Jasmin Loaiza spent the day at the state Capitol not only to make her voice heard in the ongoing battle to address climate change, but to advocate on behalf of her toddler daughter. A dream of a better future for generations to come is what drives her in her work with Chispa Arizona, a group that works to organize within the Latinx community to fight for environmental justice.
“I am fighting for a better system for our children,” Loaiza said.
Chispa Arizona was one of over 40 advocacy groups that gathered at the Capitol on Thursday for “Environmental Advocacy Day,” an annual assembly that aims to connect the people with their lawmakers, providing a platform for climate conscious Arizonans to advocate for changes in environmental policy.
According to Sandy Bahr, the lead organizer and head of the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, the tradition at the Capitol has grown in both size and impact since its inception three decades ago.
“The first year we did Environmental Day at the Capitol was in the 90’s, and we met in one of the hearing rooms. There were like 25-30 people there — it was very small, and we just talked to a few legislators,” Bahr said.
This year, more than 300 people registered to attend the event that now takes up the Wesley Bolin Plaza with tables of all of the participating community groups. Teams based on legislative districts were formed statewide to assist in carpool efforts and help community members prepare to speak in legislative committee meetings.
The Sierra Club, in collaboration with Chispa Arizona, worked with legislators to introduce four bills this year:
- SB 1331 and HB 2397– Sponsored by Sen. Priya Sundareshan and Rep. Quantá Crews, respectively, both bills aim to repeal a state law that bans state agencies from creating their own programs regulating greenhouse gas emissions for the climate change purposes without legislative authorization.
- SB 1332 – Also introduced by Sundareshan, this bill would repeal parts of Proposition 400 that prohibits the restriction of the sale or use of a car based on its energy source.
- HCR 2015 – This resolution by Rep. Oscar De Los Santos would amend the state constitution to declare that all Arizonans have an inherent right to a clean and healthy environment.
Like many of the activists present today, Vania Guevara, Chispa’s advocacy deputy director, knows that getting all of their supported legislation considered, much less passed, in the Republican-controlled is a tall feat.
“We understand that they aren’t going to get a hearing, but that doesn’t deter us from trying to be proactive and fight for a free, just, clean environment,” Guevara said.
At last year’s event, attendees rallied behind the “Trees for Kids” initiative, or Senate Bill 1689, to plant more trees at lower income schools as a way to protect those children from the rising heat. Even though the bill was never heard in committee, supporters worked with legislative Democrats and Gov. Katie Hobbs to secure $300,000 for the project.
“This work is really my passion. I feel like I’m a lucky person to be able to work on what I am most passionate about.” Bahr said. “It’s too important to give up, and I know that most people agree.”
This story first appeared in AZ Mirror.
