Arizona has approximately $29 million in unused federal funds for schools, which Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Superintendent Tom Horne seeks to recover.
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) notified Horne of the unused millions last week. The $29 million in Title I funds were underutilized during the administration of Horne’s predecessor, Kathy Hoffman. This was reportedly the first notification of its kind submitted by ED to the state under Horne’s administration.
In a press release on Monday, Horne blamed the underutilization on incompetence.
“The under-utilization of about $29 million in federal funds began in Federal Fiscal Year 2020, but continued under the previous superintendent and the employee who incompetently handed these allocations no longer works at this department,” said Horne.
Horne rejected allegations by Governor Katie Hobbs that he was at fault for the mismanagement of these millions, which fell under his predecessor’s control.
“These dollars should have been sent to districts and charters years ago during the Hoffman administration, but they were allowed by previous staff to accumulate and potentially revert,” said Horne. “In reality she is asking to investigate Kathy Hoffman’s administration, but the problem is being corrected by my administration.”
Horne had clarified in a press release last week, responding to reporting by The Arizona Republic, that it was specifically one employee within Hoffman’s administration that was to blame. Horne claimed that the individual gave incorrect allocation totals to schools. Horne didn’t name that employee.
“The mishandling and failure to notify districts of correct allocations with time for them to properly plan and spend the money resulted from an error by an employee of my predecessor before I took office,” said Horne. “This person told the schools they had smaller allocations than they had. We were constantly on the phone urging districts to spend as much of the money properly as they could.”
The superintendent noted that the Arizona Republic was aware that oversight of the funds fell under Hoffman, but that they had “dishonestly withheld” that information from their reporting. Horne also demanded a retraction of their “false” reporting.
“The story is false, and the reporter responsible for writing it dishonestly and, apparently with intent, withheld information given to him in advance of the story that clearly shows the story is false,” said Horne. “This is unacceptable and cannot stand.”
KJZZ identified the former staffer as a current employee of the Pima County School Superintendent’s Office.
One member of that office, Peter Laing, their CFO, served as Hoffman’s policy advisor and oversaw the various federal funding programs during the pandemic.
Hoffman, in turn, told the Arizona Republic that Horne was to blame for not recognizing the missteps of her administration upon taking over.
“It was their choice to bring in their own leadership, so those people needed to figure out all the grant funding. It’s as simple as that,” said Hoffman.
On Monday, in response to the contested Arizona Republic reporting, Hobbs and six Democratic state representatives demanded the convening of a Joint Legislative Audit Committee to audit Horne and ADE over the Title I funds.
In a press release, Hobbs said Horne was to blame for the disappearance of the majority of those millions, around $24 million, which the governor deemed as lost.
“It is unconscionable that Superintendent Horne has let tens of millions of dollars disappear from our schools—critical federal funding that helps students succeed,” said Hobbs. “Our kids deserve better.”
An accompanying letter from the six Democratic lawmakers — Nancy Gutierrez, Lupe Contreras, Oscar De Los Santos, Melody Hernandez, Jennifer Pawlik, and Judy Schwiebert — argued against ADE’s refusal, per department policy, to release its data and formulas determining reduced Title I allocations.
The lawmakers alleged that it was current ADE practices that withheld federal funding from schools.
“School finance officers across the state have tried and failed to recreate the reductions generated by the Department, leading to confusion and doubt regarding the accuracy of those calculations,” stated the lawmakers.
In order to recoup the $29 million, ADE must apply for a Tydings waiver allowing excess funds accrued due to underallocations beginning with the 2020 fiscal year. Approval of the waiver will increase funding to districts and charters, per ADE.
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A Mesa-area legislative district match-up is set for the General Election in the state of Arizona.
Last week, Robert Scantlebury defeated Christopher Stapley in their primary election contest for the Republican nomination for Legislative District 9 Senate. According to unofficial results on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website, Scantlebury received 9,766 votes, compared to Stapley’s 5,323 votes (64.7-35.3%).
In a post to his social media accounts in the aftermath of Election Day, Scantlebury said, “One down and one to go! My focus is now on the General Election on November 5th. This win is the result of a lot of hard work. I am thankful for all the help from family, friends, supporters, volunteers, donors and conservative groups. I am honored that more than 9,747 people voted for me. I appreciate the thousands of people who visited with me at their homes. Many shared their concerns about the effects of crime (mental health, addiction, and homeless issues), our open border, and our struggle to afford housing and everyday expenses like food and gas. One of the most powerful topics was parents’ concerns for the future of our children in Arizona.”
Scantlebury added, “We need a State Senator who looks at issues from the perspective of citizens. We only have a one seat Republican advantage in the State Senate; it is critical to maintaining and improving our way of life to elect more representatives like me who share our values. With your help, I can win back our seat in Legislative District 9.”
Gene Klund, a longtime Republican activist in the east valley, responded to Scantlebury’s victory lap, writing, “Thank you for all your hard work over the years….to make this happen. You will be a great addition to our State Senate and I know you will always try to [do] what is best for all of the taxpayers. Keep up all your hard work for the General Election….”
The Republican candidate for state Senate had obtained a number of key endorsements leading up to his victory on July 30. On July 17, Scantlebury boasted of his endorsement from the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona and from Stand for Health Freedom. Previously, Scantlebury had received endorsements from the Mesa Police Association, the Latinos United for Conservative Action, the Arizona Republican Assembly, and the East Valley Young Republicans.
Out of all the endorsements for his campaign, Scantlebury most appreciated the support from his Republican district. In sharing the endorsement from the Legislative District 9 Republican Committee, Scantlebury stated, “This is the most important endorsement. I am happy to have the full endorsement of the precinct committeemen and committeewomen of Legislative District 9. These are the most involved and informed voters.”
The Legislative District 9 Republicans had issued a press release on June 4 announcing their support of Scantlebury’s candidacy for office against his primary election opponent. The communication revealed that the endorsement had originated from its May 30th meeting with a resolution agreed upon by a majority of the attendees. That resolution made the case that Scantlebury deserved the nod in LD 9 because he “narrowly lost the General race to the Democrat candidate that was supported by almost $1.5M in large donations (mostly from out of state) to push the Democratic competitor,” and because he “announced his candidacy to run again in the 2024 race well before ANY competitor announced a run and has consistently attended our LD 9 meetings, acted as our Sargent at Arms and has been involved with our grassroots efforts…as a Precinct Committeeman.”
The Republican Committee also wrote that “the recent competitor to enter into the Primary for the LD9 Senate seat has yet to even reach out to Robert Scantlebury to discuss their campaign and qualifications for the 2024 race WHEREAS Robert Scantlebury has literally done all the legwork to get to know the constituents of LD9 over the past 3 years and pledged his commitment to represent WE THE PEOPLE.”
The document resolved “that the Body of the LD9 GOP do hereby FULLY ENDORSE Robert Scantlebury as our Candidate for LD9 Senator and believe he is the BEST candidate to ONCE AGAIN defeat the incumbent LD9 Senator!”
Scantlebury will face off against incumbent Senator Eva Burch, who was unopposed in her Democrat primary election. Burch received 11,015 votes, according to unofficial numbers.
The Mesa law enforcement officer veteran entered the political realm in 2018, when he unsuccessfully ran for Mesa City Council in District 4, finishing third. However, Scantlebury just barely missed the bar to move on to the November 6 election, falling 39 votes short of second place. He then challenged incumbent State Senator Tyler Pace in the August 2022 Primary Election, garnering more than double the votes for a shocking victory. Robert couldn’t defeat his Democrat opponent, though, losing to incumbent Eva Burch by five percent (just over three thousand votes).
According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Legislative District 9 is likely one of the most competitive in the state, with a 2.6% vote spread between Republicans and Democrats over the past nine statewide elections. Democrats are slightly favored in the district, having won the district in five of those nine elections.
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A liberal Democrat is attempting to return to the Arizona State Legislature for the upcoming session to give her party control of the House of Representatives.
Kelli Butler is running for election to the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 4. Butler previously served in the Arizona Legislature from January 2017 to 2023. Currently, she sits on the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board as a Member At-large.
Though she is running in a centrist district in the Phoenix-metro area, Butler boasts of several endorsements from left-leaning organizations for her campaign, including the Arizona Education Association, Moms Demand Action, Arizona List, Save Our Schools Arizona, National Organization for Women Arizona Political Action Committee, Human Rights Campaign, Emilys List, and Sierra Club Grand Canyon.
The former lawmaker does not have an “issues” page on her campaign website, yet her “about” section makes clear that she would be legislating with an anti-school choice agenda should voters return her to the House of Representatives chamber. She writes, “We know public schools are underfunded, but universal vouchers send tax dollars to private schools with no accountability.” She also mentions abortion being one of her top focuses, highlighting that “attacks on women’s reproductive rights seem to be the priority.” Butler promises that “with a new majority, those priorities will change.”
On May 3, Butler reposted an endorsement from Save Our Schools, adding, “So proud to earn this endorsement! I’m looking forward to working to strengthen our neighborhood public schools.” Save Our Schools and the Arizona Education Association have been two of the top organizations opposed to school choice and educational freedom opportunities, working against efforts to give Arizona parents and guardians more choices when it comes to their children’s’ education and future development.
During her last term in legislative office, Butler voted against HB 2853, which expanded the state’s empowerment scholarship accounts program, giving tens of thousands more Arizona families enhanced opportunities to maximize the potential of their children’s education.
Butler also took a stand against Republican attempts to help the state secure the border and give law enforcement officers additional resources and authority they require to better protect communities and unsuspecting families. When the state legislature debated whether to pass HCR 2060 and send it to the ballot for the consideration of Arizonans, she posted, “I agree federal immigration reform is needed, but HCR 2060 is not the answer. It will divert local law enforcement resources, result in taxpayer funded lawsuits, give AZ another black eye nationally and further strain our state budget.”
I agree federal immigration reform is needed, but HCR2060 is not the answer. It will divert local law enforcement resources, result in taxpayer funded lawsuits, give AZ another black eye nationally & further strain our state budget. https://t.co/85qjurqyTv
The three-term legislator has also been a champion of gun control measures and would be a vote to dismantle Arizonans Second Amendment rights at the state capitol.
Pleased to join my #LD4 House running mate, Karen Gresham, for @MomsDemand Action Advocacy Day. The GOP majority at #azleg refuses to hear sensible bills to help make our children safer-instead, the GOP is pushing to allow guns on college & university campuses again. pic.twitter.com/ItzBEyBpZF
In 2022, Butler decried the lack of action on gun control bills introduced by her fellow Democrat legislators.
⬇️ a list of the gun violence prevention legislation @AZHouseDems introduced this year. All have been blocked from getting hearings & debate by the GOP majority. We call on our Republican colleagues to work with us & take sensible steps to make our communities safer. https://t.co/6cvkrHk4HF
Back in January 2022, Butler slammed then-Republican Governor Doug Ducey’s commitment to keep Arizona schools open for in-person learning – more than a year after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Butler said, “Gov. Ducey is again punishing schools that take action to shut down to protect the health of students and staff. He’s using this pandemic to defund our already stressed-to-the-brink public schools. Instead, he should provide PPE, paid sick days, substitutes, ventilation.”
Gov. Ducey is again punishing schools that take action to shut down to protect the health of students and staff. He’s using this pandemic to defund our already stressed-to-the-brink public schools. Instead, he should provide PPE, paid sick days, substitutes, ventilation. https://t.co/gKsFuIYYLQ
She also attacked Governor Ducey’s assertion that “there [was] no mask mandate in Arizona” in December 2021 – again, more than a year after COVID-19 pandemic pinnacle swept the nation, framing Ducey’s statement as bragging about “ignoring public health guidelines.”
While #Covid_19 is the leading cause of death in #AZ, Gov. Ducey brags that he’s ignoring public health guidelines. Thank goodness @POTUS is sending federal medical support teams to address the crisis caused by our governor’s failure to lead. https://t.co/5eQp41S3JW
Additionally, in September 2021, Butler pounced on a lawsuit from then-Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich over one of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine orders, calling it a “PR campaign” and accusing the state’s top prosecutor of “want[ing] Arizonans to get sick and stay sick.”
Remember when AG Brnovich wasted our tax dollars suing to destroy the Affordable Care Act & protections for preexisting conditions? Now we’re paying for his new PR campaign/lawsuit to fight efforts to require COVID vaccine.
Butler ran as a team for the state House with fellow Democrat Karen Gresham, who serves on the Madison Elementary School District’s governing board as its president. In the just-completed primary election, Butler finished first, receiving 20,918 votes, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. Gresham obtained 18,930 votes. They will face off against incumbent state Representative Matt Gress and his running mate, Pamela Carter, for the Republicans. Gress received 24,329 votes in the July 30 primary election, compared to 19,432 for Carter.
According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, Legislative District 4 is one of the most competitive in the state, with a 3.4% vote spread between Republicans and Democrats in the past nine statewide elections. In those elections, Republicans have won five of the contests, compared to four for the Democrats.
Currently, there is only one legislator representing Legislative 4 (Gress) due to a Democrat’s resignation this summer. Butler was one of three Democrats nominated to fill the seat (with Gresham and Eric Meyer) to be considered by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. One of those individuals will be selected by the Board to serve for the duration of the term (until early January 2025).
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Vice President Kamala Harris and her vice-presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will be coming to campaign in Arizona on Friday. Details of their visit are forthcoming.
Harris and Walz will be visiting a little over a week after Trump’s vice presidential pick, Ohio Senator JD Vance, addressed Arizonans in Glendale.
Harris and Walz will come to Phoenix, but details of the exact location and time have not yet been released.
The visit comes shortly after Harris passed over Senator Mark Kelly as her running mate pick. Kelly put his support behind Walz on Tuesday, and disclosed to his supporters that he didn’t believe he would be the pick.
“I never expected to find myself in this position,” said Kelly.
Vice President @KamalaHarris and Governor @Tim_Walz are going to move us forward. They’re already building a campaign to unite our country — and @GabbyGiffords and I are ready to do everything we can to help them win.
Former Governor Doug Ducey toldThe New York Post in an interview this week that Harris and the Biden administration have been the worst on handling the border. Ducey served as governor under former Presidents Barack Obama as well as Donald Trump, as well as Biden.
Ducey asserted that Harris had failed on handling the border and ought to answer for it as a presidential candidate; Biden tasked Harris with handling the illegal immigration crisis in the first months of Biden’s term, resulting in the widespread acknowledgment of her being the “border czar.”
“She’s never been to Arizona’s border to this date. And that is an issue that she has failed on,” said Ducey. “This was all avoidable with attention to the border, and this is something that Kamala Harris will have to answer for in this presidential campaign.”
Not all Republican leaders have been so critical of Harris. They are part of an organized Harris campaign effort to win over voters in this swing state, similar to one launched four years ago by the Biden campaign.
Mesa’s registered Republican mayor, John Giles, endorsed Harris in a widely-reported guest column last month with The Arizona Republic. Giles also happens to be Mormon, and reported as part of growing Mormon support for Harris over Trump.
Giles cited Trump’s response to the 2020 election results as his main reason for opposing the Republican nominee. Giles also claimed that Arizona had benefited from Biden administration policies such as massive funding for infrastructure and semiconductor development. Giles also criticized pro-life and pro-gun policies as “far-right” threats to rights and freedoms.
“Trump poses a serious threat to our nation. We can’t have a felon representing us on the national stage, let alone one who would threaten to abandon NATO and ruin our standing abroad,” wrote Giles. “Kamala Harris is the competent, just and fair leader our country deserves. This year too much is at stake to vote Republican at the top of the ticket.”
Giles has endorsed Democrats for several election cycles to date, as Arizona GOP Chairwoman Gina Swoboda later clarified in a response statement.
“The Mayor has been endorsing Democrats for several election cycles now. This isn’t news, and it certainly doesn’t warrant any of our attention,” said Swoboda. “At the AZGOP, we are focused on expanding support and addressing issues that matter most to Arizonans and the American people.”
Giles gave $100 to Lorena Austin in April, the state’s first nonbinary and gender nonconforming elected official who made headlines recently for hosting an all-ages drag show fundraiser.
Giles also joined as the co-chair of the Arizona chapter to a newly-formed Harris campaign advisory committee, “Republicans for Harris,” which held a press conference earlier this week on their goal to “Stop Trump.”
Republican Mayor of Mesa, AZ John Giles:
“I think the time has come for us as AZ Republicans to admit the obvious…which is that our party’s nominee is not qualified for office and that we need to vote for the adult in the room, and that is Kamala Harris.” pic.twitter.com/ZV7F2KTGIE
— Republican Voters Against Trump (@AccountableGOP) August 5, 2024
The other co-chair of this “campaign within a campaign” within Arizona is Robin Shaw, a former state representative who served in the 1990s. Shaw also campaigned against Trump in the 2020 election alongside the Lincoln Project as part of the “Republicans for Biden” movement.
One of the most notable members of that 2020 movement for Biden was former Senator Jeff Flake.
Former Scottsdale Mayor Sam Campana was also presented as a member of the Republicans for Harris effort.
HAPPENING NOW: Arizona Republicans endorse Vice President Harris and slam Trump for his attacks on democracy. GOP leaders will form a new advisory committee to help the Harris for Arizona campaign reach Republicans who will reject MAGA from now until November 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/UKySKxC0LG
The woman who announced the widely-reported Republicans for Harris press conference, Delaney Corcoran, runs the Harris campaign’s Arizona communications (she ran the Biden campaign’s Arizona communications from March until his announcement to drop out last month). Prior to posting up in Arizona, Corcoran was the communications director and spokesperson for Massachusetts’ Secretary of Education.
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The Maricopa County Superior Court ruled against provisions of Arizona’s 2023 Elections Procedures Manual (EPM) on Tuesday.
The EPM, drafted and passed under Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, was challenged in court earlier this year by the public policy nonprofit, Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC).
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Ryan-Touhill ruled that Fontes’ 2023 EPM contained speech restrictions that violated the Arizona Constitution, as well as misstatements and modifications of statutes, and failures to identify distinctions between guidance and legal mandates.
Ryan-Touhill ruled that the EPM’s provisions on speech were unnecessary, vague, overbroad, and serving as universal prohibition on conduct.
“The EPM’s language has restricted what the Secretary finds acceptable regarding behavior, both speech and acts. Our state constitution guarantees a right to speak freely and is only restricted for an abuse of that right,” wrote Ryan-Touhill. “[M]any of the prohibitions listed in the EPM are free speech and protected by both the Arizona Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. What, for example, constitutes a person communicating about voter fraud in a harassing manner? Or, for that matter, ‘posting’ a sign in an intimidating manner? How does a person either do this behavior — whatever it means — or avoid it? And what content printed on a t-shirt might be offensive or harassing to one and not another? What if the t-shirt says, ‘I have a bomb and I intend to vote!’? Where does the Secretary draw the line?”
Ryan-Touhill highlighted 13 instances of “problematic language” within Fontes’ 2023 EPM in her ruling:
[N]o electioneering may take place outside the 75-foot limit if it is audible from a location inside the door to the voting location.
Any activity by a person with the intent or effect of [ ] harassing, [ ] (or conspiring with others to do so) inside or outside the 75-foot limit at a voting location is prohibited.
The officer in charge of elections has a responsibility to train poll workers and establish policies to prevent and promptly remedy any instances of voter intimidation.
The officer in charge of elections should publicize and/or implement the following guidelines as applicable:
The inspector must utilize the marshal to preserve order and remove disruptive persons from the voting location.
Openly carrying a firearm outside the 75-foot limit may also constitute unlawful voter intimidation, depending on the context.
Aggressive behavior, such as raising one’s voice or taunting a voter or poll worker.
Using [ ] insulting [ ] or offensive language to a voter or poll worker. Disrupting voting lines.
Following voters or poll workers coming to or leaving a voting location, including to or from their vehicles.
Intentionally disseminating false or misleading information at a voting location. . . .
Directly confronting, questioning, photographing, or videotaping voters or poll workers in a harassing [ ] manner, including when the voter or poll worker is coming to or leaving the polling location.
Asking voters for “documentation” or other questions that only poll workers should perform.
Raising repeated frivolous voter challenges to poll workers without any good faith basis, or raising voter challenges based on race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion or disability.
Posting signs or communicating messages about penalties for “voter fraud” in a harassing or intimidating manner.
Judge Ryan-Touhill assessed that the EPM’s provisions modified the criminal intent and effect of crimes outlined by Arizona laws against harassment and voter intimidation or threats.
“The Secretary has no authority to change a mens rea, regardless of the objective of the language,” said Ryan-Touhill. “Moreover, neither law allows for a subjective belief of the alleged target of the crime but rather focuses upon the acts of the criminal (e.g., force, violence, infliction) or the victim (‘a reasonable person’).”
AFEC President Scot Mussi said in a press release that he was happy to see the court protect Arizonans’ First Amendment rights within elections.
“The judge correctly realized that certain portions of Secretary Fontes’ illegal and radical manual were nothing more than a brazen attempt to destroy the integrity and transparency of state elections,” said Mussi. “Secretary Fontes and his team of leftwing ideologues must conform the entire manual to state law as is their statutory duty.”
The court ordered the sections of the EPM containing speech restrictions to be unenforceable.
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