Arizona State Representative Walt Blackman (R-LD7) is calling on Americans to remember the courage, sacrifice, and national unity that followed the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Blackman, a retired U.S. Army combat veteran who served for 21 years, reflected on his own experience on September 11, 2001, when he was a young Army tank commander stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.
“Some dates are remembered. Others divide history into a before and after. September 11 did both,” said Blackman.
The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people after 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes.
Two were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, while another struck the Pentagon. Passengers and crew members aboard United Airlines Flight 93 fought back against the hijackers before the plane crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Blackman said that, like millions of Americans watching the attacks unfold, he could not have known at the time how dramatically the events of that morning would reshape the country or the lives of those serving in the military.
Rep. Walt Blackman Honors Victims, First Responders and Service Members on 25th Anniversary of September 11 Calls on Americans to remember the courage and unity that followed one of the darkest days in our nation’s history
In his statement, Blackman honored those killed in the attacks as well as the firefighters, police officers, and emergency personnel who responded to the scenes in New York and the Pentagon. He also recognized the passengers and crew aboard Flight 93 who resisted the hijackers.
“We remember the 2,977 innocent people whose lives were taken in New York City, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania,” Blackman said. “We honor the firefighters who climbed the stairs while others were trying to escape, the police officers and emergency personnel who ran toward danger, and the passengers and crew aboard Flight 93 who fought back and sacrificed themselves to save others.”
Blackman also directed attention toward the military personnel and their families who carried the burden of the wars that followed the attacks.
“We also remember the service members and military families who carried the weight of the wars that followed,” Blackman said. “Many never returned home. Others came home carrying wounds, some visible and others unseen.”
Blackman’s own military career included six overseas deployments, with combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as service in Kosovo and Kuwait.
Twenty-five years after the attacks, Blackman said Americans should remember not only the lives lost but also the sense of unity that emerged across the country in the aftermath.
He noted that political divisions existed before September 11 and remain prevalent today, but argues that Americans put many of those differences aside following the attacks.
“America was politically divided before September 11, just as we are divided today,” said Blackman. “But when our nation was attacked, Americans came together. We did not ask whether the person standing beside us was a Republican or a Democrat. We stood together as Americans.”
Blackman said the anniversary should serve as an opportunity to remember the courage and compassion demonstrated under the aftermath of the attacks and to continue supporting first responders, veterans, and the families of those who died.
“We honor those we lost by remembering their names, supporting our first responders and veterans, standing with their families, and refusing to allow political division to outweigh our shared love of country,” said Blackman. “May God bless the families of the fallen, our first responders, our service members and the United States of America.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
State Representative Walt Blackman (R-LD7) is asking the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) to provide records detailing cooling system failures reported at correctional facilities in Arizona throughout August.
Blackman, who chairs the Arizona House Government Committee, said he plans to review the outages to determine which prison facilities experienced cooling failures, how long the systems were offline, and how the conditions affected correctional officers, employees, and inmates.
The review will also examine the cost of emergency repairs and whether continuing to maintain aging cooling systems is the most cost-effective option for taxpayers.
“Arizona’s prisons must remain safe, secure and operational through the summer,” stated Blackman. “Correctional officers should not be working in dangerous temperatures because critical equipment is failing, and taxpayers should not be repeatedly paying for emergency repairs without knowing whether there is a better long-term solution. Before we consider additional spending or legislative action, I want the facts.”
Rep. Walt Blackman Seeks Review of Prison Cooling Failures, Officer Safety and Taxpayer Costs Government Committee Chairman seeks records on August cooling outages and aging correctional infrastructure
Blackman intends to request information covering August 1 through August 31, including records of cooling system outages, affected facilities, the duration of outages, temperature readings, and emergency cooling measures implemented by ADCRR.
The request will also seek maintenance requests, work orders, and repair costs, as well as information about any heat-related impacts on correctional officers, employees, and inmates.
Blackman is specifically seeking information about any medical incidents or inmate relocations resulting from excessive heat. The review will also include conditions at the Lewis Prison Complex, including the Bachman, Barchey, and Stiner units.
Another focus will be the age and expected service life of existing cooling equipment. Blackman said he wants to compare the projected cost of continuing to repair aging systems with the potential cost of replacing or modernizing them.
ADCRR has an extreme heat strategy in place for the 2026 summer season that calls for regular temperature monitoring, additional checks of HVAC performance, and the use of temporary cooling equipment when air-conditioning systems become inoperable.
The department’s strategy also provides for portable fans, ice, air-conditioned cooling centers, and increased health monitoring in heat-affected areas.
Blackman said the information he receives from ADCRR will help determine whether the department’s current maintenance practices are adequately protecting employees and inmates and whether continued repairs to aging equipment remain the most cost-effective approach.
“Our correctional officers perform one of the toughest public-safety jobs in state government, and they deserve facilities where they can safely do their jobs,” said Blackman. “Conservative government means taking care of the infrastructure taxpayers already own and making sound decisions before small problems become expensive emergencies. If we are spending substantial sums every summer repairing the same aging equipment, we need to know that. If replacement would save money over the long term, we need those numbers too.”
The records will help shape Blackman’s next steps, depending on what the review finds. He said the legislature could consider additional oversight, hearings, budget discussions, or changes to how the state approaches maintenance and replacement of aging prison infrastructure.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona State Senator Mark Finchem (R-LD11) is questioning a request by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) to pause 30 pending administrative appeals involving a healthcare provider while the agency pursues a separate lawsuit over the same disputes.
AHCCCS filed the motion September 2 with the Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings, asking an administrative law judge to stay the pending proceedings involving Prorenata Labs and six AHCCCS-contracted health plans.
The request has drawn scrutiny from Finchem, co-chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, who argues that the move raises broader questions about whether Arizona residents and businesses can rely on the state’s administrative hearing process when challenging government decisions.
“This is bigger than one laboratory and one billing dispute. It is about whether Arizonans can trust the process when they challenge the government,” stated Senator Finchem.
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Senator Finchem Sounds Alarm Over AHCCCS Attempt to Sidestep Provider Appeals Process
The underlying dispute concerns reimbursement for certain COVID-19 tests. Among the questions being litigated is whether the tests are subject to a maximum reimbursement rate, typically $100 per test, and whether an out-of-network laboratory can receive payment for non-emergency services provided without prior authorization or documented urgent medical need.
According to Finchem, AHCCCS acknowledges that hundreds of similar cases have already proceeded through administrative hearings and were resolved in favor of AHCCCS and its contracted health plans.
“The Legislature has already paid for an independent hearing system so people and businesses can challenge government actions without being forced into a more expensive court fight,” said Finchem. “AHCCCS says it has already prevailed in hundreds of these cases through that process. If it worked hundreds of times, the agency must explain why it now wants 30 pending appeals frozen while it pursues a different legal strategy in court.”
AHCCCS argues that temporarily pausing the administrative hearings would reduce costs, prevent duplicative litigation, and avoid potentially inconsistent rulings between the administrative and judicial proceedings.
An administrative law judge has not yet ruled on the agency’s request.
The Office of Administrative Hearings was established to provide an independent forum for individuals and businesses challenging decisions made by state agencies.
Finchem said the Legislature needs to determine whether AHCCCS’s request could undermine that process or establish a precedent that other state agencies could use when facing administrative challenges.
“We are not deciding whether this laboratory is owed money,” added Finchem. “We are asking why an executive agency wants to halt established proceedings and shift the legal question to a lawsuit it initiated.”
Finchem said he intends to use the Joint Legislative Audit Committee’s oversight authority to examine the circumstances surrounding AHCCC’s request.
Among the questions he wants answered are how long the 30 appeals could be delayed, how much the Superior Court litigation could cost taxpayers, why AHCCCS changed its approach after prevailing in hundreds of administrative cases, and whether the agency considers its strategy a potential precedent for other disputes involving state agencies.
“Without a full and public explanation, this smells like another attempt by the Hobbs administration to cover up agency actions,” said Finchem. “If this becomes a playbook for state agencies, the consequences will reach far beyond this case. I intend to use the Joint Legislative Audit Committee’s oversight authority to get the facts, demand answers, and determine whether legislative or audit action is necessary. Due process cannot exist only when it is convenient for the government.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
A majority of Arizona voters oppose additional large data center development, with opposition becoming even stronger when voters are asked to weigh economic benefits against concerns over water, electricity, and infrastructure, according to a new poll from Noble Predictive Insights.
The Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP), conducted August 10-13, among 1,040 registered Arizona voters, including 923 likely voters, found that 57% of registered voters oppose additional large data centers in the state. Thirty percent support additional development, while 13% remain unsure.
Opposition was particularly strong, with 35% of voters saying they strongly oppose additional large data centers compared with 9% who strongly support them.
The poll also found that voters become substantially more opposed when presented with the potential tradeoffs associated with data center development.
Sixty-one percent said Arizona should limit additional data center development because of concerns over water use, electricity demand, and infrastructure costs. Just 18% said the state should encourage additional development because of potential investment and tax revenue.
The poll found support for limiting additional data center development across all major political groups.
Fifty-four percent of Republicans, 71% of Democrats, and 61% of Independents said Arizona should limit additional development when water, electricity, and infrastructure concerns were included in the question.
The preference for limits also crossed ideological lines. Seventy-eight percent of liberals, 60% of moderates, and 52% of conservatives favored limiting additional development.
Even among Republicans who identify more strongly with President Trump than the Republican Party, 51% favored limits, compared with 32% who favored encouraging additional development.
The divide among Republicans was more pronounced when voters were simply asked whether they supported or opposed additional data centers.
Among registered Republicans, 42% supported additional development and 46% opposed it.
Trump-first Republicans supported additional data centers 49% to 37%, while Republicans who identified more closely with the party than Trump opposed additional development 53% to 37%.
However, both groups shifted toward limiting development when the question included concerns about water, electricity, and infrastructure.
The results were also similar across different types of communities. Fifty-nine percent of urban voters, 62% of suburban voters, and 64% of rural voters favored limiting additional data center development.
The Center Square reported that at least six Arizona local governments — Chandler, Marana, Phoenix, Mesa, Mohave County, and Tucson — have enacted regulations governing data centers.
Founder and CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, Mike Noble said the findings could make data center development an increasingly important issue for Arizona policymakers and candidates, particularly as voters weigh the industry’s economic benefits against concerns over the state’s water, electricity, and infrastructure capacity.
“Data centers have moved from an economic-development talking point to a test of governing competence,” Noble said. “The candidate who can show voters a credible plan for water, electricity, and infrastructure will have the advantage on this issue.”
Despite the polling results, supporters of continued data center development argue that Arizona should not respond to public concerns by restricting an industry they say can bring investment, jobs, and tax revenue into the state.
Jen Springman, coalition’s manager for the Goldwater Institute, told The Center Square that Arizona should continue its traditional approach of encouraging economic development and innovation.
“We don’t hold back entrepreneurs with overregulation,” Springman said. “That’s been Arizona’s recipe for success. Arizona cannot and should not turn away from that. That’s exactly what will happen if we allow fear of data centers to scare us into shutting down development.”
Springman argued that some of the opposition to data centers has been driven by misinformation and said existing facilities are already operating in Arizona while providing jobs and contributing to the state’s economy.
She acknowledged concerns about electricity, water, and land use but argued that those issues should be addressed without halting development.
Regarding water use, Springman said newer data centers can use closed-loop recycling systems and dry-air cooling to reduce consumption. She also pointed to the potential for data centers to generate significant tax revenue and provide high-paying jobs.
The debate comes as Arizona faces growing pressure over how to accommodate the rapidly expanding demand for data centers while balancing their effects on power, water, and other infrastructure.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) voted Tuesday in favor of a bipartisan continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 11, citing the potential consequences of another shutdown for military personnel, law enforcement, and Arizona veterans.
The House passed H.R. 6500, the “Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027” by a 370-48 vote. The measure was previously passed on August 8, by the Senate with a 90-6 vote before being sent to President Donald Trump, who signed it into law, September 2.
The legislation provided fiscal year 2027 funding for federal agencies generally at current levels through December 11 and extends authorities for a range of federal programs, including surface transportation and veterans programs.
Ciscomani, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, said he supported the temporary measure to prevent another shutdown while Congress continues negotiations over full-year appropriations bills.
“Today, I voted for a bipartisan, temporary Continuing Resolution (CR) to prevent another government shutdown. A government shutdown is not a political game; it has REAL consequences,” stated Ciscomani.
He pointed to the potential impact on military personnel, Customs and Border Protection agents, law enforcement officers, and veterans.
“It disrupts pay for our troops, leaves CBP agents and law enforcement working without pay, and disrupts services for the nearly 80,000 veterans I have the privilege of representing,” he added.
The Arizona congressman also acknowledged that continuing resolutions are not a substitute for completing the annual appropriations process.
“As an appropriator, I know CRs are not ideal and can delay critical bipartisan work, including the $42.7 million in funding that has cleared the first major legislative hurdles to deliver critical investments to Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District,” said Ciscomani.
Today, I voted for a bipartisan, temporary Continuing Resolution (CR) to prevent another government shutdown. A government shutdown is not a political game; it has REAL consequences. It disrupts pay for our troops, leaves CBP agents and law enforcement working without pay, and…
Among the funding priorities he highlighted were $42.7 million in funding that he said has cleared the first major legislative hurdles and would provide investments in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.
Ciscomani said he has opposed government shutdowns and argued that federal funding disputes should not result in disruptions for Arizona families.
“I have NEVER supported a government shutdown—partial or full,” said Ciscomani. “Arizona families should not have to pay the price for Washington’s dysfunction.”
The temporary funding measure comes after Congress faced the possibility of another funding lapse when the federal fiscal year ends September 30.
Lawmakers have sought to avoid another prolonged shutdown after the federal government experienced two major shutdowns during the previous year. One lasted a record 43 days, while a separate shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security lasted 76 days.
The new CR gives Congress additional time to negotiate and pass full-year appropriations legislation for Fiscal Year 2027.
Ciscomani said the House’s approval of the measure would allow the government to remain operational while lawmakers continue working on longer-term funding legislation.
“The House did the right thing today by coming together to keep the government open, keep essential services running, and continue delivering for Arizona,” Ciscomani said.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
