April marks the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1968 and the U.S. Fair Housing Act. This landmark civil rights legislation, along with the Arizona Fair Housing Act, prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status or disability.

As Arizona’s Attorney General, it is my responsibility to enforce Arizona’s Fair Housing Act as well as to educate our community about the importance of fair housing and the requirements of our civil rights laws. Over the past four decades we have come a long way toward achieving equal rights for all Arizonans. However, there is still a great deal to be done. Every week, I see new cases of discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, family status or disability.

This month, the Attorney General’s Office will commemorate the enactment of the Fair Housing Act with educational events across Arizona. The first will be our Fair Housing Month Kick-Off event at the Phoenix Burton Barr Central Library on April 1. In celebration of Fair Housing Month, libraries across the State have joined forces with my Office and local civil rights organizations to help Arizonans educate themselves about housing discrimination. I encourage you to explore the books and informational displays on civil rights that will be featured at your local library all month.

Many fair housing violations occur because of ignorance. Many housing providers and property managers lack knowledge about Arizona’s fair housing laws. Throughout April, my Office, in partnership with community organizations and government agencies, will host a series of fair housing forums statewide. These workshops will be particularly helpful for property and apartment managers and real estate professionals. Members of the general public are encouraged to attend to learn more about their rights.

Upcoming forums are:

• Glendale Fair Housing Forum. Wednesday, April 16, at 4 p.m., Glendale Community College Student Union, 6000 W. Olive.
• Yuma Fair Housing Forum. Thursday, April 17, at 9 a.m.,
  Martin Luther King, Jr. Neighborhood Center, 300 S. 19th Ave.
• Prescott Fair Housing Forum. Friday, April 18, at 9 a.m., Prescott City Council Chambers, 201 S. Cortez St.
• Tucson Fair Housing Forum. Wednesday, April 30, at 5:00 p.m., Y.W.C.A. Frances McClelland Leadership Center, 525 N. Bonita Ave.

I encourage all Arizonans to learn more about their fair housing rights and responsibilities. Housing Discrimination: Get the Facts is an informational brochure about the Fair Housing Act for housing professionals, property owners and renters. It is available for download from the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov.

The Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General’s Office is always available to provide training to businesses and professional associations that are trying to comply with the law. Information on events and training provided by the Division throughout the year can be found on the Attorney General’s Office website, www.azag.gov. To learn more, contact:

I will continue to work hard to enforce our fair housing laws. I want to make sure that consumers, private landowners, homeowner associations, property management companies, real estate professionals, RV parks and landlords understand the laws and know where to turn for information or to report a violation. Some housing violations take place because people are unaware of fair housing laws. Others are deliberate acts of discrimination. Whatever the reason, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office is working toward the day when fair housing in our state is no longer a goal but a reality.

Of no less importance, we agreed to broaden the use of a legal provision in the Mexican criminal code that provides the ability to investigate and prosecute criminals operating in both countries. This change will remove what has at times been a major legal impediment to effective binational investigations.

Taken together, these agreements will go a long way toward knocking down the border as a barrier to law enforcement.

This week's conference built on progress made last fall at a meeting of the Conference of Western Attorneys General with our Mexican counterparts in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The earlier meeting increased mutual trust and laid the groundwork for the agreements that were adopted this week's forum.

Terry Goddard