
THCC Weekly Advocacy Recap
USHCC, AZHCC, THCC, Speak out on Remarks from Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ, 8th District) Ian Tisdale Figure 1: Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) speaking at a FEMA Committee Hearing, July 22, 2020. Via Andre Harnik-Pool/Getty Images On February 11^th, 2021, in front of Congress during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Arizona Representative Debbie Lesko, of Phoenix and Peoria’s 8^th Congressional District made the following remarks regarding vaccine distribution in the state of Arizona: “I worked with people that are Hispanic. I mean they’re very good workers. We’re compassionate people, but for goodness sakes, we have to take to take care of American citizens, or people who are here legally, first. I’m just not going to be able to explain to my senior citizens that we’re giving away the vaccines to people that (are) here illegally. I just think that’s totally wrong.” In the last week, following these remarks, several Arizona leaders and Hispanic business advocacy organizations, including the Tucson Hispanic Chamber, have spoken out against Rep. Lesko’s comments on vaccine distribution for Arizona Hispanics. THCC & Others Speak Out University of Arizona, Tucson Community Mourn the Loss of Sophomore Student Forrest Keys Figure 2: Forrst Keys at his high school graduation in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. On Saturday night, February 20^th, Sophomore University of Arizona student Forrest Keys was headed home from the Cherry Avenue Parking Garage at the University of Arizona’s Main Campus, just feet away from the Arizona Football Stadium. When at around 11:00pm, two individuals in a red Cadillac passed Keys, a conflict ensued, and the two shot Keys dead in a drive by shooting at the garage. UAPD arrived to the seen as quick as possible, but by 11:30pm, it was too late to save the life of Forrest. Forrest Keys was a bright, intelligent 20-year-old Communications student who moved to Tucson from Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania just a year prior. He was a leader on campus, a friend to all who knew him, and a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. Over the last week, the entire University of Arizona community was shocked by such a horrific act of gun violence, occurring on campus. Officials at the University have called the shooting a “senseless murder,” with U of A’s President Robbins adding, “we are absolutely devastated at the loss of this incredibly beautiful young man who had an incredibly bright future ahead of him.” Forrest Keys President Biden Announces PPP Revisions to Help Minority, Veteran, and Female Owned Small Businesses On February 22, earlier this week, the Biden Harris administration published a release of revisions to the Paycheck Protection Program, a COVID-19 form of small business relief targeted at giving loans and financial support to businesses struggling to meet payroll demands. Revisions Help Hispanic Small Businesses Judge Approves Senate Audit of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors As a part of a long and grueling legal battle between the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the Arizona State Senate to continue an audit into the results of November, 2020’s general election, a Maricopa County Superior Court Judge has now ordered the County’s Board of Supervisors to hand over all of the ballots counted in November’s general election, all 2.1 million of them. Another Audit By State Officials We at the THCC are currently planning for the new year. *For more information on specific events, services, or policy resources, visit our website at: www.tucsonhispanicchamber.org*
THCC Weekly Advocacy Recap - THCC Weekly Advocacy Recap