The Daily Agenda: This guy again?

UA students were already upset about the abortion ban ... Then a campus troll came back ... County Attorney race heats up.

It’s not every day your politicians take you back to the 1800s. Unless you were living in Arizona on April 9 of this year, when the Supreme Court reimposed a near-total abortion ban from 1864.

The upside is, there’s work underway to find a solution. Attorney General Kris Mayes asked the Arizona Supreme Court yesterday to delay formally enacting its ruling for up to 90 days so she can decide whether to seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

And the state Senate will likely vote today on a repeal bill passed by the House of Representatives last week. If it clears the Senate, it could end up on Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk for a signature by the end of the day.

But the timing of all this is not nearly as straightforward as you might think.

The repeal bill wouldn’t go into effect until 90 days after the end of the legislative session, meaning it wouldn’t be valid until around October 1. And if the Supreme Court denies Mayes’ request for a delay, the ban on nearly all abortions could take effect as early as June 27, leaving more than two months of very limited options for women in the state.

The reality of the situation is still sending shockwaves across the state, weeks after the court’s decision and as the legal mechanics and timing remain uncertain. And for many students at the University of Arizona, the outrage still feels fresh.

Coupled with last week’s return of a familiar but not-so-welcome face, students want their voices to be heard.

“This is nothing more than an attempt to strip the rights of women and those with uterus’s rights,” said UA senior Samantha Daly. “This law that has been reinstated was passed during a time that Arizona was not only not a recognized state, but a territory. When women didn’t even have the right to vote. This isn’t a solution in any way.”

Tensions have continued to rise on the UA campus, coming to a head last week when longtime campus troll Brother Dean Saxton was spotted on campus Monday.

Saxton has been an unwelcome fixture on the UA and ASU campuses for more than a decade (Caitlin and Curt remember him well from their time as students,) and was arrested in 2016 for assaulting a student. The arrest resulted in a one-year ban from campus, and he returned soon after it expired.

He’s been spotted on campus a handful of times in the years since, but was a new and startling sight for many of the students who encountered him last week.

Sporting a red shirt that read “Women are property” on the front, Saxton’s choice of attire didn’t sit well with this new generation of students.

“It angers me that this is our reality now, and that women are not given the full autonomy of our bodies,” said junior Erin Gorelick. “I’m tired of men controlling our bodies and talking down to us all at once.” 

Saxton’s presence on campus drew a crowd of angry students who were outraged by his “preachings” in tandem with the abortion ban. He was also carrying a sign that read “Are you rape bait?” prompting at least one student to throw coffee at him. 

“He has so much hate in his heart,” said sophomore Samantha Adams. “I pity him for believing he had to enact such an extreme act of hate in order to get attention and feel special.”

UAPD was called, but did nothing to remove Saxton, saying he was within his First Amendment rights. He didn’t touch anyone (this time) and had a smile on his face, despite the mob surrounding him and yelling at him to leave. 

With finals starting Friday and graduation set for next week, students have plenty on their minds outside of Saxton and their limited reproductive rights.

But the gravity of the situation won’t be lost in the shuffle, as many students say they’re committed to fighting to protect their rights.

“We must stand up for our uterus-having friends, family, colleagues and community,” said junior Jo Mikronis. “This is more than taking away abortion rights, this is about stripping the future rights and safety of women, trans people, children, and the working class. We must resist, fight, yell, cry, post, share, talk. Literally anything but stay silent on this.”

And hopefully, they’ll also get out and vote.

Mall closed: After pro-Palestine protests on Monday, University of Arizona officials said they would close the Mall until graduation on May 10, the Arizona Daily Star’s Ellie Wolfe reports. Closure signs will go up and trespassers will be arrested. Some protesters set up fencing at one site and said they still intended to spend Tuesday night there.  

Room for debate: The two Democratic candidates for Pima County attorney debated last Saturday, with more than a few testy exchanges, the Tucson Sentinel’s Paul Ingram reports. Incumbent County Attorney Laura Conover and challenger Mike Jette didn’t have many policy differences, but they did have drastically different views of how Conover has done in her first term. They’re the only ones running, so whoever wins the July 30 primary will take office for the four-year term. 

Then there were four: The candidates to replace former Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik have been whittled down to four, the Sentinel’s Jim Nintzel reports. The current council members will choose on May 6 among former Councilmember Karin Uhlich, former state lawmaker Pamela Powers, Ward 2 aide Ted Prezelski, and attorney Vince Rabago. 

Zoning changes incoming: Big changes could be coming to municipal zoning rules for multi-housing units, Capitol Media Services’ Bob Christie reports. State lawmakers are close to a deal with cities that would make it easier to build duplexes and other units on land that currently is zoned for single-family houses. The new rules would apply within one mile of a city’s central business district and also would require cities allow some of those units in developments larger than 10 acres. A vote on the package could come as soon as today.  

Survey time: Tucson officials are seeking public input for the People, Communities, and Homes Investment Plan, known as P-CHIP, according to a news release from the city’s Housing and Community Development Department. The survey will help officials prioritize the city’s biggest challenges regarding homeless services, housing stability, neighborhood enhancements, and other topics. 

Lawsuit on the table: The Mexican consul in Nogales says the decision to not retry a rancher accused of fatally shooting a Mexican man was “regrettable,” the Associated Press reported. Consul General Marcos Moreno Baez said his office will explore civil options alongside the family of Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, who was shot and killed on the ranch of George Alan Kelly.

Join Caitlin, the Tucson Tome Gnome and the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona at the next meeting of their solutions-focused community book club on Thursday, May 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Foundation Campus (5049 E. Broadway Blvd.) We’ll be discussing “Disability Visibility,” edited by Alice Wong, and hearing from a panel of local experts, including Jean Parker, Ph. D., founding Executive Director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition; Kate Elliot, MSW, from the Autism Society of Southern Arizona; and Dr. Amanda Kraus, who serves as Executive Director of The University of Arizona’s Disability Resource Center. The event is free and refreshments will be served, but you need to register in advance to reserve your spot.