." |
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A GOP
Senator
Likened
COVID
Vaccines To
The
Holocaust,
Tweeted A
Swastika And
Told A
Jewish Group
Who
Complained
To 'Learn
Your
History' |
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"Sen. Kelly
Townsend was
sharply
criticized
by the
international
Jewish
organization,
the
Anti-Defamation
League." |
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Sep. 15,
2021 |
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GOP
Lawmakers
Ask Gov.
Ducey To
Withhold
Funding From
School
Districts
Mandating
Masks |
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"Several
prominent
Arizona
Republicans
issued a
joint letter
Wednesday
afternoon
asking Gov. Doug
Ducey to
withhold
funding and
begin legal
action
against
school
districts
that are not
following
state [mask]
laws." |
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Aug. 11,
2021 |
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Is Sen.
Kelly
Townsend An
Insurrectionist? |
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"Townsend was a
major
supporter of
the “Stop
the Steal”
movement,
which
falsely
claimed
then-President Donald
Trump won
the election
both in
Arizona and
nationally." |
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Mar. 10,
2021 |
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State
Senator
Kelly
Townsend
Wants to
Invalidate
Mailed-In
Ballots |
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Jan. 28,
2021 |
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Senator
Kelly
Townsend -
Oathkeeper |
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Oathkeepers:
"heavily
armed
extremists
with a
conspiratorial
and
anti-government
mindset" |
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Screenshot
from Kelly
Townsends
Twitter
account Jan.
17, 2021.
Account now
deleted. |
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Archive |
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State Sen.
Kelly
Townsend
Plans To
Spew
Unmasked
Exhaust At
The Capitol |
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Dec. 28,
2020 |
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Arizona
Republicans
Back Texas
AG’s Attempt
To Overturn
Election |
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"Arizona
state Reps. Nancy
Barto, Frank
Carroll, John
Fillmore, Mark
Finchem, Travis
Grantham, Anthony
Kern, Steve
Pierce, Bret
Roberts and Kelly
Townsend,
and Sens. Sylvia
Allen, Sonny
Borrelli, David
Gowan and David
Livingston signed
onto the
amicus
brief." |
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Dec. 10,
2020 |
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Arizona Rep.
Kelly
Townsend's
Anti-Mask
Claim Lacks
Proof |
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Jun. 8, 2020 |
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State Rep.
Kelly
Townsend
Avows Her
Right To Put
You (And
Herself) At
Risk For
COVID-19 |
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May 21, 2020 |
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Arizona Rep.
Kelly
Townsend Is
Outraged By
Gov. Doug
Ducey's Plan
To Save
Lives |
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Apr. 30,
2020 |
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Dear GOP:
Where Are
The Ethics
In Voter
Suppression? |
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"The
Republican
chairwoman
of the state
House
Elections
Committee is
very upset
with a few
Democratic
members of
the
committee
because they
didn’t
politely
stand by
while yet
another
voter
suppression
bill was
being
ramrodded
through the
committee." |
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Feb. 20,
2020 |
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Arizona Rep.
Kelly
Townsend
Contacted
Man's
Employer
After He
Criticized
Her On
Facebook |
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May 29, 2019 |
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Rep.
Kelly
Townsend
Amps Up Her
Anti-Vaxxer
Crazy,
Comparing
Vaccines To Holocaust
Tattoos |
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Mar. 10,
2019 |
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Arizona
Lawmaker
Kelly
Townsend
Compares
Vaccines To
Communism |
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"Is it
"Communist"
to require
children to
get
vaccinated?
Arizona
State
Representative Kelly
Townsend thinks
so." |
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Feb.28, 2019 |
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Bills To
Restrict
Teachers
Reawakens
Red For Ed
Movement |
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Jan. 4, 2019 |
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Republican
Lawmaker
Takes Aim At
Public
Schools |
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Oct. 26,
2018 |
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Battle Lines
Drawn In
Arizona Gay
Discrimination
Case |
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Dec. 24,
2018 |
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| Center for Arizona Policy |
| 2018 Candidate Questionnaire |
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| Position Sought: State Representative LD-16 |
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| Question 4: Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law. |
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| Candidates' Position: Oppose. |
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| Question 9: Protecting a parent’s right to seek professional counseling for their minor child with same– sex attraction or gender identity issues to help them reach their desired outcome.* |
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| Candidates' Position: Support. |
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| * This is in reference to the dangerous and disproven "Reparative Therapy". |
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Arizona
Lawmaker
Kelly
Townsend
Wants To
Know What A
Furry Is |
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May 4, 2018 |
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Mesa Couple
Call
Lawmaker's
Response To
Red For Ed
Email 'Rude'
And
'Appalling' |
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Apr. 24,
2018 |
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Photo:
Facebook |
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Arizona
Legislator
Threatens To
Sue Over
Teachers'
Strike. But
Sue Who? |
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Apr. 24,
2018 |
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Rep Kelly
Townsend
Presents
Alternative
Facts |
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Feb. 3, 2017 |
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Dead
Celebrities
Are
'Druggies'
And 'Tweakers,'
Says Arizona
Rep In
Facebook
Post |
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Jan. 3, 2017 |
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| Center for Arizona Policy |
| 2016 Survey Questions For Arizona Candidates |
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| Position Sought: State Senate LD-16 |
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| Question 4: Adding "sexual orientation," "gender identity," or "gender expression" to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law. |
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| Candidates' Position: Oppose. |
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| Question 6: Prohibiting government from discriminating against an individual, organization, or small business based on their beliefs about marriage.* |
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| Candidates' Position: Support. |
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| Question 10: Implementing policies to allow students and faculty to use the restroom, locker room, and shower room that aligns with their gender identity. |
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| Candidates' Position: Oppose. |
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| * Discriminatory "Religious Freedom" laws. |
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2016
Legislative
Preview: The
More Things
Change, The
More That
They Don’t… |
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Jan. 7, 2016 |
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| Center for Arizona Policy |
| 2014 Candidate Questionnaire |
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| Position Sought: State Representative LD-16 |
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| Question 9: Arizona’s voter-approved constitutional definition of marriage should be defended to the fullest extent legally possible. |
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| Candidates' Position: Support |
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| Question 11: Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in antidiscrimination law. |
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| Candidates' Position: Oppose |
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| Question 15: Protecting individuals and businesses from being required to provide services or use their artistic expression in a manner that violates their moral or religious beliefs.* |
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| Candidates' Position: Support |
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| * Discriminatory "Religious Freedom" laws. |
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Arizona
Legislators
See Cliven
Bundy As A
Hero? |
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Apr. 19,
2014 |
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List Of
Arizona
Republicans
Who Voted
For Anti-Gay
Discrimination
Bill |
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Feb. 28,
2014 |
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Constantin
Querard's
Taxpayer-Paid
Bootlickers
David Gowan,
Steve
Montenegro,
Carl Seel,
Steve Smith,
And Kelly
Townsend Do
Their
Master's
Bidding |
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Feb. 26,
2013 |
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| Center for Arizona Policy |
| 2012 Candidate Questionnaire |
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| Position Sought: State Representative LD-16 |
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| Question 9: Amending the United States Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. |
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| Candidates' Position: Support |
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| Question 11: Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law. |
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| Candidates' Position: Oppose |
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| Question 15: Protecting professionals from being required to provide services that violate their moral or religious beliefs.* |
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| Candidates' Position: Support |
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| * Discriminatory "Religious Freedom" laws. |
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Trump Plans
Meeting On
Arizona
Birth Bill |
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Apr. 7, 2011 |
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| Center for Arizona Policy |
| 2010 Candidate Questionnaire |
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| Position Sought: State Representative LD-22 |
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| Question 9: Amending the United States Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. |
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| Candidates' Position: Support |
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| Question 12: Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in nondiscrimination law. |
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| Candidates' Position: Oppose |
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| Question 15: Protecting professionals from being required to provide services that violate their moral or religious beliefs.* |
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| Candidates' Position: Support |
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| * Discriminatory "Religious Freedom" laws. |
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