Secretary of State Adrian Fontes attempted to build up his fundraising campaign email list by dissing gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and her “MAGA fascist” supporters.
In an email last month, the secretary asked for his supporters to not only pressure the Arizona Supreme Court to reject Lake’s lawsuit, but to impose punishments on her and her supporters.
“We need you to make your voice heard and tell the Arizona Supreme Court that MAGA fascists must be held accountable for their election denying lies,” stated Fontes. “We’re demanding that Lake’s last lawsuit be dismissed and her legal team sanctioned for wasting the resources of the Arizona legal system.”
The body of the email is reproduced below in full:
Kari Lake just doesn’t know when to quit. We’ve already seen her attempts to overturn the 2022 election fall flat, but now Kari Lake is approaching her last legal option. She’s appealed her election case to the Arizona Supreme Court, and if they refuse her appeal, she’ll have no legal recourse left.
Even though the facts and case precedent are on our side, we can’t leave our democracy to chance. We need you to make your voice heard and tell the Arizona Supreme Court that MAGA fascists must be held accountable for their election denying lies.
We’re demanding that Lake’s last lawsuit be dismissed and her legal team sanctioned for wasting the resources of the Arizona legal system. Our democracy has stood strong, and with Lake’s last defeat on the horizon, we can finally shut the door on the 2022 election and look forward to Arizona’s future.
Can we count on you to sign our petition urging the Supreme Court to dismiss and sanction Lake for her frivolous election lawsuits? A strong rejection of these election lies is essential for the health of Arizona’s democracy. Stand with us and make your voice heard by signing the petition today.
I know I'll get called out again, but this is not a good look for our Sec. of State to be doing this! I am opposed to the continual Kari Lake Poo Flinging Contest in the Courts, but this is not right. pic.twitter.com/MEUCV6OfCB
Critics of the call to action were quick to point out that the only way to “petition” the court would have been to file an amicus brief ahead of last week’s deadline.
Not smart.
And, as an attorney, he knows that the only appropriate way for his supporters to "petition" the court would have been to file an amici by last week's deadline. (They even could've received an extension😉.) –PW
The referenced case, Lake v. Hobbs, is pending a ruling from the Arizona Supreme Court. Lake asked the court to expedite the hearing in January, ahead of Hobbs’ swearing in, but the court rejected her request. Lake asked the court, again, to expedite the hearing earlier this month; the court accepted. The Arizona Supreme Court granted review of the case late last month on one of the seven issues, concerning Maricopa County’s signature verification process.
In his most recent response opposing Lake’s lawsuit, Fontes asked the court for Lake to be punished.
“This [lawsuit] justifies the imposition of sanctions, or some kind of admonishment, so others will not follow suit,” stated the response. “If this Court sits silent in the face of what has occurred, then those who would due [sic] our union harm will continue to malign and erode the foundations upon which our great state stands.”
Fontes has persisted in issuing jabs against Lake and her supporters amid the ongoing lawsuit. Earlier this month in an interview with MSNBC, several days after the Arizona Supreme Court accepted Lake’s motion to expedite review, the secretary pretended to not know Lake.
“Who are you talking about? I don’t know of anybody of relevance in Arizona named Kari Lake,” asked Fontes.
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) has a new program teaching students how to lawfully run a marijuana business.
The program, Cannabis Compliance & Risk Management, awards a certificate in cannabis compliance upon completion. The course also awards one year of Association of Certified Commercial Cannabis Experts (ACCCE) membership, which comes with additional resources and training materials.
The program consists of three courses lasting eight weeks each, all of which are offered exclusively online: Cannabis 101, Cannabis Compliance and Risk Management I, and Cannabis Compliance and Risk Management II.
The first course, Cannabis 101, reviews the historical, cultural, and industrial backgrounds of cannabis. Topics include: history of cannabis, phytocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system, agriculture and cultivation, enterprise, law and policy, cannabis medicine and healthcare, and careers in the cannabis industry.
In a sample video of the course, Professor David Bearman dispelled a common misconception that CBD doesn’t have psychoactive effects, noting that it suppresses anxiety and depression without the euphoric side effects.
Bearman reviewed the history of medicinal cannabis; he stated that the first study on medicinal cannabis was issued in the 1940s, but it wasn’t until decades later that greater implementation of the drug was studied. Bearman also reviewed the difference between marinol, the synthetic form of the drug, and cannabis, the natural form of the drug.
The second and third courses, Cannabis Compliance and Risk Management I and II, focus on risk assessment, including illicit markets, money laundering, and operational aspects; control activities and environment; communication; assurance; the supply chain; and board reporting.
The program costs just under $3,000. UArizona offers a $250 discount via a promotional code for those who register by April 9.
According to the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR), the state’s cannabis market has experienced nearly $3 billion in sales since the state began allowing sales in January 2021.
The state legalized recreational marijuana in the 2020 election through Proposition 207.
On the flip side of the revenue boost is the rise in marijuana poisonings in children. The number of children poisoned by cannabis ingestion more than quadrupled over the past two years. These poisonings have increased dramatically despite guardrails within Prop 207 that were supposed to prevent pediatric poisonings. These included requiring manufacturers and dispensaries to use child-resistant packaging and banning the sale of cannabis products in the form of gummy worms and bears.
A key player in getting Prop 207 passed was Ninth Circuit Court Judge Roopali Desai, nominated by President Joe Biden to the court last year.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
An Arizona legislator informed his constituents that he wouldn’t be caving to their demands for supporting gun control legislation. The call to action has mainly come from left-leaning groups and activists in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tennessee that left three young children and three adults dead.
State Rep. John Gillette (R-LD30) announced his intent in a letter issued Thursday. Gillette advised his constituents, at length, for his rationale for not supporting greater gun control: criminals can work around gun control measures to obtain weapons, citing the Nashville shooter lied on her background check to obtain guns; FBI data shows no correlation between gun control and crime reduction; and that crime generally correlates with law enforcement procedures and economic factors.
“Controlling a physical object has zero effect on human behavior,” said Gillette. “Laws are followed by law-abiding citizens, not criminals and not people who suffer from mental illness.”
Gillette further noted that no National Rifle Association (NRA) member, licensed firearms dealer, or “right-wing” activist had committed a mass shooting.
“These murders were committed by mentally unstable left-leaning adults that were known to law enforcement or mental health professionals or both,” said Gillette.
— Rep. John Gillette AZ House LD30 (@AzRepGillette) March 30, 2023
Gillette disclosed that he would be open to legislation imposing the death penalty on those who commit a mass shooting, as well as legislation imposing civil penalties on any agency or licensee that failed to report or act on a credible threat.
Gillette also pointed out that FBI data hasn’t been updated for the last eight quarters — since 2021.
Following the shooting, Democratic legislators and activists called for stricter gun control.
State Sen. Anna Hernandez (D-LD24) claimed that the shooting occurred because guns have more rights than individuals.
“Instead of finding solutions to end gun violence we continue to see legislation across the nation that grants more rights and protections to guns rather than legislation to mitigate the loss of human life to mass shootings and other gun violence,” said Hernandez.
Another school mass shooting 💔
Instead of finding solutions to end gun violence we continue to see legislation across the nation that grants more rights and protections to guns rather than legislation to mitigate the loss of human life to mass shootings and other gun violence. https://t.co/43PnBpqykn
— Senator Anna Hernandez (@ahernandezfor24) March 28, 2023
State Rep. Laura Terech (D-LD04) used the tragedy to promote her legislation barring school blueprints and floor plans from being publicly available.
“The senseless act of violence in Nashville further shows the need for sensible policy to keep our children safe from gun violence,” tweeted Terech. “My bill #HB2075 will keep school blueprints and floorplans [sic] from public view.”
The senseless act of violence in Nashville further shows the need for sensible policy to keep our children safe from gun violence. My bill #HB2075 will keep school blueprints and floorplans from public view. @AZHouseGOP
State Rep. Nancy Gutierrez (D-LD18) also promoted Terech’s bill, and said that the deaths were proof that guns were the cause of the school shooting. It has been widely reported that the shooter — a 28-year-old woman that struggled with gender identity issues — had a manifesto which outlines the reason for her killing spree. The manifesto remains unpublished.
“The shooting in Nashville is another failure of the US to stop our gun problem,” stated Gutierrez.
The shooting in Nashville is another failure of the US to stop our gun problem. In AZ, @lauraforAZ intro'd HB2075-it would make blueprints in schools private. Blueprints were used in the Nashville shooting. So, @AZHouseGOP can we see her bill now? @AZHouseDems
— Representative Nancy Gutierrez (@nancygforAZ) March 28, 2023
State Rep. Leezah Sun (D-LD22) blamed those opposing stricter gun control for the deaths.
“We cannot keep letting our children die while we fail to pass gun control on the basis of ‘political differences,’” said Sun.
My heart goes out to families and students in Nashville today. We cannot keep letting our children die while we fail to pass gun control on the basis of “political differences.”
On Thursday, Phoenix had the grand opening of a $12 million community center, days after a court ruled that it had refused to clean up the massive homeless encampment downtown.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego announced the 34,000-square-foot community center, noting that she’d been working on the project since her election in 2019. That was the same year that the homeless crisis began.
Funding for the community center came from the Parks and Preserve Initiative, which sets aside one cent of sales tax for every $10 spent to improve and renovate parks, as well as to expand and improve the city’s desert preserve system.
As AZ Free News reported in its investigative series on The Zone, the homeless crisis has a devastating impact on Phoenix’s ground and waterways.
The community center is located about eight miles south of the homeless encampment (The Zone). It has an elevated track, basketball court, kitchen, fitness center, gaming room, outdoor movie theater, art installation, and a sensory room.
I’ve been working to get the Cesar Chavez Community Center built since I was elected, and tomorrow is the grand opening! With a basketball court, outdoor theater and more, it’s guaranteed fun for the whole family.⁰⁰Come to the open house from 4 to 8 p.m. to see it for yourself! pic.twitter.com/dcQw2QayBZ
The city opened the community center a day before the holiday celebrating its namesake: the civil rights and union activist Cesar Chavez.
During the grand opening ceremony, Gallego called the community center a “showpiece” that represents city values. Gallego disclosed that the city had to jump through a lot of hoops to find the funding to finish the project.
“We put inclusivity at the forefront. This building really shows our values,” said Gallego. “[W]e really had to work as a team to find out how to fund this project. Most city projects have fairly simple funding resources, but this one was quite complex with bond funding, impact fees, [and] a little bit of federal funding.”
Funding this project wasn’t easy, but we never gave up — and now the Cesar Chavez Community Center in Laveen is finally open! Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen. pic.twitter.com/eI0RHHmE9H
The city held its groundbreaking for the community center in September 2020. That was eight months after the residents and business owners within The Zone, the massive homeless encampment downtown, presented a plan to mitigate the burgeoning homeless with outdoor shelter or camping spaces on city land. According to the Maricopa County Superior Court ruling, the city generally ignored their pleas and their plans.
The Maricopa County Superior Court ruled on Monday that the city of Phoenix was at fault for the homeless crisis, which began around 2019 after the city essentially stopped enforcing laws on the homeless.
The city initially projected the community center to be completed last spring or early summer. It’s the city’s first community center established since 2007.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
A bill from Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) to end the COVID-19 National Emergency Declaration passed the Senate on Wednesday.
The legislation now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature. The resolution, HJR 7, was first filed in January. It received bipartisan support: 68 senators voted for the resolution, with 23 against. Both Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema voted for it.
“Looking forward to Joe Biden signing this to finally end this national nightmare,” tweeted Gosar.
My Resolution ending the COVID-19 National Emergency Declaration has now passed the Senate.
Biden won’t veto the measure — meaning that the end of the emergency could come more quickly than anticipated. The Biden administration promised to end the emergency declaration on May 11.
The president’s goodwill on a Republican-led bill has some Democratic leaders frustrated. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI-08) told Fox News in a statement that the Biden administration hasn’t been communicating with House Democrats.
“The White House’s lack of communication with House Democrats has been frustrating,” said Kildee. “Going forward, we’re going to need greater clarity out of the administration. They’ve got to do better.”
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (R-TX-37) issued similar remarks, saying that Biden’s approval of the resolution was surprising. Doggett remarked that he desired more consistency from the administration.
Their confusion is understandable. Biden has consistently voiced opposition to the resolution, even in response to the Senate’s passage of it. However, a White House spokesperson informed outlets that the president would sign the resolution.
“The President strongly opposes HJ Res 7, and the administration is planning to wind down the COVID national emergency and public health emergency on May 11,” said a Biden spokesperson. “If this bill comes to his desk, however, he will sign it, and the administration will continue working with agencies to wind down the national emergency with as much notice as possible to Americans who could potentially be impacted.”
The House passed the resolution in February, 229-197. Gosar praised God at the time for its passage.
Only two Arizona congressmen voted against the resolution at the time: Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07) and Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04).
The Senate’s approval came just over three years after President Donald Trump initially declared the emergency, on March 13, 2020.
An end to the emergency means that relaxed rules on Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP programs will be tightened up — that includes waivers allowing providers to operate out of alternative settings, or forgo application fees or criminal background checks.
It also means that the student loan repayment pause would resume, if not for the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program which is before the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) currently. Repayments are scheduled to resume either 60 days after the SCOTUS ruling or after June 30.
However, lifting the emergency wouldn’t impact Title 42 immigration policy according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Title 42 allows for the expedited expulsion of illegal immigrants under the interests of a public health emergency.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
