Journalists’ Roundtable: AZ Right to Contraception Act, AZ Starter Homes Act and AG vs. intoxicating hemp products

It’s Friday, and that means it’s time for another edition of Journalists’ Roundtable. To discuss this week’s top stories, we were joined by Laurie Roberts of “The Arizona Republic” and azcentral.com, Camryn Sanchez of KJZZ Radio, and Howie Fischer of Capitol Media Services.

This week’s Journalists’ Roundtable covered:

• Arizona Right to Contraception Act
• Arizona Starter Homes Act
• AG vs. Intoxicating Hemp Products
• Christina Bobb joins RNC
• Lake Dodges debate with Lamb

Legislation surrounding contraception in Arizona:

Laurie Roberts: “Many women are rightfully concerned after losing the constitutional right to an abortion that the supreme court may at some point also reconsider 1950’s, 1960’s era decisions that guarantee women, or couples, the right to contraception. So, in Arizona and other places they’re trying to nail down a state law that guarantees that right in the event that the supreme court would take that away. Democrats in both the house and senate here introduced bills that were promptly and totally ignored by the Republicans. So, this week, they tried a little legislative mumbo-jumbo, judicial whatever you want to call it, to force the bills to be on the house floor. Of course, the real purpose was not so much to get a vote because they knew Republicans were never going to vote ‘yes’ on this- the real purpose of it was to get that ‘no’ vote so that they’ll have it for November.”

Camryn Sanchez: They decided (the Republicans) to vote ‘no’ on the idea of bringing up the real bill and yet its 100% for the elections, contraception is even more popular than abortion, I mean, really most people want it and it’s not really an imminent threat in Arizona. No one’s attempting in Arizona’s legislature to take away the right to contraception.”

Howie Fischer: “Except for the fact, as Laurie points out, that in the reversal of Roe Justice Thomas had a little bit at the bottom said, ‘you know, while we’ve been passed on the constitutional right to abortion, there’s this case called Grizwald, the right to contraception, and there’s the case called Obergefell, which deals with rights of gays to marry. There are other decisions having to do with same sex relationships, and he said ‘maybe we should revisit them,’ and if that didn’t send a shiver up a lot of people’s spines, I don’t know what would.”