A Republican lawmaker is making recommendations for voters in key ballot measures for the state of Arizona.
In the most recent Arizona Senate Republicans’ newsletter, state Senator Shawnna Bolick released a statement in support of propositions that her party in both legislative chambers had passed for voters’ review in the upcoming election.
Bolick said, “We are just days away from a crucial election that will help determine the future of Arizona and our nation. Republicans at the Legislature spent tireless hours working to provide voters with the opportunity to have the final say on the key issues our state is facing. Despite Democrats voting ‘no’ on our proposals, we voted in support of sending Propositions 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 311, 312, 313, 314, and 315 to the ballot.”
She added, “Included is the ‘Secure the Border Act’ (314), which would provide law enforcement the authority to arrest illegal border crossers to keep our communities safe after the Governor vetoed our original bills to address the crisis. Also, the ‘Children Are Not For Sale’ measure (313) would protect children from sex trafficking by deterring this evil practice with a life imprisonment sentence for the offenders. Make your voices heard! Send in your ballot no later than October 29, or vote in person on November 5- just be prepared for lines.”
Arizona’s ballot propositions haven’t been the focus of many polls – at least publicly available ones, though Noble Predictive Insights had released results from a survey in early September, showing that Prop 314 was receiving 63% support for passage.
The veteran legislator is fighting to retain her seat in the state Senate in next week’s election. Bolick faces a stiff challenge from Democrat state Representative Judy Schwiebert for Legislative District 2, which is one of the most competitive across Arizona, with a 3.8% vote spread in the past nine statewide elections. It is very winnable for Republicans, however, as the party has emerged victorious in six out of those nine elections.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The vice president of the Higley Unified School Board, Anna Van Hoek, received a package with an apparent threat of violence from a leftist parent.
The package, sent from Amazon, contained a rope and a book containing sexually explicit content, “Homegoing.” Following a report from Van Hoek, Gilbert Police submitted a warrant to Amazon and identified the sender as Queen Creek mother Lindzie Head.
Lindzie Head sent a copy of “Homegoing” along with a rope to Higley school board member Anna Van Hoek.
Head is a medical technologist (clinical lab scientist) at Mercy Gilbert Medical Center who serves on the Queen Creek Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. She previously held leadership roles with the PTO for Cortina Elementary School and Sossaman Middle School.
Van Hoek has taken stances on issues such as removing dirty books from classrooms and barring boys (identifying as transgender girls) from girls’ sports, in alliance with organizations such as Arizona Women of Action.
The package came after a high school English teacher, Brittany O’Neill, came under investigation for assigning the very book Head sent to Van Hoek, “Homegoing.” The book is a historical fiction addressing slavery that contains a number of passages depicting sex and rape, as well as abuse and drug use.
State law prevents the provision of sexually explicit books unless the materials are deemed educational, and parents give their consent. The Gilbert Police Department notified the district that it was investigating O’Neill over the assignment last month.
In that controversy, Van Hoek sided with the aggrieved parents who believe the book shouldn’t have been assigned to minors due to its content.
Van Hoek said in a statement that Head and her husband, Kyle Head, indicated to police that they have retained legal counsel.
In her statement, Van Hoek also said that she would not tolerate this threatening behavior. Van Hoek advised that she had previously endured an attack on her property: her tire was slashed during a board meeting last October.
“I want to make it unequivocally clear that I will not tolerate this kind of harassment and threats directed not only at myself but also at our district parents,” said Van Hoek. “Everyone has a right to express their concerns and speak out without fear of intimidation.”
Van Hoek also advised that another district parent had received the same sexually explicit book in an anonymous package from Head (confirmed by Gilbert Police) with the following message:
“Read the book and maybe you’ll learn something,” said Head’s message.
The same district parent who received Head’s package reported having his identifying information doxed on social media.
Van Hoek said that no additional information about the incidents could be provided due to an ongoing investigation.
These unwelcome packages appear to be the latest efforts by Head to become more civically involved.
Last May, Head participated in and graduated from the town of Queen Creek’s Citizen Leadership Institute. It was several months after this graduation that she applied for (and was given) the board member role for the Queen Creek Parks and Recreation Board.
Last October, Head wrote an opinion piece for the Daily Independent asking Congress to work in a bipartisan manner and pass the budget.
Head’s Instagram bio reads, “You can sit with me. Here to be unreasonable. Uninformed and relying on hearsay.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
A rural Arizona legislator received an honor for his defense of a timeless right embedded in the Bill of Rights.
Earlier this month, State Representative Quang Nguyen, a Republican, received the 2024 “Legislator of the Year” award from the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL) for “his steadfast commitment to protecting Second Amendment rights.”
State Representative @QuangNguyenAZ Earns “Legislator of the Year” Award for Defense of Second Amendment
“I’m deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Arizona Citizens Defense League. Protecting the Second Amendment is a responsibility I take seriously, and I will… pic.twitter.com/T7zUEl5O6p
In a statement accompanying his announcement of the award, Nguyen said, “I’m deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Arizona Citizens Defense League. Protecting the Second Amendment is a responsibility I take seriously, and I will continue to stand with the citizens of Arizona to ensure their rights are not infringed upon. The AzCDL plays a vital role in protecting our constitutional freedoms of firearm owners across our state. I’m proud to work alongside this important organization in this ongoing effort to safeguard the liberties of all Arizonans.”
According to his press release, Representative Nguyen “plays a key role in advancing legislation that defends the rights of gun owners in Arizona, while blocking efforts aimed at undermining those protections.” Nguyen serves as the Chairman of the all-important House Judiciary Committee, where much of these proposals originate.
Last year, Nguyen’s seatmate, Representative Selina Bliss, earned the same award from the Second Amendment organization.
Demonstrating his watchful eyes over the Second Amendment rights of Arizonans, Nguyen recently sent a letter to municipal leaders in the City of Sedona, requesting that they review an ordinance dealing with firearms. He highlighted that the prohibition in the ordinance “on carrying firearms is not consistent with Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-3108,” thus making it “invalid and unenforceable because it exceeds what state law authorizes.
Nguyen was previously named to “a select group of Republican legislators nationwide chosen for GOPAC’s 2024 Class of Emerging Leaders, an honor which recognizes a member’s strong sense of service, purpose, and effective leadership in the State Legislature.”
According to its website, AzCDL “is a non-profit 501(c)(4), all volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to the principles contained in Article II, Section 2 of the Arizona Constitution that ‘All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.’”
The organization’s goals for Arizona are as follows:
Freedom to Carry – Restore and protect the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm openly or discreetly anywhere they have a right to be.
Fewer restrictions on the lawful carrying of firearms on public property (state and local government buildings, parks, etc.).
Restaurant Carry – The ability of law-abiding citizens to dine out while carrying a firearm.
Continued strengthening and preservation of the right of presumed innocence in self-defense situations.
Strong State Preemption – Firearms laws should be consistent throughout the State.
Liability responsibility for property owners who ban firearms.
Continued improvements to CCW laws.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The nation’s fifth-largest city, Phoenix, is also home to one of the highest eviction rates in the nation.
Rising evictions appear to be a side effect of the city’s burgeoning housing crisis amid a declining economy. A report from the Wall Street Journal released this week highlighted the trend of increased evictions, featuring some of the Phoenicians who underwent evictions recently.
Phoenix has a rate of 16 eviction filings per 100 renter households according to estimates from Eviction Lab, a Princeton University research group that tracks eviction rates in 36 major cities and 10 states across the country.
According to data pulled from American Community Survey and reported by the Eviction Lab, Phoenix has over 583,600 renter households and typical rent averages nearly $1,400 a month.
Per data acquired by Eviction Lab from the Maricopa County Justice Courts, there have been over 285,300 eviction filings since March 2020, with nearly 90,600 of those (31 percent) filed within the past year and over 6,000 (two percent) within the last month. Between January and September, there were nearly 69,000 evictions. Should these evictions keep up with the monthly average of around 7,700 evictions, there would be nearly 92,000 evictions by the year’s end.
There were about 83,200 eviction filings in 2023. The all-time total high for evictions was about 83,700 evictions in 2005. The average eviction judgment from January to September sits at over $3,100, which is less than the $3,400 average of 2023.
Nearly 39,700 of recent years’ evictions were categorized demographically as white neighborhoods, nearly 22,800 were “other” neighborhoods, and over 20,700 were Latino neighborhoods.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego told the Wall Street Journal that folks should look to the state for reforms on laws allowing such a high rate of evictions.
“We don’t control evictions,” said Gallego.
The increased evictions may curb the small gains the city has made in reducing its homeless population — an aspect of the fast-growing metropolitan area that also incurred national interest.
Maricopa County’s latest Point-In-Time Homeless Count from January reported over 9,400 individuals as homeless in the Phoenix area, a decline from the January 2023 total of over 9,600.
Earlier this year, we reported that the city had spent over $180 million over the course of three years to address its homeless population.
The Arizona Department of Economic Security (ADES) did offer a rental assistance program for families and those over the age of 60 years, but applications closed in August.
ADES also offers resources for emergency short-term housing.
ADES directed those in need of assistance to visit 211, the Short-Term Crisis Services Program, or their local Community Action Agency for other support services.
Community Action Agencies can provide utility or mortgage assistance, eviction or foreclosure prevention assistance, rental deposits, and emergency shelter. ADES warned that these agencies are currently experiencing high demand.
Maricopa County has five Community Action Agencies with multiple locations providing various assistance: Maricopa County Human Services, City of Glendale Community Action Programs, City of Phoenix Human Services, City of Phoenix Family Services Centers, and Mesa Community Action Network.
Those interested in knowing which health and human services programs they qualify for may use the Arizona Self Help questionnaire.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Grand Canyon University (GCU) will now cover the college costs for over 300 students this academic year.
The university expanded its Canyon Rising Scholarship (formerly the Students Inspiring Students Scholarship) to meet the needs of 305 high-achieving, low-income high school seniors. 100 of those scholarships will also include total coverage of costs for on-campus housing and meal plans.
GCU President Brian Mueller said in a press release that the university had a duty to give back to the community around it by offering opportunities for growth.
“As GCU continues to grow, it is important to the university that the community surrounding it grows along with it,” said Mueller. “Historically, education is the great equalizer in society, providing equality of opportunity for all socioeconomic classes.”
Mueller shared that the majority of students within the scholarship program were first-generation college students and students of color.
“Since this program’s inception, the overwhelming majority of scholarship recipients have been first-generation college students and students of color because that is the demographic of the community in which we reside,” said Mueller.
The scholarship program is open to over 20 high schools in GCU’s inner-city neighborhood.
GCU began its Canyon Rising Scholarship (Students Inspiring Students Scholarship) in 2016. The university initially partnered with Alhambra High School.
GCU has offered over 1,000 scholarships since the program’s inception eight years ago.
Those admitted into the program participate in an honoring ceremony at the start of the school year at GCU’s Global Credit Union Arena, attended by loved ones of the students as well as donors to the program.
GCU revealed in its press release that it plans to expand career counseling efforts to assist these program students for job preparation post-graduation. Jennifer Mitchell, GCU K12 and Collegiate Advancement director, explained that the counseling fulfills GCU’s goal of sustained success to impact not only program participants’ futures but the well-being of their communities.
“Our program leaders will work to connect scholars with real-life work experience in their neighborhood, which means a greater likelihood they’ll stay and be part of the transformation of their community,” said Mitchell.
These scholarships are renewable for up to eight semesters and not subject to GCU CAP policy. In order to be eligible for the next round of Canyon Rising Scholarship grants, students must qualify to receive the maximum Pell Grant amount as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), have a minimum 3.0 unweighted high school GPA, be a graduating senior from an Arizona high school, and be an incoming high school senior starting in the fall 2025-26 academic year.
In order to get started, students must apply to GCU, which doesn’t require an application fee; submit their high school transcripts; meet with their university admissions counselor to review eligibility requirements; complete FAFSA (GCU school code 0010704); and register for courses and begin their degree program at GCU.
Those accepted into the scholarship program must also participate in the Canyon Rising Scholarship Seminar, which equips students with introductions to university management, LEAD support, presentation for success at GCU, and expectations for the school year.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Arizona’s Republican Party leader got a shoutout from a former – and potentially future – President of the United States.
During former President Donald J. Trump’s recent stop in Tempe, he addressed the work of Gina Swoboda, who took the reins of the Republican Party of Arizona earlier this year. Trump said of Swoboda, “This woman has done a job […] especially early voting, and we are doing record successful numbers, and I think it’s gonna stay that way. Gina Swoboda, great job – thank you!”
“The @AZGOP Chairwoman has done a job […] especially early voting and we are doing record successful numbers, and I think it’s gonna stay that way. @GinaSwoboda, great job, thank you.”
When Swoboda threw her services in the ring for the top spot at the AZGOP at the beginning of this year, she quickly earned the endorsement of President Trump, giving her a clear advantage over other candidates in the race. After winning her election for chair, Swoboda posted, “Arizona is the key to the presidency. I was proud to have the support of President Trump in this victory to lead the AZGOP into the most important election of our lifetime. Now it’s time to turn out every last vote for the 47th President, DONALD J TRUMP!”
Since the start of early voting in Arizona, Swoboda has consistently pushed her audiences to return their ballots ahead of the critical date of November 5.
Early voting starts when? TOMORROW!
And you know what doesn’t jam? Your ballot in a signed affidavit envelope, sealed and dropped off early!
As of Friday, October 25, Arizona Republicans have built a lead over Democrats with early ballot returns. Republicans were almost 72,000 returned ballots ahead of Democrats (7.3%).
Rs enjoy a +71,634 (7.3%) advantage over Ds. Instead of our lead in Arizona shrinking or flatlining, it's actually been increasing day-by-day. Very… pic.twitter.com/hy2IAoDYqU
In Maricopa County, Republicans have built an-almost 40,000 ballot advantage over Democrats. While these numbers do not take into account the ballots or votes of the Independents that could decide the fate of many races, banked votes in the state’s largest county could prove to be the difference in Republicans maintaining control over the Arizona Legislature and the county positions up for consideration.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
