by Staff Reporter | Oct 1, 2025 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Superintendent Tom Horne and Treasurer Kimberly Yee are at odds over a sizeable loan to a school district.
Horne wants Yee to approve a $3 million cash advance to Nadaburg Unified School District (NUSD), located inside Wittman. He stated in a Monday press release that Yee failed to conduct a proper review of the district’s finances before denying the advance.
The superintendent cleared up previous reports of a projected deficit as a “clerical error.” Horne called Yee’s denial “irresponsible” and urged her to reconsider.
“Our Finance Division did its research and determined that Nadaburg is operating within its budget, and by the end of the year they will have a projected positive cash balance of $1.3 million. Initially it was thought that they would have a negative cash balance at the end of the year, but the Department of Education, being a service institution, checked the forms and found the district made an unintentional clerical error that they can correct,” said Horne. “The Treasurer could have done the same review because she has the necessary forms, which were provided to her by our office, and her office failed to follow up with us to determine why we approved the advance.”
Yee not only denied the district a $3 million cash advance to address a $5 million deficit, she asked the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to direct a special investigation of the district through the Auditor General. The reported deficit amounted to three times the total amount of revenue NUSD anticipates from property taxes.
Yee’s announcement came last week, several days before Horne issued his response.
The treasurer expressed concern that Horne and the Arizona Department of Education had approved an advance to a district “in considerable financial crisis.” Although Horne alleges Yee failed to conduct a proper review of NUSD finances, Yee claimed in that preceding press release that she identified poor financial practices.
“The state’s top education agency should have been able to identify, as the Arizona Treasury has, that this District may desperately need financial experts to bring their books into the black,” said Yee.
In the denial letter to NUSD Superintendent Aspasia Angelou, Yee said the district failed to justify the necessity of the expenses the advance would cover and failed to show efforts to reduce current expenses to the minimum.
“[This] raises concern that the deficit is not necessary due to the timing of property tax collections, but could potentially be indicative of gross financial mismanagement,” said Yee. “[Our office] is seriously concerned that an advancement of funds now will only compound the district’s deficit and harm the financial stability of the district for years to come.”
In his Monday press release, Horne dismissed Yee’s claim of financial mismanagement as lacking any evidence. Rather than evidence of impropriety, Horne said the request was normal.
“District cash advances are common because a school district’s income and expenses may fluctuate,” said Horne. “As long as the district’s cash position is positive by the end of the year, and the funds will be paid back, cash advances are allowable.”
NUSD cited a low ending fund balance from the prior fiscal year and decreased property tax collections in 2024 as the main reasons for the deficit.
There are nearly 1,500 students in NUSD.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 30, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Governor Katie Hobbs has rejected the Federal Drug Administration’s restrictions on the new COVID-19 vaccine.
The FDA limited administration of the 2025-26 formula for the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 65 and older. However, last week, Hobbs issued an executive order expanding access to anyone over the age of six months old.
The governor claimed she issued the executive order to ensure Arizonans’ health and safety.
In explanations of its August announcement to the media, the FDA explained it recommended limitations on the newest vaccine formula in order to address safety and efficacy concerns.
“The American people demanded science, safety, and common sense,” said Secretary Robert Kennedy. “This framework delivers all three.”
In a May report, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Vinay Prasad recommended randomized clinical trials to prove the vaccines’ safety and efficacy.
The FDA did recommend allowing immunization to those as young as six months on the condition that they have “at least one underlying condition” rendering them “at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.”
The CDC defines these underlying conditions to include: Asthma; cancers; cerebrovascular disease; chronic kidney disease; chronic lung diseases limited to bronchiectasis, COPD, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension; chronic liver diseases limited to cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis; cystic fibrosis; diabetes; heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies; HIV; mental health conditions limited to mood disorders including depression and schizophrenia spectrum disorders; neurologic conditions limited to dementia and Parkinson’s disease; obesity; physical inactivity; pregnancy; primary immunodeficiencies; smoking, current and former; solid organ or blood stem cell transplantation; tuberculosis; use of corticosteroids or immunosuppressive medications; epilepsy; hemophilia; sickle cell disease; and substance use disorder.
Despite the conflict with FDA recommendations, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) teamed up with Hobbs to expand eligibility to those as young as six months in Arizona.
ADHS determined outside FDA recommendations that the the Moderna Spikevax is appropriate for children aged six months to 11 years, the Pfizer BioNTech (Comirnaty) is appropriate for children aged five to 11 years, and the Moderna (Spikevax), Novavax (Nuvaxovid), and Moderna (mNEXSPIKE) are appropriate for children 12 years and older.
Dr. Richard Carmona, ADHS Public Health Medical Advisor and former U.S. Surgeon General, indicated the 2025-26 formulation was as safe and effective as prior formulations.
“Vaccines are one of the most important tools we have to protect our communities,” said Carmona. “The COVID-19 vaccine has proven to be safe and effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. Vaccines help us limit the spread of disease and reduce pressure on our healthcare system.”
ADHS interim director Sheila Sjolander called the updated FDA recommendations a “confusion” that the governor and ADHS clarified.
“We understand the federal changes have caused confusion about eligibility for vaccination,” said Sjolander. “We are committed to keeping the public updated on our recommendations throughout this respiratory season. ADHS has updated our website with the latest information on what the standing order means for Arizonans.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 29, 2025 | Economy, News
By Staff Reporter |
A series of new laws taking effect are anticipated to raise Arizona’s economic competitiveness.
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Arizona Chamber) highlighted six new laws as giving the state a beneficial boost in economic performance against other states.
These laws aim to make it feasible for international headquarters to build on-site workforce housing and support services (Senate Bill 1543), permit utilities to refinance infrastructure investments through securitization (House Bill 2679), allow Chase Field renovations without increasing taxes (House Bill 2704), make it feasible for advanced air mobility systems such as drone deliveries and air taxis (Senate Bill 1307), require utilities and public power entities to implement wildfire mitigation plans (House Bill 2201), and bars foreign entities from funding lawsuits while limiting outside funding to third-party litigation (Senate Bill 1215).
Dozens of states are working together to create a uniform approach to allowing advanced air mobility, along with the Federal Aviation Administration. Over 30 states are members of the Advanced Air Mobility Multistate Collaborative (AAMMC), formed in 2023 with eight to 10 member states. Arizona is member to the organization leading AAMMC, the National Association of State Aviation Officials.
In addition to raising awareness of the new laws it backs, the Arizona Chamber also releases public reports of failed bills it believed would harm the state’s economy. The chamber announced their 2025 report is forthcoming.
Arizona Chamber President and CEO Danny Seiden stated that the six featured laws would retain corporate interest in the state by implementing necessary reforms and new pathways to growth.
“As these laws take effect, Arizona employers can count on policies that reflect their priorities,” said Seiden. “From keeping vital economic drivers in Arizona, to passing commonsense energy reforms that will deliver long-term stability and affordability, to supporting global companies, these are the kinds of policies that keep Arizona competitive and attractive for investment.”
The legislature also passed other laws anticipated to boost the economy, some of which Governor Katie Hobbs also approved from the Republican-controlled legislature despite a historic veto record (nearly 200 bills this year, compared to her previous historic record of over 140 in 2023).
One such law promises to further protect Arizona from regulatory capture by monopoly-controlled utilities (House Bill 2518). The legislation prohibits Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) members from accepting employment with the utilities under their regulation. Not all ACC members were pleased with the legislation, namely ACC Chairman Kevin Thompson.
Chair Thompson was the subject of an ethics claim filed by the Energy Policy Institute earlier this year, as first reported by the Arizona Republic. The institute alleged a conflict of interest regarding the relationship between Thompson’s consulting firm and utilities.
Another law will ensure construction crews may work in the early morning hours in the summers by prohibiting municipalities and counties from enacting or enforcing noise ordinances, rules, or regulations prohibiting general construction activities during certain summertime hours (Senate Bill 1182).
And another law requires municipalities to give affected businesses at least 60 days’ notice before voting on tax increases (House Bill 2119).
The legislature also chose to sunset the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program rather than renew. Critics of the program blame lax policies and procedures for the Department of Housing’s loss of around $2 million to a wire fraud scam in 2023.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 27, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Arizona Court of Appeals declined to accept Attorney General Kris Mayes’ appeal to prosecute President Donald Trump’s 2020 electors.
The appeals court order said in a brief ruling that, based on its “discretion,” it would not overturn a superior court ruling requiring Mayes to again secure an indictment from a grand jury.
This determination comes just four months after the Maricopa County Superior Court remanded Mayes’ case back to the grand jury.
The judge found that Mayes violated due process when seeking felony indictments for conspiracy, fraud, and forgery against 11 Trump electors.
According to the ruling, Mayes’ failure to give the grand jury a document critical to the electors’ defense, the Electoral Count Act of 1887 (ECA), before securing the indictment deprived the 2020 electors of due process. The ruling meant, effectively, that Mayes had to redo her entire case.
The 2020 electors argued they acted lawfully and in good faith under the ECA.
The attorney general attempted to justify withholding the full text of the ECA from the grand jury by citing the inclusion of “relevant portions” dispersed through memorandums, an interview, a letter, and an article from CNN. The judge declined to accept that select passages of the ECA contextualized in disparate works were equal to the document in its unabridged entirety.
“A prosecutor has a duty to instruct the grand jury on all the law applicable to the facts of the case,” stated the judge. “Due process compels the prosecutor to make a fair and impartial presentation to the grand jury. … Because the State failed to provide the ECA to the grand jury, the Court finds that the defendants were denied a substantial procedural right as guaranteed by Arizona law.”
In order to prosecute the 2020 electors, the superior court ruled, Mayes would have to disclose the full ECA to a grand jury before securing an indictment.
Arizona GOP Chairwoman Gina Swoboda said Mayes is unfit for office due to her focus on lawfare against political opponents distracting from criminal prosecutions.
“Arizona families deserve an Attorney General who prosecutes criminals, not political opponents,” said Swoboda. “Five years later, Kris Mayes is still fixated on 2020 while violent crime, fentanyl trafficking, and border chaos threaten our communities every single day. This obsession is not justice — it’s politics.”
A spokesman for Mayes would not say to reporters whether they would appeal to the state supreme court. However, Mayes’ communications director, Richie Taylor, rejected Swoboda’s accusation in a statement.
“This case has never been about anything other than preserving democracy and upholding the rule of law,’’ said Taylor. “Pretending it’s politically motivated is just a convenient way for the GOP chair to distract from the facts of the case.’’
This statement was among the first public comments issued by Taylor since deleting his social media accounts after his online commentary emerged on Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Tyler Bowyer, the CEO of Turning Point Action (the political action arm of TPUSA) and indicted elector in Mayes’ case, expressed relief at Monday’s ruling and scorn for Mayes’ continued expenditure of public funding on this case.
“Another huge loss for the radical AG who has wasted millions of AZ taxpayer dollars!” posted Bowyer on X.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 25, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
New campaign signs appearing in the Chandler area are claiming a ballot amendment would keep term limits — but it actually rolls them back.
The signs advocate for the passage of Proposition 410 this November with phrasing that includes “Keep Term Limits.” In reality, the passage of Proposition 410 would amend the city of Chandler’s charter to expand term limits.
Under the proposition, individuals may serve 16 consecutive years — eight years as a council member, eight years as the mayor — before triggering a four-year waiting period.
The proposition seeks to clear away confusion resulting from myriad interpretations of current term limits within the city charter, namely one interpretation which declares that the present charter’s provision for two consecutive term limits on the council applies to the council members and the mayor together.
Additionally, the proposition clarifies that individuals elected to be mayor or elected to the council would be limited to two consecutive terms with a waiting period of four years after those terms. Again, nonconsecutive terms wouldn’t trigger the four-year waiting period.
The four-year waiting period can be waived, however, by the council to fill any vacancies on the council including for the office of the mayor.
The city charter amendment on the November ballot stands to benefit at least one council member: Councilman Matt Orlando, who filed a statement of interest to run for mayor in next year’s election. Orlando is serving his second consecutive term on the council. Under the one interpretation of the current charter, Orlando would not be eligible to run for mayor in 2026.
The council introduced the proposition following challenges to the interpretation of term limits within the current language of the charter, which puts limits on a “consecutive combination” of terms served as mayor and on the council.
“No person shall be eligible to be elected to the office of councilmember for more than two consecutive terms, or to the office of mayor for more than two consecutive terms or to more than a consecutive combination of the same,” states the current charter. “A person elected to two consecutive terms as a councilmember or two consecutive terms as mayor or a combination of the same as above set forth shall not be eligible to hold either office again until four years have elapsed.”
A lawsuit over the current charter language prompted Mayor Kevin Hartke to cease his 2026 campaign for a council seat.
“The City Council desires to propose amendments to the City Charter to clarify certain ambiguities in the Charter regarding the term limits for councilmembers and mayor,” stated the resolution passed earlier this year.
Hartke faced a lawsuit from a former opponent, Ruth Jones, who ran against him in 2022. Jones contended in her lawsuit, filed in May, that the city charter’s term limits invalidated Hartke’s election in 2022. Hartke served on the city council for nine years, twice as vice mayor. Under the one interpretation mentioned above, Hartke would not have qualified to serve as mayor.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
