Arizona Pets Could Have Increased Protections

Arizona Pets Could Have Increased Protections

By Daniel Stefanski |

Arizona legislators are teaming up to provide better protections for pets across the state.

Late last month, the Arizona Senate approved SB 1047, which would “broaden the conditions that must be met for a person to commit cruelty to animals” – according to the purpose from the chamber.

The bill passed out of the state Senate with a 22-7 vote (with one member not voting).

Senator T.J. Shope, the bill’s sponsor said, “It’s always an honor to team up with the Arizona Humane Society, whether to create legislation to protect our precious animals, or to discuss that legislation on Pets on Parade. This week, my wife Melissa and I joined the show to highlight SB 1047, which passed out of the Senate with strong bipartisan support. I proudly partnered with AHS to create this bill, which will strengthen Arizona’s animal laws and narrow the definition of animal cruelty. A more specific outline will help prosecutors be more successful in cases involving animal cruelty.

Shope, the chamber’s President Pro Tempore, expressed hopefulness that the state’s Democrat governor would be favorable to his proposal, adding, “I look forward to seeing this legislation make its way to the governor’s desk and am hopeful she’ll sign it into law. This legislation provides much-needed clarification to our laws and will create a safer environment for pets in Arizona. I will always be an advocate for these innocent animals who cannot speak up or defend themselves. This is also the perfect time to remind you there are hundreds of pets – dogs, cats, bunnies and more, available for adoption at AHS!”

Last month, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Water gave a green light to the bill with a 6-1 vote.

Earlier this month, Shope and his wife, Melissa, co-hosted the Arizona Pet Project Hero Awards.

On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from Humane Voters of Arizona, the Arizona Humane Society, Animal Defense League of Arizona, the City of Chandler, Arizona Partnership for People and Pets, and the Human Society of the United States signed in to support the bill. A representative from the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation indicated his organization’s neutrality on the legislation.

SB 1047 will now be considered by the Arizona House of Representatives.

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.

Sen. Gowan’s Bill Targets Organized Retail Crime

Sen. Gowan’s Bill Targets Organized Retail Crime

By Daniel Stefanski |

The Arizona Legislature continues to work on solutions to crack down on organized retail theft across the state.

Last week, the Arizona Senate overwhelmingly passed SB 1411 with a 22-4 vote (with four members not voting). The bill would “require the Attorney General to establish the Organized Retail Theft Task Force to combat crimes that relate to stealing, embezzling or obtaining retail merchandise by fraud, false pretenses or other illegal means for the purposes of reselling the items” – according to the purpose from the chamber.

After the vote, Senator David Gowan, the bill’s sponsor, issued the following statement: “California has been forced to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to fight an enormous rise in organized retail crime because of their liberal policies that oppose holding people accountable for breaking the law. Businesses have been forced to shut down and pull out of the state. We don’t want to turn into California, but unfortunately Arizona is also experiencing a rise in these crimes. We need to get ahead of the issue to prevent going down the same path, which is why I sponsored SB 1411 to establish a task force to combat crimes that relate to stealing, embezzling, or obtaining retail merchandise by fraud, false pretenses, or other illegal means for the purposes of reselling the items.”

Gowan added, “The task force will be comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement, in order to use their combined skills, expertise, and resources more effectively. This bill passed out of the Senate with strong bipartisan support. We all want to protect our businesses and keep our communities safe from theft.”

Last month, the bill passed the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, Public Safety and Border Security with a 7-0 tally.

Senator Janae Shamp and Representative Justin Wilmeth joined as co-sponsors for the legislation.

On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Arizona Retailers Association, Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, and CVS Health signed in in support of the proposal.

SB 1411 now heads to the Arizona House of Representatives for consideration.

The efforts to shut down organized retail theft crimes continue the state’s already strong reputation on this front. Arizona already has another Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which commenced under former Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s administration and is also housed in the State Attorney General’s Office.

In December 2021, Brnovich wrote an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, warning would-be criminals of his office’s efforts to investigate and prosecute these offenses – especially in the wake of the lawlessness in Arizona’s neighboring state to the west. He wrote, “As Arizona’s attorney general, I have refused to capitulate to the lawless mob…We expect our efforts will deter such theft and hope our task force becomes a model for California and other states.”

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell also has a strong presence against organized retail theft. In 2023, her office announced that it had made 354 bookings over these crimes, which was the most in the county since 2020. Additionally, in November 2023, Mitchell started a ‘Safe Shopping’ Campaign “to stop this fast-growing category of lawlessness.” Mitchell said, “Here’s what I say to the thieves who commit these crimes: we will find you, you will be arrested, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.

Sen. Kerr’s Groundwater Bill Heads To House

Sen. Kerr’s Groundwater Bill Heads To House

By Daniel Stefanski |

A Republican proposal for groundwater policy is making its way through the Arizona State legislature.

Late last month, the Arizona State Senate passed SB 1221, which “establishes a process for the designation of a basin management area (BMA) and an active BMA in any location not included in an active management area (AMA), to be initiated by petition to the Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, [and] outlines the goals of an active BMA, active BMA council makeup, rights to water, reporting requirements, and requirements for the continuation or termination of an active BMA” – according to the purpose provided by the chamber.

The proposal passed the State Senate with a 16-12 vote (with two members not voting).

In a statement after the vote, Senator Sine Kerr, the bill’s sponsor, sharply criticized the state’s Democrat governor for the process and policies of her work on this issue. Kerr said, “In her State of the State Address, Hobbs made it clear she would work with the Legislature to enact groundwater policy. Sadly, she reneged on this commitment. I sent a letter this week to the Arizona Dept. of Water Resources urging the immediate withdrawal of her Administration’s proposal for an Active Management Area designation for the Gila Bend Groundwater Basin. Circumventing the Legislature sets a dangerous and undemocratic precedent in which our citizens did not approve of.”

The southwest Valley lawmaker added, “For months, I’ve committed time to researching and developing a tool that empowers rural Arizonans to manage, measure, conserve, and protect the groundwater within their communities for the benefit of their citizens and their local economies. Although still a work in progress, SB 1221 reflects the input of the actual water users whose voices were diminished within the Governor’s Water Policy Council. Her executive action promises to have detrimental impacts on rural Arizonans.”

When Senator Kerr introduced her bill, she compared her legislation to the “alternative proposals that would hand over the fate of local basins to the Executive Branch located hundreds of miles away, and under appointments all made from Phoenix.” Kerr was previously a member of Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs’ Water Policy Council, which was created last year “to analyze and recommend updates, revisions and additions to the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Management Act (GMA) and related water legislation, which shall include without limitation, analysis and recommendations for groundwater management outside current Active Management Areas.” Hobbs referred to this council as “bipartisan,” though Senator Kerr, resigned from her post in October, alleging that the Council was “nothing more than a forum to rubberstamp the progressive environmental goals of special interest groups,” and that “this community (of Arizona citizens and stakeholders) is not being provided with fair representation at the table.”

Along with Kerr, the Arizona Farm Bureau also announced its withdrawal from the Council that month, opining, “…the outcome of the greater Council appears to be pre-determined as essentially a cross between the seriously flawed attempts of the past and an AMA (Active Management Areas).”

At the end of November 2023, the Governor’s Water Policy Council reported back with its recommendations. Those included “a launch point and guidance for drafting new rules for an Alternative Designation of Assured Water Supply (ADAWS) program,” as well as “a foundational framework to craft legislation for creating a new groundwater management program for rural Arizona.”

In Hobbs’ second State of the State address this past January, she took time to discuss the importance of water for Arizona and her past and future work on this front. Hobbs said, “Let us remember that water and drought do not care about party registration or job titles or whether you live in an urban or rural community. We can only protect our water supply by working together. I stand ready to work with you to pass legislation that makes the changes we need today – all to safeguard Arizona’s water for tomorrow. And those who have spent years refusing to act: if you don’t, I will.”

That last line earned the Democrat governor an ovation from her allies in the Arizona House chamber, yet a warning of legal repercussions from two powerful lawmakers who were listening to her words.

Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope responded, “Yeah, I don’t think she has that type of authority to act alone but she seems willing to bend the State Constitution to her will pretty often so I’m sure she’ll try and I’m sure we’ll see her in court.”

Shope’s colleague, Senate President Warren Petersen, added on to the comment, writing, “Kind of like when she broke the law by appointing 13 fake directors?”

SB 1221 will now be considered by the Arizona House of Representatives.

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.

Arizona Democrat Legislators Reject Protections For Veterans From Financial Predators

Arizona Democrat Legislators Reject Protections For Veterans From Financial Predators

By Daniel Stefanski |

A veterans-related bill is making its way through the Arizona Legislature, but failing to pick up the bipartisan support that may be needed for Governor Katie Hobbs’ signature.

Earlier this month, the Arizona State Senate approved SB 1308, which “prescribes requirements and procedures that individuals assisting with veterans’ benefits matters before the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services (ADVS) or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (U.S. VA) must fulfill prior to receiving compensation for such services” – according to the purpose from the chamber.

All Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 12 Democrats joined in opposition to its passage from the chamber. Two Democrats did not vote.

After the vote, the Arizona State Senate Republicans “X” account wrote, “Senate Democrats voted ‘NO’ on a bill protecting veterans from being financially taken advantage of when seeking advice on their benefits.”

SB 1308 was sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers and co-sponsored by Senators Anthony Kern and Justine Wadsack.

Rogers cheered on the green light for her legislation, stating, “My SB 1308 passed the Arizona Senate offering us military veterans more options for help seeking disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

One of the provisions of the legislation would “prohibit a person from receiving compensation for advising, consulting or assisting an individual regarding a veterans’ benefits matter before ADVS or the U.S. VA; or referring an individual to another person to advise, consult or assist the individual with a veterans’ benefits matter.”

The bill does allow for “a person to receive compensation for advising, consulting or assisting an individual with a veterans’ benefits matter if the person, prior to providing any services, prepares an agreement to be signed by all parties that contains the following: a) the terms of the agreement, including the payment amount for the services being provided; and b) a disclosure written in 12-point font, in a readily noticeable and easily identifiable place, stating that the business is not sponsored, endorsed by or affiliated with ADVS or the U.S. VA or other federally chartered veterans’ service organization, and that specified organizations may be able to provide the veteran with the same services free of charge.”

On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, a representative from Arizona Veterans signed in as neutral on the bill.

Derek Debus, a Military, Veterans, and Firearms Attorney, posted his displeasure with Senate Republicans over the passage of this bill on his “X” account, writing that SB 1308 “incentivizes and legitimizes unaccredited claims sharks and fraud mills from getting rich defrauding our veterans and taxpayers, [and] does not fix a single problem with Veterans’ access to legal representation by creates a whole host of problems and barriers.”

The bill now heads to the Arizona House of Representatives for consideration.

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.

Majority Of Arizona Schools Fail To Report Holocaust Teaching Compliance

Majority Of Arizona Schools Fail To Report Holocaust Teaching Compliance

By Daniel Stefanski |

Many Arizona state schools may not be teaching students about the Holocaust.

Earlier this month, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne revealed that 322 of 750 Arizona districts and charter schools (approximately 43 percent) “have affirmed that they are teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides as required by state law.” Most of the state’s district and charter schools did not respond, according to Horne.

At the start of the year, Horne requested that “all Arizona district and charter schools report their compliance with state law that requires students to be taught about the Holocaust and other genocides.”

In a statement, Horne said, “After the horrific events of October 7, there was a one-sided pro-Hamas presentation at Desert Mountain High School that produced antisemitism among students and made Jewish students uncomfortable and fearful. If Holocaust studies are presented properly, students will be less gullible to antisemitic presentations. I am gratified that 322 districts and charters are following the law, with many of them taking anywhere from two to four weeks to do the instruction. That is commendable, but we need this bill to be sure all districts and charters are in compliance with the intent of the law.”

The law giving the state’s schools chief authority to require the information from Arizona schools was HB 2241, which was passed by the legislature and signed into law by then-Governor Doug Ducey in 2021. The bill was sponsored by Alma Hernandez, a Democrat. It passed both chambers with almost unanimous support. Ducey, in his letter to then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, informed her that he was signing the legislation to “ensure that we continue to teach our students the history of past atrocities, which in return will instill greater compassion, critical thinking, societal awareness, and educational growth in our students.”

Horne’s original deadline for Arizona schools to report to the state Department of Education was January 24. However, Horne announced in early February that he would be extending the deadline to February 23 due to the lack of responses from schools.

Not only did Horne extend the deadline for schools to report compliance with the law, but he is hoping state legislators and the governor are able to strengthen the statute for future students. He again noted that two Arizona state lawmakers have embarked on a bipartisan mission to pass a bill that would “require students in grades 7-12 to twice complete a three-day program on the Holocaust and other genocides.”

The Republican Superintendent added, “Current state law requires teaching about the Holocaust and other genocides, but it does not specify how much time is spent. We surveyed districts and charters to find out if they are following the law, but more than half did not respond. This shows the need for HB 2779, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Republican Rep. David Marshall and Democrat Rep, Alma Hernandez to be passed and signed into law.”

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.