Alia Beard Rau

The Republic | azcentral.com

Arizona's Democratic lawmakers for years have introduced bills to expand rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Arizonans with no success. Republican lawmakers, who as the majority control whether bills get public hearings and votes, kill the bills every year.

This year is not expected to be different, but that isn't stopping Democrats from trying. Here are nine bills lawmakers have introduced so far related to LGBT issues:

1. Religion in school

House Bill 2314 would prohibit teachers or school administrators from using district or charter school resources for a "religious purpose" or for giving students written religious materials.

Sponsor: Rep. Mark Cardenas, D-Phoenix.

2. Homosexuality instruction

Senate Bill 1225 would overturn the state law prohibiting schools from teaching anything that "promotes a homosexual lifestyle, portrays homosexuality as a positive alternative lifestyle" or "suggests that some methods of sex are safe methods of homosexual sex."

Sponsor: Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale.

3. Sex education

SB 1491 requires schools to teach "medically accurate, developmentally accurate and age-appropriate" sex education to students in grades K-12. Among other changes, it requires that the instruction not discriminate on the basis of "sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity."

Sponsor: Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe.

4. Adoption

SB 1297 would overturn the state law giving adoption placement preference to a "married man and woman" when all other factors are equal. It would also change state law allowing a "husband and wife" to jointly adopt to allow married couples, which includes same-sex couples, to jointly adopt.

Sponsor: Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson.

5. Married couples

SB 1351 would change dozens of state statute references to "husband and wife" to instead say "married couple" or spouses.

Sponsor: Sen. Katie Hobbs, D-Phoenix.

6 and 7. Employment discrimination

HB 2347 and SB 1382 would make it illegal for employers to discriminate against a person based on their gender, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation.

Sponsors: Rep. Richard Andrade, D-Winslow; Sen. Sean Bowie, D-Phoenix.

8 and 9. Anti-discrimination

SB 1320 and HB 2364 would make it illegal for employers, renters or places of public accommodation to discriminate against someone based on their sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status.

Sponsors: Sen. Katie Hobbs, D-Phoenix; Rep. Rebecca Rios, D-Phoenix.