New legislation designed to address the shortage of doctors in the state of Arizona was signed into law last week after gaining nearly unanimous bipartisan support in the House and Senate. SB 1727, sponsored by Senate Health & Human Services Committee Chair Carine Werner creates a requirement for public university medical schools to offer interviews to all Arizona residents who meet admission requirements.
The theory behind the legislation is that most doctors live in and practice in the state where they earned their degrees and completed their residency, as reported by the American Medical Association (AMA) in a 2019 study.
“If you’ve recently tried to make an appointment with a physician as a new patient, only to be turned away because the office has hit capacity, or if you’ve been forced to wait months just to get an appointment, you know just how serious Arizona’s doctor shortage has become,” explained Werner. “Not being able to access the medical care you need, when you need it, is more than just a frustration — it can easily mean the difference between life and death. SB 1727 being signed into law is a first step in retaining future doctors, instead of exporting them to other states.”
Werner revealed that she, “worked with Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and the Arizona Board of Regents to ensure this proposal can be implemented and will be effective.”
Arizona’s six medical schools, reportedly offer a very limited number of interviews to students who meet all qualifications for entry and per the Senate Republicans, “Those students who do not receive an interview and live in Arizona must look to other states to attend medical school.”
Citing the AMA’s findings that 54.6% of students who complete medical school and residencies out of state don’t return to their home state, but rather make lives where they trained, Werner and her fellow lawmakers reasoned that ensuring these interviews will be available to prospective Arizona medical students “will help expand the pool of qualified, homegrown applicants in our state.”
Tucson Border Patrol Specialty Units and Homeland Security Investigations agents have arrested an illegal immigrant wanted by the Mexican government for smuggling weapons across the border.
“Gun runner runs out of luck. The arm of the law caught up to a Mexican arms smuggler when Tucson Border Patrol Specialty Units from Casa Grande teamed up with Homeland Security Investigations to arrest a man wanted by the Government of Mexico,” said Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) of the Tucson Sector Sean McGoffin on X.
Gun runner runs out of luck.
The arm of the law caught up to a Mexican arms smuggler when Tucson Border Patrol Specialty Units from Casa Grande teamed up with Homeland Security Investigations to arrest a man wanted by the Government of Mexico.
The Chief Patrol Agent added that the man arrested was living in Phoenix illegally and was handed over to Mexican ‘Federales’ or La Agencia de Investigación Criminal who were shown in a posted image in uniform with their backs turned and faces obscured along with HSI Agents and the suspect. McGoffin added, “Now he will face the music in Mexico, as he was promptly removed from the U.S. into the custody of Mexican Officials.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hosted a press conference Friday morning with law enforcement partners in Tucson highlighting DHS and interagency efforts to interdict firearms being smuggled into Mexico.
CBP’s Director of Field Operations for Tucson Guadalupe Ramirez, who led the presser, told reporters that the Department of Homeland Security alongside local and federal partners have in recent days successfully “stopped child abduction, interdicted criminals fleeing prosecution, interdicted illegal contraband such as controlled substances, precursors, arms, and recovered myriad of other violations involving currency and stolen vehicles.”
He added, “Our successful interdiction and seizures play a critical role in protecting America’s borders, the national security by preventing illegal weapons, reaching dangerous criminal networks in Mexico. CBP has the authority for departure control of any person, baggage vehicle or material departing the United States and all are subject to inspection and search by CBP officers to ensure compliance with applicable outbound laws.”
Ramirez concluded, “Together with our partners, we’ll continue to target and examine high risk outbound conveyance destined to Mexico, we’ll increase outbound interdiction focused on weapons and currency trafficking of weapons and ammunition intended for terrorism. It is not just a border violation, it is a direct act of supporting terrorism that threatens national security and international security. Engaging in weapons trafficking, particularly to support designated foreign terrorist organizations comes with severe legal consequences including terrorism related charges and long sentences and financial penalties.”
Brendan Iber, Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) noted during the conference that the ATF has “determined that cartels prefer large caliber and or belt-fed rifles such as the Ohio Ordinance M2 50 caliber rifle, the Ohio Ordinance M240 7.62 millimeter, the FN M249 5.56 millimeter, and the Barrett M82 50 caliber Semi-Automatic rifle.”
He continued, “These cartels and terrorist organizations are often responsible for the most heinous violent crimes affecting the communities and neighborhoods of the United States. Under President Trump and Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, and since January 20th of this year, ATF has prevented nearly 9,700 firearms from falling into the hands of dangerous criminals or terrorists.” Iber added, “Since the announcement from Attorney General Bondi earlier in the week of the 9,700 firearms, I will tell you here in Arizona alone, that number is now up to 11,000.”
Under the direction of Governor Katie Hobbs, the Arizona Department of Administration (ADA) sold the state’s first private prison rather than repurposing it for illegal alien detainment.
The State House overwhelmingly rejected a bill last Thursday to lease the prison, Marana Community Correctional Treatment Facility adjacent to Tucson, to the federal government for illegal aliens and other violators of immigration law for just $1 a year. The bill failed due to bipartisan rejection despite its party-line passage in the Senate.
“The federal government should have access to the empty Marana Prison to house these dangerous criminal illegal aliens so that Arizonans are protected from further threats,” said the bill’s author, Senator John Kavanaugh.
One Republican lawmaker representing Marana, Rep. Rachel Keshel, rejected repurposing the prison for immigration violations over concerns of bringing criminal illegal aliens into their community.
Keshel and fellow lawmaker to the area, Democratic Rep. Kevin Volk, alleged in remarks to Capitol Media Services that Kavanaugh failed to consult with local leaders about his proposed plan.
“Now, I do agree that something needs to happen with it instead of it just sitting there. But why was I not consulted with?” Keshel asked. “Why wasn’t I able to go to the mayor, the vice mayor, the town council of Marana, and figure out what their desires were for their community?”
The prison’s buyer, Management and Training Corporation (MTC) out of Utah, had operated and managed the prison. MTC purchased the 500-bed facility for about $15 million last Wednesday.
MTC owns nearly 40 correctional facilities, community release centers, and treatment programs across the nation.
The Marana prison was the state’s first private prison, established over 30 years ago. The minimum-security facility housed around up to 500 prisoners requiring substance abuse intervention. The declining prison population in the state prompted the prison’s closing and its recent sale.
The sale comes less than two years after Governor Katie Hobbs announced the prison’s closure in late 2023. The prison closed with under half of the number of prisoners that would constitute capacity.
Hobbs said the closure was a means of saving taxpayer dollars and eliminating government waste. The governor projected a savings of $15 million between the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.
Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) absorbed the Marana inmates into other prisons throughout the state. ADCRR operates 15 prisons, six of which are private.
“So not only are we demonstrating significant savings, we’re demonstrating, with actions, our ability to be more efficient with the resources already provided to us,” said ADCRR Director Ryan Thornell.
The move by the Hobbs administration put off some local leaders. Marana Mayor Ed Honea said Hobbs gave notice to nearly 90 prison employees and staff of their impending job loss just three weeks before Christmas. The prison had the capability of employing over 200 individuals at full capacity.
Per Honea, the Marana inmates also provided affordable labor for the town. The inmates managed and cleared roadways, and during storm seasons would also clear debris.
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The Goldwater Institute recently sent an email that its lawsuit announced in January against the Hobbs administration is moving forward.
In the email, Goldwater highlighted the potential impact of the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) controversial new rule imposing the requirement of a 100-year groundwater supply across wide swaths of the state.
Goldwater’s Vice President for Litigation Jon Riches wrote, “This government overreach sets a troubling precedent for other bureaucratic agencies to bypass the authority of the legislature. Due to ADWR disregarding the legislative process and the risks posed by the water rule, the Goldwater Institute is suing Governor Hobbs’ administration.”
Goldwater is challenging the Arizona Department of Water Resources’ (ADWR) controversial new rule imposing the requirement of a 100-year groundwater supply across wide swaths of the state. The troubling regulation was detailed earlier this year in an op-ed from Goldwater’s Vice President for Litigation Jon Riches and in a report by AZ Free News.
Riches explained that Hobbs’ appointed Director of ADWR, Tom Buschatzke, is “working outside Arizona law,” by implementing the new “unmet demand” rule, unilaterally without legislative approval or following the statutory rule-making process.
He wrote, “Despite Buschatzke’s apparent desire to act as a mini czar with unilateral power to determine this state’s water policy, his authority — like all government power — is constrained by Arizona law. And that law is crystal clear: When regulatory agencies like ADWR attempt to impose sweeping policies — such as halting all new home construction across large parts of the Valley — they must do so through formal rulemaking, allowing for public input. Instead, Buschatzke sidestepped this requirement and imposed his homebuilding moratorium with the stroke of a pen. The Goldwater Institute, where I work, is now suing the agency to halt the illegal rule.”
In the email, Riches warned, “If someone wanted to build a house, they would be blocked from doing so if another part of the designated region, miles and miles away, did not meet the criteria of this water rule.”
The email also outlined three direct impacts that Arizona taxpayers could expect to feel: “Increased housing costs, prevention of homebuilding, [and] a dangerous precedent for government overreach.”
Riches added, “This is one of the most critical lawsuits by the Goldwater Institute in our history. We have been successful in challenging unconstitutional laws in the past, and we are ready to fight this one.”
The complaint in Home Builders Association of Central Arizona v. Arizona Department of Water Resources can be found online here. The case is currently in the Maricopa County Superior Court pending a response from the ADWR.
American Patriots believe in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. No one should be compelled to oppose their sincerely held beliefs, no matter how silly they may be. Freedom of speech is graciously bestowed upon the wise and the imbecile. It is the latter who scorn liberty and mock our institutions.
Chandler Unified School District (CUSD)
On April 17, 2025, AZ Free News exposed CUSD board president Patti Serrano who refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance during a school board meeting. Video footage (below) shows Serrano standing, hand-over-heart, lips unmoving. CUSD residents say this is a persistent pattern of distasteful behavior.
According to AZ Free News, “Serrano’s refusal to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance aligns with her other progressive values: legalizing abortion, increasing gun control, advancing LGBTQ+ ideologies in minors, and supporting Islamic terrorist groups aligned with Palestine.” The article also said Serrano took an oath of office with her hand on the book “Life is a Banquet” instead of the traditional Bible.
What cause did Serrano swear to uphold in place of the U.S. Constitution? After that infamous Pledge of Allegiance, Serrano appears to bow her head in invocation. Since she doesn’t believe in God, who exactly is she praying to? These questions should alarm every CUSD parent and constituent who upholds the rule of law. The answers would be irrelevant if Serrano resigned from public office.
Phoenix Elementary School District (PESD)
PESD—the same district where former board member Jessica Bueno used personal property as collateral to bail out a convicted child sex offender—is home to leftist activist Alicia Vink.
Vink proudly backs the district’s Black Lives Matter Resolution in honor of the deceased convicted felon George Floyd. She has also worn cat ears in support of anti-Christian board members in the Washington Elementary School District (more on that later). Vink was determined to make a fool of herself at the April 8, 2025, school board meeting when she announced:
“I chose not to stand for our Pledge of Allegiance today because I will not stand for a national or state education system that is unjust—and not only doesn’t support our district values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but is actively fighting against us.”
Watch her speech below.
Vink declared that she “would not stand for any behavior that puts our kids at risk” as she proceeded to poison the mind of every student who attended or watched the meeting. Her self-serving antics are an embarrassment to all Arizonans and will only continue to drive families away from this failing institution.
PESD would be better off without Vink’s presence on the school board.
Washington Elementary School District (WESD)
In 2023, the WESD governing board voted 5-0 to terminate an 11-year student-teaching partnership with Arizona Christian University. WESD board member Tamillia Valenzuela took charge by removing the agreement from the consent agenda, claiming that ACU’s core beliefs on biblical marriage made gender-confused people feel “unsafe.”
Her sentiments were echoed by former board member Nikkie Whaley and current board members Kyle Clayton, Jenni Abbott, and Lindsey Peterson (Valenzuela, Clayton, and Abbott identify as LGBTQ). In July 2022, Whaley, Abbott, Peterson, and current (re-elected) board member Bill Adams voted in favor of an LGBTQ Resolution for elementary students. Adults who promote and celebrate multiple sexual identities in children bring shame and disgrace upon civilized societies. Note that during the ACU discussion, Valenzuela cited this resolution as just cause for discriminating against Christians.
Valenzuela, also known as “Cat Ears” among community members, has never stood to face the flag or recite the Pledge during school board meetings. However, she does take ownership in reading a land acknowledgement to shame Glendale and Phoenix residents with no connection to events that may have occurred over 500 years ago. Below are a few random timestamps to corroborate my claims:
April 24, 2025 – Valenzuela reads the land acknowledgement and remains seated during the Pledge
February 23, 2023 – Here is the discussion and vote to terminate WESD’s contract with ACU
Where are all the Patriots hiding?
The Founders (any 18th-century American, really) would be appalled by our present generation of so-called Patriots. We have the meanest cell phone and keyboard warriors across the Valley who won’t attend a board meeting, not even when something goes horribly wrong. Rather than proactively defend our youth, most constituents retreat to their echo chambers of digital outrage. I’m a member of several Facebook groups wherein parents devour each other while raging against board members, administrators, educators, and staff. This isn’t doing your kids any good.
Parents pay attention! Voters take notes! The issues in Arizona’s public education system must be confronted head-on.
In 2026, Serrano’s term in CUSD and Valenzuela’s and Clayton’s terms in WESD will end. Vink (who ran on an “Equity” platform in 2020) retained her seat, so residents are stuck with her until 2028. Still, two seats will open in PESD in 2026. According to Ballotpedia, the 2024 general elections were canceled for PESD due to a lack of opposition. The school board also gained a new member who never appeared on the ballot. There is no reason this should happen again.
I defy the card-carrying tactics and rhetoric of Patti Serrano, Alicia Vink, and Tamillia Valenzuela. Do Arizonans want to keep taking chances on communist sympathizers and social justice zealots controlling their children’s education? Out of 5 million residents in the Greater Phoenix Area, is no one else willing to publicly defend biblical principles, fight for conservative values, and uphold the U.S. Constitution?
It’s time we raise our standards and expectations of school district leadership. If we don’t, what hope does the next generation have?
