by Daniel Stefanski | May 3, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
After a week of controversy from an Arizona Democrat lawmaker, Republicans in the House of Representatives are attempting to hold her accountable for actions caught on tape.
On Monday, Arizona Representatives Justin Heap, David Marshall, and Lupe Diaz filed an ethics complaint with the House Ethics Committee against Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton. The charge, according to the filing, alleges “upon information and belief, Representative Stahl Hamilton removed and concealed House property – specifically, Holy Bibles that have long been on display in the House Members’ Lounge – without apparent authority to do so. After removing the Bibles, she placed them under seat cushions, potentially causing Christian Members of the House, staff, and guests to unknowingly sit on their own holy text, and also placed one of them in a refrigerator, which is disrespectful in the extreme.”
Monday’s complaint fulfills a Thursday promise by fellow Republican, Representative Jacqueline Parker, that details would be forthcoming on an ethics complaint in this matter.
The three lawmakers released a joint statement, reading, in part: “The actions of Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton to remove, conceal, and disrespect the sacred text held in reverence by her fellow members suggests to her colleagues, and to the millions of faithful citizens of Arizona, that their beliefs and values are no longer welcome within the halls of their own government.”
The complaint does not request “the Ethics Committee to investigate or make any determination of any criminal allegations that belong in a court of law,” but rather “submit legal authorities for consideration because they are relevant for the Committee to determine whether Representative Stahl Hamilton violated House Rule 1.”
Making their case for the Ethics Committee to take necessary action against Stahl Hamilton, the Republican coalition’s complaint states: “Representative Stahl Hamilton engaged in disorderly behavior, potentially committed repeated acts of theft, and created a hostile work environment, which demonstrate a lack of respect for other members of the Legislature, staff, visitors, and their property, and the rule of law. Her actions, as a legislator in a position of public trust, may have caused offense to the practicing Christians in Arizona, who hold the Bible as a sacred text and expect their elected officials to uphold basic principles of respect and civility.”
The Republicans make it crystal clear in the complaint that they aren’t falling for Stahl Hamilton’s comments over her actions, writing: “Representative Stahl Hamilton has dismissed her unlawful actions as: “a playful commentary,” “a peaceful protest,” or an attempt to “start a conversation on the separation of Church & State.” These public comments came only after the Representative was aware that her actions had been caught on camera and the incident became a matter of national concern. Had a camera not been installed, these deeply inappropriate actions could have continued indefinitely to the detriment of other Members. The people of Arizona deserve a higher standard of decorum and respect from their elected representatives.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 2, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Days after a powerful Arizona government watchdog group scored a major victory in the City of Phoenix, it is turning its attention to a neighboring city over the same issue.
On Monday, John Thorpe, a Staff Attorney with the Goldwater Institute, sent a letter to Tempe Mayor Corey Woods and councilmembers, expressing serious concerns about the proposed ordinance “Relating to the Payment of Prevailing Wages on City Construction Contracts” to be considered at the Council’s upcoming meeting on May 4.
Thorpe noted his understanding that “the proposed ordinance imposes, among other measures, prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements on all contractors who participate in public works projects for the City for contracts exceeding $250,000.”
Much like the letter the Goldwater Institute previously transmitted to the City of Phoenix, Thorpe warned, “if the City adopts this ordinance and regulates matters that are expressly pre-empted by state law, it will expose the City to a high risk of litigation, as well as costs and attorneys’ fees for parties who successfully challenge the unlawful ordinance.” He also highlighted the troubling nature of the Council’s consideration of this proposal “with less than one week’s notice and little chance for input from those most affected.”
The Goldwater Institute was again representing the Arizona Builders Alliance and the Associated Minority Contractors of Arizona.
The letter to Tempe’s municipal leaders follows the repeal of the prevailing wage ordinance from the City of Phoenix last month after a change of two councilmembers. The vote flipped from 5-4 (approval of prevailing wage) to 6-3 (opposition of prevailing wage). Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego voted to repeal the ordinance, writing, “Workers deserve a living wage – and we can deliver that through a robust, public process that doesn’t put the city in legal and financial jeopardy. That’s why I voted with a majority of Council to direct city staff to find legally viable ways to increase wages on city projects.”
On behalf of the Goldwater Institute, Thorpe cheered on the reversal from the City of Phoenix, stating, “Yesterday’s repeal….is a reminder that Goldwater will never stop fighting to hold government accountable and to defend Americans’ economic freedom from burdensome, counterproductive regulations.”
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is still considering a 1487 complaint from Democrat Senator Catherine Miranda, who submitted the request on April 17 to “clarify the apparent conflict between two statutes and consequently determine whether Phoenix has the authority to enact prevailing wage at the municipal level.” Though Tempe isn’t the focus of the inquiry to the state’s chief law enforcement officer, her final disposition could give valuable direction and information if more cities and towns attempt to pass versions of the prevailing wage ordinance.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 1, 2023 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A west valley school district governing board declined to take proactive measures against males or females using bathrooms of the opposite sex, and many parents are outraged.
Last week, the Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) Governing Board voted to reject a “motion to direct administration to prepare the first draft of a facility use policy for PUSD student bathrooms and locker rooms.” That motion was offered by board member Rebecca Hill and seconded by Heather Rooks. Board members David Sandoval, Bill Sorensen, and Melissa Ewing voted to sink the motion.
According to PUSD, “the District does not currently have a Governing Board policy regarding bathroom or locker room use, and the purpose of this agenda item was to determine whether or not the Governing Board should adopt a formal policy that limits the use of bathrooms and locker rooms based on biological sex.”
Rebecca Hill, the PUSD member who brought the motion, told her colleagues and the attendees in the crowded meeting space that during her tenure on the Peoria Unified School Board, “there has never been an issue more important to me than the one at hand tonight.” She appealed to the other board members, saying, “as leaders of this district, it is incumbent upon us to implement a policy that upholds common decency and respects the right to privacy that both our girls and boys are entitled to when using campus restrooms, locker rooms and any other private facility at our schools.”
Hill informed the audience she was of the understanding that there were multiple instances at Liberty High School in Peoria, where a young man has been allowed to enter the girls’ bathrooms based on his claim that he identifies as a female. She argued, “the fact that the district has allowed these actions to continue unabated without establishing an accommodation or implementing appropriate consequences is both irresponsible and unfathomable.”
Heather Rooks, Hill’s ally in this issue before the board, agreed with her colleague, stating that she had been dealing with this for months and hearing from parents and girls in the district. Rooks charged that parents were not made aware of the situations of boys in girls’ restrooms, adding, “Every parent in our district has a right to know what we are doing with their kids each day.” She also spoke in defense of the girls who had raised concerns over these alleged instances of boys in their restrooms, making the case that it is not wrong of girls to feel uncomfortable or to use their natural instincts when seeing biological males in women’s restrooms.
A West Valley lawmaker, State Senator Anthony Kern, attended the meeting and shared his thoughts on Twitter following the board’s lack of action to initiate the policy, writing, “Three Democrats on the Peoria Unified board meeting last night voted down protecting girls from predators in girls’ bathrooms.” He included the hashtags “Vote the Democrats Out” and “Home School” as his solutions to this decision from the board.
Republican Tom Horne, Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, was closely following this contentious meeting and subsequent outcome, telling AZ Free News his “prediction is that many parents will not want their daughters to attend a school where biological males can come into the girls’ restrooms.” He said he had “received many texts and emails from parents who say their daughters were very upset when this happened.”
After seeing her motion end up on the losing side, Rebecca Hill wasn’t willing to accept defeat on behalf of the girls in her district who may have been – and still may be – faced with encounters with biological males in their restrooms and locker rooms. Hill stated, “I would advise parents to use their vouchers elsewhere. I don’t endorse PUSD anymore. I can’t. I would advise that parents take the ability at this time to take their vouchers, which have been given to them, and use them in private schools, use them on online, home school your kid. Choose the curriculum. Choose what happens with their livelihood, with what is going to happen with them in the future. Public education isn’t going in the right direction. This is not what I want to see for our district.”
Hill’s comments referred to the universal Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA), which were expanded by the Arizona Legislature in 2022 and signed into law by then-Governor Doug Ducey. The program is run under the watchful eyes of Horne at the Arizona Department of Education, and it is rapidly increasing in popularity among Arizonans. In an email communication this past Friday, an ESA Account Holder Liaison wrote that there were now 53,704 Arizona students in this program. That number will continue to grow in the weeks ahead as more parents hear about this program and the opportunities to choose the educational direction for their children.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 30, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizonans used to a proactive Attorney General defending the state’s laws have had to readjust their expectations due to the political transfer of power in January.
During the first two years of the Biden Administration, Arizona was at the forefront of many of the political and legal battles sweeping the nation, in large part due to then-Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s defense of federalism and state laws. The Brnovich-led Arizona Attorney General’s Office took a leading and proactive role in dozens of lawsuits to push back against the federal government’s overreach and to enforce the laws the state legislature passed.
This changed once the new Attorney General Kris Mayes assumed the reins of the state’s top law enforcement agency. Mayes, a Democrat, has quickly abandoned some of the lawsuits initiated or joined by her predecessor or her office has slowed action on other cases.
The abrupt change in litigation policy from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has forced the Republican-led Arizona Legislature into a central role when it comes to defending the Grand Canyon State’s laws and values. Both the State Senate and House have worked in tandem to assume the guardianship of key cases that have lost adequate representation since January.
On Thursday, the Arizona House of Representatives Majority Communications issued a release to update the public on “successful intervention(s) in cases to defend state laws and fight against federal overreach.” The announcement highlighted that “Members of the Arizona House of Representatives of the 56th Legislature have been in office less than four months but have already achieved major court victories, under Speaker Toma’s leadership and united with the State Senate.”
The House Majority celebrated four victories: Mi Familia Vota v. Fontes et al. – an Election Integrity case; 56th Legislature et al. v. Biden et al. – an intervention to protect “Arizona’s Sovereign Authority Against Federal Overreach”; Kentch et al. v. Mayes – an Election Contest case; Isaacson v. Mayes – a “Defense of Law Protecting Unborn Children with Disabilities.”
For the benefit of readers, the press release provided detailed commentary on each of the cases to allow for a greater understanding and appreciation of the Legislature’s efforts:
Mi Familia Vota v. Fontes et al.: “On April 26,a federal court granted Speaker Toma’s and President Petersen’s motion to intervene to defend Arizona laws that require proof of citizenship and proof of residence in the state when registering to vote and require the county recorder to review the voter rolls. When Speaker Toma and President Petersen realized the state’s interests would not be adequately protected in this case, they immediately sought intervention.”
56th Legislature et al. v. Biden et al.: “On April 25, the Legislature and the Arizona Chamber of Commerce filed an emergency application with the United States Supreme Court challenging President Biden’s executive order that unconstitutionally infringes on Arizonans’ medical freedoms by forcing federal contractors to receive the experimental COVID-19 vaccine or risk losing their jobs. The Legislature successfully intervened in the 9th Circuit after Arizona Attorney General Mayes stated she would not fully defend the injunction of Biden’s vaccine mandate that her predecessor secured to protect all Arizonans.”
Kentch et al. v. Mayes: “On April 11, the Mohave County Superior Court granted Speaker Toma’s and President Petersen’s motion to submit an amicus brief. This brief encourages the court to fully consider Abe Hamadeh’s motion for new trial, scheduled for oral argument on May 16, consistent with Arizona laws governing election contests.”
Isaacson v. Mayes: “On March 8, a federal court granted Speaker Toma’s and President Petersen’s motion to intervene to defend a law that prohibits abortions based solely on a child’s genetic abnormality after Arizona Attorney General Mayes stated she would not defend the law.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 29, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As the political impasse between Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs and the Republican-led Legislature remains at a historic divide, legislators continue to create new committees to tackle outstanding issues facing the state.
This week, the Arizona Legislature announced the formation of the Novel Coronavirus Southwestern Intergovernmental Committee “to examine federal, state and local efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, any fallout from such measures, and to identify any possible legal remedies against individuals or entities where appropriate.”
According to the announcement, this committee will “gather information from experts and provide the public with a formal venue to share their stories, experiences, and grievances from the pandemic response by public health departments and healthcare systems.” The committee will also “evaluate protocols and overall public health guidance, funding incentives for health care facilities, injustices committed against families, businesses, workers and industries, potential preventative protections that may have been able to safeguard Arizona citizens against harms committed, and anything else deemed relevant to the pandemic.”
Arizona Senator Janae Shamp was tapped to serve as the committee’s chairman, and Senator T.J. Shope was selected as vice-chairman. Rounding out the committee’s membership will be U.S. Representatives Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, and Eli Crane, along with Arizona Representative Steve Montenegro.
Chairman Shamp released the following quote in conjunction with the news about this fledgling committee: “The pandemic was a heartbreaking period for so many people on so many different levels. I lost my job as a Perioperative Nurse because I refused to take the experimental vaccine that we now know has produced serious side effects in a number of otherwise healthy individuals. We’ve witnessed lives and livelihoods lost for no other reason than the mismanagement of COVID-19, and we are determined to hold those accountable for the injustices experienced.”
Vice-Chairman T.J. Shope told AZ Free News his “hope is that this committee will get to the bottom of when public officials knew that virus suppression measures being foisted on the public were actually unnecessary and how fast they responded to lift those measures.” He also praised Senator Shamp’s assembly of “an all-star team of medical experts,” and he expressed excitement for his expected participation.
The committee will meet on May 25 and 26 from 8:30am-4:30pm in the Arizona Senate building, and additional hearings will be scheduled in the future.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
