Parental rights advocacy group Moms for Liberty announced a public town hall event in Mesa, Arizona, on September 14, with confirmed attendees including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, four Republican state legislators, Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich, and award-winning musician and actress Mary Millben.
Described as an “honest discussion on the state of education and parental rights in Arizona,” Moms for Liberty revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson), State Representative Justin Heap (R-Mesa), and State Representative Barbara Parker (R-Mesa) are also scheduled to attend as members of a panel.
I’ll see you there!#Wadsack4Arizona https://t.co/k0IsMR7deK
— AZ Senator Justine Wadsack (@Wadsack4Arizona) September 5, 2023
An event page for the Giving Parents a Voice Townhall explains that the legislators will be part of a Parental Rights in Education panel moderated by Descovich and invites Mesa residents to “[g]et your questions answered and have your voice heard,” promising that “all viewpoints” are “welcome” at the event.
Separately, Horne (pictured above) and Millben are listed as speakers. Horne has repeatedly sparred with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes during his time in office, generally while championing conservative initiatives in education. Millben is perhaps best known for her performance for each consecutive president, from former President George W. Bush to President Joe Biden.
The town hall will be held at Pathfinder Academy in northwest Mesa at 7 p.m. on September 14. Registration is open to the public, but space is limited, with seating available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Attendees will be required to present a photo ID to enter the event.
Before the town hall event, Moms for Liberty will offer a School Board Campaign and Activism Training course by the Leadership Institute, which promises attendees new “strategies on messaging, media, fundraising, voter outreach” to spur “meaningful changes in education at the local level.” The Leadership Institute is a non-profit organization that provides education to conservatives on the topics of campaigning, fundraising, organizing, and youth politics.
Though Moms for Liberty has been denounced by Democrats, labeled an “extremist organization” in the media, and was recently added to the Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Map, a poll from June found 77 percent of Americans either view the group favorably or have no opinion.
The group now has more than 300 chapters in 45 states and endorsed 500 school board candidates in 2022. Of their endorsements, 275 won their races. Their rapid ascension in American politics prompted a 2,000 word piece from The Washington Post, linking the parents rights group to the Tea Party and the “moral majority” of the 1980s.
On its website, Moms for Liberty describes its mission as “fighting for the survival of America by unifying, educating, and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.” The group was founded in 2021 by Descovich and Tiffany Justice.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tom Horne” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “Moms for Liberty Event” by Moms for Liberty.Â
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