by AZ Free Enterprise Club | May 30, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Within President Trump’s first 100 days in office, he has issued back-to-back executive orders aimed at cleansing America of woke ideologies as well as dismantling the Green New Scam. States can hardly keep up with the rapid changes being made. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary (USDOT) Sean Duffy is leading the effort to defund city projects involving road diets and “green infrastructure.” Leftists and bike-enthused activists are losing their minds over the removal of “Complete Streets” links on the USDOT website, horrified by the idea that vehicle travel might be prioritized over barely used bike lanes.
And good to his promise to unleash American energy, Trump’s team has eliminated excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) rules, vowed to get existing and new coal plants opened, and most recently played a major role in the House’s passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” that included the repeal of many of the Inflation Reduction Act green scam subsidies. Every day this administration is dismantling the Green New Grift and restoring practical, pro-America policies.
And if there ever was a city in Arizona that should be jumping on the Trump bandwagon – it’s the City of Prescott. Prescott is a conservative community where registered Republican voters out number Democrat voters 3:1. It’s “Trump Country.” But take a look at Prescott’s recently proposed General Plan and you would never know it.
In Arizona, every municipality is required by statute (ARS §9-461.05) to build out and adopt a General Plan that outlines a pathway for growth in the community, covering topics such as land use, transportation, environment, water, and energy. This seemingly innocuous document that must be ratified by voters has become a pathway for city bureaucrats to sneak woke ideologies and climate goals into city planning…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Matthew Holloway | May 30, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
A stunning report of alleged whistleblower audio from inside a Catalina Foothills 9th grade health classroom in the Tucson area was released by the advocacy group ‘Save CFSD’ via X on Wednesday. In the audio recording, a voice alleged to be a Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) teacher criticized the religious texts of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, suggesting that “most parents aren’t understanding, aren’t accepting, or whatever.”
In the post to X revealing the audio, Save CFSD wrote, “We obtained this audio recording of a biased lecture in a 9th grade CFHS Health class on LGBTQ issues. You will hear the teacher encourage students to question what they’ve been told by their religious leaders and parents.”
The voice heard speaking began by saying, “Now, the topic that we’re dealing with today stems with sexuality as well as LGBTQ. It’s a lot of information that we get regarding this discussion comes from our faith. A lot of people have very strong feelings. This group right here has open executions on the streets in some parts of the world where if somebody who’s identified as gay and they find them, they catch them, they chop their heads off. That still happens today. So that’s telling you that it’s a very strong belief that something is wrong or immoral, and so it’s critical for us to do our own research rather than just listening to what people tell you.”
The speaker zeroed in on religion almost immediately telling the students:
“The problem is when we go to houses of worship, when we hear people for over time, they can definitely influence us. And maybe we don’t realize it. Now, when we look at the different religions of the world, these are the different texts. The Bible and Christianity, the Koran. And then we got the Torah. And then we have other religious doctrines that many people trust and put their faith in. When we read these, okay, it’s important to understand that these originated thousands of years ago. What was the primary language that was spoken in those regions during that time? Was it English? No. So what are they: Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, alright? So, when English was developed, do you think they had to translate certain words into something that they thought it represented? Yeah.
“Now today, think of something that only you as teenagers are very familiar with. If you were talking about something specific related to that thing. And if I read it, could I be misinformed simply because I have no clue what you’re talking about? That can happen with translations as well. Now and so when you think of homosexuality, the word, that word did not come into play until the 1900s, so it does not appear in the Hebrew Bible and so forth. Lesbianism is not mentioned at all, so the word homosexuality itself is a modern term. And so, they had to derive it from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The meaning and application of these passages have been subject to different interpretations throughout history and continue to be debated today, so if you go to various places of worship and you talk to people that are there to lead their flocks, fifty percent will probably say it’s one way. Fifty percent will say it’s the other way. So, if people can’t even agree, how do we know which one is right?…One of the students mentioned last year that their pastor and their church said that anyone who identifies as LGBTQ. Should be herded up, and they should be executed.
“Then there’s some of you that might hear that in your own church, your own congregation, your own house of worship. And then there’s others that are affirming and accepting and loving. I’m not trying to preach or anything like that, so just understand this is for educational purposes.”
The alleged teacher then pivoted to transgenderism and proceeded to guide the students through the process:
“So, what does the term cisgender mean? It’s a new word. So, then we have transgender. There’s different ways you can transition when it comes to your sexuality. So, could you just come out and tell people that you’re transgender and you haven’t done anything different? You’ve just expressed to people that, hey, I’m born male, but I identify as female. Would that be one way of doing it?
“Alright, so first is just letting people know. What would be the next step in the process? So, taking a more about feminine name, starting to dress female rather than male. OK, excellent. What would be the next progression then? So, then starting alterations physically.”
He then turned to how parents react suggesting, “Yeah, they’re probably going to resist it. So that becomes definitely a challenge. Who do you go to talk to if you’re one of those that are struggling? If you went to your parents, and you told them you were struggling, would your parents reject you?”
Finally, the speaker established a fearful response with the students. “You know, most parents aren’t understanding, aren’t accepting or whatever, and so many teenagers are potentially at risk of STDs and STIs that could potentially cause infertility, could lead to an earlier death, simply out of fear.”
The alleged teacher concluded, “One of the students last period mentioned how some of their friends today have been threatened to be kicked out of their homes because of their choices they’re making when it comes to sexuality. My encouragement for you is to make sure you do your research. Make decisions that you feel are good for you. Don’t just base your decisions simply because you’ve been told something.”
Sharing the post from Save CFSD, Arizona Women of Action (AZWOA) commented, “THIS kind of discussion is NOT part of Catalina Foothills curriculum, which is why AZWOA suggests NOT opting into any class that teaches sex-ed/Comprehensive Sexuality Education.”
The AZWOA added, “The 2011 National Sexuality Standards were developed by the Future of Sex Education Initiative (FoSE), which is Advocates for Youth, Answer, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and SIECUS. YES, PLANNED PARENTHOOD IS IN OUR SCHOOLS. @nopinkschool has been exposing this.”
The group further noted, “To make matters worse, the 2019 repeal of Arizona’s No Promo Homo law helped remove some of the barriers that were set in place, enabling AZ districts to align better with the FoSE standards which may enable discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Staff Reporter | May 30, 2025 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Continued Republican infighting over the state of school choice in Arizona has resulted in another candidate entering the 2026 race for superintendent of public instruction. The friction concerns to what extent the superintendent should restrict the reimbursement of school choice funds.
Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee formally announced her campaign on Wednesday with the Arizona Freedom Caucus. The caucus founder, Sen. Jake Hoffman, endorsed Yee at a press conference outside the state capitol. Hoffman believes the current superintendent, Tom Horne, limits school choice disbursements too much.
Hoffman justified Yee’s selection by alluding to “challenges” with the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program, and reported “frustrations” experienced by parents navigating the program.
“We have identified an absolute all-star candidate; we have identified someone who has a proven track record uniting the Republican Party and winning elections at every level of government,” said Hoffman. “[Horne] is a better politician than he is a public servant.”
Yee said she would better partner with parents through a “student-first” system and pledged to create “a vocational pathway” for future leaders in the workforce. Yee also promised to strengthen school choice options for parents.
Yee accused Horne of committing “big government overreach” and “petty political games” in his administration of the office.
“We need a chief education officer in Arizona committed to delivering real, tangible results for Arizona children and families. Sadly, and for far too long, the leadership at the Arizona Department of Education has missed the mark, and our children and teachers are paying the price,” said Yee.
Yee avoided answering whether she would put limits on permitted ESA Program spending. She insisted current legislative “guardrails” sufficiently prevent inappropriate expenditures.
Hoffman announced his intent last month to replace Horne next year, claiming the superintendent hadn’t sufficiently protected the ESA Program from efforts to undermine it by Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes. A significant source of contention is the extent to which the superintendent’s office has denied reimbursement requests.
Horne has put the kibosh on significant reimbursement requests fought to be secured by parents in the program. Of late, his office says he has prevented the approval of a $16,000 cello; a $5,000 Rolex watch; a $24,000 golf simulator; $64,000 for nail art and crystals; a $2,300 freeze dryer; $1,500 for 250 cubic feet of potting soil; and $65,000 for 100 laptops, computers, and tablets for a family with six children.
In the case of the cello, 12 News reported the family — identified as living in “an upscale Gilbert neighborhood — received $11,000 in ESA funds for a piano, commercial KitchenAid mixer, private fitness lessons, a kayak, and Chinese calligraphy and painting lessons. After receiving their reimbursements, the family put their child in a public school.
Horne has consistently doubled down on his position as “the main defender” of the ESA Program, citing his work as a lawmaker on the earliest forms of school choice conceived in the 1990s. The superintendent publicly challenged Hoffman to debate him on the matter.
“I brought school choice to Arizona in the 90s with my legislation. I’ve fought to protect school choice from a liberal Governor and Attorney General for the past two years,” said Horne. “I’m the only statewide candidate to beat an incumbent in the General Election in over 50 years. Let me know when and where you’d like to debate education policy.”
Yee’s platform focuses only on fiscal responsibility within the superintendent’s office. Contrary to Hoffman’s indication that the Arizona Freedom Caucus’s chosen candidate would lead their campaign with the ESA Program, there is no mention of school choice on her campaign website as of this report.
By comparison, Horne’s platform appears to be significantly more fleshed out with plans addressing the different areas of state education.
Yee previously considered running for governor in the crowded 2022 race that ultimately ended with the seat flipping from Republican to Democratic control.
Aside from Horne and Yee, the only other registered Republican to file a statement of interest in the race is Stephen Neal Jr., a school psychologist formerly with Legacy Traditional Schools.
Five Democratic candidates have also filed statements of interest: Michael Butts, a member of the Roosevelt Elementary School District governing board; Sam Huang, former member of the Chandler City Council and 2022 state legislative candidate; Joshua Levinski, an English teacher; Bret Newby, an associate professor with National University; and Teresa Ruiz, the former president of Glendale Community College.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | May 30, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
A new study analyzing nurse-to-population ratios across the United States has revealed that Arizona is facing one of the country’s most severe nursing shortages, ranking 10th overall.
According to data compiled by Injured In Florida, a Florida-based personal injury law firm, Arizona has just 1,686 nurses per 100,000 residents—well below the national average of 2,057. The research examined the total number of registered nurses and nurse practitioners in each state using figures from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and compared them to U.S. Census population estimates.
Arizona is home to 127,834 nurses in total, consisting of 116,708 registered nurses and 11,126 nurse practitioners. Despite a growing population and a robust healthcare system, the state’s ratio of nurses per capita places it firmly in the top ten states with the worst shortages.
Arizona joins several of its western and southern peers in the top ten, a trend the study’s authors say highlights regional disparities in healthcare staffing. Utah ranked as the state with the most severe shortage, with only 1,340 nurses per 100,000 people. Washington (1,462), Georgia (1,533), and Wyoming (1,543) followed closely behind.
“The top ten ranking is evenly split between states in the West and states in the South, suggesting a pattern of nurse shortages in these areas,” a spokesperson from Injured In Florida said in a statement. “Meanwhile, the states with the most nurses are primarily located in the Northeast and Midwest, highlighting a clear difference in availability between regions.”
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Hawaii boasts the most robust nursing workforce, with 2,967 nurses per 100,000 residents. New York and Alaska follow closely, at 2,918 and 2,801 respectively.
The nurse shortage in Arizona raises concerns for patients and healthcare providers alike. Experts warn that lower nurse-to-patient ratios can result in longer wait times, increased stress and burnout among current staff, and potential declines in patient care quality.
However, the data could present an opportunity for job seekers in the healthcare field. “States with the worst nurse shortages will likely have plenty of job opportunities for nurses or aspiring nurses,” the spokesperson added. “If you are a nurse looking to relocate for work, these states might be a good starting point.”
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Garrett Riley | May 29, 2025 | Opinion
By Garrett Riley |
For decades, the rallying cry of “choice” has driven the abortion debate. Pro-abortion advocates paint it as a matter of personal liberty — a private decision between a woman and her doctor. But real choice demands full, honest information. And the latest evidence on chemical abortion reveals a disturbing truth that’s been hidden for too long.
A massive new study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, analyzing over 865,000 chemical abortions from 2017 to 2023, shows that 1 in 9 women who take the abortion pill suffer serious medical harm. That’s nearly 11% of women dealing with severe complications like hemorrhaging, sepsis, and infection — consequences that can lead to permanent damage, emergency surgeries, or even death. Another 5% need additional medical interventions, exposing the pill’s failure rate.
For anyone who claims to care about women’s well-being, these numbers demand immediate action. For the government agencies that regulate drugs and healthcare, they require urgent oversight. And for those who genuinely believe in the “pro-choice” principle, they demand a clear-eyed rethinking of what real, informed choice means.
Choice Without Truth Isn’t Choice
“Choice” means nothing without accurate information. The abortion pill has been spun as “safer than Tylenol,” but that’s a blatant lie. The FDA’s official label for mifepristone claims a serious adverse event rate of less than 0.5% — over 22 times lower than what the real-world data proves.
No one can make a good decision if key facts are hidden. In any other area of medicine, these numbers would trigger an immediate recall or at least a thorough review of safety guidelines.
When the FDA fast-tracked the abortion pill in the 1990s, it was with a promise: that safety standards would be rigorously upheld. Today, those standards in Arizona— like mandatory ultrasounds, in-person exams, and physician oversight — are being threatened and have been stripped away in other states by abortion-rights legislation.
The result? A pill once administered under a doctor’s care is now shipped through the mail, often with no medical oversight. No follow-up exams. No real informed consent. Women facing vulnerability—particularly those under the coercion of abusive partners—are exposed to severe risks affecting both their physical and mental well-being.
Pills That Kill: Medicine Turned Upside Down
Abortion advocates call the pill “medication abortion,” as if it heals. But real medicine heals. Chemical abortion does none of that. It destroys innocent unborn children and puts women’s health at risk.
Calling abortion “medicine” is a dangerous lie. True medicine doesn’t harm or kill. No one who truly believes in women’s health can honestly call this “medicine.”
The original “safe, legal, and rare” mantra has vanished. Chemical abortions now make up 63% of all abortions in the United States — and in some states, as high as 80%. Each pill dispensed means more danger for women — not less.
We’ve gone from “safe, legal, and rare” to “dangerous, deregulated, and widespread.” That’s a betrayal of women — and of the very idea of healthcare.
This Is About Women’s Health, Not Politics
This isn’t about partisan politics. It’s about whether women can truly make informed choices. It’s about whether agencies like the FDA and HHS will honor their mission to protect the public — or cave to ideological pressure.
If you believe in choice, you must also believe in full, honest information. Anything less isn’t choice — it’s propaganda.
If you believe in human rights, you must recognize every human life’s inherent worth — and the dignity of every mother’s health and future.
If you care about healthcare safety, you can’t ignore these numbers. You must demand a full review of the abortion pill’s safety — and an end to the lies that have kept women in the dark for far too long.
Read the full EPPC report here.
Arizona Life Coalition Stands with Women’s Health
The Arizona Life Coalition, along with more than 100 pro-life organizations, has urged the FDA to act on this alarming evidence and reinstate the safety standards that once protected women. You can read that letter here.
What Can We Do?
We must ensure that every woman facing a crisis pregnancy has support and the truth — not abortion industry spin.
Demand that the FDA and other agencies incorporate this evidence into their safety evaluations. Share this information with your family, friends, and public officials. Urge them to reinstate common-sense safety standards. Push for a full review of a pill that seriously injures 1 in 9 women.
Medicine is meant to heal — not to harm and kill. Any healthcare policy or practice that does otherwise has no place in a just society.
Garrett Riley is the executive director of the Arizona Life Coalition, with a mission of inspiring pro-life choices through charity, education, and unifying collaboration.
