Rep. Austin’s First Term Features Radical Socialism And No Mercy For Families Struggling With Economy

Rep. Austin’s First Term Features Radical Socialism And No Mercy For Families Struggling With Economy

By Staff Reporter |

A radical Democrat state representative is attempting to return to her middle-of-the-road legislative district for a new term in office.

State Representative Lorena Austin is running for reelection in Arizona Legislative District 9, which covers the city of Mesa. According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, the district is likely one of the most competitive in the state, with a 2.6% vote spread in the Commission’s nine focus elections. Democrats are slightly favored in the district, having won in five of those nine focus elections.

Despite her district being more moderate in its political makeup, Austin has demonstrated a propensity to become one of the most extreme leftist members of the Arizona Legislature on almost every issue.

In a struggling state and national economy, where many families are struggling to get by in life, keep their jobs, and save for their children’s futures, Austin showed no mercy with her votes. This year, she was one of a handful of members to vote against HCR 2002, which stated that the legislature recognizes, encourages, and continues to support Arizona’s beef producing farmers, ranchers, and families. Last year (2023), she voted no on SB 1131, which would have prohibited a county, city, or town from levying a tax on rental property.

Austin is also opposed to individual property rights, as her votes have indicated. In 2023, she was one of 14 members to vote against final passage of a bill prohibiting protestors from targeting people in their own homes by protesting on their residential property (SB 1023).

This latest legislative session (2024), Austin voted no on SB 1129, which would have allowed a property owner or the owners’ agent to request from law enforcement the immediate removal of a person who is unlawfully occupying a residential dwelling. She also opposed SB 1073, which would have established a new form of the existing offense of obstructing a highway or other public thoroughfare and classified this new form of the offense as a class 6 felony (which was introduced in response to protestors blocking traffic).

Austin’s legislative record extends, too, into bouts of radical socialism. In 2023, she co-sponsored HB 2610, which would have created a state-owned bank. Additionally, she co-sponsored HB 2653, which would have established that “restaurants and other food service establishments in this state may only serve water and disposable straws to customers on request.” Earlier this year, Austin voted no on HB 2629, which would have established November 7 of each year as Victims of Communism Day and required the State Board of Education to create a list of recommended resources for mandatory instruction on the topic in certain public school courses.

The Democrat lawmaker has refused to support solutions to help her state end the border crisis affecting almost every community in Arizona – not to mention elsewhere in the nation. In 2023, Austin co-sponsored HB 2604, which would have permitted the Arizona Department of Transportation to issue a driver’s license or nonoperating ID to a person without legal status in the United States. And in this most recent legislative session, she voted no on HB 2621, which would have deemed that the trafficking of fentanyl across Arizona’s border is a public health crisis and directed the Arizona Department of Health Services to do everything within its power to address the crisis. She also opposed SCR 1042, which proclaimed the legislature’s support for the people and government of the state of Texas in its efforts to secure our nation’s southern border.

Austin has an awful record in office on crimes against children. In 2023, she voted against SB 1028, which would have prohibited a person or business from engaging in an adult cabaret performance on public property or in a location where the performance could be viewed by a minor. She also voted no on SB 1583, which would have mandated that a level one sex offender who commits specified sexual offenses is required to register on the internet sex offender website if the offender was sentenced for a dangerous crime against children.

This most recent legislative session (2024), Austin continued her spree of opposing legislation that would have protected more Arizona children from horrific crimes committed against them. She voted no on SB 1236, which would have specified that any offender who was convicted of or adjudicated guilty except insane for sexual crimes against children, whether completed or preparatory, and was 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense, must be included on the internet sex offender website. She also opposed HB 2835, which would have established knowingly observing a nude minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct for a person’s sexual gratification as a form of criminal sexual exploitation of a minor. And Austin voted no on a ballot referral (SCR 1021), which would statutorily require an adult who is convicted of a class 2 felony for any child sex trafficking offense to be sentenced to natural life imprisonment.

As with many of her fellow Democrats running for the state legislature, Austin promotes endorsements from left-leaning organizations for her campaign for the Arizona House of Representatives, including Moms Demand Action, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, Save Our Schools Arizona, Progressive Turnout Project, HRC in Arizona, AEA Fund for Public Education, NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona, Stonewall Democrats of Arizona, Arizona Education Association, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Emily’s List, and Human Rights Campaign PAC.

There is one endorsement for Austin that appears to be absent from her website, from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC. Austin’s support from this PAC may be one of the most concerning for voters researching her record and determining which direction they want to see for their district. This PAC asserts that “major solutions are stopped cold: the Green New Deal, Build Back Better, clean energy investments, ending billions in tax subsidies to the fossil fuel industry – all because of politicians backed by Big Oil.”

The Green New Deal pushed by the Jane Fonda Climate PAC is the same championed by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is one of the most progressive lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The district is currently represented by two Democrats in the state House of Representatives. Austin and her fellow Democrat incumbent, Seth Blattman, ran unopposed in the recent primary election. Austin received 10,353 votes, and Blattman obtained 8,741 votes. They will face off against Republicans Mary Ann Mendoza and Kylie Barber, who also ran unopposed in the primary election. Mendoza garnered 10,429 votes, and Barber received 10,136 votes.

November’s General Election will be the second time that Mendoza has been pitted against Austin and Blattman. In 2022, Austin and Blattman defeated Mendoza and her running mate, Kathy Pearce, to assume their offices for the 2023 Arizona legislative session.

Correction: A previous version of this article listed the incorrect vote totals for the candidates. The totals have now been updated with the latest results from the Arizona Secretary of State website.

AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.

Schweikert Shares Shocking Inflation Numbers – U.S. Households Must Earn $13k More To Break Even

Schweikert Shares Shocking Inflation Numbers – U.S. Households Must Earn $13k More To Break Even

By Matthew Holloway |

Arizona Rep. David Schweikert shared the shocking July Consumer Price Index (CPI) report of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that utterly shatters any narrative suggesting that the economy has recovered and inflation is abating. Citing the Bureau, Schweikert’s office noted that consumer prices are up 0.2% month-over-month and 2.9% compared to 2023. This requires the average family to spend $13,138 more per year to maintain the same lifestyle they enjoyed in 2021, while real average weekly earnings dropped 3.9%.

Most damningly, per the report, Cumulative CPI inflation (not seasonally adjusted) is up a devastating 20.2% with the American people effectively losing one-fifth of their buying power since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took power in 2021.

In several states, the cumulative inflation is significantly higher still. In the states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada, all key states in the 2024 Presidential election, cumulative inflation stands at 21.8%, and cumulative additional costs are the highest in the nation with Colorado’s the worst at $36,703 per average household. Colorado is exceeded only by Washington, D.C. where the cost increase is a staggering $41,313 per household. Arizonans have spent $32,625 more due to cumulative inflation.

Schweikert said in the statement:

“Though hardworking Americans received positive news this morning that inflation continued to slow in July, overall prices are still up more than 20% and real average weekly earnings are down 3.9% since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration.

From Day One, this administration’s radical agenda has been a rubber stamp for growth-slowing tax hikes and runaway inflationary spending that have dramatically reduced Americans’ purchasing power and standard of living. It’s no wonder that consumers have declining confidence in President Biden and Vice President Harris to improve their financial standing after three-and-a-half years of economic calamity.”

The congressman’s office summarized the lengthy report, finding that food prices have increased 22% since January and energy costs have skyrocketed over 40%.

According to the JEC State Inflation Tracker, the average U.S. household was forced to spend $1,095 more in July, or $13,138 more per year, to maintain the same consumption basket they had in January 2021.

Headline CPI-U inflation increased 0.2% m/m and 2.9% y/y.

Core CPI-U inflation increased 0.2% m/m and 3.2% y/y.

Since January 2021:

  • Headline CPI-U inflation has increased 20.2%.
  • Core CPI-U inflation has increased 18.3%.
  • The food price index has increased 22%.
  • The energy price index has increased 40.2%.

Real average weekly earnings for all employees have decreased by 3.9%.

On the national inflation tracker, measuring the additional monthly cost for the average U.S. household since January 2021, Arizona placed 11th, well above the national average. The five states that enjoyed the smallest cost increases due to inflation were Arkansas, Oklahoma, Maine, West Virginia, and Louisiana.

On August 2, the Joint Economic Committee Republicans also reported that per the July jobs report, only 114,000 new jobs were added to the economy, well short of the 175,000 projected, and unemployment has increased to 4.3%, further indicating a weakening economy. A week prior, in a fiery speech to a largely empty House, Schweikert sarcastically congratulated Congress for the gross national debt passing $35 trillion.

He admonished his colleagues arguing to protect Social Security, saying they should “know the math and know how it actually works.”

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.

Tipped Workers Protection Act Remains On Track For November Ballot

Tipped Workers Protection Act Remains On Track For November Ballot

By Daniel Stefanski |

An Arizona ballot proposition regarding tipped workers remains on track for consideration in November’s General Election.

Last this week, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter A. Thompson denied a request from Raise the Wage AZ for an issuance of a preliminary injunction against SCR 1040, the Tipped Workers Protection Act, which was passed by the Arizona Legislature this past spring and transmitted to the state’s Secretary of State for inclusion on the November ballot.

The measure will be Proposition 138 on the ballot.

According to the fact sheet provided by the Arizona Senate, SCR 1040 would “constitutionally establish minimum hourly wage requirements for employees who customarily and regularly receive tips or gratuities from patrons or others (tipped employees).” If approved by voters in November, the amendment would “authorize an employer to pay a tipped employee a wage of up to 25 percent per hour less than the statutory minimum wage if the employer can establish that for each week, when adding tips or gratuities received to wages paid, the employee received not less than the minimum wage plus $2 for all hours worked” – among another provisions.

Andrew Gould, a former Arizona Supreme Court Justice, helped to lead the defense of this ballot measure in Superior Court. He said, “Holtzman Vogel is proud to defend the right of Arizonans to voice their opinion on this important matter. The proposed amendment, SCR 1040, protects the jobs of tipped workers while allowing the businesses that employ them to survive financially. This is a victory for the people of Arizona against anti-business politics.”

Arizona Restaurant President and CEO, Steve Chucri, told a local media outlet that, “Without passage of Prop 138, you can bet the imposters behind One Fair Wage will be back with a future attempt to install a California-style pay system in Arizona. That means lower tips for workers, lost jobs for employers and higher costs for everyone. Passage of Prop 138 is the first step to prevent that from happening.”

In his order, Judge Thompson wrote, “Far from voter fraud, the legislative process used for SCR 1040 is created by the Arizona Constitution. There is no allegation that the proper process was not followed… Plaintiffs have failed to cite to specific authority which would permit this Court, or any court, to remove an Initiative or proposed Legislative Constitutional Amendment because it interferes with or makes passage of a competing ballot measure more or less likely. Placement of the proposed Constitutional Amendment (SCR 1040) on the November General Election Ballot will not undermine the sanctity of the election process. In fact, it is part of the democratic process enshrined in the Arizona Constitution with choice being left to the voters.”

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.

Weninger Plans To Champion Small Business And Lower Taxes In Arizona House

Weninger Plans To Champion Small Business And Lower Taxes In Arizona House

By Staff Reporter |

A small business champion could be on his way back to the Arizona Legislature for the upcoming session.

Former State Representative Jeff Weninger is running for the same position in the November General Election for Arizona Legislative District 13. He previously served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2015 to 2023.

Legislative District 13 covers parts of Chandler, Gilbert, and Sun Lakes.

After a brief hiatus from public service, Weninger decided that it was time for him to return to the legislature. He announced his candidacy for state House on July 27, 2023, in an email to supporters. In that email, Weninger wrote, “Over the last year I moved my son to college, helped my daughter start high school, dedicated more time to my small business, and continued to invest in our community. Personally, things are going really well. Unfortunately not every Arizonan feels the same way. Inflation and prices are climbing, energy costs are higher than ever, and parents are struggling with decisions on the best educational environment for their kids.”

Weninger added, “When I served in the Legislature, I fought to lower your taxes, keep our cost of living affordable, support our first responders, and make Arizona one of the most business-friendly states in the country. I’m excited to announce that I’m running for State Representative in the new Legislative District 13 to bring those same values and principles to the Capitol.”

Business organizations around the state know Weninger and trust his expertise and record in office as evidenced by the support he’s received for his campaign during this go-around. Earlier this summer, the Arizona PAC for the National Federation of Independent Businesses endorsed Weninger’s bid for election.

Back in 2022, Weninger was awarded with the organization’s Guardian of Small Business recognition. Chad Heinrich, the Arizona state director for NFIB AZ, said, “Representative Weninger is one of few small-business owners who dedicate the time needed away from his business to also serve effectively in the State Legislature. In 2022, he sponsored a key reform to the business personal property tax that will unleash untold amounts of business investment in Arizona through the simplification and reduction of this burdensome tax. He’s built a solid reputation in the State Legislature as being on the cutting edge of technology and has worked effectively to keep Arizona’s policies attractive to industry and innovators.”

The Greater Phoenix Chamber PAC also endorsed Weninger. Chamber PAC Chair John Moody stated, “It is absolutely critical we support and help elect lawmakers who understand the issues impacting the success of businesses and who will work collaboratively to advance and protect policies supporting our Arizona businesses. This will allow for a prosperous economy in the Greater Phoenix region and throughout the state of Arizona.”

In June, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry endorsed Weninger as well. President and CEO Danny Seiden said, “The Chamber is proud to endorse a bipartisan slate of candidates who will be strong champions for job-creating policies that will drive economic growth and further advance Arizona’s competitive position on the global stage.”

It’s not just business organizations that have lined up behind Weninger. The Arizona Troopers Association endorsed him back in June. According to the group, Weninger (and other officials and candidates) were selected “based on their support of Arizona law enforcement and the men and women of the Department of Public Safety.”

On the flip side, Secular AZ, a left-wing organization, gave Weninger a zero percent legislative score for the 2022 session – his last in the Arizona House of Representatives. Out of 22 votes scored by the group, Weninger voted the “wrong” way all 22 times. This organization, per its website, “represent[s] the Arizona nontheistic community – a vibrant and growing community of Arizonans who self-identify as atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, ‘nones,’ and other labels of personal choosing.”

Arizona Legislative District 13 is one of the most competitive in the state, so Weninger will have his work cut out for him in the General Election. According to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, the district has a 1.6% vote spread over the past nine statewide elections. Out of those races, Republicans have won five times, compared to four for Democrats in the district.

Weninger is running alongside fellow Republican Julie Willoughby for the two House seats up for grabs in Legislative District 13. Both candidates were unchallenged in the primary. In unofficial results reported as of Wednesday morning, Weninger had received 16,631 votes, and Willoughby had garnered 15,931 votes.

The two Republicans will face off against Democrats Nicholas Gonzales and Brandy Reese, who were also unchallenged in their primary. Reese had received 11,901 votes, and Gonzales had obtained 11,576 votes. Shante Saulsberry previously withdrew from the race. Additionally, Cody Hannah is a Green Party candidate for State Representative.

Currently, the district is represented by Willoughby and Democrat Jennifer Pawlik in the state House. J.D. Mesnard, a Republican, represents the district in the state Senate.

AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.

Study: CrowdStrike Outage Impacted Arizona Banking Heavily

Study: CrowdStrike Outage Impacted Arizona Banking Heavily

By Matthew Holloway |

Last Friday’s CrowdStrike outage, which made headlines for disrupting operations at valley polling places, severely disrupted life for people all over the state because of Arizona’s heavy use of mobile banking, according to a study from Vention released Tuesday.

According to a release obtained by AZ Free News, the study by software development company Vention was based on Google Keyword Planner analysis of the U.S. Google search volume related to mobile banking on the basis that it can identify the states that utilize it most and were therefore the most impacted.

Arizona ranks fifth in the nation based on Vention’s findings following Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut and Florida.

Credit: https://ventionteams.com  Sources:  Search volume data was gathered from Google Keyword Planner |
Mobile banking usage survey results are from marketwatch.com  | Penetration rate of online banking in the US is from statista.com

In Arizona, the utility of mobile banking is intuitive given the nature of Arizona’s development with tens of thousands of residents living in far-flung communities further from civic and business centers. But in other areas where mobile banking is prevalent, insufficient physical banking locations to handle customer density is a reasonable cause.

Vention reports, “In recent years, mobile banking has rapidly gained popularity, driven by the convenience and accessibility it offers. A recent survey conducted by MarketWatch found that nearly 75% of people prefer mobile and online banking over in-person banking.”

Marc Karasu, CMO at Vention, commented on the findings saying, “It’s fascinating to see which states are adopting the latest trends in banking technology more quickly and which are lagging.”  

“What’s more, mobile banking popularity is set to keep rising, with research predicting that over 79% of the population will be using online banking by 2029.”  

“Studies such as these are invaluable for the banking industry to identify where they need to focus their marketing efforts. Additionally, it highlights the states that could benefit from increased financial technology education and support.” 

A report from the Arizona Republic Friday stated that the outage brought down point-of-sale systems at Circle K locations, caused delays and flight cancellations at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and disrupted police dispatch and communications systems all over the state.

Founder and president of Data Doctors Computer Services, Ken Colburn, told AZCentral that the situation could cause CrowdStrike and other cybersecurity firms to perform a “deep self-examination,” adding, “The silver lining of this is maybe we as an industry become better at this type of thing.”

Discussing the convenience of technology and interconnectivity as well as the risks he told the outlet, “You can’t really have it both ways.” He continued, “Every day, we as individuals make risk decisions. It is the nature of individuals. It’s the nature of business. It’s the nature of life. What we have to do is make sure that the risks that we’re taking do not exceed the value of what we’re getting out of our interconnected world.”

According to CNN, the outage, described as the largest IT outage in history, is expected to cost Fortune 500 companies in excess of $5 Billion in direct losses with healthcare and banking systems hit the hardest, suffering estimated losses of $1.94 billion and $1.15 billion respectively.

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.

Rep. Seaman’s First Term In House Features Radical Record On Border, Crime, And The Economy

Rep. Seaman’s First Term In House Features Radical Record On Border, Crime, And The Economy

By Staff Reporter |

A radical Democrat legislator is seeking a return to a middle-of the-road Arizona district in the upcoming November General Election.

State Representative Keith Seaman is running for reelection in Arizona Legislative District 16. Seaman assumed office in January 2023 after narrowly finishing second in the district in the November 2022 General Election results, beating Republican challenger Rob Hudelson by 644 votes. Seaman now represents the district in the State House of Representative alongside his seatmate, Representative Teresa Martinez, a Republican.

Though the district is more moderate, Seaman has been anything but, as attested by his first term in the state house. On his campaign website, Seaman lists endorsements from left-leaning organizations, such as Arizona Education Association, Save Our Schools Arizona, National Organization for Women Arizona, and Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter.

Seaman’s votes in the Arizona Legislature show a pattern of being soft on crime. He voted against HB 2435, which would have “require[d] a person who is convicted of a third or subsequent organized retail theft offense to be sentenced as a category two repetitive offender” (2024). He also voted against SB 1583, which would have mandated that “a level one sex offender who commits specified sexual offenses is required to register on the internet sex offender website if the offender was sentenced for a dangerous crime against children” (2023). Additionally, he voted against SCR 1021, a ballot referral, which would “statutorily require an adult who is convicted of a class 2 felony for any child sex trafficking offense to be sentenced to natural life imprisonment” – should voters approve it in the upcoming November General Election.

The Democrat legislator also made controversial votes related to the border crisis facing his state. He opposed HB 2621, which would have deemed that the trafficking of fentanyl across Arizona’s border is a public health crisis. He also spurned SCR 1042, which “proclaim[ed] the Legislature’s support for the people and government of the state of Texas in its efforts to secure [the U.S.] southern border.”

He also took a stance against policies that would lead to economic prosperity in Arizona. Seaman voted no on SB 1260, which would have “reduced the state’s small business income tax rate to 2.5%” (2023). And he opposed SB 1370, the lemonade stand bill, which would have exempted a minor or a person who has not graduated from high school from the requirement to obtain a TPT license and pay TPT (use tax and local excise taxes) if the person’s business gross proceeds of sales or gross income is less than $10,000 per calendar year.

Seaman has also proven to be an ardent opponent of Arizona’s historic school choice program. Last year, he joined several of his colleagues in the legislature’s Teacher Caucus to castigate the ESA program. He posted, “As a retired educator, I support our public schools and will fight to ensure that they receive the funding they need. Arizona taxpayer dollars should not be used to fund private institutions while public schools struggle with budget cuts and a lack of resources for students.”

On the education front, Seaman voted against HB 2629, which would have “establish[ed] November 7 of each year as Victims of Communism Day and require[d] the State Board of Education to create a list of recommended resources for mandatory instruction on the topic in certain public school courses.” He also registered a vote against HB 2779, which would have “specifie[d] that the State Board of Education, must require, in course of study and competency requirements, that students be taught about the Holocaust and other genocides for at least three school periods, or the equivalent, on at least two separate occasions during any of the 7th-12th grades.”

It wasn’t just what Seaman opposed that made him too radical for the district; it was also what he promoted that flew in the face of a likely majority of his constituents. Seamon cosponsored HB 2610, which would have created a state-owned bank (2023). He cosponsored HB 2068, which would have repealed designating school sports by biological sex (2023). And he cosponsored HB 2653, which would have established that “restaurants and other food service establishments in this state may only serve water and disposable straws to customers on request” (2023).

Arizona Legislative District 16 is one of the most competitive in the state with a 3.6% vote spread between Republicans and Democrats in the last nine statewide elections, according to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. However, in those nine statewide elections, Republicans have emerged victorious in all nine.

Representative Seaman’s daughter, Stacey, is attempting to join him in the legislature next year. She is running for state senate and will go head-to-head against incumbent T.J. Shope for the right to represent Arizona Legislative District 16 constituents for the next two years.

Seaman is again the only Democrat running in the Legislative District 16 primary, as his party again attempts to gain an advantage in the General Election with this single-shot approach. He will face two Republicans who will emerge from a crowded primary later this month. Those Republicans are Martinez, Hudelson, Chris Lopez, and Gabriela Saucedo Mercer.

AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.