Arizona State Capitol

1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85034

The Arizona State Capital is the location where all the major state legislation is created. Bills including SB 1070 and the Indian Child Welfare Ace have been reviewed and either passed or rejected here. This site was chosen because it is the center of politics and power for Arizona. Everything we have spoken about in class, in someway or another can be traced back to the government and this is where the government does its work in the State of Arizona.

Throughout US history there has always been issues with the Indian people. In this case an act was passed that would remove Indian children from their homes if it was deemed their welfare was at risk. Barbara Atwood talks about this law and how controversial it has been because it was seen as a way to “whiten” Indian children.

An article by David A. Selden reviews the process in which SB 1070 went prior to being signed. He points out the defects in the legislative procedures and practices that were demonstrated by the Arizona State Government. He speaks about how this law is controversial due to the possibility of racial profiling.

Not everything is left to the legislation of Arizona though. In some cases such as Medical Marijuana the decision was left up to a vote of the people. Both of these are systems this country was founded on both but both seem to be flawed in one way or another. The article by Melanie M. Wall talks about how the states who have passed the Medical Marijuana law have seen a rise in adolescent Marijuana use.

The capital building is no longer where legislation is created but is now the Arizona Capital Museum. The executive offices have been moved to the adjacent buildings, which is where legislation is created.

- Dejaren Stewart and Brandon Lev


Sources

Atwood, Barbara. "The Voice of the Indian Child: Strengthening the Indian Child Welfare Act Through Children's Participation." Arizona Law Review 50 (2008). Lexis.com. Web. 27 Nov. 2011.

Seldan, David A., Julie A. Pace, and Heidi Nunn-Gilman. "Placing S.B. 1070 And Racial Profiling Into Context, And What S.B. 1070 Reveals About The Legislative Process In Arizona." Arizona State Law Journal 43 (2011). Lexis.com. Web. 27 Nov. 2011. .

Wall, Melanie M., Ernest Poh, Magdalena Cerda, Katherine M. Keyes, Sandro Glaea, and Deborah S. Hasin. "Adolescent Marijuana Use from 2002 to 2008: Higher in States with Medical Marijuana Laws, Cause Still Unclear." Annals of Epidemiology 21.9 (2011): 714-16. ScienceDirect. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. .