This year, the tax cuts from the Trump Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 were set to expire. Failing to extend the cuts would have resulted in a 22% tax hike for the average taxpayer. For Arizonans, it would have meant an average tax increase of $2,824. And there would have been an even larger tax increase for Arizona small businesses. Thankfully, earlier this summer Congress finally passed Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), not only extending the personal income tax cuts from 2017 but making them permanent.
The OBBB also included several new tax provisions as well, such as no tax on tips and overtime, an increase in the standard deduction, full expensing and special depreciation for business, just to name a few. This assortment of changes to federal tax law now leaves states like Arizona with a big decision to make: provide partial conformity tax relief, full tax relief, or do nothing and provide no conformity tax relief at all.
This should be an easy choice, as choosing the non-conformity option would leave Arizona taxpayers with one big ugly tax bill to pay.
An alleged altercation with pro-life advocates in June has led to renewed concerns regarding Dr. Ronald Yunis, a Phoenix physician who pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a class six felony, after being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2019.
Civic action group Red State Reform stated that the “alleged pattern of violence raises public safety concerns.”
Sharing a video of the June altercation, documentation of the prior firearm incident, and Medical Board findings, the group raised questions about the doctor’s accountability and presented the alleged pattern of behavior:
“Dr. Ronald Yunis, a local physician, was recently captured on video allegedly assaulting a peaceful protester on June 3, 2025. Despite eyewitness testimony and clear video evidence showing what appears to be an unprovoked physical assault—which under Arizona law (A.R.S. § 13-1203) could constitute probable cause for arrest—and notwithstanding his prior conviction involving a firearm, the Phoenix Police Department did not place him under arrest at the scene.
“Instead, officers issued only a citation requiring him to appear in court. The Phoenix City Prosecutor’s Office has since declined to pursue even misdemeanor assault charges, and the case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could still be re-filed.”
Phoenix abortionist Ronald Yunis punched a peaceful sidewalk counselor this week. Targeting a Christian who was lawfully pleading for life and sharing the gospel outside his abortion mill. A police investigation is underway! pic.twitter.com/z69xSaETy8
A witness to the incident, James Baird of P24 Ministries, said in a statement, “No one should be above the law — especially when patient and community safety are at stake.”
The organization added that “while there was an allegation that the victim may have trespassed, there is no justification under Arizona law for the use of physical force without imminent threat or danger. Both the video and eyewitness testimony corroborate that the protester neither threatened nor committed any violence against Dr. Yunis.”
In the 2019 incident, Yunis was captured on body-worn camera footage by a pro-life protester visibly pointing a gun at them from his vehicle. In a similar circumstance to the June incident, the Phoenix Police Department initially declined to arrest Yunis.
Red State Reform noted that “it was only after the video footage was posted online and sparked numerous public complaints that an arrest was made seven days later, resulting in Dr. Yunis pleading guilty to disorderly conduct, a class 6 felony.”
WATCH: 2019 Incident
Yunis was later stripped of his Medicare billing privileges until 2031 after he allegedly failed to report the felony conviction as required by law and served two years of probation.
According to Health and Human Services documentation, the Doctor claimed, “his criminal attorney assured him that conviction pursuant to the plea agreement would not be considered a felony because it was an undesignated offense and would not be reported to any regulatory body.”
Red State Reform observed, “The Administrative Law Judge found that Dr. Yunis failed to report his felony as required by federal law, exhibited reckless disregard for those around him, and demonstrated an inability to exercise sound judgment. As a result, Dr. Yunis was barred from reenrolling in Medicare through 2031, underscoring serious concerns about his professional conduct and reliability.”
In October 2023, Dr. Yunis was brought before the Arizona Medical Board in a response to the 2019 incident as well as other complaints, including “multiple reports of unprofessional interactions between Respondent and nursing staff occurring between 2018 and 2019,” and “review of Respondent’s care and treatment of five obstetrical patients (MR, CB, BL, GCU, and KB) identified by the Hospital’s investigation.“
The Board found as “Conclusions of Law,” that “the conduct and circumstances described in MD-19-1001A and MD-20-0925A above constitute unprofessional conduct pursuant to A.R.S. § 32-1401(27)(r) (‘Committing any conduct or practice that is or might be harmful or dangerous to the health of the patient or the public.’)”
An appeal by Dr. Yunis was denied by the Board two months later.
In a statement, Red State Reform Vice President Daryl Groves summarized his concerns regarding the non-prosecution of Dr. Yunis for the alleged June altercation, saying, “The public deserves to know that everyone is held to the same standard under the law.”
As Arizona counties finalize their budgets for Fiscal Year 2026, the majority are preparing to raise property taxes, with 11 of the state’s 15 counties proposing increases totaling nearly $54.8 million, according to the Arizona Tax Research Association’s (ATRA) July 2025 newsletter. The moves come amid population growth, infrastructure demands, and rising costs, but they have also triggered requirements under Arizona’s Truth in Taxation (TNT) law aimed at ensuring transparency.
ATRA’s analysis reveals that under state law, primary property taxes — which fund the general operations of county governments — are subject to TNT provisions. These rules require counties to notify taxpayers if their proposed tax levy exceeds the previous year’s amount, excluding new construction. Notifications must be published in newspapers of general circulation, and a public hearing must be held before any vote to approve the increase.
TNT also applies to some countywide special taxing districts, including those for libraries, flood control, and public health. While counties are allowed to raise taxes up to a constitutional limit — 2% above the previous year’s levy, plus new construction — only Apache and Coconino counties currently tax at that maximum level.
According to ATRA, of the counties planning tax hikes, Pima County stands out with the largest proposed increase: $33 million. This includes a nearly 25-cent hike in the primary property tax rate above TNT limits. Pima is also planning to exceed TNT thresholds for both its flood control and library districts.
Maricopa County, Arizona’s most populous, is proposing its first primary property tax increase in five years — not by changing the rate, but by holding it steady. Due to growth in the tax base, this would still result in a $12.5 million increase, exclusive of new construction.
In Coconino County, library district taxes are slated to rise 11.5% over TNT, generating approximately $780,000 in additional revenue. The county also plans to levy the maximum amounts for its primary property tax, as well as for its flood control and public health districts. Altogether, Coconino’s tax increase would total around $1.8 million.
Mohave County is eyeing a 7% increase in primary property taxes, which would raise about $3.2 million. Four counties — Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, and Pinal — have opted not to increase property taxes this fiscal year, bucking the statewide trend.
County officials say the proposed increases are necessary to sustain essential public services amid rising costs and growing populations. Still, the hikes are expected to generate scrutiny from taxpayers, especially in counties proposing large percentage increases or exceeding TNT thresholds.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona State Representative John Gillette (R-LD30) shared a post on Wednesday containing images and video footage taken at Dobson High School from Turning Point Action Field Representative Angel Guess. The images and video footage depicted Black Lives Matter (BLM) and pro-LGBTQ material in the classroom.
In her post, Guess wrote, “Attention Mesa Residents, mothers, fathers… this is what your taxpayer dollars pay for.. School starts tomorrow [at Dobson High] and YOUR kids are walking into this. Video from today!”
🚨 🚨Attention Mesa Residents, mothers, fathers.. this is what your tax payer dollars pay for..
School starts tomorrow @DobsonHigh and YOUR kids are walking into this. Video from today!@mpsaz Mesa Public School District is this what parents subscribe to when they sign your… pic.twitter.com/WtVEQOjUZR
She continued, “Mesa Public School District is this what parents subscribe to when they sign your enrollment agreement? Not my child! Who agrees?”
Sharing the post, Representative Gillette declared it to be “Another advertisement for the Arizona ESA voucher program.”
Another advertisement for the Arizona ESA voucher program. Govt schools can't understand why their student count keeps falling. Woke indoctrination, DEI, and poor academic results are destroying government schools. https://t.co/eBSTgoCRDX
— Rep. John Gillette AZ House LD30 (@AzRepGillette) July 31, 2025
“Govt schools can’t understand why their student count keeps falling. Woke indoctrination, DEI, and poor academic results are destroying government schools,” Gillette added.
The post to X has since garnered the attention of former Republican Congressional candidate Josh Barnett, who observed, “This is why school choice is so important and allowing Private/charter schools to prosper.”
Senior Advisor for the U.S. Agency for Global Media Kari Lake excoriated the district, writing, “Stop radicalizing our children! Cut all taxpayer funding to woke public schools. Our kids deserve better.”
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Dobson High School has a history of alignment with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts such as the “No Place For Hate” (NPFH) program of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Arizona, which named Dobson as an NPFH school in 2022.
As recently as July 18th, Arizona Women of Action posted a thread on X, making serious allegations that “There are explicit books in MPS libraries. High schools. Middle schools. Even ELEMENTARY schools.”
🚨🚨🚨 ATTENTION Mesa Public Schools Residents
There are explicit books in MPS libraries. High schools. Middle schools. Even ELEMENTARY schools.
Watch these videos, then please follow the call to action at the end.
— Arizona Women of Action (@azwomenofaction) July 18, 2025
The texts reportedly include: “Push” by Sapphire, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison (which both detail sexual abuse), “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins, which has been removed from schools in 13 states for references to drug use, sexual abuse, and suicide, and “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher, which is available in elementary schools and has been challenged in dozens of school districts for its sexually explicit content and discussion of suicide.
Turning Point Action’s (TPA) recently updated scorecard grades the state of Arizona, as well as our members of Congress and State Legislators, on their alignment with or divergence from its policies and political positions. Federal-level scorecards were created for all fifty states, but state-level drilldowns were developed for six swing states: Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia.
The scorecard revealed a significant opportunity for improvement in the Arizona legislature, with many of the most prominent Republicans in leadership roles scoring below the 80th percentile. According to TPA, the conservative outreach organization, “has worked across the conservative movement to identify every scorecard and the legislation they encompass and provide an accumulation of scoring from across the Republican spectrum.”
Wondering if your rep is fighting for you or just warming a seat? Check https://t.co/IjWvCIVsZ7 to find out.
Bad politicians don’t come with warning labels… but we’ve got receipts. 👀🔥
Each state, policy category, and lawmaker (federal and state) is scored 0-100 and is classified from “Tyrant,” and “Becoming Tyrannical,” mainly for Democrats and some Republicans with a score of 49 or less, to “Turncoat” at 50, “Betraying America,” from 50-60, “Erratic,” from 60-70, “Becoming Erratic” from 70-80, “Losing Patriotism,” at 80-95, and for those scoring 95+: “Patriot.”
According to an explanation of lawmaker scoring from TPA, “Turning Point Action looks at each vote individually, identifies the category it belongs in and works amongst the grassroots to identify the conservative position. If the representative votes with Turning Point Action’s position for each bill or nomination, they receive full points. If the representative votes against TPA’s position, they receive nothing. Not voting, present, and abstaining from voting gives the representative only half credit, thereby diminishing their score for neglecting their responsibility.”
States are also scored in overall terms by “first finding the overall House score and overall Senate score by issue. Then the overall House score is added to the overall Senate score and divided by two to achieve the overall category state score.” States are accordingly ranked as being a “Tyrannical State” with a score between 0%-20%, “Becoming Tyrannical,” from 21%-40%, an “Erratic State” from 41%-60%, “Losing Freedom,” from 61%-80%, and a “Free State” scoring 81% or better.
As of this report, Arizona is ranked as “Losing Freedom” on federal matters with a score of 62.50 and as an “Erratic State” on state issues with a score of 41.69.
In the case of Arizona’s state legislature, the only “Patriots” recognized by TPA were Senator Jake Hoffman with a score of 99.40, and Representatives Joseph Chaplik with 98.05 and Alexander Kolodin with 96.10. The scores indicate a significant split between Arizona’s legislative GOP leadership and one of the largest, most impactful political organizations in the state and country.
These are the only members to score 90% and above in @AZHouseGOP!
It's no surprise the best members are Chaplik and Kolodin as these are the biggest grassroots fighters in… pic.twitter.com/0HK3BT080A
— Merissa Hamilton 🗳 ⛽ 🗽🔥 (@merissahamilton) July 6, 2025
Several of the most prominent leaders in the GOP were scored relatively low, such as House Speaker Steve Montenegro, who scored 77.27, labeled as “Becoming Erratic,” and Majority Leader Michael Carbone, who scored 71.43. Senate President Warren Petersen is listed as “Losing Patriotism,” with a score of 89.16 alongside Majority Leader John Kavanagh, who scored 83.13.
