by Matthew Holloway | Aug 2, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona State Representative John Gillette (R-LD30) shared a post on Wednesday containing images and video footage taken at Dobson High School from Turning Point Action Field Representative Angel Guess. The images and video footage depicted Black Lives Matter (BLM) and pro-LGBTQ material in the classroom.
In her post, Guess wrote, “Attention Mesa Residents, mothers, fathers… this is what your taxpayer dollars pay for.. School starts tomorrow [at Dobson High] and YOUR kids are walking into this. Video from today!”
She continued, “Mesa Public School District is this what parents subscribe to when they sign your enrollment agreement? Not my child! Who agrees?”
Sharing the post, Representative Gillette declared it to be “Another advertisement for the Arizona ESA voucher program.”
“Govt schools can’t understand why their student count keeps falling. Woke indoctrination, DEI, and poor academic results are destroying government schools,” Gillette added.
The post to X has since garnered the attention of former Republican Congressional candidate Josh Barnett, who observed, “This is why school choice is so important and allowing Private/charter schools to prosper.”
Senior Advisor for the U.S. Agency for Global Media Kari Lake excoriated the district, writing, “Stop radicalizing our children! Cut all taxpayer funding to woke public schools. Our kids deserve better.”
As previously reported by AZ Free News, Dobson High School has a history of alignment with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts such as the “No Place For Hate” (NPFH) program of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Arizona, which named Dobson as an NPFH school in 2022.
As recently as July 18th, Arizona Women of Action posted a thread on X, making serious allegations that “There are explicit books in MPS libraries. High schools. Middle schools. Even ELEMENTARY schools.”
The texts reportedly include: “Push” by Sapphire, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison (which both detail sexual abuse), “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins, which has been removed from schools in 13 states for references to drug use, sexual abuse, and suicide, and “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher, which is available in elementary schools and has been challenged in dozens of school districts for its sexually explicit content and discussion of suicide.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Aug 2, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Turning Point Action’s (TPA) recently updated scorecard grades the state of Arizona, as well as our members of Congress and State Legislators, on their alignment with or divergence from its policies and political positions. Federal-level scorecards were created for all fifty states, but state-level drilldowns were developed for six swing states: Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Georgia.
The scorecard revealed a significant opportunity for improvement in the Arizona legislature, with many of the most prominent Republicans in leadership roles scoring below the 80th percentile. According to TPA, the conservative outreach organization, “has worked across the conservative movement to identify every scorecard and the legislation they encompass and provide an accumulation of scoring from across the Republican spectrum.”
Each state, policy category, and lawmaker (federal and state) is scored 0-100 and is classified from “Tyrant,” and “Becoming Tyrannical,” mainly for Democrats and some Republicans with a score of 49 or less, to “Turncoat” at 50, “Betraying America,” from 50-60, “Erratic,” from 60-70, “Becoming Erratic” from 70-80, “Losing Patriotism,” at 80-95, and for those scoring 95+: “Patriot.”
According to an explanation of lawmaker scoring from TPA, “Turning Point Action looks at each vote individually, identifies the category it belongs in and works amongst the grassroots to identify the conservative position. If the representative votes with Turning Point Action’s position for each bill or nomination, they receive full points. If the representative votes against TPA’s position, they receive nothing. Not voting, present, and abstaining from voting gives the representative only half credit, thereby diminishing their score for neglecting their responsibility.”
States are also scored in overall terms by “first finding the overall House score and overall Senate score by issue. Then the overall House score is added to the overall Senate score and divided by two to achieve the overall category state score.” States are accordingly ranked as being a “Tyrannical State” with a score between 0%-20%, “Becoming Tyrannical,” from 21%-40%, an “Erratic State” from 41%-60%, “Losing Freedom,” from 61%-80%, and a “Free State” scoring 81% or better.
As of this report, Arizona is ranked as “Losing Freedom” on federal matters with a score of 62.50 and as an “Erratic State” on state issues with a score of 41.69.
In the case of Arizona’s state legislature, the only “Patriots” recognized by TPA were Senator Jake Hoffman with a score of 99.40, and Representatives Joseph Chaplik with 98.05 and Alexander Kolodin with 96.10. The scores indicate a significant split between Arizona’s legislative GOP leadership and one of the largest, most impactful political organizations in the state and country.
Several of the most prominent leaders in the GOP were scored relatively low, such as House Speaker Steve Montenegro, who scored 77.27, labeled as “Becoming Erratic,” and Majority Leader Michael Carbone, who scored 71.43. Senate President Warren Petersen is listed as “Losing Patriotism,” with a score of 89.16 alongside Majority Leader John Kavanagh, who scored 83.13.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Aug 1, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne followed the U.S. Department of Education’s release of its pause on grant funding with a public commitment to disburse the funding as soon as possible.
The Arizona Department of Education announced that $124 million, or approximately one percent of the state’s overall education funding, was under review by the federal government.
The funding was due to be released in early July, but the approximate $6 billion in nationwide funding, including the $124 million allocated for Arizona, was placed under review by the agency on July 1st.
“The department will not be issuing grant award notifications obligating funds for these programs on July 1 prior to completing that review,” a memo from the Department’s Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs said at the time. “The department remains committed to ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president’s priorities and the department’s statutory responsibilities.”
In an interview with the outlet, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon assured the public, “We want to make sure that we have the right focus on what we’re trying to do with our students.”
Superintendent Horne said in a statement, “The release of federal funds that were being reviewed by the Trump administration is good news and no surprise to me. When the review was announced I noted that the federal government is merely ensuring that the funds are being used appropriately and not for ideological purposes. People need to be assured that their education tax dollars are being used to advance academic goals and not social indoctrination.”
He added, “When the pause occurred, a lot of people panicked thinking the money would go away entirely. I said at the time that this was merely a pause for review and that is exactly what happened. The Arizona Department of Education staff will work very hard to disburse these funds as soon as possible.”
Horne shared a video clip on Friday from President Trump, coinciding with the release in which the President said, “We are moving education back to the states….when they do it, you are going to have the BEST education in the world.”
In a previous statement, Horne observed, “They’ve (federal government) seen instances of far-left ideology being taught to students. And I would agree that that should not be. People obviously have a right to be far left if they want, but they don’t have a right to impose it on students in the classroom. So, if there’s any of that in Arizona, I would cooperate enthusiastically with the federal government to get rid of it.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 31, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
In the aftermath of the controversial whistleblower audio released in May, the Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) has responded by banning students from recording “a classroom teacher or administrator” without permission, according to Save CFSD.
The audio released in May included an alleged teacher criticizing the religious texts of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism on LGBTQ issues in a 9th grade health classroom.
In addition to the new prohibitions, Dan Grossenbach, a CFSD parent, resident, and contributor to Save CFSD, shared an email with AZ Free News from the district indicating that the teacher involved has faced zero disciplinary action.
In his email, Grossenbach explained, “In public statements, CFSD administration implied to State48 and the AZ Daily Star editorial page that they fired the teacher, but the district has confirmed to me by email that there was no discipline.”
According to Grossenbach, the board launched its efforts to prevent students from creating any further classroom recordings in an unscheduled meeting on Tuesday.
“They held an unplanned/emergency meeting on Tuesday to pass a policy they claimed was based on a new law banning cell phones,” Grossenbach said. “However, they added a line about banning classroom recordings, electronic recorders, or posting any audio publicly. They added that teachers have the right to search and seize all personal items and threatened student expulsion.”
Grossenbach further said that the district has not made its sex-education curriculum publicly available as required under Arizona Revised Statutes § 15-711.
Save CFSD shared a lengthy thread to X, outlining the new policies enacted by the district.
According to screenshots provided by the group, the district made two major changes to its existing policies:
1. Restricting student access to social media platforms except as allowed by the student’s teacher for educational purposes; and
2. Limiting the use of wireless communication devices by students during the school day, exceptions include allowing student use of wireless communication devices for medical needs, educational purposes as directed by the student’s teacher, or during an emergency.
However, included in these policies are a few key points. The use of a “PD” or personal electronic device, including, but not limited to “cellular telephones, digital audio players, digital cameras, laptop computers, tablet computers, pagers, portable game players, smartwatches, smart glasses, and any new technology developed with similar capabilities,” now falls under the district’s policy for “Electronic Information Services” and under those terms:
“Each user of the District’s EIS, including a user of a PD shall:
- Obtain permission to record, transmit, or post photos or a video of a person with any electronic device.
- Obtain permission from a classroom teacher or administrator before making publicly available any images, video, or audio files recorded at school.”
Essentially, the new policy presents a de facto ban on any student recording a teacher or administrator without their permission, rendering future whistleblowing impossible without risking potential expulsion. Finally, the policy empowers school officials to “search and/or seize student property, if there are reasonable grounds that the search and seizure will reveal evidence that the student has violated or is violating the law or a District Policy procedure or school rule.”
The policy also states explicitly: “This authority extends to student-owned electronic/technology devices and electronic storage.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 30, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
During its July 24th Contingency Open Meeting, the Arizona Corporation Commission (AZCC) unanimously assigned the construction cost of a massive 1.5-million-gallon subterranean water tank to the Sedona customers of Arizona Water Company. The decision follows a nearly four-decade efffort to find a location for the water tank that was agreeable with the City of Sedona and local residents.
According to the AZCC, the “extra costs incurred” by the water tank, concealed with a fake home, will fall “solely on the Sedona customers of Arizona Water Company.” However, Pinetop Lakes, Munds Park, and Payson will also see a significant rate increase.
According to a press release from the AZCC, for Sedona residents, the estimated rate increase is 45%, which would bring the average residential bill to approximately $60 per month. Meanwhile, other Northern Group customers will see an increase of roughly 34%, with a billing estimate of $52 per month.
Prior to the meeting, the notion of assigning the costs to the ratepayers outside of Sedona was opposed by Republican Arizona Rep. David Marshall (R-LD7), who publicly condemned it in a press release. Marshall cited the “City’s requirement that Arizona Water Company bury a new water storage tank underground and disguise it with a fake home built on top—an aesthetic demand that made the project one of the most expensive the utility has ever undertaken.”
Rep. Marshall stated, “Arizona Water Company’s northern Arizona ratepayers—including the good people of Pinetop-Lakeside, Heber-Overgaard, Rimrock, Munds Park, and the Village of Oak Creek—did not ask for these costly design features. Quite frankly, it’s absurd to ask them to fork over millions to subsidize the excessive, big-government design mandates of a city nearly 200 miles away. This is a matter of fairness and affordability. Sedona chose to inflate the cost of this project for its own benefit. The rest of northern Arizona shouldn’t be stuck footing the bill for Sedona’s multi-million-dollar expectations.”
According to the AZCC release, an amendment to the decision by Commissioner Rachel Walden resulted in the “non-operational aesthetic expenses” being shifted to Sedona Residents. “My job is to ensure expenses are just, reasonable, and prudent,” Walden said. “That is why I offered my amendment to ensure that non-operational aesthetic expenses will not be paid for by those who do not benefit from them. I thank my fellow Commissioners for fully supporting my amendment.”
The Corporation Commission said in a statement, “The Commission deemed a new tank was prudent and appropriate; however, it was adamant that the extra costs from the aesthetic requirements were not to be assigned to the other 15,000 customers who do not reside in Sedona. The City and residents expressed disapproval for construction of an above ground water tank, which is the conventional design. The Sedona Project is one of only three water tanks that have been undergrounded in the state, by Commission regulated companies.“
The construction tab for the East Sedona Water Storage Tank and Booster Project came to approximately $20 million, as reported by the Arizona Daily Independent. The Arizona Water Company explained that to obtain approval for a conditional use permit (CUP) by the Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council, it was required to comply with requirements to bury the storage tank and “camouflage” the tank by building a structure on top of the tank that resembles a home for aesthetic purposes, so that it will blend in with the neighborhood and scenery.
“Hopefully this is a strong signal to all water companies, local governments, and residents moving forward that if you require special conditions or place limitations on infrastructure based upon aesthetic preferences, you may be responsible for those extra costs,” said Chair Thompson. “I’m sympathetic to the majority of the Sedona customers who will be solely responsible for these added costs, but it is not an equitable requirement for the 15,000 customers in other communities to be responsible for millions in extra costs because a vocal minority didn’t like the way a water tank looked.”
“After a robust discussion today, the Commission reached a Decision in Arizona Water Co.’s Northern Group’s rate case that strikes a fine balance between ratepayer protections and company viability,” Commissioner René Lopez said. “Thursday’s Decision also signals to ratepayers and local governments that, even in a consolidated group, the Commission will equitably allocate costs to certain customer groups when extraordinary expenses are incurred at their request or for their exclusive benefit. Nevertheless, the compromises and decisions made ensures ratepayers continue to have access to reliable and safe drinking water in some of Arizona’s most beautiful terrains.”
“The final determination of rates for Arizona Water came after a very thoughtful discussion at the Commission about the additional requirements by the City of Sedona for the undergrounding of the water tank and the appropriateness of the financial burden on other ratepayers within their northern division,” stated Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson, who voted in support of the amended case. “I am appreciative of my fellow Commissioners’ support for my amendment that requires the company to present possible improvements to their customer assistance programs within their next rate case.”
“I’m pleased the Commission directed Arizona Water to engage in discussions with the City of Sedona about funds to help cover the incremental costs to bury the East Sedona Storage Tank,” Vice Chair Nick Myers added. “Because the City required and is directly benefitting from undergrounding the tank, it’s only fair that they contribute financially to cover the City-imposed aesthetic costs. Otherwise, the entire incremental cost of burying the tank will be borne by Arizona Water’s Sedona System customers.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
