Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed HB 2700 on Monday which would have compelled the Arizona State Board of Education to include Geography in its prescribed competency requirements for graduation from high school and defined that instruction to include instruction accurately referring to the Gulf of America.
In her veto letter to Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro, Hobbs chose to adopt an adversarial, scolding tone toward Republican leaders.
Hobbs wrote, “Today, I vetoed House Bill 2700. Arizonans want us to work together to lower costs, secure the border, create jobs, and protect public education. Instead of joining with me to do that, this Legislature has chosen to attempt to dictate how teachers refer to geographic features. I encourage you to refocus your time and energy on solving real problems for Arizonans.”
State Rep. Teresa Martinez (R-LD16) held a different view however and emphasized the importance of accurate and patriotic instruction for Arizona students: “It’s important to start teaching pro-America to our students. What better way to promote a patriotic country and teach children about patriotism than to start calling it Gulf of America and taking pride in that?”
While making her disapproval of the bill clear, Hobbs called upon Republican legislators to “work together to lower costs, secure the border, create jobs, and protect public education,” despite her recent vetoes, which have thrown aside meaningful reforms in all four policies.
In 2023, Hobbs infamously vetoed SB 1184 which would have eliminated rental taxes that drive up the monthly rent of millions of Arizonans, and SB 1063 which would have banned sales taxes on groceries. The sponsor of SB 1063, Senator Sonny Borrelli, said that Hobbs “would rather have windfall taxes go to cities on the backs of people that need to survive on essential items like groceries consumed at home.”
On Border Security, Hobbs vetoed the Arizona Immigration Cooperation and Enforcement (ICE) Act, SB 1164 this April, and SB 1610 earlier this month, which would have required county detention facilities to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by providing access to data on illegal aliens arrested for serious crimes.
On the subject of Jobs, Hobbs drew severe criticism from Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp (R-LD29) when she vetoed SB 1584.
“The Governor despicably vetoing this bill demonstrates her support for discrimination and a lack of leadership for refusing to push back against fellow Democrats who support these unethical hiring practices,” Shamp said at the time. ” I am extremely disappointed, yet not surprised, that Hobbs continues to appeal to the radical left with her tone-deaf veto decisions, rather than support legislation to reform workplace policies that prioritize anything other than talent and hard work. It’s truly petrifying that we have a governor who can, without shame, prioritize discrimination and favoritism, over unity and respect for every Arizonan.”
Hobbs also vetoed another school related bill, SB 1050, sponsored by Senator Vince Leach (R-LD17) in April. The bipartisan measure would have directed tax dollars from Government Property Lease Excise Tax (GPLET) to schools by prohibiting the abatement of school district-designated tax revenues. “This was a missed opportunity by the Governor,” Leach told AZ Free News. “She says she supports education funding, but her veto suggests otherwise.”
Arizona State University (ASU) received over $3.4 million in funds from the nonprofit founded by leading Democratic dark money donor George Soros.
The online data guru Jennica Pounds, known by her username @DataRepublican, named ASU as a recurring recipient of Soros funds as part of nearly a decade of grants from the Open Society Foundations (OSF).
🚨 Download Soros Grant Spreadsheet 💵
Ever wonder where George Soros is sending his money? 👀 I've extracted and published the public Open Society Foundations grant database in spreadsheet format. This is your chance to dig through the receipts. 📂🧾
🇺🇸 Want to follow the…
— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) May 12, 2025
Pounds — who boasts a background as a software engineer for leading American tech companies including Amazon, eBay, Snap, and Upstart — gained recognition among Republican voters and the Trump administration for building AI tools to assist with the ongoing Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort to identify and eliminate wasteful or fraudulent spending.
Pounds’ latest project focused on cataloguing Soros’ philanthropic arm.
From 2018 to 2022, the ASU Foundation received $169,000 for the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College; $200,000 for the Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium; $1.2 million for the McCain Institute for International Leadership; $200,000 for improving learning amid crises and conflict; $22,000 to bring together global educational leaders, and $24,000 for the New American University.
One of OSF’s largest donations to ASU was over $1.5 million for English Second Language (ESL) at the Open Society University Network (OSUN).
Soros established OSUN in January 2020 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. OSUN serves as a global collaboration of universities. ASU was among the first to be included in OSUN. Of note, ASU’s page for OSUN omits any mention of Soros as the establisher of the network.
Other American universities to later join OSUN were the Bard Early Colleges of Baltimore, Cleveland, Manhattan, New Orleans, Newark, Queens, and Washington, D.C.; the Bard Prison Initiative; Picker Center for Executive Education at Columbia University; Bard College at Simon’s Rock; University of Connecticut Human Rights Institute; Talloires Network of Engaged Universities; Princeton Global History Lab; Tuskegee University; University of California’s Berkeley Human Rights Center; and the University of Pittsburgh’s Afghanistan Project at the Center for Governance and Markets.
Other Arizona-based entities to receive Soros money were:
Arizona Wins ($3.875 million);
Living United For Change in Arizona ($3.3 million);
One Arizona ($1.8 million);
Our Voice, Our Vote Arizona ($1 million);
League of Conservation Voters ($750,000);
Inter Tribal Council of Arizona ($500,000);
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona ($500,000);
Arizona Community Foundation ($400,000);
ADRC Action ($300,000);
PODER ($100,000);
Poder in Action ($75,000);
YWCA of Southern Arizona ($60,000)
Arizona Center for Empowerment ($37,000, and another $325,000 through the Center for Popular Democracy, a partner organization)
Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence ($25,000);
Sonoran Prevention Works ($15,000)
Other entities were paid by OSF throughout the years to engage in advocacy in Arizona and, ultimately, influence state policies and laws. Among those who received payment for advocacy were: Invest in Education, $700,000; re:power Fund, $200,000; State Engagement Fund, $170,000; PAFCO Education Fund, $150,000; Alliance for Youth Organizing, $50,000; and Vote.org, $20,000.
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Governor Katie Hobbs has named a new student regent to the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR).
The newest student regent, Felipe Garcia, is a Tucson native and rising junior studying political science and creative intelligence and innovation at the University of Arizona (UofA). Garcia will replace Arizona State University (ASU) student David Zaragoza.
“Felipe Garcia is committed to ensuring Arizona’s public university students succeed, and I am proud to appoint him to the Arizona Board of Regents,” said Hobbs. “As a student at the University of Arizona, Felipe will be an effective voice, working to ensure that students are represented in university decisions and they have regular updates and communications from the Board’s perspective.”
“On behalf of the board, we commend Governor Hobbs on her thoughtful selection of Felipe Garcia, an outstanding University of Arizona undergraduate, to be Arizona’s newest student regent,” said ABOR Chair Cecilia Mata in a statement. “Student regents serve as a crucial voice in shaping policies that directly impact students. Felipe’s perspective and dedication will be invaluable, and we eagerly anticipate his contributions to our work.”
Garcia is also a “Courage Fellow” with the gun control organization Giffords. Courage Fellows receive six months of gun control advocacy training.
Garcia formerly served on the Arizona Model United Nations, UofA’s Associated Students, and the Governor’s Youth Commission. Garcia also served as a youth commissioner for Hobbs’ Commission on Service and Volunteerism.
“I am incredibly honored to be chosen by Governor Hobbs to represent Arizona students,” said Garcia in a press release from the governor’s office. “I am excited to work with the Board to be a valuable resource for Arizona’s public universities.”
Student regents serve two-year terms; in their first year, student regents sit as non-voting members. The other student regent on the board to serve alongside Garcia is Northern Arizona University (NAU) student Jadyn Fisher. Like Garcia, Fisher was appointed with a background in gun control activism. Fisher organized a protest at her middle school to advocate for gun control and remember school shooting victims.
Last month, Zaragoza and Fisher opted to meet only with the Democratic members of Congress during their inaugural National College Attainment Network (NCAN) Leadership Summit: Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and Congressman Greg Stanton. The pair discussed federal financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), federal Pell Grants, and student mental health.
Zaragoza and Fisher were both nominated to ABOR by Hobbs.
The two student regents have convinced ABOR to dedicate more time and resources to mental health. Zaragoza and Fisher were integral to establishing ABOR’s Mental Health Workgroup. The workgroup will lead campus-wide listening sessions at the state’s three public universities to determine how the institutions can improve on their mental health initiatives and tailor them to students.
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In a move aimed at tightening online protections for children, the Arizona House of Representatives has passed HB2112, a bipartisan bill that would require pornography websites to verify users’ ages before granting access.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Nick Kupper (R-LD25), targets commercial pornography platforms that fail to implement “reasonable” age verification systems—an approach proponents say balances child safety with user privacy. Under HB2112, companies could face civil penalties up to $250,000 if minors are able to access explicit content due to a lack of proper age checks.
“There’s no excuse for letting kids have unlimited access to hardcore pornography,” said Kupper in a press release. “HB2112 puts the responsibility where it belongs—on the companies making money off this material.”
Kupper, who serves as Vice Chair of the House Ways & Means Committee, emphasized that the bill does not store or share personal user data, a provision designed to address privacy concerns. HB2112 also gives parents the right to take civil action against companies that fail to comply.
While the bill does not replace existing parental controls, it adds what Kupper called “another layer of protection” against minors’ exposure to online pornography. “Arizona families want action, not excuses,” he said. “The Governor has a chance to do the right thing. This bill defends children’s safety and puts Arizona on the right side of a growing national effort.” The Arizona House GOP echoed the message in a social media post accompanying the announcement.
✅Arizona Legislature Passes Bipartisan Bill to Block Adult Content Access for Minors
“There’s no excuse for letting kids have unlimited access to hardcore pornography. HB2112 puts the responsibility where it belongs—on the companies making money off this material. If they… pic.twitter.com/uVsP5G8IP0
— Arizona House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) May 7, 2025
The bill has attracted support from both sides of the aisle, a notable development in a polarized legislature. If enacted, HB2112 would make Arizona one of the first Western states to adopt legally enforceable age verification requirements for adult websites.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona schools will be protected by more armed school campus officers, newly developed safety technology, and advanced training through a new bipartisan bill, just signed into law. The bill, HB 2074, was signed into law by Governor Katie Hobbs on Tuesday.
Sponsored by State Representative Matt Gress (R-LD4), the new law makes a massive expansion to the existing, already successful, School Safety Program and allows retired law enforcement officers to serve their communities again as school officers.
Speaking in support of the new law, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said, “I am very pleased that this bill has become law. There is a need for more armed officers in schools and expanding the pool of available law enforcement professionals to include those who have retired in good standing is a commonsense idea that will put more officers in schools, making campuses safer. The added training and technology will increase the value of this successful program that makes our students, educators and staff safer on campus.”
HB 2074, sponsored by Rep. Matt Gress (R) – Phoenix, was approved by the legislature in April and signed into law by Gov. Hobbs on Tuesday. 📸ADE R-L Arizona School Resource Officers Assoc. President Steve Duei, Rep. Matt Gress, Supt. Tom Horne Contact: Communications@azed.gov pic.twitter.com/MTcnm2XBJQ
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) May 7, 2025
“Schools must be places where all students, teachers, and staff feel safe,” said Gress in a press release. “I’m proud that this bill has been signed—crafted through collaboration with educators, certified mental health professionals, law enforcement, legislators, and Superintendent Tom Horne—into law. This marks a major step forward in implementing meaningful, commonsense school safety enhancements.”
According to a statement from the Arizona Department of Education, the new law contains provisions for Arizona schools to install new safety equipment and infrastructure. School districts and charter schools will also have access to training for safety officers on interacting with special needs students in addition to civil rights, student privacy laws, and adolescent mental issues. Each of the districts and charters must also prepare and submit a campus emergency response plan.
The Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) may soon adopt a new American history curriculum rooted in social justice.
The SUSD Social Sciences Curriculum Adoption Committee recommended for American and Arizona History the textbook “US History: Interactive” by Emma J. Lapsansky-Werner, Peter B. Levy, Randy Roberts, and Alan Taylor from the Savvas Learning Company. This textbook, parents argue, reinvents modern American history through a social justice lens.
Parents took issue with the portrayal of complex issues in recent history, such as race relations in America. The textbook conveys that racism against Black Americans remains an ongoing problem.
“Although Barack Obama’s election as president showed that real racial progress has been made, other events during his presidency suggested that racism remained a problem in the country,” states the textbook.
The textbook also states that law enforcement killed George Floyd in 2020. Their coverage of this pivotal incident omits critical context to include the medical examiner’s office autopsy report, which cited Floyd’s heart problems exacerbated by regular drug use as well as the presence of “a fatal level” of fentanyl (along with the presence of other illicit drugs) in his system as contributors to his death.
“If Mr. Floyd were found dead in his home (or anywhere else) and there were no other contributing factors he would conclude that it was an overdose death,” stated notes from the prosecution’s interview with Baker.
During the trial of the police officer charged with Floyd’s death, Derek Chauvin, the medical examiner behind Floyd’s autopsy, Andrew Baker, concurred that Floyd’s corpse bore no evidence of asphyxiation — consistent with his autopsy findings. Baker’s autopsy report didn’t attribute law enforcement actions to Floyd’s cause of death; Baker only added that connection after watching videos of law enforcement restraining Floyd.
The textbook also characterized Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement as an offshoot of the Civil Rights Movement and described BLM protests as “generally peaceful”; the book distanced the riots that occurred from BLM activism.
“[D]estructive riots did break out in some cities at night, often after an announced curfew. During this nighttime rioting, people burned buildings, looted stores, and clashed with the police. Innocent people were harmed. It was unclear in some cases, however, whether or not the rioters were associated with the protests,” stated the textbook.
During a board meeting last month, the committee explained they recommended this and the other four social sciences textbooks based on alignment with course descriptions, comprehensive resources, support for diverse learners, online platforms, print and online access, and competitive pricing and staff development.
Parents and community members opposed to the textbook issued written comments to the committee arguing it was filled with “biased narratives” on critical topics in modern American history.
“This is exactly what parents do not want for their children and is why they are moving out of the public school,” stated one community member.
The controversial textbook would cost the district about $146,000 out of the $674,000 total requested purchase.
The curriculum committee members are SUSD teachers Ashley Crose, Daniel Hyman, Arianna Fiandaca, Brittany Case, and Chris Haak; SUSD administrator Chad Johnson; and community member Brian Cieniawski. Committee support members included SUSD Director of Teaching and Learning Kimberly Dodds-Keran, Social Science Academic Coach Dylan Bullard, and Instructional Materials Specialist Dede Johnston.
The SUSD Governing Board will vote on the curriculum during its May 13 board meeting.
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