In response to the state's shit show of a presidential preference election back in March, U.S. Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick and Ruben Gallego, alongside several community advocates, will host a voting rights forum in Phoenix on Wednesday. 

To refresh your memory: Thousands of voters, mostly in Maricopa County, were either turned down at polling places because they were incorrectly registered as independents, or waited for hours and hours due to a massive cutback in voting locations. 

At the panel, Kirkpatrick, Gallego and representatives of the African-American, Latino/Mexican American communities, the state's Department of Education, as well as other statewide leaders will discuss the need for local, state and federal efforts "to fully engage voters and prevent the March debacle from repeating in November's general election or in future election years," a press release from Kirkpatrick's office says. 

The forum will also address the need for restoring the Voting Rights Act, which was weakened in 2013 by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Shelby County v. Holder—a ruling that has been called “a dagger in the heart of the Voting Rights Act.” In that decision, Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged the persistence of voter discrimination and invited Congress to come up with a new coverage formula based on current conditions. Two bipartisan bills in Congress would do so, but leaders in the House and Senate will not take up either bill. 

Among the panelists are, Cloves Campbell Jr., executive director of Arizona Commission of African-American Affairs, Debora Colbert, chair of Rep. Gallego’s African-American Advisory Council; Alex Gomez, co-director of Living United for a Change in Arizona, Dr. Ann Hart, chair of Women in NAACP, deputy associate superintendent of Arizona Department of Education
Francisco Heredia, national field director for Mi Familia Vota, John Lewis, former executive director of Intertribal Council of Arizona, and Daniel Ortega Jr., civil rights attorney and former chair of National Council of La Raza, according to the press release, which adds that the lineup is still being worked out.

Tucsonans, if you're able to attend, do so.

The forum takes place Wednesday, June 29 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church, 7040 S. 40th Street (remember, this is in Phoenix). 

Millions of undocumented parents and youth took a painful hit last week when the U.S. Supreme Court announced its 4-4 decision on a lawsuit challenging two immigration relief programs issued by President Barack Obama almost two years ago. A split stance on the issue means both DAPA and extended DACA remain blocked.

But immigration rights advocates, and immigrants who could have benefited from DAPA (which would grant parents of U.S. citizen or resident children relief from deportation and a renewable three-year work permit) and DACA II (an extension without age restrictions for DREAMers who didn't qualify for Obama's 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which also granted a three-year work permit rather than a two-year permit) say they are committed to keeping the community united and strong.

They're also reminding Latino voters and allies in the fight for immigration reform that the elections in November will be decisive. Even though the roughly 5 million undocumented immigrants who could have qualified for DAPA or extended DACA cannot vote, they sure as hell know people who can, including their U.S. citizen children who turned, or will turn, 18 before the General Election. 

According to an April article on The Hill, the number of Latino voters is "skyrocketing," especially since presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump made a political career out of calling Latin American immigrants rapists and criminals, and promised xenophobes he would build a bigger wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Blake Lively, whose best role until now was the secretary in that SNL “Potato Chip” sketch, is terrific as Nancy, a medical school dropout who goes to a secret beach in Mexico in the wake of her mother’s death. She sets out for a day of surfing and reflection in what she thinks is a completely solitary setting (with the exception of a couple other friendly surfers). Turns out, there’s a big-assed Great White shark, and this would be it’s part of Earth, and no trespassers are allowed, even if they are as pretty as Blake Lively.

As shark movies go, this is a good one, with decent CGI effects, a couple of tense shark attacks, and a constant level of terror that never lets up. The only thing really keeping this from being “very good” rather than “nice and good” would be the ending, which made me laugh a laugh I shouldn’t have laughed. Even with the big flaw, this is one of the summer movie season’s more fun offerings, certainly a lot more fun than that one with aliens and Jeff Goldblum in it.

Note to producers: Please don’t make a sequel where the shark’s offspring follows Blake Lively to a vacation resort, Jaws: The Revenge style. You’ve made an all time top ten shark movie; quit while you are ahead.

June 26, 2016 from Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel on Vimeo.

On this week's episode of Zona Politics: We sit down with Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, Board of Supes candidate John Winchester, who is challenging Supervisor Ally Miller in the GOP primary, and Kirsten Engel, a candidate for the Arizona House of Representatives in District 10.

The show airs at 8 a.m. Sunday on the CW Tucson, Channel 8 on Cox and Comcast and Channel 58 on DirecTV, Dish and broadcast. You can also hear it at 5 p.m. Sunday on community radio KXCI, 91.3 FM. Or watch it online above.

Here's a rush transcript of the show:

Hello, everyone. I'm Tucson Weekly senior writer Jim Nintzel and we're here to talk Zona Politics. Joining me on the set today: Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson, the chair of the county board. Supervisor Bronson was first elected in to the Board of Supervisors in 1996 and now is seeking her sixth term. Supervisor Bronson, welcome to Zona Politics.

(Bronson) Very happy to be here, Jim, and I love your new studio.

(Nintzel) Thanks so much. Why are you seeking another term?

(Bronson) Well you know, finally, we are headed in the right direction in terms of economic development. The momentum is with us. Witness: Accelerate, World View, Comcast and now, most recently, Caterpillar. We've turned around this recession, and I want to continue that momentum, and make sure it's not reversed.

(Nintzel) So one of the biggest complaints I hear, and, certainly, you hear, is the condition of Pima County roads. What can the county do to start getting on top of this backlog of deferred maintenance on that infrastructure?

It's the beginning of summer which means shelters are overcrowded and desperate to find homes for their four-legged boarders.

Two types of animals that are hard to find homes for? Seniors and bonded pairs.

























Meet Darby and Buster. These bonded seniors that are available for adoption at Pinal County Animal Control (1150 S Eleven Mile Corner Road in  Casa Grande. 520-509-3555).

They are both 10 years-old, and were left at the shelter after their owner died. A volunteer at the shelter says, "They are extremely friendly, well-behaved and get along well with other dogs... I think it is important that they stay together as they are so attached to one another, and they have been through so much. PCAC is extremely over-crowded right now and these two seniors are sharing an overcrowded kennel in this heat."

Stock up on snacks and get ready for a mini road trip because you're going to Phoenix! The Phillies are stopping by to play the Diamondbacks next week, and you (and a friend) could be there.

The game starts at 6:40 p.m. at Chase Field (401 E. Jefferson Street in Phoenix) on Tuesday, June 28. We'll call the winner midday Monday.

Want to go? Enter here:

I listened to the 2 hour, 45 minute audio of Tuesday's Classrooms First Initiative Council meeting and can report that nothing happened.

OK, that's not entirely true. In the weeks following the May 17 vote on Prop 123 vote, a number of people and organizations submitted school funding proposals to the council—revenue-neutral proposals for moving around existing funds, not adding money to the education budget—and on Tuesday they got up one by one and explained their proposals to the council. In other words, very serious people presented very serious proposals, which very serious council members listened to very seriously. If I had been at the meeting, I'm sure I would have seen very serious nodding of heads by the council members as well. Everyone got their say, but that doesn't mean much. The only people who matter are the council members. It's up to them to make the final funding proposals. They can take what they want from the submitted ideas and leave the rest.

I may write about the proposals in a later post, but right now I want to look at the council members, since they're the ones who will decide which proposals to listen to and which to ignore. Five members represent charter schools, including Greg Miller, the President of the State Board of Education who founded Challenge Charter School, and Kathy Senseman, President of the State Board of Charter Schools. Four of them represent school districts—two superintendents, a chief financial officer and a teacher. That's a 5-4 split in favor of charter schools, in a state where students attending district schools outnumber charter school students 5-1.

Co-chairing the council are Doug Ducey and Jim Swanson, the only two council members with no direct connection to education. Ducey's anti-funding, pro-privatization stance on education is an open book, but we don't know much about Swanson. He's the President and CEO of Kitchell Corporation, a commercial contracting business whose market includes, according to its website, "K-12: Building and renovating facilities that make best use of public funds and stand the test of time." If more charter schools are built, Swanson stands to reap some of the benefits. His only other education connection, so far as I could find, is a December, 2014, guest opinion in the AZ Republic singing the praises of tax credits for private schools. He's definitely an education privatization kind of guy.

Rent some movies, drink some iced tea and pretend it isn't hot enough to bake cookies in your car. 

1. Zootopia
   
   

Eric Kroll has worked as a photographer for many well-known publications including Vogue, Elle, the New York Times and Der Spiegel and is internationally known for his work in fetish photography. His work and the story of his impressive accolades in the world of photography are detailed in this week's TW cover story.

This Saturday, June 25 Etherton Gallery (135 S 6th Ave.) will be hosting a pop-up event featuring the photographer. 

The pop-up event will include a talk and Q & A with Kroll, where he will discuss his various interests and career as a famed photographer. With a career as long and infamous as Kroll’s, his stories are sure to excite and entertain. Those in attendance will get to glance into the mind of an artist who has never been afraid to push the envelope in the realm of sexually explorative photography.  

This gallery event is a unique opportunity to see some of Kroll’s black and white photography, most of which were publish in a variety of magazines and books. The gallery will also feature Kroll’s newer work.

The event starts at 2 p.m.

Head up to Tempe this weekend to watch the Miss Gay Arizona America 2016 pageant. 

Tucson's very own Tempest DuJour, Miss Gay Tucson America 2016, will be competing for the crown on Sunday, June 26 against nine other contestants—including Miss Gay Tucson America 2016 runner-up, Demi LaRaye. 

Contestants will be partake in five categories: male interview, solo talent, evening gown, on-stage interview and talent—the highest point category in the pageant.  

Located at the Tempe Center for the Arts Theater (700 W. Rio Salado Parkway) the pageant will honor Miss Gay Arizona America 2015, Nevaeh McKenzie and Asia O'Hara, Miss Gay America 2016. 

Diva, Miss Gay Arizona America 2012 will be hosting alongside Mya McKenzie, Miss Gay Arizona America 2007.

Miss Gay Arizona America is Arizona's longest running and most prestigious female impersonation pageant. For more information or to buy tickets visit the Miss Gay Arizona America website.