Members of the Fountain Hills Democratic Club (FHDC) heard from three speakers on a range of issues during the April 17 meeting at the Fountain Hills Community Center.
Mark Savan, a volunteer advocate with Arizona End of Life Options (AZELO), spoke about the organization’s efforts to legalize medical aid in dying (MAID) for terminally ill residents in Arizona.
Savan, a retired business executive and former principal at Booz Allen Hamilton, recently served as AZELO’s executive director. He discussed the range of end-of-life options and the coalition’s ongoing push for legislative change.
Approximately 72 million Americans in 10 states currently have the right to medical aid in dying if they become terminally ill, highlighting the growing momentum for similar legislation in Arizona, says FHDC Spokesperson Dave Long.
Beth Culp, a founding member of Flourish Fountain Hills, introduced the recently formed local political action committee.
Culp, a Fountain Hills resident, outlined the PAC’s mission to support a collegial, nonpartisan Town Council and to foster community values such as environmental stewardship, support for local schools and businesses and inclusivity.
Long says Flourish’s guiding principles include maintaining infrastructure, preserving the desert environment and promoting a welcoming, respectful culture in Fountain Hills.
Linda Somo, president of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans (AARA), addressed concerns about threats to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Somo is a retired Mesa Public Schools counselor and longtime education professional. According to Long, Somo made a statement regarding the recent proposals from the Trump administration, saying that they could jeopardize these federal programs.
Representing the state’s 50,000 AARA members, Somo detailed the group’s work to educate and mobilize seniors in defense of earned benefits.
The next Fountain Hills Democratic Club meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Fountain Hills Community Center.
Annual membership dues are $25. For more information, visit fhdemclub.org.
