Two bills improving nuclear energy production and limiting energy efficiency regulations on home appliances from Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) are set to be voted on by the whole House.
Both bills passed out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Tuesday. In a press release, Lesko said that the bills represented commonsense protections of two critical aspects of everyday American living.
“I am thrilled that these two commonsense bills have passed out of committee,” said Lesko. “I am working every day to leave our state and nation in a better place than when we found it, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that these proposals are approved by the full House of Representatives.”
One of the bills, the Advancing Nuclear Regulatory Oversight Act, would require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to give reports to Congress on all procedural changes implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report would also have to outline proposed efficiency improvements for the future.
The bill passed out of committee through another bill, H.R. 6544.
We should be taking steps to improve the efficiency of every government agency. I’m pleased that my bill to encourage innovation at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was included in the Atomic Energy Advancement Act which was passed out of @HouseCommerce today. pic.twitter.com/zjUHTkwdcU
The report would also include an examination of the costs associated with the commission’s headquarters, regional offices, and technical training center. Specifically, the report would include costs not supportive of the commission’s mission, such as rent subsidies for other federal agencies, and proposals for cost reductions such as shedding or consolidating office spaces.
The other bill, the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act, would limit the Department of Energy (DOE) from issuing new or amended energy efficiency standards that wouldn’t be technologically feasible or economically justified.
I'm excited that my Hands Off Our Home Appliances bill passed out of committee today! My common sense bill will stop the Biden Administration from banning popular appliances, furnaces, and water heaters, will ensure the appliances actually work and will retain consumer choice! pic.twitter.com/zXn2o3VkzT
The act would allow for the amendment or revocation of energy efficiency standards that result in additional costs to consumers, don’t result in a significant conservation of energy or water, aren’t technologically feasible, and result in the affected product to not be commercially available to all consumers.
It would also require the DOE to conduct a quantitative economic impact analysis prior to prescribing any new or amended energy conservation standards. Included within this analysis would be the costs to low-income households, the variation in costs to consumers based on regional differences, effects of the standards on employment, and the lifecycle costs for the affected appliances: purchase, installation, maintenance, disposal, and replacement.
The act would restrict the DOE from declaring economic justification of any energy conservation standard unless the standard wouldn’t result in additional net costs to the consumer (purchase, installation, maintenance, disposal, and replacement of the affected products), and would result in a monetary value of energy savings.
In order to qualify as significant energy or water savings, the conservation standard would have to result in a reduction of at least .3 quads of site energy over three years or at least a 10 percent reduction in energy or water use of the affected product.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The Maricopa County Republican Committee (MCRC) called on the Arizona House to bring impeachment charges against Attorney General Kris Mayes.
In a resolution approved on Tuesday, MCRC accused Mayes of abuse of office and violation of constitutional oaths by prosecuting Cochise County Supervisors Peggy Judd and Tom Crosby. The committee’s resolution likened Mayes’ actions to those that occur under dictatorships or communist rule.
“Kris Mayes is using her prosecutorial powers as the Arizona Attorney General to interfere with the County Board of Supervisors’ responsibility and authority to ensure the Peoples’ right to a secure election that is accurate and free from abuse or manipulation,” stated the resolution. “Kris Mayes’ prosecution of Cochise County Supervisors Peggy Judd and Tom Crosby is an act of political prosecution common in dictatorships or communist countries.”
MCRC EGC Adopts Resolution Calling Upon #AZLeg House to Bring Forward Impeachment Charges Against 'AZ Attorney General' Kris Mayes for Grotesque Abuse of Office & Violation of Her Oath to U.S. & AZ Constitutions.
Last week, Mayes announced felony charges of interference with an election officer and conspiracy against Judd and Crosby. Together, the charges carry a punishment of up to five years’ imprisonment and fines of up to $300,000.
“The repeated attempts to undermine our democracy are unacceptable,” said Mayes. “I took an oath to uphold the rule of law, and my office will continue to enforce Arizona’s elections laws and support our election officials as they carry out the duties and responsibilities of their offices.”
The repeated attempts to undermine our democracy are unacceptable. I took an oath to uphold the rule of law, and my office will continue to enforce Arizona’s elections laws and support our election officials as they carry out the duties and responsibilities of their offices. https://t.co/boKPiNtiUi
In Tuesday’s resolution, MCRC defended Judd and Crosby as having the lawful authority to take the time they needed beyond the certification deadline to canvass the 2022 election. MCRC cited the widespread voting tabulation equipment malfunctions in Maricopa and Pinal counties, as well as the imbalance in the Pinal County canvass report, as justification for Judd and Crosby’s delayed certification.
MCRC accused Mayes of prosecuting Judd and Crosby as a means of intimidating other local elected officials from doing their due diligence to ensure the security and fairness of elections.
The MCRC executive board consists of Craig Berland, Shelby Busch, Tatiana Pena, Lawrence Hudson, Dan Grimm, Jeff Greenspan, Joanie Colson, Joe Neglia, former lawmaker Liz Harris, and Brian Ference.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Gov. Katie Hobbs has reversed course on her decision to send the National Guard to the border.
On Friday, Hobbs announced the plans to deploy the National Guard through Operation Safety, Enforcement, Coordination, & Uniform Response (SECURE): a new mobilization effort of additional state resources to mitigate the burgeoning border crisis. Operation SECURE will house a new Department of Homeland Security division, the Border Security Office, using $2 million from the state’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funding.
Should the Biden administration continue the closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry, the governor directed the state to spend up to $5 million to mobilize the National Guard. In the corresponding press release, Hobbs criticized the Biden administration’s closure of the port of entry as the direct cause of “an unmitigated crisis” that endangered the state’s communities and commerce.
Hobbs warned that the Biden administration has placed Arizona at a “breaking point.”
“Our ports of entry are vital for security and trade, and insufficient resources hinder our ability to properly manage the influx of migrants who have continued to come to Lukeville,” said Hobbs. “We need the federal government to step up, do its job, and bring security and order to our border.”
Hobbs also submitted a letter to President Joe Biden on Friday requesting the reassignment of just over 200 Tucson Sector National Guard members to the Lukeville Port of Entry as well as the assignment of National Guard members elsewhere in the nation to reopen the port of entry.
“For far too long, Arizona has continued to bear the burden of federal inaction in managing our southern border,” said Hobbs.
Hobbs also requested the reimbursement of the over $512.5 million the state has spent under Biden on migrant transportation, drug interdiction, and law enforcement. In her press release announcing Operation SECURE, Hobbs promised to seek reimbursements of border crisis mitigation on a regular basis.
“The federal government must act immediately to solve the unmitigated crisis caused by the Lukeville Port of Entry closure,” said Hobbs.
The federal government must act immediately to solve the unmitigated crisis caused by the Lukeville Port of Entry closure.
Today, I sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to reassign National Guard members to assist in its reopening, as well as reimburse the… pic.twitter.com/JYmiBLvi6k
The governor also disclosed to reporters earlier this week that she would visit the area on Saturday to assess the situation. Hobbs is scheduled to travel with Arizona National Guard Adjutant General Kerry Muehlenbeck.
Hobbs’ decision to deploy the National Guard marks a turnaround from her perspective on Monday, when she felt that the troops weren’t warranted since the border communities hadn’t asked for them.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry last Friday. CBP attributed the closure to the need for more personnel due to the ever-worsening state of the border crisis.
“In response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals, CBP is surging all available resources to expeditiously and safely process migrants,” said CBP.
Scenes from the border reveal that around 1,000 illegal immigrants on any given day — mostly single, military-age men — await alongside the border for processing and transportation after illegally crossing into the U.S.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to CBP as Customs and Border Patrol. The story has been corrected and now refers to CBP as Customs and Border Protection.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The University of Arizona (UArizona) reinstated two professors last week after they were suspended for defending Hamas to their students.
In audio clips published by Israel War Room last month, College of Education professors Rebecca Lopez and Rebecca Zapien made a number of refutable claims about Hamas in explaining the conflict to their students. Zapien ran an unsuccessful campaign to join the Tucson Unified School District last year.
The professors’ comments included the claim that Hamas isn’t a terrorist organization, but rather a resistance group comparable to the Black Panther Party. The U.S. has recognized Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization for well over 20 years. The FBI designated the Black Panther Party as a domestic extremist organization noted for employing violent and guerilla tactics in their attempts to overthrow the government.
The audio clips didn’t distinguish which professor issued the remarks, which occurred in the “Cultural Pluralism For Young Children” class.
One of the professors indicated that she would have engaged in actions similar to those undertaken by Hamas against Israel, in response to what she described as mistreatment of the Palestinians by the Israeli government.
“Hamas is a group within Palestine, they’re a group of people who are responding to that thing that’s going on, so they’re responding, much like I would, enough, they’re not the same, I wanna separate, but for me, I can understand things in a U.S. context, and then it helps me understand them in other countries,” stated one professor.
The professor went on to claim that Hamas doesn’t represent the Palestinian people and aren’t elected officials. The terrorist organization has been the de facto governing body for the area since the early 2000s.
One of the professors also claimed that Israeli forces were targeting civilians, and that Hamas wasn’t antisemitic but anti-Zionist.
The Israel War Room called on UArizona President Robert Robbins to address the professors’ speech.
“[President Robbins], your professors are gaslighting Jewish students, endorsing terrorism, and spreading blatantly false information. We DEMAND you do something about it,” said the Israel War Room.
Leadership did take action — Lopez and Zapien were suspended while the university reviewed the remarks. The pair’s suspension didn’t bode well for students and local groups. The United Campus Workers Arizona launched a petition for their reinstatement and organized multiple sit-ins at the College of Education administration building.
UCWAZ calls on senior administration to reinstate educators placed on leave and protect academic freedom. Join us in signing our petition: https://t.co/6GUwsj42DN
In a statement announcing Lopez and Zapien’s return to the classroom last week, College of Education Dean Robert Berry said UArizona was committed to an inclusive respect of all viewpoints.
“We reaffirm our commitment to an academic instructional setting that respects all viewpoints and is within the scope and educational purposes of our discipline in terms of materials provided in the classroom,” said Berry.
Berry also announced a new faculty-led workshop series, “Educational Dialogues,” to review potentially contentious topics. The first in the series was scheduled for last Friday.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
On Tuesday, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced a $2 million fund to pay for new teachers and the final report complete with a lengthy list of recommendations from her Educator Retention Task Force.
In order to counter teacher shortages and improve retention, the task force issued a series of recommendations likely to come at a significant cost to taxpayers.
The task force recommended a permanent educator advisory group to the governor; a $10,000 raise in the average salary for teachers; a reduction in healthcare premium costs; 12 weeks of paid leave for childbirth, adoption, or fostering; more governmental efforts on raising awareness of student loan forgiveness programs; working conditions improvements including decreased class sizes, decreased workloads, increased amounts of support staff such as counselors and social workers, more planning and preparation time, and improving school safety; more stakeholder meetings and state government-level leadership roles to educators; an Arizona State Board of Education study and data collection system on retention rates; greater expansion and funding for statewide induction and mentoring programs; expansion of the Arizona Teachers Academy; child care for educators; more policies and systems to support educator mental health; reimbursement for certifications such as student teaching and counseling; and eliminating the one-year mandatory waiting period for retired teachers to return to the classroom.
In Arizona, we’re committed to listening to & uplifting our educators.
That’s why, today I’m announcing the release of my nonpartisan Educator Retention Task Force’s recommendations & report, as well as a $2 million investment into the Arizona New Teacher Support Program.
Hobbs partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) Morrison Institute and the Hunt Institute to inform the task force, despite ASU having the highest rate of its graduates quitting the teaching profession over the course of five years in comparison to Grand Canyon University (GCU), Rio Salado College, and The New Teacher Project (TNTP) Academy.
Presenter: By far, the greatest number of teachers quitting w/n 5 years – are graduates of ASU teaching program. And what university grads stick with teaching? ➡️Grand Canyon University 2/3 pic.twitter.com/PwMOdilSVV
— TheLegalProcess (v2.0 | Post-Election Ed) (@ALegalProcess) December 6, 2023
ASU also had the highest rate of Arizona State Board of Education enforcement actions against its graduates when compared to other universities in the state. GCU had the highest retention rate of its graduates, and the lowest enforcement action rates from the Arizona State Board of Education.
The task force was divided into four working groups.
A first group focused on compensation and benefits. Its members were Jeremiah Gallegos, Littleton School District financial literacy instructor; Luisa Arreola, San Luis Middle School gifted program coordinator; Lynette Stant, Salt River Indian Reservation third grade teacher and 2020 Arizona Teacher of the Year; Marisol Garcia, Arizona Education Association president; Quincy Natay, Chinle Unified School District superintendent; and Ruth Ellen Elinski, Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District governing board member.
A second group focused on retention innovations and solutions. Its members were Justin Wing, Mesa Public Schools assistant superintendent of human resources; Lloyd Hopkins, Million Dollar Teacher Project CEO and founder; Melissa Sadorf, Stanfield Elementary School District superintendent; and Violeta Ramos, Osborn School District Spanish teacher and governing board member.
A third group focused on teacher preparation and certification. Its members were Curt Bertelsen, Pima Joint Technical Education District director of professional development; Jennifer Gresko, Rio Salado College faculty chair of educator preparation; Ramona Mellot, Northern Arizona University College of Education dean; Zel Fowler, Balsz School District gifted education teacher; and Janine Menard, Tolleson Elementary School District mental health professional.
The fourth group focused on working conditions. Its members were Jennifer Hulbert, Champion Schools – South Mountain second grade teacher; Jesus “Anthony” Lovio, Flowing Wells Unified School District special education teacher; Jonathan Parker, Sunnyslope High School principal; and Sarah Tolar, City of Mesa education and workforce administrator.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
