Karla Trippe
The SaddleBrooke Democratic Club’s November meeting focused on climate change, a critical issue in Pinal County. For thousands of years, the rivers and aquifers that hold groundwater have supported the state’s now $23 billion agriculture industry. Climate change and dwindling water supplies have wreaked havoc on the once prosperous farms that could endure the arid conditions. The U.S. West is now experiencing a megadrought that’s generated the two driest decades in the region in at least 1,200 years.
Nick Arnold, Arizona State lead for Climate Cabinet Action, educated members on the different organizations in the state that provide electrical power, the management of the utilities, and how that affects pricing.
It was announced that the Override Continuation passed, which is critical to the students in the Oracle School District. This funding ensures that children receive full-day kindergarten, maintain moderate class sizes, and receive special programs, including technology, art, music, and physical education.
Members are continuing to collect signatures to support a proposed constitutional amendment that guarantees abortion rights until a fetus can survive outside the womb. The amendment also would allow later abortions to save the mother’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. Arizona registered voters who would like to sign the petition or volunteer to help should contact [email protected].
The club’s annual dinner on Feb. 4, 2024, at 5 p.m. at the MountainView ballroom has not yet sold out. The cost is $85 per person. The guest speaker is Adrian Fontes, Arizona Secretary of State, who will speak on “Protecting Voters Rights.” Anyone wishing to attend can sign up and pay on the club’s website at www.saddlebrookedemocrats.org.