by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 27, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Senate Democrats are protesting their Republicans’ efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.
Last week, three Democrats walked out of the Arizona Senate Military Affairs, Public Safety and Border Security Committee, during a hearing on HB 2748. The bill would “make it unlawful for a person who is an alien (unlawful immigrant) to enter the State of Arizona from a foreign nation at any location other than a lawful port of entry,” and it would “outline penalties for violations of illegally entering the state and provide 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 chamber.
The proposal was sponsored by Republican State Representative Joseph Chaplik.
After three Democrats in committee walked out over discussion of the bill, the Arizona Senate Republicans Caucus “X” account posted, “Senate Democrats are turning their back on Arizona just like Biden has turned his back on America. Today, Democrat Senators walked out of committee in protest of hearing bills aimed at securing our southern border and protecting Arizonans against border-related crimes. As border-related crimes have more than doubled in some areas of our state, Democrats continue to be more concerned about protecting criminals than Arizona citizens.”
After the walkout and vote, Senator David Gowan, the committee’s chair, said, “Senate Democrats are turning their back on Arizona, just like Biden has turned his back on America. This week, the Democrat senators pictured on the right walked out of my committee on Military Affairs, Public Safety & Border Security in protest of hearing bills aimed at securing our southern border and protecting Arizonans against the horrific crimes associated with the invasion. This criminal activity has more than doubled in some areas of our state, including my home of Cochise County.”
Gowan added, “Sadly, Senators Gabaldon, Diaz, and Bravo refuse to even have a conversation on solutions to protect our citizens. They disgracefully chose to pose for photos, rather than listen to powerful testimony and discussion regarding several solutions, including the mirror to my Aggravated Unlawful Flight bill, which would create tougher penalties for drivers who endanger the life of another person while attempting to flee law enforcement. Our law enforcement and the citizens of Arizona deserve more respect.”
The piece of legislation passed out of the committee with a 4-0 vote (with three members not voting).
Last month, the bill was approved by the Arizona House of Representatives with a 31-28 vote (with one vacant seat).
The bill stands a certain chance of a veto from Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, who has already rejected one other Republican solution to the border crisis.
HB 2748 will now be considered by the full Senate chamber.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 27, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A Republican bill to expand protections for vulnerable Arizonans was signed into law.
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed SB 1436, which was sponsored by Senator Shawnna Bolick.
According to the purpose statement from the chamber, SB 1436 will “add stalking, voyeurism and aggravated assault by way of strangulation or domestic violence to the list of felony offenses that qualify for lifetime injunctions.”
In a comment following the governor’s executive action, Senator Bolick said, “I’m proud to share that our fight to hold accountable criminals who commit sex crimes, particularly when they involve our children, is gaining momentum. My bill, SB 1436, was signed into law this week. It expands ‘Kayleigh’s Law’ to allow victims of stalking, strangulation in domestic violence, and voyeurism to obtain lifetime injunctions against their offenders. ‘Kayleigh’s Law’ took effect in 2022 and allows victims of dangerous crimes to obtain lifetime injunctions against their abusers.”
Kayleigh Kozak wrote on her “X” account, “Thank you Senator Bolick for sponsoring these important amendments to ‘Kayleigh’s Law’!”
Bolick added, “Kayleigh Kozak helped spearhead the measure and has been a strong supporter of other efforts to increase penalties for these crimes, including a ballot referral I sponsored to give voters the opportunity to decide if criminals who engage in child sex trafficking should face life in prison. It targets criminals who engage in child sex trafficking and should face life in prison. It targets offenders who are convicted of a class 2 felony and would block eligibility for any form of release. It officially passed out of the legislature this week and will be on the November ballot.”
SB 1436 passed the Arizona Senate on February 15 with a 26-0 vote (with four members not voting). The bill was given the green light from the Arizona House of Representatives on March 13 with a 51-8 vote (with one member not voting).
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 24, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Maricopa County’s top prosecutor is cracking down on a foreign group committing home burglaries across the Valley.
Earlier this week, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced “new charges against a group of thieves targeting homes in Phoenix and Scottsdale.” Mitchell’s office shared that “the defendants are thought to be part of the South American Theft Group, a ring of thieves who hire Chilean nationals to come to the United States and – after obtaining false identification – operate as ‘crime tourists’ who plan and execute burglaries here and nationwide.”
Three defendants were arrested in Scottsdale this month, and another three were arrested in Phoenix last month.
In a statement, Mitchell said, “The Scottsdale and Phoenix Police Departments have done some amazing work to find these criminals and arrest them. The job of my office is to hold them accountable. This is not a phenomenon limited to Maricopa County – these organized groups are stealing from families across the nation. I will not allow them to become entrenched here and pose a further threat to our neighbors.”
According to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO), “The South American Theft Groups are made up of people who travel from South America specifically to target homes and families in the U.S. The federal government’s tourist visa program allows them to fly into the United States without a background check. Once they’ve entered our county, they immediately obtain fake I.D. They travel to cities across the nation – including in Maricopa County – and steal millions in untraceable items.”
The Scottsdale Police Department announced the apprehensions on March 11.
The MCAO reports that “there have been over 100 similar types of burglaries valley wide since November 2023” – of which, 35 have victimized the city of Scottsdale. The Office also revealed that “one defendant admitted to being in the U.S. on a tourist visa and had already been a part of burglaries in California, Nevada, and Arizona.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 23, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to address Arizona’s homelessness crisis is advancing through the state legislature.
On Monday, the Arizona House of Representatives passed HB 2782, which would “establish a new Homeless Shelter and Services Fund, create new criminal violations involving drugs in homeless service zones, [and] transfer $5,500,000 from the FY 2024 Housing Trust Fund deposit and $50,000,000 from the Consumer Remediation Subaccount” – according to the overview provided by the chamber.
The bill, which was sponsored by State Representative Matthew Gress, was approved along party lines, with a vote of 31-28 (with one member not voting).
Gress, a Republican, wrote, “Arizona’s homelessness crisis is among the worst in the country. Between 2013-2023, total homelessness has skyrocketed nearly 300%. Our voters want us to take decisive action, and it doesn’t involve building our way out of this challenge. We must fund adequate treatment for addiction and mental health, establish greater accountability for our providers and individuals living in the streets, and allow law enforcement to do their job and arrest people who break the law. HB 2782 advances all of these priorities.”
The second-year lawmaker encouraged bipartisan cooperation on his proposal, stating, “I thank my Arizona House Republican colleagues for their support in passing this legislation and welcome House and Senate Democrats to take another look at this bill.”
The Cicero Institute responded to the positive action from the Arizona House on the bill, posting, “Thanks to the leadership of Matthew Gress, HB 2782 passed the Arizona house today. This legislation will do immense good in helping reduce homelessness and getting individuals the assistance they need for substance abuse and mental health challenges.”
The legislation received a green light from the House Committee on Appropriations last month with a 9-7 partisan vote. One member was absent.
When HB 2782 was being considered in committee, the Arizona House Democrats Caucus’ “X” account attacked the bill, writing, “Rep. Matt Gress’s NIMBY bill to make homelessness in Arizona worse in now up in Appropriations. HB 2782 criminalizes homelessness and ties the hands of cities using successful solutions like providing hotel rooms for families transitioning from the streets.”
In that committee hearing, Democrat State Representative Judy Schwiebert blasted Gress’ efforts, saying, “I’m really disappointed to see this grandstanding by the sponsor. It doesn’t provide real solutions.”
Republican State Representatives Selina Bliss, Lupe Diaz, David Livingston, and Julie Willoughby joined as co-sponsors on the bill.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from QuikTrip and Cicero Action support the bill. Representatives from Living United for Change in Arizona, Native American Connections, Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, Chicanos Por La Causa Inc., American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, Arizona Public Health Association, Phoenix Community Alliance, The Arizona Center for Economic Progress, Arizona Housing Coalition, National Association of Social Workers – Arizona Chamber, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, League of Arizona Cities & Towns, and Vitalyst Health Foundation opposed the legislation.
HB 2782 now heads to the Arizona Senate for consideration.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 22, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s Democrat Governor and Republican legislators are engaged in an escalating political battle over the future of the state’s groundwater.
Last week, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs took aim at a Republican-led solution to the state’s groundwater supply. Speaking at a conference in Tucson, Hobbs said, “I’m willing to work with any sponsors to pass legislation that’s real, effective and protects water supplies in rural areas. But should the bill remain unchanged it will not get my signature. The bill will silence rural communities and create a convoluted process that will make it nearly impossible for our communities to manage groundwater. It leaves us with the status quo where out of state corporate farmers come from around the world to take advantage of our aquifers, and small communities have their water pumped from beneath them. This is beyond unacceptable.”
The bill Hobbs attacked was SB 1221, which is sponsored by Senator Sine Kerr. The proposal would “establish 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 Senate.
Senator Kerr responded to the Governor’s remarks, writing, “From the start, I’ve been proactive in spearheading meetings for collaboration from the Governor and her office on SB 1221, which would safeguard Arizona’s groundwater resources for generations to come. My goal has and will continue to be to reach a compromise on a solution that won’t hurt rural Arizonans’ livelihoods, their local economies, or their groundwater supply. Yet this week, Hobbs said she would veto the bill and recklessly called it a convoluted process that won’t protect our groundwater. That comment is merely a red herring meant to justify her proposal of big government overreach to regulate groundwater.”
At the conference, Governor Hobbs expressed an interest in working across the aisle to reach a compromise on the vital issue for her state. She said, “We in the state have many shared values: the desire to protect rural Arizona, protect rural water users and slow unmitigated depletion of our rural aquifers. We can and must find common ground to find a solution that works and puts politics aside.”
Kerr, who is the Senate’s Majority Whip and the Chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, clearly did not think that a Hobbs-endorsed proposal would meet the expectations or needs of her constituents and other stakeholders around the state. She added, “Energy and Water Rural Arizonans know what will and won’t benefit their local economies. I wholeheartedly support this proposal because I’ve listened and met with farmers, ranchers, and every other person, industry and organization across AZ who felt they were being alienated from the conversation. I believe in true collaboration, and will continue to work to reach a solution.”
This week, the Arizona House Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water considered the legislation and gave the bill its stamp of approval with a 6-4 party-line vote. Republican State Representative Austin Smith said, “The government picking winners and losers is bad policy. Rural Arizona in my district and across the state are facing the brunt of Hobbs draconian water restrictions. SB 1221 provides the tools necessary for everyone to be treated fairly. Thank you Senator Sine Kerr.”
House Democrats on the committee echoed the governor’s thinking on the featured bill before their panel, calling for another bipartisan piece of legislation to address their collective concerns.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
