by Staff Reporter | Sep 23, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The monsoon season rains are anticipated to wind down in Arizona, but the political attack ads are picking up.
Arizona residents have likely received campaign mailers at this point in the election season. Some of those mailers have a disclosure that they were paid for by the Arizona Democratic Party, thanks to funds by Arizona Public Service (APS) and Elevance Health (operating as Wellpoint, formerly Amerigroup).
These mailers appear to be targeting voters in swing districts throughout the state.
One mailer reflected opposition to Republican state legislative candidates seeking to represent Legislative District 13: Julie Willoughby for State Senate, and Kevin Hartke and Janet Weninger for State House. This mailer claimed Willoughby, Hartke, and Weninger would cost taxpayers more through school choice funds.
Another mailer reflected support for Willoughby’s Democratic primary opponent, Kristie O’Brien. This mailer claimed O’Brien would lower costs for the community.
Both mailers stress affordability, but they were financed by the same companies which have sought or imposed double-digit rate increases for Arizonans’ utilities and healthcare.
According to state campaign finance records, Elevance Health donated $25,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party last May. They have never donated prior to that time. As reported previously, Elevance Health was one of the top single donors last year to the heavily indebted Arizona Democratic Party.
APS donated $40,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party in three installments: June 2025, September 2025, and June 2026. The earliest APS donations on record to Arizona Democrats occurred in 2024, totaling $80,000.
As reported previously, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., the owner of APS, was one of the top donors for Gov. Katie Hobbs’ secretive inaugural and litigation funds.
As far as state campaign finance records go online (back to 2002), neither Elevance Health nor APS has ever donated to the Arizona Republican Party.
Both organizations have made headlines over the past year for raising their rates by double digits.
Elevance Health recently raised its premium rates by 24% across its Affordable Care Act and Medicare plans. It also requested an additional 17% increase in rate hikes for 2027, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company is also looking to cut down on the offerings within its affordable healthcare portfolio. It has signaled that it will exit underperforming Medicaid programs in multiple states by the end of 2027, following its recent departures from Louisiana and the Washington, D.C., markets.
Similarly, APS has requested to increase its rates by 14% to 16% for residential customers and more than 45% for large load users like data centers and manufacturing companies. APS is also petitioning to implement a new formula that would allow for automatic rate adjustments annually.
This financial support from Elevance Health and APS has boosted Democrats’ ongoing efforts to flip key seats in the Arizona legislature, which would result in Republicans losing their slim majority.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is targeting 17 races throughout the state, including in Legislative Districts 2, 4, 13, and 17 in the Senate and Legislative Districts 2, 4, 13, 16, 17, and 23 in the House.
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 22, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Glendale resident Joshua James Lozano, 42, fainted in court after learning that he may spend life in prison for the charges against him.
Lozano faces 10 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the Maricopa County Superior Court (case number: CR2026-135393-001).
Lozano was charged with 10 counts of distributing, transporting, exhibiting, receiving, selling, purchasing, electronically transmitting, possessing, or exchanging any visual depiction in which a minor is engaged in exploitative exhibition or other sexual conduct.
The judge found that probable cause was present for all 10 counts.
Maricopa County deputy county attorney Ashley Stetson appeared on behalf of the state of Arizona. Stetson said the state recommended sentencing of 10 years on each count, and requested the sentences be served consecutively — or, 100 years.
“He is, in effect, looking at a life sentence,” said Stetson. “The state has concern for the community, specifically minors in the community. It does appear based on the state’s reading of the form that he may have been talking online with underaged minors.”
Moments after Stetson proposed that punishment, Lozano collapsed. His fall temporarily caused court proceedings to halt and required emergency medical assistance, though moments after his fall, Lozano returned to a seated position with minimal assistance.
Court documents reflect that authorities arrested Lozano after receiving tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The organization reported receiving multiple CyberTips from Lozano’s internet service provider between April and May that alleged that Lozano had accessed sexual exploitation materials involving minors.
Lozano has resided in Glendale for the past eight years with his wife of six years. Glendale police arrested Lozano last week after investigators traced the illicit online activity to Lozano.
NCMEC operates a CyberTipline which collects tips from the public and electronic service providers regarding suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, and unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child.
In 2025, NCMEC reported receiving more than 21 million reports to its CyberTipline.
Lozano worked as a cleaner for Banner Del Webb Hospital in Sun City. Court records also reflected that Lozano was arrested in the past for driving under the influence and on a suspended license.
Republican lawmakers in Arizona have prioritized securing stricter laws to protect children from online exploitation and harsher punishments for adults who exploit children.
Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), the Republican nominee for governor, has been advocating for bipartisan support of legislation addressing child exploitation occurring online. The new legislation addresses violent online terror networks, or child sextortion cells, which coerce and exploit children into committing torturous or sexually exploitative acts including self-harm, suicide, and animal abuse.
Similar to the proposed sentencing Loranzo faces, the proposed congressional measure would punish violators with up to 10 years in prison, or up to life in prison if the child dies as a result of the coercion or extortion.
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 22, 2026 | Economy, News
By Staff Reporter |
A new study from the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) found that household inflation has been lower this presidential term than the last.
The JEC published a data brief on Thursday that reflected that the average household faced $2,881 less in additional costs from rising prices during the first 20 months of President Donald Trump’s second term — from January 2025 through August 2026 — than the first 20 months of former President Joe Biden’s term — from January 2021 through August 2022.
That cost difference amounts to an average reduction of nearly 41%.
“The comparison does not mean prices declined during President Trump’s second term,” stated the JEC. “Rather, the analysis finds that the cumulative increase in household costs was substantially smaller than during the comparable period under President Biden.”
During the first 20 months of Biden, the average American household experienced $7,081 in additional costs. Arizona was above this average. The average Arizona household experienced $8,427 in additional costs during that same time frame.
During the first 20 months of Trump, the average American household experienced $4,200 in additional costs. Arizona was below this average. The average Arizona household experienced $4,000 in additional costs during that same time frame, a reduction of $4,427 from the prior administration.
In Arizona, that cost difference between administrations amounts to an average reduction of nearly 52%.
In December 2025, the White House released an analysis reflecting that states experienced a difference in year-over-year inflation based on the political affiliations of their leadership. Conservative-leaning states experienced an overall average 2.5% inflation rate, whereas liberal-leaning states experienced an overall average 3% inflation rate.
Conservative states experienced an average 3.4% year-over-year inflation rate for housing, 2.5% for food and beverage, 3.5% for energy, and 0.7% for transportation, compared to liberal states experiences of 3.6% inflation rate for housing, 2.7% for food and beverage, 5.2% for energy, and 2.5% for transportation.
The consistent rates of heightened inflation rates under liberal governance remained true when distinguishing states based on the political affiliations of the governor and legislature, and state control.
States led by conservative governors experienced 2.3% year-over-year inflation rate overall, 3.2% inflation rate for housing, 2.4% inflation rate for food and beverage, 2.9% inflation rate for energy, and 0.6% inflation rate for transportation.
States led by liberal governors experienced a 3% inflation rate overall, 3.7% inflation rate for housing, 2.7% inflation rate for food and beverage, 5.3% inflation rate for energy, and 2.1% inflation rate for transportation.
States with conservative legislatures experienced a 2.4% inflation rate overall, 3.3% inflation rate for housing, 2.4% inflation rate for food and beverage, 2.9% inflation rate for energy, and 0.6% inflation rate for transportation.
States with liberal legislatures experienced a 3% inflation rate overall, 3.6% inflation rate for housing, 2.7% inflation rate for food and beverage, 5.1% inflation rate for energy, and 2.5% inflation rate for transportation.
States in which the legislature had neither a conservative or liberal majority experienced a 3.1% inflation rate overall, 4.5% inflation rate for housing, 2.7% inflation rate for food and beverage, 7.7% inflation rate for energy, and 0.9% inflation rate for transportation.
States defined as under conservative control experienced a 2.3% inflation rate overall, 3.3% inflation rate for housing, 2.4% inflation rate for food and beverage, 2.9% inflation rate for energy, and 0.6% inflation rate for transportation.
States defined as under liberal control experienced a 3% inflation rate overall, 3.6% inflation rate for housing, 2.7% inflation rate for food and beverage, 5.4% inflation rate for energy, and 2.7% inflation rate for transportation.
States defined as under neither conservative nor liberal control experienced a 2.8% inflation rate overall, 3.8% inflation rate for housing, 2.7% inflation rate for food and beverage, 4.7% inflation rate for energy, and 0.7% inflation rate for transportation.
Arizona was defined as having a conservative affiliation. The state experienced a year-over-year inflation rate of 2.6% overall, 1.8% for housing, 2.6% for food and beverage, 2.3% for energy, and 1.4% for transportation.
The city of Phoenix was also included as a major metro area for that analysis, but it was defined based on the state’s assigned affiliation of “conservative.” The city experienced a year-over-year inflation rate of 1.4% overall, -0.1% for housing, 1.1% for food and beverage, 6.7% for energy, and 0.8% for transportation.
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 21, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) will continue to have a federal court monitor for the time being.
Arizona District Court Judge G. Murray Snow ruled last week that MCSO still needs federal oversight to prevent racial profiling by its officers, namely during traffic stops.
Snow based his denial on the department’s elevated rate of investigations and arrests of Hispanic individuals.
Snow said that MCSO hadn’t provided compelling evidence that it wouldn’t impose higher rates of searches and arrests and longer stops for Hispanic drivers.
“[There is] significant, probative evidence that racial bias may continue to affect MCSO’s traffic stop operations,” stated Snow. “To be clear, evidence of racial disparities does not, by itself, establish intentional racial discrimination. Nor must MCSO eliminate every statistical disparity before it can establish that prospective enforcement of the First Order is no longer warranted. But further explanation is needed.”
MCSO first received a court monitor 13 years ago following a lawsuit alleging unconstitutional racial profiling amid immigration enforcement operations that took place under former Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Local and state leaders have petitioned for an end to the monitor, citing the cost to taxpayers: nearly $350 million to date.
Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), the Republican nominee for governor, issued a statement saying the ruling had “disturbed” him. Biggs claimed the court monitor had exacerbated existing deputy attrition and recruitment challenges.
“The monitor’s continued existence in our county and propensity for moving the goalposts from his original charge exploits taxpayers and undermines the brave work of law enforcement,” said Biggs. “This most-recent ruling underscores the need for the Senate to pass my Monitor Accountability Act, which sets common-sense and clear rules for courts’ use of federal monitors. I stand with the people and law enforcement officers of Maricopa County!”
Congress is considering the Monitor Accountability Act: legislation from Biggs that would reform federal standards governing court-appointed monitors. The House passed the bill in May, and it is currently before the Senate.
The legislation would impose a five-year term limit on court monitors and prohibit reappointments under the same court order, bar successive monitors from the same law firm or employer, cap monitor compensation fees, require public comment on court monitors prior to appointment, limit monitorship extension to cases exhibiting insubstantial and unsustained compliance, and reassign cases after six years.
The legislation would be retroactive, meaning MCSO would have the monitor and judge on its case replaced.
MCSO Sheriff Jerry Sheridan told KTAR that the judge’s order had provided him with enough structure to make him optimistic for a future relief effort.
“The positive thing that I got out of it: he recognized that there are many paragraphs the sheriff’s office is in compliance with,” said Sheridan.
MCSO issued a statement expressing disappointment with the court ruling but, like Sheridan, acknowledging a silver lining.
“We are disappointed by the Court’s decision because we believe MCSO has implemented durable remedies for violations that occurred 19 years and three administrations ago,” said MCSO. “At the same time, we are encouraged that the Court has provided a framework on eliminating portions of the Order that are no longer necessary and focusing compliance efforts on the remaining issues to be addressed. This will allow MCSO to focus its resources on achieving full and effective compliance with the remaining requirements. MCSO looks forward to working with the Parties on this process.”
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 20, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl, a lifelong Republican, passed away on Thursday at the age of 84.
The Kyl family said the former senator died due to complications following his dementia diagnosis in December 2025.
Kyl was born and raised in Nebraska before coming to Arizona to attend the University of Arizona, where he earned his bachelor’s and law degrees.
Kyl served in the Senate from 1995 to 2013, and later by appointment in 2018 following the passing of former Sen. John McCain. Kyl was the Senate Minority Whip from 2007 to 2013.
Prior to the Senate, Kyl represented the 4th District in the House of Representatives from 1987 to 1995.
During Kyl’s 26 years in Congress, 18 of his bills became law.
Chief among those bills was the Arizona Water Act Settlement of 2004, which secured key water rights for Native American tribal communities.
Prior to joining elected office, Kyl’s efforts as an attorney for the Salt River Project laid the groundwork for the Arizona Groundwater Management Act and the creation of the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
Other bills included legislation that authorized funding for crime victims, authorized land exchanges allowing the cities of Yuma and Sedona to develop property, arranged for prisoner copays for certain healthcare services, and barred nepotism within the federal court appointments.
Kyl is survived by his wife of 62 years, Caryll Collins, their two children, John Kyl and Kristine Kyl Gavin, and four grandchildren.
Kyl’s legacy as an effective leader, lawmaker, and lawyer has inspired widespread bipartisan mourning over his passing.
Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), the Republican nominee for governor, issued a statement describing Kyl as a man of distinction, integrity, and unwavering dedication to Arizona who had deep understanding of the issues plaguing the state.
“He was an exemplary public servant who understood Arizona, fought tirelessly for our interests, and approached his responsibilities with humility and conviction,” said Biggs. “May Senator Kyl always be remembered as a servant leader who loved Arizona and dedicated so much of his life to making our state and country stronger.”
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, the Republican nominee for attorney general, called Kyl “a work horse not a show horse.”
“He was always working big projects and solutions for Arizona,” said Petersen. “Arizona could use another Senator like him.”
Former Gov. Doug Ducey commended Kyl for his “principled, thoughtful leadership” and said Kyl was a mentor and friend to him. Both Kyl and Ducey were members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
“I’ll miss him deeply,” said Ducey.
Gov. Katie Hobbs described Kyl as a “dedicated statesman who always cared deeply for our state.”
Rep. Yassamin Ansari, a Democrat, commended Kyl for his work on securing Arizona water rights.
“A true public servant who understood Arizona water better than anyone, Jon Kyl was devoted to the people he served, acted selflessly on their behalf, and went — simply — where he was most needed. His legacy will endure in Arizona,” said Ansari.
Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat, also praised Kyl for his water rights work.
“His landmark work securing historic tribal water settlements defined this state in ways that will last long after his passing. He was a true public servant who loved this state,” said Kelly.
Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell also issued a statement.
“His quiet, principled and impactful leadership left a lasting remark on our state and our nation and for that we are forever grateful,” said Bidwell.
In one of his final interviews near the end of his life, Kyl told KTAR that the most important thing Arizonans can do is exercise their civic duty.
“If you really care about your future, if you care about your kids and your grandkids and so on, make a little time for participating in one of the political parties or some other way where you can say at the end of your life ‘Yeah, I did something,’” said Kyl.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) recalled some wisdom imparted by Kyl.
“Jon once said that ‘real leadership means tackling tough problems ourselves and not leaving them to our children,’” said Hamadeh. “That is a standard worth remembering as we mark his passing and keep his family in our thoughts.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
