by Daniel Stefanski | May 25, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bipartisan bill to protect sex trafficking victims was recently signed into law by Arizona’s Governor.
This week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed HB 2623, which “removes the requirement that a prostitution offense be committed by a person before July 24, 2014 in order for the person to apply to have the conviction vacated due to the person’s status as a sex trafficking victim” – according to the overview from the Arizona House of Representatives.
According to the press release issued by state House Republicans, “under the previous law, victims of sex trafficking could apply to have their prostitution convictions vacated if they could prove that the conviction was a direct result of being trafficked. However, this was only appliable if the offense occurred before July 24, 2014. HB 2623 removes the date restriction, allowing victims to apply regardless of when the offense occurred.
State Representative Matt Gress, the sponsor of the legislation, issued a statement following the governor’s positive action on his bill, writing, “Not every victim of sex trafficking is ready or able to share their story at the time of their prosecution. Coming forward is often a long and difficult process. That’s why this new law is important for victims, ensuring they can seek justice and clear their names, no matter when their exploitation occurred.”
Gress added, “I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Sheri Lopez, founder of the non-profit organization Pearl at the Mailbox, a resource for victims of human trafficking. “Sheri testified before several legislative committees, bravely sharing her personal story to educate legislators about the present-day horrors of human trafficking. Her advocacy has been instrumental in bringing about this important legislative change, and her heart to help and heal other victims is an inspiration for us all.”
In February, the bill passed the Arizona House with a 57-0 tally (with two members not voting and one seat vacant). The Arizona Senate amended the proposal in April and approved of the latest version with a 26-1 vote (with three members not voting). The House then concurred with the Senate’s changes with a 57-0 vote (with three members not voting), before sending the legislation to the Governor’s Office for Hobbs’ decision.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, Arizona Association of Counties, Middle Ground Prison Reform, Arizona National Organization for Women, and State Conference NAACP signed in to endorse the bill.
HB 2623 will go into effect 90 days following the conclusion of the 2024 legislative session.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 24, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona legislative Republicans are working to give voters an opportunity to help make future elections more efficient.
Last week, the Arizona Senate Elections Committee considered and passed a strike-everything amendment to HCR 2056, an elections-related ballot measure. If passed by the state Senate and House, the proposal would go to Arizona voters in the November General Election.
According to the purpose from the State Senate’s fact sheet, the bill would “prohibit the use of foreign monies for election administration purposes or to influence the outcome of a ballot measure, change the date by which early ballots must be returned to a polling place from 7:00 p.m. on election day to 7:00 p.m. on the Friday before election day, with exceptions for delivery to the office of the county recorder during emergency voting, [and] require the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections to provide for on-site tabulation of all ballots for all voting conducted during early voting or on election day.”
Senator Wendy Rogers issued a statement after the successful passage of the measure out of the committee, writing, “I’m thrilled to report we’re advancing a ballot referral through the Legislature that voters may be able to consider in November to help speed up the process of determining the winners of our elections. Arizona has become the laughing stock of the nation with how long it takes our state to accurately tabulate ballots, not to mention the long lines and wait times voters encounter at the polls. I’m confident our solution is a big step in the right direction to eliminate the chaos.”
Rogers added, “We moved a ‘strike everything amendment’ to HCR 2056 through Senate Elections Committee this week. It would require the use of on-site tabulators in polling places for both Election Day and for early voting, which would lead to a considerably more efficient elections process and faster results. It would also reduce the timeline of when mail-in ballots will be accepted at polling places, but will allow voters to drop them off at the recorder’s office or any designated drop box. Lastly, it would ban all foreign funding of our elections.”
The vote in the Senate Elections Committee was 4-3 in favor of the measure’s advancement. One member did not vote.
Arizona Senate Democrats shared a video out of the Elections Committee, where Secretary of State Adrian Fontes expressed his opposition to the measure. Fontes said, “As it stands today I don’t think the voters deserve to see something like this when there is no sufficient funding in the bill.”
The Senate Democrats’ “X” account also asserted that “this rushed ballot referral will increase provisional ballots, prohibit ‘late early’ drop-offs, and result in longer wait times for EVERYONE.”
The ACLU of Arizona also weighed in on the proposal. Darrell Hill, the policy director for the state’s chapter, said, “Any bill that claims to speed up the election processes by reducing a voter’s ability to cast their ballot is not a solution – it’s blatant voter disenfranchisement.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 24, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Amid protests in the chamber, Arizona Senate Republicans passed a controversial bill to give state voters an opportunity in the November General Election to take border security into their own hands.
On Wednesday, Arizona Senate Republicans reformed the lines around an amended HCR 2060 after a one-week delay, approving the measure after a spirited debate on the floor of the chamber. The legislators weren’t the only individuals making their presence known though, as some onlookers from the gallery interrupted the legislative process to chant “Stop the Hate.”
The protestors were forced to exit the gallery because of their outbursts.
On the floor, Senate Republicans rounded up all 16 votes to give a green light to the border-related measure. Thirteen Democrats voted against it, while one member did not vote.
“The Governor’s reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of our citizens has left us no other option than to send the Secure the Border Act to the ballot to empower Arizonans to take matters into their own hands,” said Senate President Warren Petersen.
According to Arizona Senate Republicans, the measure “would provide local, county, or state law enforcement the authority to arrest individuals who are non-U.S. citizens entering Arizona from Mexico outside of a lawful port of entry.” These enhanced tools for local law enforcement to protect their communities would go into effect only if the federal courts allow a similar policy (SB 4) in the State of Texas and if Arizona voters approve this measure in November. There are additional provisions in HCR 2060 that are not tied to the legal wrangling over SB 4.
The Arizona Senate Democrats’ Caucus “X” account expressed the sentiments of its members, writing, “Today has shown once again that the Republican majority at the legislature has failed Arizona. They rushed through another ballot referral, HCR 2060, that could easily lead to racial profiling across this state, it will give law enforcement unlimited state immunity, and cost taxpayer money to fight in court.”
Arizona Republicans were again clear about the urgent need for state officials to act on the border to protect innocent families. In the press release announcing the result of the vote on HCR 2060, Republicans shared information about the skyrocketing number of suspected terrorists entering the United States over the past four years – “more than 2500%” or 367 individuals.
The Senate Republicans’ “X” account noted that Democrats had voted against “protecting our citizens from border related crimes, providing law enforcement with tools to keep our communities safe, preventing known terrorists from entering Arizona, tougher punishments for criminals trafficking deadly fentanyl across the border, and preventing those who enter Arizona illegally from benefiting from your hard-earned taxpayer dollars and public resources meant for law-abiding citizens.”
The efforts from Arizona legislators to send this referral to state voters comes more than two months after Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB 1231, the Arizona Border Invasion Act, which would have “ma[de] it unlawful for a person who is an alien (unlawful immigrant) to enter Arizona from a foreign nation at any location other than a lawful port of entry and outline[d] penalties for violations of illegally entering Arizona and provide[d] immunity from civil liability and indemnification for state and local government officials, employees and contractors who enforce this prohibition” – according to the purpose from the state Senate.
In her veto letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, Hobbs said, “This bill does not secure our border, will be harmful for communities and businesses in our state, and burdensome for law enforcement personnel and the state judicial system. Further, this bill presents significant constitutional concerns and would be certain to mire the State in costly and protracted litigation.”
The Democrat governor has helped to lead the opposition against this measure since its inception a few weeks ago.
Senator Janae Shamp, the sponsor of SB 1231, pushed back on the governor’s opposition, saying, “The people of Arizona have had enough with Democrats turning a blind eye to the border invasion. The chaos Governor Hobbs and Democrat lawmakers are perpetuating from Biden’s open border fiasco needs to stop, and I’m confident it will, when voters make their voices heard in November.”
To ensure that all sixteen Republicans stayed together on final passage of HCR 2060, an amendment was introduced and passed on the Senate floor ahead of the vote to send the measure to the Arizona House. The amendment, in part, “specifie[d] that being a DACA recipient is not an affirmative defense to illegal entry if the program is cancelled or a federal court has issued a final order determining that the program is unlawful, and any appeals of the final order have been exhausted.”
Before the vote on the amended version, Senate Democrats attempted to preempt the Republicans’ efforts to clarify certain provisions of the measure. The Caucus’ “X” account stated that HCR 2060’s “current form is an unfunded mandate that will give near-unlimited immunity for ANY law enforcement officer across the state to arrest someone they suspect has entered the country illegally.”
HCR 2060 now heads to the Arizona House of Representatives, where it is expected to receive expedited consideration from Speaker Ben Toma, who is the sponsor of its original form.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 22, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona legislative Republicans are again standing for election integrity.
Last week, Senate President Warren Petersen, House Speaker Ben Toma, and the Republican National Committee (RNC) filed a motion “for a partial stay of the injunction against the enforcement of those provisions of HB 2492 that:
1. Prohibit registered voters who have not provided documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) from voting for President of the United States;
2. Prohibit registered voters who have not provided DPOC from voting by mail; or
3. Are inconsistent with the consent degree entered in League of United Latin American Citizens of Arizona v. Reagan.”
The case that the Arizona Legislature and the RNC weighed in on was Mi Familia Vota v. Fontes.
The Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus wrote, “Biden’s open border policies are causing chaos and eroding confidence in Arizona’s elections. Seems like common sense, but only American citizens should have the right to cast a ballot in our elections. Senate President Warren Petersen is fighting to block individuals who do not provide proof of citizenship from this privilege. Election integrity is being compromised, and we will not sit idly by while our state and country are run into the ground by flawed election practices. Today, we filed a motion asking a U.S. District Court to allow Arizona to enforce its laws that limit voting for president and voting by mail to only those who provide proof of citizenship.”
Speaker Toma added, “Arizona voting laws that require proof of citizenship are common-sense regulations & critical to ensuring confidence in Arizona elections. I intervened in the Mi Familia case last year to fully defend these laws in federal court. Today I asked the court to stay its injunction and allow Arizona to enforce its citizenship requirements in the 2024 election.”
“It’s common sense,” said President Petersen in an exclusive comment to AZ Free News. “If you are not a legal citizen, you should not have the right to vote in the US. Other countries prohibit non-citizens, and we should too. It is unfathomable that the Democrats and the judicial branch are fighting us on this issue.”
In a press release, the Republican National Committee noted the joint court filing, stating that it had “filed a motion to stay the court’s order, pending our appeal, that ruled Arizona cannot require proof of citizenship in mail voting and presidential elections. If successful, this means Arizona would require documentary proof of citizenship ahead of this year’s election as we fight the issue on appeal. This is a consequential legal step to stopping non-citizen voting in Arizona.”
In their brief, the intervenor-defendants argued that “the Ninth Circuit is likely to find that neither the NVRA nor the LULAC Consent Decree preempts HB 2492, [that] the partial nullification of HB 2492 irreparably injures the legislative intervenors as representatives of the state and of the legislative institution and inflicts a competitive injury on the RNC, [and that] the balance of equities and public policy support a partial stay.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 21, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to help enhance Arizona’s resources to fight fires has been signed into law by the state’s governor.
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed HB 2751, which will “adopt the Great Plains Wildland Fire Protection Compact, entering into a mutual aid agreement with other member states for the purposes of forest firefighting” – according to the purpose from the Arizona State Senate.
State Representative David Cook, a Republican who sponsored this bill, issued the following statement after Hobbs’ action: “As we head into fire season, it’s critical that Arizona is prepared to respond effectively to wildfire threats. With several large fires currently burning in Northern Arizona, this legislation comes at a crucial time. The enactment of H.B. 2751 will ensure our communities are better protected and our firefighting resources are optimally utilized. I’m grateful for the broad bipartisan support that we had in both chambers to pass this important legislation and for the Governor’s support in quickly signing it into law.”
According to the press release from Cook and Arizona House Republicans, this legislation would “allow the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management to collaborate with state foresters in other states, including Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Saskatchewan, South Dakota, and Wyoming, to ensure that Arizona can both provide and receive assistance swiftly during wildfire emergencies, improving overall response times and resource availability.
Joining Cook in support of the bill during the legislative process were Representatives Marshall, Payne, and Sandoval as co-sponsors.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Arizona Fire District Association, Arizona Wildlife Federation, and Arizona State Forester signed in to support the bill.
The legislation first passed the Arizona House of Representatives in February with an overwhelming 53-3 result (three members did not vote and one seat was vacant). The state Senate then gave its green light to the bill with a 27-2 vote (with one member not voting) before sending it to the Governor’s Office.
Cook’s press release also explained that HB 2751 “provides a framework for administering mutual aid, allowing state forest fire control agencies to quickly request and render firefighting personnel and resources to each other in times of need and to receive reimbursement for their assistance afterwards, [and] stipulates the responsibilities of and protections for employees that are involved in out-of-state firefighting efforts, including provisions for workers’ compensation and liability coverage.”
Because the proposal was an emergency measure, it is now effective under Arizona statute.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
