The Arizona House passed a bill, HB 2762, requiring food labels to disclose cultivated cell use with near-unanimous consent.
Cultivated cells are animal-derived stem cells grown within a lab into a meat alternative substance, or “lab-grown meat.” Unlike real meat, lab-grown meat doesn’t contain components like blood vessels, connective tissue, fat, or muscle fibers and therefore lacks naturally occurring essential nutrients that exist in real meat like iron, collagen, and taurine.
HB 2762, or the Andy Groseta Act, would require lab-grown meat to have the phrases “cell-cultivated” or “cell-cultured” on their packaging. Groseta was the former president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association, and the Yavapai Cattle Growers Association.
State Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-LD1) declared in a press release that Arizona families have a right to transparency when it comes to their food.
“Arizona families should not have to decode fine print or marketing claims to know what they are buying,” said Nguyen. “If a food product is derived from cultivated cells, the label should say so plainly and directly. HB 2762 protects consumers from confusion at the grocery store and supports our ranchers and farmers who raise and grow real food under clear standards.”
Three Democratic lawmakers voted against the bill: Minority Whip Quanta Crews (D-LD26) and Reps. Brian Garcia (D-LD8) and Consuelo Hernandez (D-LD21). None explained their vote.
Five consumer products containing cultivated cells have completed premarket consultations with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the first of which was completed in November 2022. Premarket consultations evaluate food safety prior to their release on the market. Three of these products within that stage of premarket consultations are made with chicken cells, one from pork fat cells, and one from salmon cells.
The FDA and Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) established a formal agreement on their regulatory approach to lab-grown meat in 2019. The FDA oversees the collection, banking, and growth and differentiation stages of cells used to create lab-grown meat. FSIS oversees the cell harvesting, production, and labeling stages.
A similar bill that passed the House last year was held in the Senate.
Chairman Lupe Diaz (R-LD19) advised in the bill’s committee hearing last month that Republican leadership is also looking at banning cultivated cell products.
Democrats who voted against the bill in committee ended up voting for the bill on the House floor: Reps. Mae Peshlakai (D-LD6), Mariana Sandoval (D-LD23), and Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D-LD21).
Sandoval said the bill was “a solution looking for a problem.” Sandoval said Arizona should leave food labeling decisions up to the federal government.
“State-specific mandates risk confusion, federal preemption, and unnecessary barriers to innovation,” said Sandoval.
Not only did Sandoval end up voting for the bill, she introduced the adopted amendment to clarify its language. Originally the bill would have required lab-grown meat to have the following disclosure on labels: “This food product is derived from cultivated cells.” Sandoval’s amendment provided two alternative shortened disclosures: “cell-cultivated” or “cell-cultured.”
Stakeholders against the bill include Sprouts, the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, Arizona Retailers Association, and Good Food Institute. Those for the bill included the Arizona Cattle Growers’ Association and Arizona Farm and Ranch Group.
Good Food Institute’s lobbyist Sam Richard said during the committee hearing that they support transparency and labeling for consumers, but argued the current bill limits companies’ access to the Arizona market since the legislation is Arizona-specific and not a national requirement.
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The Arizona Senate approved legislation to facilitate coordination between law enforcement and federal immigration agents.
SB 1055 passed 16-11, with all Republicans in support and all Democrats against.
The bill requires law enforcement to notify either Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) immediately following the arrest of an individual who is discovered to be an illegal alien.
The bill sponsor, Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-LD7), says this will give law enforcement the sense of security they deserve to appropriately process individuals with deportation orders. Rogers said her legislation was necessary to support safe neighborhoods and consistent enforcement within public safety.
“When someone is under arrest and unlawfully present in our country, law enforcement should never have to hesitate, second-guess, or worry about whether doing the right thing will jeopardize their career,” said Rogers. “For too long, unclear policies and political pressure have created confusion that undermines public safety and puts officers in an impossible position.”
If you’re an arrested illegal… you get turned over to ICE! Arizona Senate passed my SB1055 on this. Democrats absolutely melted down. It’s LAWFUL! pic.twitter.com/8asas0ZEv0
Given the partisan nature of the bill, it’s highly likely the legislation will die under Gov. Katie Hobbs’ veto pen should it pass the House.
The first to speak against the bill during Monday’s floor vote was Assistant Minority Leader Catherine Miranda (D-LD11). She said the bill wasn’t needed. Miranda discouraged the idea that Arizona law enforcement needs to support ICE in deportation proceedings, since ICE agents were “terrorizing” communities across the nation.
“[SB1055 is] unnecessary and strives to increase fear in communities and empowers all law enforcement to act as ICE agents,” said Miranda.
During the committee hearing on the bill last month, Miranda said she carries all of her sensitive personal documents in her car — her birth certificate, Social Security card, and passport — just in case law enforcement questions her citizenship.
Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales (D-LD20) claimed the bill would cause racial profiling.
“Our communities are already, you know, not feeling well, not wanting to go to work, school, or otherwise because of what is happening in our communities with the federal immigration process that’s happening in and around our communities,” said Gonzales.
Sen. Analise Ortiz (D-LD24) called it an “anti-public safety bill” and “cruel.” Ortiz said the detainment facilities were “death camps.” She opposed the concept of deporting illegal aliens
“It is going to invite a violent, armed paramilitary force to have more unnecessary interactions with our communities,” said Ortiz. “ICE out of Arizona, ICE out of our communities.”
Similarly, Sen. Lauren Kuby (D-LD8) said ICE was too dangerous and relying on poorly trained and violent forces.
Majority Leader John Kavanagh (R-LD3) said it was effective government to have local law enforcement cooperating with federal law enforcement. Kavanagh lamented the likely veto from Hobbs.
“People who are accused of being here illegally need to be brought to justice,” said Kavanagh. “We shouldn’t be trying to hamper [the lawful execution of our laws].”
Sen. Jake Hoffman (R-LD15) reminded his colleagues across the aisle that the bill impacts individuals who were already arrested for committing a crime and in custody.
“It’s absurd that you would not want the criminals who come over illegally removed from this country. Apparently it’s just lawlessness run amok in this chamber. We are hearing [Democrats] advocate for not turning over illegal alien criminals to federal immigration law enforcement,” said Hoffman.
As a response to Democratic lawmakers citing the Minnesota deaths of anti-ICE activists Alexi Pretti and Renee Good, Hoffman read off a handful of the names of individuals murdered by illegal aliens, which prompted an outburst from the audience.
Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan (D-LD18) dismissed Hoffman’s list of victims, saying all illegal aliens who committed those crimes were facing charges unlike the officers involved in the Pretti and Good deaths. Sundareshan took issue that individuals arrested for civil violations, not just criminal violations, may face deportation.
“In this country we are innocent until proven guilty,” said Sundareshan.
Sen. Mitzi Epstein (D-LD12) said this would allow “perfectly innocent” individuals to be arrested and attacked.
“ICE has become an agency of thugs who do not follow the law,” said Epstein. “I am afraid of ICE agents.”
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While Democratic elected officials invited illegal aliens to the State of the Union (SOU) on Tuesday, Republicans invited Americans victimized by illegal aliens.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notified the public on social media that certain elected representatives were planning to bring illegal aliens as their guests.
“Democrats are once again prioritizing illegal aliens above the safety of American citizens,” stated DHS.
Sen. John Hickenlooper invited Caroline Dias Goncalves, an illegal alien brought illegally into the country as a child now residing on an expired visa; Rep. Seth Moulton invited Marcelo Gomes da Silva, another illegal alien brought illegally into the country as a child and residing on an expired visa; and Sen. Chuck Schumer brought the mother of a detained illegal alien, Dylan Josue Lopez Contreras.
We are not the same.
While Republicans are bringing victims of crimes committed by illegal criminal aliens to the State of the Union, some Democrats in Congress are planning to bring ILLEGAL ALIENS.
Democrats are once again prioritizing illegal aliens above the safety of… https://t.co/ikRZ0Vy5ZX
Ahead of the SOU, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) held a press conference addressing the consequences of softened immigration policies.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh opened the press conference to discuss his American Border Story Memorial Act (H.R. 6643), to establish a memorial in D.C. for victims of illegal alien crime.
“It seems like we’re forgetting about the people who have been victimized by illegal alien crime, and instead focusing on what the leftist media wants to focus on the news of the day,” said Hamadeh.
Also present was the American Border Story, which advocates for angel families: those who lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal aliens. Nicole Kiprilov, executive director, supported Hamadeh’s bill to establish the memorial.
“We will never stop fighting until there isn’t a single family who doesn’t have to endure this devastating loss, ever again,” said Kipperlove.
🚨 LIVE NOW: RSC Press Conference – The Real Cost of Democrat Policies https://t.co/MbxJAS9uG5
Among those angel moms who spoke were Alaska resident Sandy Snodgrass, who lost her son Robert Bruce Snodgrass to fentanyl in 2021; California resident Agnes Gibboney, who lost her son Ronald de Silva to a shooting from a known illegal alien gang member in 2002; and Missouri resident Boni Driskill, who lost her daughter Lacy Marie Ferguson to a drive-by shooting committed by illegal aliens in 2003.
On Monday, President Donald Trump designated Feb. 22 as “Angel Family Day.” In attendance as guests of honor were families of those slain by illegal aliens.
“If you’ve lived the nightmare that we have lived, you understand the importance of the job that he is doing in securing our nation and fighting for our families,” said Riley.
Among Trump’s guests to the SOTU was Dalilah Coleman, a first-grader injured in a car accident caused by an illegal alien driving with a CDL. Trump encouraged Congress to pass the “Delilah Law,” to prohibit states from issuing CDLs to illegal aliens.
During the SOTU, Trump also brought up the 2023 murder of Texas teenager Lizbeth Medina. Medina’s killer, Rafael Romero, was an illegal alien. Medina’s mother, Jacqueline, was also in attendance at the SOTU.
“We’re getting [illegal aliens] the hell out of here fast, we don’t want ‘em,” said Trump. “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
Trump announced that “zero” illegal aliens were admitted to the country in the last three months.
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The Arizona House passed a bill increasing prison time for adults who target teenagers with sexual extortion, or “sextortion.”
HB 2666 passed out of the House with unanimous bipartisan support on Monday. The bill increases the penalty for adults who commit sextortion against minors ages 15 through 17 by increasing the offense level from a class 3 to class 2 felony. It also requires sentencing to be consecutive to any other sentence imposed for sextortion.
The bill would prohibit offenders from eligibility for sentencing suspension, probation, pardon, or release from confinement unless the court-imposed sentence has been served or commuted.
Arizona statute already has sextortion of minors under the age of 15 listed as a class 2 felony.
The bill did receive an amendment to address certain concerns by stakeholders.
Vicky Lopez, an attorney with Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice (AACJ), spoke against the bill during its committee hearing. Lopez expressed concerns that the bill as written would provide offenders with an affirmative defense that they didn’t know their victim’s age, and that the bill failed to address the circumstance of both the offender and victim being minors.
The Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network and Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) expressed support for the bill as written. The MCAO said it was against amending the bill.
Rebecca Baker on behalf of the MCAO rejected AACJ’s stance that this bill would provide an affirmative defense, and that minor offenders shouldn’t be held equally accountable.
“We’re talking about coerced conduct. We’re talking about one person forcing another person to have sex, and that’s analogous to sexual assault. I see that very differently than something like sexual conduct with a minor or even exchanging photos openly that are somehow later misused. This is forced conduct,” said Baker. “Regardless of whether the perpetrator is 15, 16, 17, or even 35, it’s still having that same effect on the victim.”
However, legislators who spoke up on the bill during the committee hearing seemed inclined to agree with AACJ. One committee member, Rep. Khyl Powell (R-LD14), agreed that minor offenders needed to have special considerations.
“I want discretion to be given back to judges. If we’re going to protect our juveniles who do something stupid, then we need to open up the door and give back to the judges’ discretion,” said Powell. “If we continue to mandate and we lock in these laws, then we will create additional victims.”
The bill author, Rep. Pamela Carter (R-LD4), said in a press release on Monday that sextortion of minors was an especially heinous type of exploitation that merits a harsher punishment.
“Sexual extortion is hitting Arizona teens hard, and the predators behind it know exactly what they’re doing,” said Carter. “If you prey on teens for money or sexual favors, you should face a class 2 felony and mandatory consecutive prison time. No probation. No shortcuts. No easy way out.”
Sextortion crimes occur often through social media platforms, namely Snapchat, Instagram, and Discord.
One recent case that occurred in Arizona concerned a ringleader of an online violent terror network, 764. The Tucson man arrested for those crimes, Baron Martin, was arrested in December 2024 for committing sextortion against minors. This past October, Martin was indicted on 29 charges.
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The federal government is out millions following a years-long fraud scheme by a gay Tucson couple.
Richard Stefon Ramroop, an Air Force staff sergeant, and his spouse, Manuel George Madrid, face accusations that they stole and resold medical devices using government funds for approximately four years, from Jan. 2022 through Dec. 2025.
Ramroop, 35, allegedly obtained the medical devices through his employment as a supervisor responsible for ordering medical supplies and prescription items at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base pharmacy. The complaint alleged that Ramroop would order medical devices through the Air Force’s Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support system, then steal them and hand them off to Madrid, 32, who would then allegedly resell the items.
Among the illegal orders placed were 3,200 of the Dexcom G6 Sensor 3S blood sugar monitors, used primarily by diabetics. These thousands of monitors were purchased using government funds from January through December 2025.
Evidence associated with these illegal purchases were included in the formal complaint filed with the Arizona District Court last month, USA v. Ramroop et al.
The complaint also included a summary of an interview from Madrid’s mother, Sylvia Leeth, who said she witnessed Ramroop and Madrid taking government-sourced medical equipment out of boxes and repackaging them for shipping. Leeth admitted to helping the couple out with their repackaging on several occasions, and received a Porsche vehicle as a gift along with “other luxury items” for her assistance.
A federal grand jury has indicted a Tucson couple with a years long scheme to defraud the Department of War, while using the illicit proceeds to curate and maintain a luxurious lifestyle, to include purchasing a million-dollar home in Tucson, a Porsche Cayenne Sport Utility… pic.twitter.com/JedbB2FRiO
According to the federal indictment, Ramroop and Madrid coordinated an operation that netted the couple over $11 million in proceeds through wire transfers, Automated Clearing House deposits, and other credits from companies in the business of reselling medical devices, which included OTC Warehouse LLC, Keystone Medical Wholesale Inc., Teststripz LLC, Webuyteststrips, and Morningside Cons.
The indictment noted that nearly 90 percent of both of their incomes came from medical reseller deposits.
The government stated that it lost over $3 million from the diverted supplies.
Ramroop and Madrid purchased luxury real estate and vehicles through the millions they earned.
Their purchases included a million-dollar home in Feb. 2024, a 2024 Porsche Cayenne Sport Utility Vehicle for over $141,000, a 2024 BMW i7 Sport Utility Vehicle for over $195,000, a 2025 Mini Cooper Hardtop for about $51,000, a 2025 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon for about $121,000, and a 2025 Ford Raptor for over $128,000. The indictment omitted disclosure of the other luxury purchases made by the couple.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine said in a press release that his team would prosecute Ramroop and Madrid for diverting critical funds for military readiness.
“The defendants allegedly stole millions in taxpayer dollars from the U.S. Department of War to bankroll a lavish lifestyle, diverting critical resources away from their intended purpose,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Every dollar taken through fraud is a dollar denied to the mission it was meant to support.”
Ramroop and Madrid face charges of conspiracy to commit theft of government property (one count), conspiracy to commit wire fraud (one count), wire fraud (four counts), and money laundering (six counts).
The first charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years imprisonment. The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment. The money laundering charges each carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment.
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