by Staff Reporter | Nov 16, 2024 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Arizona schools will be receiving a supply of overdose kits to address the increased impact of drugs on students.
The Arizona Department of Emergency & Military Affairs (DEMA) began delivering over 16,000 Narcan anti-overdose kits to schools on Wednesday. The Arizona Department of Education (AZED) oversaw the initial deliveries across all 15 counties.
In a press release, Superintendent Tom Horne said these kits were a lifesaving preventative to the increased presence of illicit substances in the state.
“Lives will be saved because these kits will be in schools throughout Arizona,” said Horne. “The STOP-IT Task Force has done incredible work to address the Fentanyl crisis among school-aged children and this is a major step to protecting the lives of students and raising awareness of this terrible scourge.”
The Narcan kit deliveries are part of AZED’s Overdose Preparedness & Intelligence Taskforce (STOP-IT), a new task force established this year to address the growing opioid epidemic. The idea for placing kits in schools came out of a meeting back in May.
The Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) provided the Narcan kits at no cost to the state, and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) will provide training.
The kits come with flyers on training resources, information on county health agency partners, an announcement of an upcoming comprehensive STOP-IT Toolkit release, and a QR code taking the user to real-time training on Naloxone Resources from AHCCCS.
STOP-IT co-chairs are Holly Geyer from the Mayo Clinic and Mike Kurtenbach with AZED, leading over 60 representatives across various government agencies, schools, healthcare entities, law enforcement, and other organizations.
Geyer credited the initiative’s success to the collaborative strengths of Arizona agencies in Thursday’s press release.
“The STOP-IT naloxone distribution initiative could not have materialized without the unprecedented collaboration between the Department of Education, the Department of Health, AHCCCS and the National Guard,” said Geyer. “The representatives appointed through these agencies proved themselves strategic problem solvers who prioritized the mission and produced outcomes that far exceeded the taskforce’s original targets. Because of their resolve, we are proud to offer schools more than just naloxone. We can offer confidence in the safety of our school campuses and parental peace of mind.”
DEMA director Kerry Muehlenbeck said that their team’s logistical support for tackling drug overdose incidents ensured a better approach to their ultimate goal of reducing drug demand.
“Through this multi-agency initiative, we build stronger communities and support wellness in our future generations,” said Muehlenbeck.
Schools signed up for Narcan kits through the AZED’s online form, with the permission of their district or charter approval first. Further information about the kit distribution and application was submitted in a memo sent to schools across the state last month.
Per AZED, these overdose kits will be continually replenished to ensure schools’ continued ability to handle opioid emergencies.
Arizona reported over 1,900 opioid-related deaths and over 4,000 overdoses last year. 26 of those opioid-related deaths were among minors (those under the age of 17).
So far this year, AZDHS has recorded over 3,200 non-fatal opioid overdoses and over 1,000 confirmed opioid deaths. The total deaths among minors for this year amount to less than 10.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 15, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Bruce Cohen has chosen to recuse himself from the alternate electors case after reports revealed a series of emails he sent to his colleagues that openly defended Vice President Kamala Harris and urged other jurists to do likewise.
As previously reported by AZ Free News, the controversy that preceded Cohen’s recusal centered around a series of emails in which he demanded that his fellow judges and commissioners stand in defense of then-Democratic Presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. The Judge offered these emails in response to criticisms levied against Harris that she was a “DEI Hire.” Cohen particularly characterized the issue in racial and gender-based terms calling upon white men in particular to defend Harris, along with any colleagues who identified as “person(s) of color.”
Cohen wrote in part, “It does matter if your chromosomes are made up of ‘XY.’ It matters even more if your skin color is characterized as ‘white’ or Caucasian. We must speak out. We must tell those within our circles of influence that this s**t must stop. NOW! We cannot allow our female colleagues to feel as if they stand alone when there are those who may intimate that their ascension was anything other than based upon exceptionalism. We cannot allow our colleagues who identify as being a ‘person of color’ to stand alone when there are those may claim that their ascension was an ‘equity hire’ rather than based solely upon exceptionalism. We no longer can stay silent merely because others are exercising their right to free speech — we, too, have that same right and must exercise it.”
Attorneys representing Republican state Sen. Jake Hoffman, a defendant alongside several other prominent Republican figures facing charges for their participation in an alternate slate of Electoral College votes during the 2020 Presidential Election, told the Associated Press that Judge Cohen “bears a deep-seated personal political bias that overcame his professional judgment.”
Arizona attorney Mark L. Williams, who represents former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, told the AP, “Given the statements the judge made, I think it’s appropriate that he recuse himself.”
He added, “The way I see it, the case against Mr. Giuliani and the other defendants is falling apart and I think the attorney general should just wind down the case and dismiss it.”
Michael Colombo of Dhillon law group, writing on Hoffman’s behalf in a motion for recusal, explained, “The utter contempt Judge Cohen displayed against President Trump in his Aug. 29 email makes it clear that Senator Hoffman — who is on trial for exercising his First Amendment rights as a supporter of President Trump — cannot receive a fair trial before Judge Cohen.”
Columbo also took aim at Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes writing, “While Judge Cohen is entitled to his political opinions and speech, his rhetoric and exhortation precisely mirrors the evidence of hostile partisan political zealotry at the heart of the motions to dismiss that have been languishing before the Court for months. In short, the evidence before the Court of the Attorney General’s unlawful retaliation against Defendants includes her demonization of Republicans as well as her Chief Deputy comparing Republicans to Nazis and the Defendants in this case to Vladimir Putin.”
He added, “Even if Judge Cohen can somehow separate his apparent detestation of President Trump from his adjudication of a case that centers around defendants’ political activity in support of President Trump, the appearance of impropriety is a stain on this case that cannot be removed.”
Cohen, scheduled to retire in January, defended his actions in the text of his order, and even doubled down claiming, “This judicial officer expressed in an email support for the exceptionalism of the judicial officers of Maricopa County and was a stand for decency and respect. What was contained in the email is not reflective of bias.”
Per Courthouse News, all scheduled hearings are now vacated and the case is on hold pending the assignment of a new judge.
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.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 15, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Over Veteran’s Day weekend, personal-finance website WalletHub released a ranking of the Best and Worst Places for Veterans to live. And the state of Arizona was represented by seven of our cities.
According to WalletHub, the rankings were based on a series of “19 key indicators of livability, affordability and veteran-friendliness,” including the availability of jobs related to military skill-sets, records of veteran income growth over time, and the availability of VA Healthcare.
WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo explained, “When veterans return home from serving our nation, it’s important for them to live in a place that provides good education and employment opportunities, along with access to quality care for their physical and mental health. The best cities for veterans have all these characteristics, plus added bonuses like large veteran populations for community support, plus many restaurants and entertainment venues that offer veteran discounts.”
All told, the seven Arizona cities ranked were, in order: Scottsdale, leading at #7; Gilbert at #15; Chandler at #16; Mesa at #29; Glendale at #44; Tucson at #62; and finally, Phoenix came in at #75.
Gilbert and Chandler ranked 2nd and 5th, respectively, for the lowest percentage of veterans in poverty. Otherwise the state failed to rank in the top 5 of the study’s focus areas.
Essentially, this places Arizona firmly in the middling range of neither the worst nor the best.
While cities like the top five: Austin, TX; Orlando, FL; Raleigh, NC; Tampa, FL; and Virginia Beach, VA, have cause to celebrate the ranking, the release could leave Arizonans asking questions.
As of late 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau, cited by ABC15, recorded that there were 454,620 veterans of the Armed Forces living in the state or approximately 62 of every 1,000 adults, ranking us at 13th in the nation statistically.
By concentration, most resided in Sun City and Sun City West, Sun Lakes, Carefree, Apache Junction, and Union Hills.
Over a third served during the Vietnam War, 43% served in either the Cold War period or Gulf War, with just 17% of the veterans in the youngest cohort: those who served in the Global War on Terror. The number who served in Korea and the Second World War are dwindling fast at just 3% and 1%, respectively.
Arizona plays home to defense contractors as Honeywell, Raytheon, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, and Northrup Grumman. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics examined the unemployment figures as of March 20th, specifically targeting veterans, and found that only 47% of those surveyed were employed, while 2.9% were collecting unemployment and a staggering 51% were “not in labor force.” That means they were either on disability, retired, on other benefits, or simply stopped trying to find work. This gives a potential glimpse into why more young veterans aren’t making Arizona their home, and instead serves as a retirement destination.
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.
by Staff Reporter | Nov 15, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) indicated that top Democratic leaders were to blame for their party’s massive election losses at the state and federal levels.
In a statement from Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (ADLCC) reposted by ADP, executive director Elsa O’Callaghan said that “down-the-ballot Democrats” in Arizona and across the nation were unable to overcome “top-of-the-ticket” troubles. O’Callaghan didn’t specify what those troubles were or who was behind them.
“We are deeply grateful for the candidates who put their lives on hold and stepped up to run, the staff who gave it their all, and the supporters who donated their time and money to protect Arizona’s future. Final results are now tallied and Arizona’s legislative chambers will remain in Republican control. Across the country, down-ballot Democrats worked tirelessly to combat top-of-the-ticket trends. It is now clear that those trends proved to be insurmountable. Too much is at stake to abandon our mission — especially with an extreme presidential administration coming into power. The work continues.”
Donald Trump won Arizona by over 52 percent of the vote (1.7 million votes), where Kamala Harris gained over 46 percent of the vote (1.5 million votes) — a difference of nearly 187,000 votes among 3.2 million voters. Comparatively, Joe Biden won by .3 percent of the vote back in 2020, a difference of just over 10,400 votes among 3.3 million voters.
Arizona Republicans flipped a net total of three seats in the state legislature: one in the senate and three in the house (and the loss of one other seat). That grew the Republican majority to 17 in the Senate and 33 in the House.
In the Senate, Republicans flipped one seat: LD4, with Republican challenger Carine Werner ousting incumbent Democrat Christine Marsh by 52 percent of the vote (over 5,400 votes).
In the House, Republicans flipped three seats: LD4, with Republicans Pamela Carter and Matt Gress securing both seats; LD13, with Republicans Jeff Weninger and Julie Willoughby securing both seats; LD16, with Republicans Teresa Martinez and Chris Lopez securing both seats.
Democrats flipped one seat in the House: LD17, ousting Republican Cory McGarr for Democrat Kevin Volk while Rachel Jones retained her seat.
Arizona Democrats failed to flip any congressional seats. They also failed to win the hotly-contested District 6 seat held by incumbent Juan Ciscomani.
Democrats did successfully win the open Senate seat left by independent Kyrsten Sinema. Democrat Ruben Gallego emerged victorious over Republican Kari Lake, winning 50 percent of the vote over Lake’s 47 percent.
Although Democrats fell short of securing the Arizona legislature, they did see a certain win with a significant ballot reform.
Arizonans approved a constitutional right to abortion up to birth: 62 percent were in favor (1.9 million voters) versus 38 percent against (1.2 million voters).
However, Arizonans also approved a ballot measure to allow police to arrest illegal immigrants entering the U.S — 63 percent (1.9 million) were in favor, while 37 percent (1.1 million) were against.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 14, 2024 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
A post-election letter obtained by AZ Free News from Arizona Education Association (AEA) President Marisol Garcia to union members, saw the labor leader address AEA members as if reacting to a great catastrophe. Rather than remarking on a largely peaceful and uncommonly decisive national election that provided an unambiguous mandate to the incoming government, she spoke of families and students being “directly in danger,” and that “no one is coming to save us.”
In the text of the letter, Garcia speaks in disturbingly combative terms, suggesting that there are individuals, either teachers or students, they will need to “protect,” because they “are being targeted.”
She also told Arizona educators, “We are going to be the union thugs that we were meant to be…” and added instructions that they “Drink some water, get some rest, get off social media and surround yourself with joy and get ready. Because, it’s on y’all.”
AZ Free News independently confirmed the letter was sent to Arizona educators and the language is consistent with Garcia’s post to X on November 6th when she wrote, “Join your union—Unbreakable Solidarity, and “OK take a deep breath, find some space the rest, and know the way through this is through it TOGETHER. Elections are one tactic. Organizing for solidarity and power is another. ✊🏾”
In the full letter Garcia wrote:
AEA,
First, how proud we must be for all the efforts that everyone put into this year’s election work. We all have to be proud of the new leaders that we saw step up. The goals that brave locals made and worked hard to reach, many of which they broke, too much shock to themselves. Ballots continue to be counted in every county and so many of our focus races are yet to be called—so as usual the work continues.
In that vein, our labor work, our power building work must continue as planned, with more clarity on the importance of unbreakable solidarity. The talk, the words, now more than ever become the walk and the work.
I won’t sugar coat this, many of us, our families and our students are directly in danger. You might recall, last year I reminded the delegates that no one is coming to save us — we have to save ourselves. The mechanism to which we can save ourselves is through good old fashion local organizing work.
Building our smaller circles into bigger circles. Embracing the things we have in common to find solution for the things that threaten all of us. Small group meetings, engaging in difficult conversations and above all listening. Our union knows how to do this, we have the ability to not just work through this, but lead through this, together.
On a personal note, as a product of ancestors who survived hundreds of years of institutional impacts, including genocides, starvation, and military attacks. I’m still here. My great great grandmothers did not give up. They fought back and organized collectively to survive, sharing food, housing, powerful stories and safety. This resilience was passed to their next generations and will continue with my son.
We will not comply in advance, we will not shirk, we will not forget the fights we have survived nor will we not prepare to protect those who are being targeted.
We are going to be the union thugs we were meant to be… we will fight, because together we are always stronger and whether we like it or not, it is our destiny to be in the fight.
Drink some water, get some rest, get off social media, and surround yourself with joy and get ready.
Because, it’s on y’all.
Unbreakable solidarity.
Marisol Garcia, President.
Arizona Education Association
Turning Point Action Field Representative and VP of Greater PHX Republican Women, Alyssa Goncales shared an image of the letter in a post to X, writing, “The AZ teachers union is an obvious branch of the Democratic Party. @MarisolGarciaAZ doesn’t care about the rights of all teachers and students. She’s just spreading fear and pushing the lefts agenda. It speaks volumes to what public school is trying to do to our children. Great push for AZ parents to homeschool.”
Notably in the union’s recommendations for the 2024 ballot, all of the recommended candidates in partisan races were Democrats.
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.
by Corinne Murdock | Nov 14, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Attorney General Kris Mayes has ended her investigation into president-elect Donald Trump over his speech.
Mayes began an investigation into Trump over his argument that former congresswoman Liz Cheney should have to fight in a war before advocating for bringing the U.S. into another one. Mayes claimed to the Arizona Republic that this recent change of heart from her office came from their sudden realization that Trump’s remarks were protected by the First Amendment.
During a Halloween day event in Arizona, Trump had called Cheney a “radical war hawk” and a “deranged person” whose desires for war were rooted in her lack of intimate understanding of it. The topic of her had come up after conservative pundit Tucker Carlson had asked the president-elect how he felt about Cheney campaigning against him despite her father, Dick Cheney, having been a Republican and former vice president.
“Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK?” said Trump. “Let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face. They’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building saying ‘Oh gee, let’s send 10,000 troops into the mouths of the enemies.’ She always wanted to go to war with people.”
Cheney responded by calling Trump a “dictator” who had threatened her life.
“This is how dictators destroy free nations,” said Cheney. “They threaten those who speak against them with death. We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.”
The next day, Mayes announced her investigation into Trump over his remarks. Mayes claimed at the time that Trump’s speech may have been a death threat.
“I have already asked my criminal division chief to start looking at that statement, analyzing it for whether it qualifies as a death threat under Arizona’s laws,” said Mayes. “I’m not prepared now to say whether it was or it wasn’t, but it is not helpful as we prepare for our election and as we try to make sure that we keep the peace at our polling places and in our state.”
Mayes made the announcement of her investigation just days before Election Day.
Although Mayes dropped her investigation into Trump’s remarks, she said her office wouldn’t be dropping its case against him and his 2020 electors, who face multiple felonies related to conspiracy and forgery. Trump is an unindicted co-conspirator in that case.
“We’re going to stay focused on the case we brought,” said Mayes. “Those are serious charges, they are state charges and they are not affected one bit by Donald Trump’s reelection to the presidency.”
Mayes also claimed in a recent press conference that Trump presents a threat to the state and federal constitutions, especially the Project 2025 plan drafted by the Heritage Foundation in 2023.
“I do not believe that in electing Donald Trump Arizona voters voted to shred the U.S. and Arizona constitutions,” said Mayes. “If Donald Trump tries to do that [Project 2025], he will have to go through me first.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
