by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 18, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Border security was again a hot topic on the first day of the Arizona Legislative session for 2025.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs gave her State of the State address on Monday and discussed the issue of border security during her speech. Hobbs said, “A truly thriving economy means security for our families and neighbors. That’s why safe communities are a core pillar of the Arizona Promise and why I’ve made border security a top priority… We must remain vigilant in protecting Arizonans from the cartels who seek to do us harm. The fentanyl crisis is one of the greatest threats to public safety in our state’s history and requires a collaborative approach across state, local, and federal governments. When we work together, we protect Arizona families. I will continue working with this legislature to protect our border because until all Arizonans feel secure in their communities, we will not be able to deliver on our Promise of freedom and opportunity.”
Republicans were not amused by the governor’s comments, highlighting the many times she has opposed efforts to secure the border and protect Arizona communities from the harms and dangers wrought by illegal immigration. Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said, “When the Governor promised to prioritize border security last year, her actions did not match her words. She vetoed our border bills. But, the voters spoke loud and clear last November. They want their government to enforce the law and secure our open border. We will support President Trump and our law enforcement in their efforts to protect Arizonans from the crime pouring into our communities and jeopardizing our national security.”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope added, “If the Governor or any other elected leaders choose to stand in the way…get ready for court. The Republican-led Arizona Legislature vows to uphold the rule of law, and we will exhaust all legal options to ensure the chaos we’ve lived for the past four years comes to an end.”
Late last year, Hobbs released an ambiguous post on her official X account, indirectly taking aim at the Trump administration’s forthcoming actions on the border after his momentous victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the historic November General Election. She said, “Securing our border is not a red issue or a blue issue. It’s an Arizona issue and an American issue. I’ll work with anyone to secure our border while standing up to misguided policies that attack Arizonans.”
Thus far in her administration, Hobbs has resisted most attempts by Republicans to maximize Arizona’s resources and laws to better protect communities against the harms from illegal immigration. That resistance led to state legislative Republicans sending a border security ballot measure to voters this past November – Proposition 314, which gave local law enforcement more tools to combat illegal immigration across the state. Arizona Republicans are expected to continue to search for ways to assist the Trump Administration to stop the flow of illegal immigration into and through their state over the next two years.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 18, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A southern Arizona lawmaker received an influential assignment on Capitol Hill this week.
U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani announced that he had been named the Vice Chair of the Homeland Security Appropriations Committee by the Chairman, Tom Cole from Oklahoma.
In a statement, Ciscomani said, “I am honored to be selected as Vice Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, which is responsible for funding the Department of Homeland Security. As Representative to a border district, this position will give me more influence to address the number one issue for my constituents – securing the Southern border.”
Ciscomani added, “I deeply appreciate Chairman Cole for his trust, and I look forward to working with him, Chairman Amodei, colleagues in Congress, and President Trump to reverse course after four years of chaos. We must support our personnel in the Department of Homeland Security and protect our communities.”
Chairman Cole said, “Congressman Ciscomani has been a champion for border security, and I am proud to name him as Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. His experience and expertise will be crucial as we work to secure the southern border and support the brave men and women who serve in the Department of Homeland Security.”
In addition to his assignment on the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Ciscomani also serves on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Congressman Ciscomani is also a member of the Border Security Caucus, Western Caucus, Taiwan Caucus, and School Choice Caucus.
This past November, Ciscomani was re-elected to his second term in office to the southern Arizona congressional district. He was sworn into office earlier this month.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 17, 2025 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As another legislative session begins in Arizona, Republicans and Democrats are again bringing the all-important issue of school choice to the forefront of the public debate.
On Monday, Governor Katie Hobbs ushered in the start of the 57th Regular Session of the Arizona Legislature with her State of the State address, where she took time to criticize the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program. In her speech, Hobbs said, “The current program is unchecked, flawed, and rife with exploitation. Three years ago, it went far beyond its original purpose, which was to support kids with special needs and military families. Today, it has ballooned into a billion-dollar boondoggle increasingly scamming Arizonans. Other entitlements funded by taxpayers have strict oversight and income requirements. Yet the ESA program has the privilege of virtually no safeguards.”
Hobbs proposed changes to the ESA program for a “balanced solution that supports families and finally brings real and effective guardrails to ESAs.” Her solution was to “institute responsible income caps, ensure taxpayers know where their money is going, and create real accountability for taxpayer dollars.”
The governor’s remarks were met with immediate criticism from Republicans and others who support the expanded ESA program. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said, “Under my leadership, the department has done a full-court press against waste and fraud. I hired both a program auditor and an investigator, which had not been done before. I require that every expenditure be for a valid educational purpose and have been attacked for doing that. The Governor needs to pay more attention to what is going on. She gets an ‘F’.”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope added, “We will also protect parental choice, so that every child in the state has the ability to succeed in the classroom, no matter their zip code or financial status.”
Common Sense Institute Arizona wrote, “In her State of the State address, Governor Hobbs asked lawmakers to compare Arizona’s ESA program to other government entitlement programs with respect to accountability and transparency. Luckily, we already did! And it turns out that improper payment rates in the Arizona ESA program are a fraction of those in other government programs like Medicaid, Unemployment Insurance, and SNAP.”
Jason Bedrick said, “The voters made their will clear by re-electing those who supported ESAs and expanding their legislative majority. The legislature should reject Gov. Hobbs’ attempts to undermine ESA families.”
On the flip side, Governor Hobbs’ comments received support from her allies, who have long attempted to shrink, regulate, or eliminate the historic ESA expansion program in Arizona. Save Our Schools Arizona Executive Director Beth Lewis responded, “It is time to end the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in the universal ESA voucher program. We commend Governor Hobbs for championing public education and pushing for much-needed voucher reform. We sincerely hope legislators like Senate President Petersen who name ‘fiscal responsibility’ their top priority will bring long-overdue guardrails to this irresponsible program, which now costs taxpayers nearly $1 billion annually.”
Hobbs and legislative Republicans will continue to bicker about the future of school choice in Arizona, but not much – if anything – will be done this year (and likely the next) to regulate ESAs per the governor’s insatiable desire. Over the past two years, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen successfully fended off ferocious political attacks that targeted ESAs and other school choice opportunities for Arizonans. He will again be counted upon, along with his Republican colleagues in the Arizona House and Senate, to protect one of the top states in the country for school choice.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 15, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans are applauding a recent court decision that helps to protect females.
Late last week, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky dealt a significant blow to a Final Rule from the Biden administration on Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The court ruled that “the Final Rule and its corresponding regulations exceed the Department’s authority under Title IX, violate the Constitution, and are the result of arbitrary and capricious agency action.”
According to the press release issued by the Arizona Senate Republicans, this Biden administration rule “required schools to allow boys and men in girls’ and women’s private spaces like restrooms and locker rooms, on their female-only sports teams, and to disregard other sex-based protections created for the safety, security, and well-being of biological females within federal law.”
In a written statement, Senate President Warren Petersen said, “We are grateful for the conservative attorneys general nationwide who are working tirelessly to protect women and girls from bigger, stronger boys and men, while the radical Left continues to ignore not only science, but common sense. Women and girls are fighting an uphill battle as progressives try to undo the protections created for them, including Arizona’s Save Women’s Sports Act, which the Republican-led Arizona Legislature is currently litigating while Arizona’s own Attorney General refuses to do so.”
Senator Sine Kerr added, “This is a big victory for the women and girls who’ve had athletic and educational opportunities stripped from them at the hands of biological males posing as females, but there is still much more work to be done. While Governor Hobbs vetoed last year the Arizona Women’s Bill of Rights, Senate Republicans have vowed to continue to push legislation that safeguards women and girls on the playing field, in their bathrooms, their locker rooms, and anywhere else carved out specifically for them. Our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and neighbors deserve to feel safe and supported, and it is our duty as elected officials to ensure their protection.”
After receiving the news of the court order, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, who led the coalition of attorneys general against the new rule on Title IX, said, “This is a huge win for Tennessee, for common sense, and for women and girls across America. The court’s ruling is yet another repudiation of the Biden administration’s relentless push to impose a radical gender ideology through unconstitutional and illegal rulemaking. Because the Biden rule is vacated altogether, President Trump will be free to take a fresh look at our Title IX regulations when he returns to office.”
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, one of the attorneys general in the coalition also weighed in, saying, “I’m proud to have successfully defended Title IX from the federal government’s power grab that threatened to upend half a century of landmark protections for women and punish States for following their own laws.”
Petersen continues to use his office as the leader of Senate Republicans to help stand in the gap for Arizona in major state and federal legal fights in the absence of Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes. He promises more intervention into legal matters in 2025 as legislative Republicans work toward protecting their state from government overreach and special interests that attempt to take Arizona in radical directions.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 15, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As the Arizona Legislature revs into another session, one Republican member is looking to protect the state’s military veterans.
Last week, State Representative Walt Blackman introduced HB 2030 to “strengthen penalties for impersonating a veteran for personal gain.” According to Blackman’s press release, this legislation would “combat fraudulent claims of military service and protect the integrity of veteran status within Arizona,” making this proposal “the most comprehensive state-level response to stolen valor to date.”
In a statement that accompanied his release, Blackman said, “We cannot allow the honorable service and sacrifice of our military men and women to be undermined by deceitful actors. This legislation sends a clear message that Arizona will not tolerate stolen valor in any form. By holding individuals accountable for misrepresenting their military status for personal, political, or financial gain, we uphold the integrity of our veterans’ contributions and the trust of our citizens.”
Per Representative Blackman’s press release, the bill would “create strong deterrents against impersonating a veteran, targeting fraudulent activities such as:
- Claiming military service or awards to obtain employment, government contracts, or veterans benefits.
- Using false veteran status to gain votes, campaign contributions, or political advantages.
- Falsifying or altering military documents, combat-related badges or awards.
Penalties range from a Class 4 felony to a Class 2 felony for offenses involving high-value benefits. The bill also mandates the removal of public officials convicted under the law.”
The release also shared that the bill would “build on the federal Stolen Valor Act of 2013 by addressing gaps in federal law and expand protections at the state level, [using] Arizona’s authority under the 10th Amendment to focus on fraudulent conduct affecting state programs, elections, and institutions.”
Representative Blackman is a decorated United States Army veteran, serving twenty-one years in the military. He earned the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal for his service to the nation. Blackman is the Chairman of the House Committee on Government.
‘Veterans Issues’ was one of the priorities listed on Blackman’s campaign website. He wrote, “As a veteran myself, I am committed to addressing the unique challenges veterans face in Arizona and proving them with the necessary support and resources.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
