by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 4, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanksi |
A bill to provide a new health treatment option for Arizonans has passed out of the Arizona Senate.
On Thursday, the Arizona Senate passed SB 1570, which “requires the Department of Health Services to begin the licensing of psychedelic-assisted therapy centers and prescribes licensure requirements and restrictions,” according to the purpose from the chamber. The bill was sponsored by Senate Pro Tempore T.J. Shope.
The proposal received an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in the state senate with 24 members in favor compared to four members in opposition. Two senators did not vote.
In a statement, Shope said, “The controlled use of ‘magic mushrooms’ has proven to be a safe and effective treatment for people suffering from issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. I’ve heard numerous testimonies regarding the success of this alternative therapy, especially within our Veteran and first responder communities, where this drug ultimately saved lives and allowed these individuals to properly function in society after enduring horrific PTSD. It’s our duty to support those who put their lives on the line to serve our communities and our country. If this treatment will help our heroes who are struggling with their mental health because of their service, then it should absolutely be offered as an option. I believe we are on the verge of something remarkable for Veterans, first responders, and other’s struggling with PTSD and other mental health issues.”
If the bill were to become law, the requirements would go into effect by January 1, 2026.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Desert Rose Neutraceuticals, Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona, Citizens for Psilocybin, Arizona Public Health Association, and Psychedelic Association of Arizona signed in in support of the legislation.
Earlier last month, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services unanimously approved the bill with a 7-0 vote.
SB 1570 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.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 2, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
On Wednesday, the Arizona House of Representatives passed SB 1231, the Arizona Border Invasion Act. The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Janae Shamp, would “make 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 penalties for violations of illegally entering Arizona and provides 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 Arizona State Senate.
The vote in the House was 31-28 in favor of SB 1231, with one seat vacant. Earlier this month, the bill passed the Senate with a 16-13 vote (with one member not voting).
“Arizonans want and deserve safe communities, but the invasion at the border has led to countless fentanyl overdoses, rapes, murders, human smuggling, child sex trafficking, high-speed chases, subsequent deadly car crashes, and other heinous crimes that are forever transforming our state and the lives of our citizens right before our eyes,” said bill sponsor Senator Janae Shamp.
Senator Shamp also called on the governor to use every tool available to her office to help law enforcement enforce the law, writing, “Governor Katie Hobbs has declared on numerous occasions her disapproval for the lawlessness caused by the federal government’s open border policies and her desire to take action to protect our citizens. This legislation is exactly what our local law enforcement needs and has asked for to rein in the dangerous criminal activity that’s being thrust upon law-abiding Arizonans by the Biden Administration. The Legislature has done its job. Now is her chance to protect the citizens of Arizona by signing this bill into law, so that we can take the handcuffs off of our law enforcement and allow them to do their job.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, a representative from Arizona Catholic Conference endorsed the bill, while representatives from the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, the City of Phoenix, and Arizona Faith Network signed in in opposition to the legislation.
One of Senator Shamp’s colleagues, Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope, also highlighted the passage of the bill through both chambers of the state legislature and echoed the desire for the governor to sign the legislation. He posted, “I call on Governor Hobbs to sign this bill and make good on her promise from the State of the State Address this year to take the situation at our Border seriously. Katie Hobbs, sign SB 1231.”
Arizona House Democrats vehemently protested the bill on the floor before it won final passage. The Caucus’ “X” account called the measure the “ghost of SB 1070,” and confidently predicted a veto from Governor Hobbs.
Despite a heightened tone in rhetoric from Governor Hobbs over the border crisis, the Democrat chief executive of Arizona is unlikely to go along with many – if any – of the immigration-related bills currently being offered in the legislature by Republicans. Legislative Republicans have pointed to Hobbs’ vetoes of their border bills in the 2023 session as proof that her actions speak louder than words, and the forthcoming decisions on these new proposals will certainly add to that narrative as an election year kicks into high gear for both political parties.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 1, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to combat the illegal immigration crisis at America’s southern border is one step closer to Arizona Governor Hobbs’ desk.
Last week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed HB 2748, which was sponsored by State Representative Joseph Chaplik. According to the overview provided by the chamber, the legislation “establishes penalties and enforcement against illegal border crossings.”
All 31 Republicans voted in favor of the proposal, while all 28 Democrats voted in opposition. One seat was vacant at the time of the vote.
“The Biden administration’s abject refusal to uphold federal immigration laws is anti-American,” Representative Chaplik said. “It is directly responsible for catapulting our southern border into a state of chaos and facilitating an invasion unprecedented in scale and severity. Democrats at every level are working overtime to keep America’s borders open and unsecure, and Americans should demand to know why.”
Chaplik’s colleague, Representative Rachel Jones added, “Arizonans will come out in droves to vote for elected officials who are listening to them on the #1 issue of concern, THE BORDER CRISIS. To my colleagues on the left, the people don’t believe your gaslighting and rhetoric anymore. Americans want to feel safe in their own country.”
According to the press release from the Arizona House Republican Caucus, the “key provisions” of the bill include the following:
- Establishing a class 1 misdemeanor (or a class 6 felony for subsequent offenses) for individuals entering Arizona from a foreign country as aliens, except through legal ports of entry
- Imposing a class 1 misdemeanor for aliens re-entering the U.S. through Arizona if they were previously deported, excluded, or left while a deportation or exclusion order was pending
- Elevating the offense to a class 3 felony if the alien was removed due to multiple drug misdemeanors, federal inadmissibility, terrorism involvement, or removal following a nonviolent crime
- Elevating the offense to a class 2 felony if the alien was removed after committing a felony
- Providing for an order of return for aliens violating the law, with failure to comply constituting a class 2 felony
- Granting immunity from civil liability for local and state government officials, employees, and contractors enforcing the law, with indemnification for civil actions under federal law
- Mandating the Arizona Attorney General to pursue all available remedies to recover federal reimbursements for state costs incurred due to illegal immigration.
In pointing to the urgent need for state action to combat the border crisis, Chaplik’s communication also pointed to the following facts on the ground:
- Cartels are cutting holes in border fencing and controlling cross-border activity.
- 169 immigrants on the terrorist watch list tried to cross the southern border in the past year
- 24,000+ Chinese nationals were apprehended crossing into the U.S. from Mexico
- Over 150,000 gang members from Central and South America
- Over 7 million illegal crossings in the last 3 years, and more than 1 million in the last 4 months.
HB 2748 will now be considered by the Arizona Senate. If approved by the Senate, the bill stands no chance of being signed into law by Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, who, although she has recently increased the sharpness of her rhetoric against the federal government’s handling of the border crisis, has not agreed with most – if not all – of Republicans’ solutions to solve the lawlessness from a state level. In fact, legislative Republicans pointed out multiple times that Hobbs vetoed border-related bills in 2023, though she attempted to talk tough about the crisis in her January State of the State address.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 1, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona legislators are taking action to honor the memories of fallen U.S. service members from the state.
On Monday, the Arizona House of Representatives passed HB 2818, which “requires all state agencies to lower displayed flags to half-staff upon the death of a service member having a home of record in Arizona,” according to the overview provided by the chamber.
The proposal passed the state house unanimously. Three members did not vote, and one seat was vacant.
State Representative Quang Nguyen, the bill’s sponsor, said, “This legislation is dedicated to the families of our servicemembers. Lowering the flags in respectful observance for a day is the least we can do to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our great nation. For many of the families, it is all they have left.”
The bill would “direct the Governor to notify all state agencies to fly displayed flags in front of state buildings at half-staff within 48 hours after receiving notification of the death of a service member whose home of record is in Arizona.”
Earlier this month, the legislation was approved by the House Committee on Military Affairs & Public Safety with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 13-1 (with one member voting ‘present’).
Representative Nguyen also explained why he had named the bill after one of his constituents, saying, “I’m proud to name HB 2818 in honor of my constituent Daniel Aragaki, known to friends as Dan Ari. Dan was among the many, many veterans who weren’t treated very well when returning from service in Vietnam. Today, he actively volunteers with the Veterans History Project and the Sedona Area Veterans Community Outreach, supporting and honoring veterans in our state.”
At the beginning of this month, a U.S. Marine, Sgt. Alec Langen, was killed, alongside of four others, in a military helicopter crash near San Diego. Sgt. Langen was from Chandler, and left behind a wife of one month. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs shared her thoughts over the tragedy on her “X” account, saying, “I am heartbroken at the loss of Sgt. Alec Langen, one of the five Marines killed in this week’s helicopter crash. On behalf of the State of Arizona, I extend my deepest condolences to Sgt. Langen’s family as we grieve the passing of one of Arizona’s finest warriors.”
The next week, Governor Hobbs ordered flags at Arizona state buildings to be lowered to half-staff in honor of Sgt. Langen.
The Arizona Senate will now consider HB 2818.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 28, 2024 | Economy, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona legislative Republicans are working to lower gas prices for Arizonans at the pump.
Last week, the Arizona Senate approved SB 1064, sponsored by Senator Justine Wadsack, which “adds gasoline fuel reformulation options for all gasoline sold or offered for sale for use in motor vehicles in a county with a population of 1,200,000 or more persons and any portion of a county contained in outlined areas,” according to the purpose provided by the chamber.
The bipartisan vote in the Senate was 17-11 (with two members not voting) in favor of the legislation.
“From gasoline to groceries, electricity, housing, and every other basic necessity, Arizonans are paying thousands of dollars more per year to maintain the same quality of life they had just before Joe Biden took office. While we can’t prevent his implementation of the reckless policies that are hurting hardworking families, senior citizens, and young adults, we can help Arizonans keep more of their hard-earned dollars through commonsense solutions like SB 1064. I’m hopeful this legislation will be signed into law because it is the right move to make to improve the lives of our citizens.”
According to the press release from the Arizona Senate, the state is “currently required to provide drivers in Maricopa County [with] a specific fuel blend for cooler season months and a different fuel blend specific for warmer season months.” SB 1064, if signed into law, would “establish a free market solution by allowing as many fuel blends as possible.” Republicans have “identified eight comparable blends.”
Earlier this month, the bill passed out of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Water with a 4-1 tally. Two members on the panel did not vote.
Arizona Republicans have long been working on solutions to the state’s high costs for energy– especially since spring 2023. It was then that they learned the Governor’s Office was convinced by the EPA not to submit a waiver for an “alternative fuel type to provide an adequate supply for drivers and preventing a hike in gas prices,” despite oil companies warning state officials of significant refinery shutdowns and past Arizona Governors applying for and receiving that opportunity. According to Senate Republicans, “this catastrophe reduced the supply of the CBG (fuel blend)” produced for the state during the spring and summer.
Last year, Senator Jake Hoffman unleashed a blistering rebuke of Hobbs’ reported failure “to do the right thing by requesting this waiver to allow prices at the pump to drop.” Hoffman’s statement followed the aforementioned accounts of a letter that had been sent to Hobbs in March by independent petroleum refiner HF Sinclair, warning the state’s chief executive “of a critical supply shortage in Arizona due to an unexpected equipment failure stopping the production of CBG required by the Biden Administration in Maricopa County, as well as parts of Pinal and Yavapai Counties.”
At the time, Hoffman said, “Katie Hobbs’ incompetence as Arizona’s Governor continues to take center stage, and hardworking Arizonans are paying the price for it. The average price for a gallon of gas right now in Maricopa County is a full $1 higher than the national average. This is extra money that could help with groceries, medications and other necessities many of our taxpayers are having a difficult time affording because of the Biden Administration’s reckless policies leading to historic inflation.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, a representative from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce signed in to oppose SB 1064, while representatives from the Modified Motorcycle Association of Arizona and Americans for Prosperity Arizona endorsed the proposal. Representatives from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association registered their neutrality on the bill.
SB 1064 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.
