by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Jun 14, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Earlier this year, President Trump signed a trio of executive orders aimed at keeping our nation’s vital coal power plants online. In fact, at the signing ceremony, the President explicitly called out one of Arizona’s coal plants by name. He directed Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright to keep the Cholla Power Plant online and told the workers to remain calm because they are going to have that plant “opening and burning…coal in a very short period of time.”
The Cholla Power Plant is one of many Arizona coal plants that have either been mothballed or slated for retirement in the near future. In 2019, SRP and the other utilities shut down the Navajo Generating Station, resulting in a loss of 2,250 MW of reliable capacity. Earlier this year, an additional 425 MW of generating capacity was taken offline at Cholla. And over the next 6 years, Arizona’s public utilities, as outlined in Integrated Resource Plans recently approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission, plan to shutter every last bit of coal generation in Arizona by 2032. Most alarming is that according to those same Resource Plans, the replacement fuel for this reliable source of energy will be solar, wind, and battery storage, all to meet carbon free “Net Zero” goals that will cost Arizona ratepayers billions and destabilize the grid.
On the same day President Trump signed the coal orders, the Arizona legislature, led by Representative David Marshall, sent a letter to the Department of the Interior urging the Administration to help keep Cholla, and every other coal plant in the state, online. Last month, every Republican in the legislature voted to send HCM2014 to the Corporation Commission, urging them to protect our grid, fight to keep these plants online, and support the Trump Energy Agenda.
What Arizona ratepayers got instead was a late Friday afternoon news dump from Kevin Thompson, Chairman of the Corporation Commission, blasting the idea of reopening Cholla…
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by Jonathan Eberle | Jun 14, 2025 | Education, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
An event hosted this week by Arizona State University is drawing fire from critics who say the public institution is promoting radical ideologies under the guise of social justice. The event, titled “Social Justice in Action: Conversing with the Contributors” centered around a book that explores themes of dismantling oppressive systems to create more inclusive communities.
The book—whose cover features flames and a chapter titled “Burning It Down Means Building Community”—has stirred controversy online and among some faculty and taxpayers. Chapters in the book also include titles such as “The Cost of the System of White Supremacy,” “Starting with the Children,” and “Incorporating Antispeciesism in Social Justice Praxis.”
Critics argue the event’s messaging is especially ill-timed, coinciding with scenes of unrest in Los Angeles where demonstrators have torched police vehicles, vandalized property, and waved international flags amid protests. While the book’s authors frame their arguments in metaphorical terms—advocating for a “radical unmaking” of existing social systems—detractors say the rhetoric is irresponsible and could be interpreted as condoning violence.
Dr. Owen Anderson, a professor and public commentator who wrote a critical piece about the event, called it “academic nonsense” and accused the university of pushing divisive and destructive ideas under the umbrella of taxpayer-supported education.
“This is not fringe. This is not some flyer left in the faculty lounge by a confused grad student who read Foucault one too many times,” Anderson wrote. “No, this is an official ASU event advertised on their my.asu page. Celebrated. Promoted. Funded (spoiler alert) by you. Which raises a burning question (no pun intended): how long have professors been preparing students for just such a moment?”
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Jun 14, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Governor Katie Hobbs has named Brigadier General John Conley as the new Adjutant General of Arizona and Director of the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA).
In his new position, Brig. Gen. Conley will oversee the full scope of DEMA operations, including Arizona’s Army and Air National Guard units, Joint Task Force, Administrative Services, and the state’s Division of Emergency Management. The appointment comes as Arizona continues to contend with challenges related to border security, emergency preparedness, and the flow of illicit drugs into the state.
“Brigadier General Conley is a distinguished leader, accomplished lawyer, and dedicated public servant,” said Governor Hobbs in a statement. “As The Adjutant General and Director of DEMA, Conley will build on our efforts to secure the border and protect Arizona communities.”
Brig. Gen. Conley has more than 30 years of commissioned service in both the Army and Air National Guard. For the past 14 years, he has held key roles within the Arizona National Guard, including his most recent position as Director of Administrative Services for DEMA. There, he managed critical support functions such as personnel, finance, and mission planning for the Guard and Emergency Management Division.
Conley also previously served as the senior legal advisor for the Arizona National Guard, overseeing Judge Advocates and legal personnel across all service components. His work included the development of military cyber operations, where he played a pivotal role in establishing interagency cybersecurity partnerships with the FBI and the Arizona Department of Administration.
“I’m honored that Governor Hobbs has selected me to lead the Arizona National Guard and DEMA,” said Conley. “Throughout my career, I have been driven by a desire to defend our country and to keep people safe. I look forward to continuing to serve Arizonans alongside the exceptional men and women of DEMA.”
Conley’s appointment comes at a time when Arizona faces heightened scrutiny over border security and public safety.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Katarina White | Jun 13, 2025 | Opinion
By Katarina White |
The Screwtape Letters is a satirical novel written by C.S. Lewis in which a senior demon advises his nephew on how to lead humans astray. It exposes moral issues by presenting them from evil’s perspective. It made me think about how Uncle Screwtape would react to some of Arizona’s pro-life laws.
My Dear Wormwood,
You are to be congratulated. The filing of Isaacson v. Mayes is shaping up to be one of our most exquisite triumphs.
Our legal allies are moving swiftly now, carving through the last scraps of pro-life resistance like a scalpel through soft tissue. At the top of our target list is that revolting statute, ARS 13-3603.02 — the one that dares to prohibit abortions based on race, sex, or disability. How dare they presume to protect the weak, the imperfect, the unwanted? That law, Wormwood, is an affront to everything we’ve worked for. A child has Down syndrome? Terminate. It’s a girl? Dispose. The father is the wrong skin color? Eliminate. This is not discrimination — it is efficiency. And we must preserve that efficiency at all costs.
One of our most brilliant human thinkers once said, “The demand that defective people be prevented from propagating equally defective offspring is a demand of the clearest reason and if systematically executed represents the most humane act of mankind.” Ah, Hitler — rarely quoted these days, but his reasoning lives on, albeit in more “palatable” packaging.
Even worse, their laws force abortionists to speak truth — to describe fetal development, risks, alternatives, and the heartbeat pulsing inside the mother’s womb. You know how dangerous truth is, Wormwood. A heartbeat can unsettle even the most hardened conscience. The shape of a tiny hand on an ultrasound has undone entire years of our work. We must strip these laws bare. Truth is the Enemy’s weapon. Silence is ours.
They call it “healthcare” — but we know it’s the slow death of conscience. Strip away protections for the preborn, and soon they’ll stop seeing humanity in the elderly, the disabled, the inconvenient. It’s a spectacular unraveling.
Expect a few murmurs — rallies, opinion pieces, even prayers (tedious, as always). But most will hold their tongues. Remind them it’s impolite to bring up such “divisive” topics. Tell them it’s not their place, that moral clarity is rude, and silence is virtuous. Make them believe that speaking truth is worse than allowing evil to proceed. That, Wormwood, is how we keep them docile.
Meanwhile, our friends in the abortion clinics are prepared. Every life ended is another efficient procedure, another soul fed to the furnace. And Arizona — scorched and sleepy — drifts closer to surrender.
Carry on. The womb is nearly ours.
Your devoted uncle,
Screwtape
Katarina White serves as Board Member for Arizona Right to Life. To get involved and stay informed, visit the Arizona Right to Life website.
by Jonathan Eberle | Jun 13, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
With increasing public concern surrounding Arizona’s family court system, state lawmakers will continue their deep dive into the issue Monday, June 16, when the Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Family Court Orders reconvenes for its third hearing.
Committee Chairman Mark Finchem is inviting parents and community members who say they’ve been harmed or ignored by the family court system to testify before the panel at the Arizona State Senate. The hearing is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Senate Hearing Room 2.
“While we cannot resolve current individual cases, we must learn from them,” Finchem said in a statement. “Every story shared contributes to a clearer picture of where the system is falling short and how we can build something better for Arizona families.”
The committee is not empowered to provide legal advice, intervene in active litigation, or weigh in on ongoing cases. Instead, it is tasked with collecting public testimony to identify weaknesses and inform potential legislation for the 2026 session.
Finchem emphasized that all testimony will become part of the public record and may be subject to future public records requests. Despite these limitations, he says the hearings have already brought to light “horrific stories” that underscore the need for reform.
“Too many parents and children feel they have been silenced or dismissed by a system that’s supposed to protect them,” he said. “This is an opportunity for those voices to finally be heard and to drive real, lasting change.”
The committee will recess at noon on Monday and is tentatively scheduled to reconvene at 2 p.m., depending on the adjournment of the Senate and House floor sessions.
This session marks the third in a five-part series of public hearings focused on Arizona’s family court system. Lawmakers are expected to introduce reform proposals based on the testimony and findings from this ad hoc committee during the next legislative cycle.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
