Sunburnt & Stubborn: Weekly Activism Roundup | Mar 9 - Mar 15

Welcome back. Hobbs vetoed some Charlie Kirk bills, the DHS shutdown is still going, and Arizona's Legislature is moving fast on bills that target trans students, restrict free speech, and push religious doctrine into public schools. It is a lot. But so are you! Here is everything happening this week — pick what fits your schedule and let's get to work.

Civic Engagement & Democracy

Sunday, March 8 | CEBV Happy Hour: AZ Legislative Session Update | 4:00 PM | Virtual: Civic Engagement Beyond Voting is back for another weekly Legislative Happy Hour covering what is moving at the Capitol, what it means, and what you can do about it. Guest speakers join regularly to help connect state politics to real community impact.

Monday, March 9 | Request to Speak (RTS) Training | 6:30 PM | Virtual Civic Engagement Beyond Voting is hosting a free virtual training on Arizona's Request to Speak system, the online tool that lets any resident weigh in on bills moving through the Legislature from home. If you do not have an RTS account yet, CEBV will set one up for you before the training.

Tuesday, March 10 | Tempe Ballot-by-Mail Election — Return Your Ballot | Tempe The City of Tempe is holding a Ballot-by-Mail Jurisdictional Election on March 10. All qualified Tempe voters were automatically mailed a ballot — it is too late to return it by mail, so please drop it at a secure ballot drop box, or vote a replacement ballot in person at the Tempe History Museum. Find drop box locations at Locations.Maricopa.Vote

Wednesday, March 11 | Candidate Bingo Night — AJDems & AJGC Indivisible | 6:00 PM | Apache Junction + Zoom AJDems and AJGC Indivisible are hosting their monthly meeting in a Candidate Bingo format — meet Democratic and independent candidates one-on-one, fill in your bingo card for a prize, and connect with neighbors working on local issues. Attendance is in person at the Apache Junction Multigenerational Center, Room 117, or via Zoom.

Thursday, March 12 | Changing the Narrative: Messaging 101 | 6:30 PM | Virtual Civic Engagement Beyond Voting is hosting a virtual training on how to write effective messages for Letters to the Editor, grassroots organizing, and issue advocacy. Plenty of time for questions is built into the training.

Saturday, March 15 | CEBV Happy Hour: AZ Legislative Session Update | 4:00 PM | Virtual Another weekly Legislative Happy Hour from Civic Engagement Beyond Voting: current bills, local politics, and what you can do. This is one of the best groups in Arizona – please join!

Education & Voucher Accountability

Monday, March 9 & Wednesday, March 11 | Protect Education Volunteer Circulator Training | 6:30 PM | Virtual A coalition of Arizona families and educators is collecting signatures to put the Protect Education Act on the ballot — a measure that would reform Arizona's $1 billion ESA voucher program by adding safety standards, financial accountability, and transparency. This virtual training prepares volunteers to collect signatures in their communities.

Saturday, March 14 | School Board Candidate Training | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Phoenix AEA, AZ List, and SOS Arizona are co-hosting a two-day training for anyone considering running for school board in Arizona — covering the role of a board member, how to build a campaign, and everything in between. This is Day One of two; plan to attend both days in full. Location: Arizona Education Association, Phoenix.

Energy & Climate

Wednesday, March 11 | SRP Postcard Party | 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM | Phoenix Desert Democracy is addressing postcards to remind voters to return their SRP Board election ballots before April 7. The SRP Board election will determine whether consumer-friendly solar programs survive and whether AI data centers and rate hikes get the green light; all supplies provided, food and drinks available for purchase at Fate Brewing Company in Phoenix.

Immigration

Tuesday, March 10, Wednesday, March 12 & Saturday, March 14 | Protest ICE Detention at Surprise Spring Training | 11:15 AM – 1:15 PM | Surprise Northwest Valley Indivisible is taking the fight against Surprise's planned $70 million ICE detention facility to spring training — where fans from across the country will be watching. Meet at the southwest corner of Bullard Ave & Paradise Lane. Bring a sign, bring your family, sign up for one date or all three.

Monday, March 9 | ICE Out of Mesa — Mesa City Council Meeting | 5:30 PM | Mesa (Address Shared Upon RSVP) LUCHA is organizing weekly community gatherings ahead of Mesa City Council meetings to demand transparency and an end to the 287g agreement between Mesa PD and ICE. Families in Mesa have been separated and community members continue to disappear ... show up every other Monday and make the council hear it.

Wednesday, March 11 | ICE Off Campus: Alumni & Higher Education Organizing Call | 4:30 PM | Virtual Indivisible, Stand For Campus Freedom, and the Emergency Campaign to Support Higher Education are hosting a call on what alumni, neighbors, and community members can do to keep ICE off college campuses. You do not need a campus connection to attend — anyone concerned about ICE enforcement in higher education is welcome.

Protests

Wednesday, March 11 | Rush-Hour Resistance Rally — Surprise | 4:00 – 5:30 PM | Surprise: Desert Democracy's Rush-Hour Resistance Rally has a new location this week: Bell Rd & Civic Center Dr in Surprise, just down the street from the planned ICE detention facility. Show up anytime, bring a sign focused on democracy, voting, or protecting neighbors, and park on the north side of Paradise Lane across from the library.

Saturday, March 14 | Sign-Making for No Kings 3.0 | 9:00 – 11:00 AM | Phoenix: Desert Democracy is hosting a sign-making session ahead of the upcoming No Kings Day protest on March 28. Supplies are provided: construction paper, markers, and slogan ideas, but bring additional materials if you have them. Exact location near Camelback & 24th Street will be emailed to attendees.

Saturday, March 14 | Stand Up CD-8 Protest | 9:00 – 10:30 AM | Phoenix Desert Progressives Indivisible is holding their weekly peaceful protest at N 35th Avenue & W Peoria Avenue, calling out Rep. Abe Hamadeh for refusing to hold public town halls and hiding from constituents while supporting Trump's agenda. Show up, bring a sign, and make it visible.

• The US war on Iran is now in its second week, and Congress still hasn't stopped it. Six US servicemembers and hundreds of Iranian civilians are dead. Call your senators, call your representative, and email them all — demand they use every tool available to end it immediately. Call your rep: https://indivisible.org/actions/no-war-iran-house/ | Call your senators: https://indivisible.org/actions/no-war-iran-senate/ | Email all members: https://act.indivisible.org/sign/no-iran-war/
• DHS has been shut down over 20 days. Demand Democrats hold the line. Republicans want Democrats to cave and fund ICE without accountability in exchange for ending the shutdown. Democrats have stood firm so far — keep the pressure on and make sure they know you're still watching. Find call scripts and rally resources here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L6s-JhPAMq4AMzgFf_olVXmh8QH91LNFp4N6oQICFqs/edit?tab=t.0
• Tell Congress to halt the ICE terror machine. GOP lawmakers are using the Iran war as leverage to push through new ICE and Border Patrol funding with zero accountability. Demand serious guardrails as a bare minimum for any DHS funding deal: https://indivisible.org/campaigns/halt-ice-terror/
• Oppose HB2175 ... Arizona's First Amendment is on the line. This bill would give prosecutors broad discretion to charge people with hate crimes based on political affiliations, putting protesters and organizers directly at risk. Email Arizona legislators now - this is still LIVE! https://secure.ngpvan.com/UNlfx22pjEK69a_4ycqabA2
• Thank Governor Hobbs for vetoing eight harmful bills. Including SB1051, which would have forced hospitals to work with ICE, and multiple bills cutting SNAP eligibility. Let her know you expect her to keep going: https://act.progressarizona.org/call/Hobbs-Veto-thank-you/
• Demand corporations condemn the illegal war on Iran. Tech and AI companies whose platforms enable the war have stayed silent while Congress-unauthorized bombings kill civilians. Tell them whose side they need to be on: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/demand-companies-side-with-the-people-the-constitution-not-the-regime-waging-illegal-war
• Track and act on this week's Arizona bills. Secular AZ has compiled a list of bills being heard this week targeting trans students, limiting free speech, pushing religion into public schools, banning books, and codifying fetal personhood. Links to RTS and contact tools are included: https://secularaz.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bill-Tracking-2126-7.pdf
• Find your No Kings Day event — March 28. Nearly 2,000 events are already registered nationwide. Find one near you or host your own: https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=indivisible#map
• Pledge your support for ESA voucher reform. A coalition of Arizona families and educators is pushing a ballot measure to add accountability, transparency, and safety standards to Arizona's $1 billion voucher program. Add your name: https://www.mobilize.us/protecteducationaccountabilitynow/event/898604

Thanks so much for being here! Researched, compiled, and published by June @ AZ Advocacy Hub.