The company behind the ballot printer model behind the mass voting machine failures last November, OKI, says that Maricopa County’s oversight is to blame, not their machines.
In a statement issued last month, OKI refuted Maricopa County’s findings in its April report commissioned by the county attorney’s office, which claimed that their printers weren’t capable of printing 20-inch ballots on 100-pound paper under Election Day conditions. OKI said that the manual accompanying the problematic printer clearly outlined how the two different printer trays handled two different paper weights. The multipurpose tray could support paper weights of up to 110 pounds; however, the paper cassettes could only support up to 80 pounds.
NEW: Former Supreme Court Justice releases findings from independent investigation into issues that affected some Maricopa County Vote Centers in the 2022 General Election. Read the report: https://t.co/XHSySbrk3l Board statement: https://t.co/pdZF9U2FvV
OKI also noted that the manual specified how a 100-pound cover was “well out of spec” for both the multipurpose tray and cassettes. OKI noted that any consultation with their company would’ve also made those facts clear to the county. However, the county didn’t consult with them; the attorney’s office didn’t reach out during their investigatory report either.
“Without clarification in the testing process that defines the exact paper type and the printing source (multipurpose tray or cassette), the conclusion is disingenuous given the fact that the use of 100 lb. paper can be out of specification for the B432 printers, as can be discerned readily from the printers’ manual,” stated OKI. “As a result, it seems that the true underlying cause of the election issues was the use of 100 lb. paper without reviewing the manual and/or confirming with OKI that such use was within the specifications of the OKI B432 printers. Had the County consulted OKI prior to such use, the design specifications would have been discussed and alternatives could have been explored.” (emphasis added)
OKI said that it is awaiting a corrected report from Maricopa County.
OKI also refuted two other major assertions made by the report: that the fuser inadequacy of the printers weren’t easily remedied because the fuser can’t be easily replaced, and that the company cannot offer parts and consumables for the printers because it withdrew from North American markets.
In a point-by-point rebuttal, OKI said that the printer fusers were easy to replace and could be done so on-site by technicians. They also clarified their legal obligation to support printers currently in the field with consumables and spare parts for a five-year minimum ending in 2028.
As AZ Free News reported last year, the printer model provided by OKI was one of two ballot-on-demand (BOD) printer types. The OKI model used by Maricopa County was retrofitted in 2020 to be a BOD printer for last year’s election.
The county increased the ballot size from 19 to 20 inches to accommodate for several candidates and propositions that weren’t finalized until late last August.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Amid a growing issue of homelessness around Arizona – especially in the Phoenix-Metro region – Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs rejected a Republican proposal to help address the problem.
On Monday, Governor Hobbs vetoed SB 1413, sponsored by Senator Justine Wadsack, would have required “a county, city or town, upon notice of the existence of a homeless encampment, to notify the owner to remove the structure from the location;” and would have stated “that persons who violate this prohibition are guilty of criminal trespassing or drug offenses as prescribed.”
In a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, which explained her justification for the veto, Hobbs wrote: “People become and remain unsheltered for a variety of reasons. This legislation addresses none of those root causes, offers no pathways to assistance, and effectively criminalizes experiencing homelessness.”
Hobbs invited Petersen and his legislative colleagues to join her “in pursuing more productive solutions that respect human and constitutional rights.”
Senator Wadsack responded to the governor’s veto of her bill with a press release that denounced the action from the Ninth Floor of the Arizona Executive Tower, saying: “The City of Phoenix and the City of Tucson are two prime examples of local governments long ignoring a public safety issue that is now spiraling out of control. Murders, drug abuse, sexual assaults, human feces, fires, hypodermic needles and piles of trash are just some of the issues plaguing homeless encampments and spilling into areas where families, children and small businesses inhabit. This bill was to serve as a tool for municipalities to use in an effort to get these individuals off the streets and into services connecting them to shelter, sanitation facilities, health care and meals. Various outreach groups, like Gospel Rescue Mission, have availability right now to serve these individuals and get them back on their feet.”
The bill’s sponsor went on to warn readers about the consequences of the first-year governor’s veto, adding, “If Governor Hobbs’ goal is to turn Arizona into California, her veto of this bill will surely contribute to our state’s demise. In no time, our cities will resemble that of San Francisco, with major corporations withdrawing operations and lawlessness filling our streets. This is unacceptable governance from Hobbs and only advances chaos, not sanity, within our state.”
In March, the piece of legislation passed the state senate with a 16-12 vote (two members not voting). After being transmitted to the House of Representatives, SB 1412 cleared that chamber in May, in a 31-27 vote (with one member not voting and one seat vacant).
Progress Arizona posted its thanks to Governor Hobbs for her veto, tweeting, “Sen Justine Wadsack, an extremist lawmaker from Pima County, spends her time at the #AZLEG bullying unhoused residents, attacking LGBTQ+ people, spreading conspiracy theories & pushing hateful legislation. SB 1413, like many of her horrible proposed bills, would’ve penalized unhoused residents living in encampments with criminal trespassing.”
🧵Sen. Justine Wadsack, an extremist lawmaker from Pima County, spends her time at the #AZLEG bullying unhoused residents, attacking LGBTQ+ people, spreading conspiracy theories & pushing hateful legislation. SB1413, like many of her horrible proposed bills, would've penalized… pic.twitter.com/KrVyZsZQ9f
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) removed a social-emotional learning (SEL) hurdle for low-income schools seeking access to federal funding.
ADE slimmed down the Comprehensive Needs Assessment, which schools must complete and submit in order to receive Title I funding designated for low-income schools. Superintendent Tom Horne directed the assessment to remove questions related to SEL, reducing the assessment questions from 168 to 20.
Horne justified the move in a press release, saying that the SEL questions unnecessarily and disproportionately weighed down the assessment, creating a significant administrative hurdle for schools requiring federal assistance.
“The previous Comprehensive Needs Assessment was weighed down with absurd measurements regarding Social Emotional Learning (SEL), which many teachers have complained is just a series of games that detract from teaching reading and math,” said Horne. “The prior emphasis on SEL issues meant the report grew to an unmanageable 80 pages with 168 questions. Now there are 20 questions on six pages, all devoted to improving core academics.”
In addition to removing the SEL barrier, ADE is updating its annual Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) program. ADE projected that the pilot program will reduce administrative workload by 80 percent time-wise.
Horne represents a 180 from his predecessor, Kathy Hoffman, who was an advocate for SEL.
In other moves signaling a complete turnaround from Hoffman, Horne has also removed the controversial online sexuality-focused chat spaces for minors from the department website, as well as abolished the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department.
My administration is keeping our promises. We got rid of QueerChat on day 1, got rid of the DEI department, and took over funding for Project Momentum, which has improved districts across Arizona. I'll never stop working to empower parents and students! pic.twitter.com/oQegZqDjcX
Horne has also been defending the upkeep of universal school choice, the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program. The superintendent defends the program as not only beneficial for parents desiring a more tailored education, but as a cost-saving measure to the state.
Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) will not bankrupt the state. Superintendent Horne is focused on empowering parents and allowing every single parent the option to choose the best school for their child. #EducationForAllhttps://t.co/FZa0snGHJ5
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) June 5, 2023
This puts the superintendent in conflict with Gov. Katie Hobbs, who claimed universal school choice wasn’t sustainable from a fiscal standpoint.
The school voucher program in its current form is not sustainable, and Republican legislators need to explain why they are forcing this runaway spending on Arizona taxpayers. We need to bring an end to this out of control and unaccountable spending, and I will work tirelessly to…
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) May 31, 2023
Horne is also defending state law banning males from female sports — also running counter to the stance held by Hobbs, as well as the Biden administration.
Superintendent Horne is defending state law against politically driven out of state law firms. Biological males should not be playing competitive sports with biological females. Thank you @icons_women athletes for joining us and fighting for Title IX. https://t.co/adSYXBa2cG
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) May 24, 2023
Superintendent Horne said, "The proposed rule submitted by the U.S. Department of Education would decimate girls’ sports in public schools and is contrary to the original intent of Title IX to provide a level playing field for women and girls to participate in team sports.
— Arizona Department of Education (@azedschools) May 5, 2023
In April, the parents of two boys identifying as girls sued the state over the ban. The lawsuit claimed that transgenderism was a “sex-based trait.”
“There is a medical consensus that a person’s gender identity is not subject to voluntary change and a significant biological foundation,” stated the lawsuit.
New lawsuit challenging Arizona's ban on transgender athletes in K-12 sports claims that transgenderism is a trait, not a state of mind. pic.twitter.com/E7NgDgh01W
The lawsuit also claimed that all individuals have a gender identity — a perception of one’s gender in addition to their biological reality — and that the only proper treatment for those with gender dysphoria was to allow the full exercise of the dysphoric feelings.
“Under the medical standards of care for the treatment of gender dysphoria in adolescents, the only safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria is to permit transgender adolescents to live consistent with their gender identity in all aspects of their lives,” stated the lawsuit.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The 15-minute cities that have received the backing of the mayors of multiple cities eventually result in consequences like zoning permits that limit free movement. These proposals have stirred up controversy.
Such was the case earlier this year in Oxford, England, when the city council announced the division of the city into six districts and the implementation of zoning permits for those traveling by car. Effectively, citizens will be required to obtain permits in order to drive the roads exiting their zone; if they don’t, they will be fined. Those who walk, bike, or take buses or taxis, however, won’t be subjected to fines.
The plan incited global controversy after Oxford residents posted criticisms about the severe limitations that these zoning permits imposed. Fact-checkers and mainstream media outlets debunked the concerns as conspiracy theories.
15 minute cities will go from "isn't that convenient?" to "why do you want to go anywhere else?" to "your permit does not allow you to leave zone 17" really, really quickly.
15-minute cities intend to create communities in which citizens may access everything necessary for living within a 15-minute walking or biking distance. The concept came from controversial University of Paris professor Carlos Moreno. A major premise behind the 15-minute city concept is the belief that it will mitigate and even reverse climate change.
Essentially, 15-minute cities greatly disincentivize or outright ban travel by car, thereby limiting citizens’ movements.
Leadership from several of Arizona’s major cities and towns have backed the 15-minute city concept: Phoenix and Tucson.
The push for 15-minute cities gained momentum following emergency declarations over the COVID-19 outbreak. In July 2020, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) published a plan to implement 15-minute cities via the societal upheaval from the pandemic, using the same slogan as the one used for President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign: “Build Back Better.” Nearly 100 mayors with C40 membership signed onto the idea.
C40 also announced that the pandemic was an opportune time for leaders to reset their political and economic priorities. In that call to action, C40 said it would attempt to recruit over 1,000 cities to sign a Global Green New Deal.
“The pandemic has made it clear that existing economic and political systems often fail to protect our communities and our ecosystems, especially the most vulnerable,” stated C40. “However, when we prioritize people and communities over profit, we can build economies and cities that work for everyone and don’t bring harm to the living world around us.”
C40 consists of mayors from over 100 cities globally committed to combating climate change by cutting emissions by 50 percent in its member cities. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has served on the C40’s steering committee since 2021; she is the only American on the 13-member committee.
C40’s emissions reduction plans align with the Paris Accords agreement, which demands carbon neutrality by 2030 or 2050. C40 required member cities to create their own plan in 2016. Plans to reduce emissions must prioritize progressive social justice elements, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion.
C40 launched in 2005 under London, England’s then-Mayor Ken Livingstone, originally called “C20.” In 2006, former President Bill Clinton merged his Climate Initiative with C20 to form what is now known as C40. Clinton’s Clinton Foundation remains one of the organization’s key partners.
In 2007, then-New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined C40 as well as hosted its second annual conference. Bloomberg remains one of C40’s highest funders; the organization has earned annual revenues well over $32 million the last few years.
Other major funders to C40 include George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, Oak Foundation, ClimateWorks Foundation, Google, the Wellcome Fund, and the European Climate Foundation.
In 2015, both then-President Barack Obama and Biden, while vice president, urged more cities to join C40’s Compact of Mayors.
In April, the Biden administration gave a first-ever investment of $1 million to a C40-led initiative to address “climate migration” in Latin American cities. That same week, Biden signed an executive order to prioritize environmental justice into federal agencies; a C40 representative was there for the signing.
I was honored to represent @c40cities as @POTUS signed an executive order on environmental justice today. Justice is at core of so much of our cities’ work to tackle the climate crisis, including Houston whose solar energy work was acknowledged by President Biden. pic.twitter.com/2n2vAZN7zq
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo campaigned off the 15-minute city concept and implemented it during the pandemic in 2020. Under Hidalgo, the city has purged cars from most major areas, causing traffic to worsen and, essentially, disincentivizing car travel. Rush hour along the Seine river now crawls after the city closed a major roadway which had previously ensured car travel at a steady pace. The closed roadway, as Bloomberg observed, is now mostly an empty space with sparse pedestrian and cyclist use. Cars also have reduced access on major streets and the beltway.
Concurrent with the 15-minute city push is Vision Zero: an attempt to eliminate all traffic fatalities by restructuring roads to diminish car usage. Vision Zero is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, a grantmaking institution whose funding comes from a variety of left-leaning nonprofits such as the Grove Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the NoVo Foundation. Phoenix established a Vision Zero plan last year, which will cost $10 million indefinitely.
Initiatives resembling Vision Zero efforts include “road diets,” which reduce the number of drivable lanes by converting car lanes into 15-minute city-friendly features such as bike lanes or pedestrian refuge islands. Scottsdale recently approved a road diet for one of their major roadways.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
A powerful Arizona state senator is calling out the state’s Democrat governor for her veto of his bill that would have protected children.
This week, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB 1696, which was recently transmitted to her office. The bill would have outlined “prohibitions on the State of Arizona, a state or a city, town, county or a political subdivision of the state regarding sexually explicit materials.” Those aforementioned entities would have been prohibited “from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials,” and the properties owned, leased or managed by those entities would have been banned from filming or facilitating sexually explicit acts.
Hobbs explained her reasoning behind the veto in a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, writing, “I have vetoed SB 1696. While I agree that not all content is appropriate for minors, this bill is a poor way to address those concerns. The sponsor has stated that this bill was aimed at preventing a specific action from reoccurring, while in reality it is written in such a vague manner that it serves as little more than a thinly veiled effort to ban books.”
The bill’s sponsor, Senator Jake Hoffman, was outraged over the governor’s action, issuing a blistering statement to push back against her decision: “Once again, Katie Hobbs is spotlighting Democrats’ far-left extremism by vetoing yet another bill intended to protect our children from exposure to sexually explicit materials at the hands of Arizona governments. It’s absolutely sickening that Katie Hobbs is allowing pornography to be filmed in our state’s taxpayer-funded classrooms. These should be safe spaces for our kids to learn in, not venues for the sexually explicit adult entertainment industry. No 12-year-old child should ever have to worry that their middle school desk was the location of a porn shoot, yet because of Hobbs’ actions, this is precisely the case. Hobbs should be ashamed of herself, and every parent in the state of Arizona should be outraged. This is a despicable use of government resources, and there should be legal repercussions in place to discourage these types of practices from ever occurring again.”
In a release sent out just days before Hobbs vetoed his bill, Hoffman explained why his proposal was vital for the interests of the Grand Canyon State, saying, “Just last year, two Arizona teachers in Mohave County used government facilities to film pornography which they were then posting and profiting from. Astonishingly, there is no law that prohibits this from happening.”
SB 1696 recently passed the Arizona House of Representatives with a 31-27 vote (with one member not voting and one seat vacant) after clearing the chamber’s Government Committee with a party-line 5-4 vote. Earlier in the legislative session, it had received approval from the state senate with a 16-14 tally, after being given the green light in the chamber’s Government Committee with another 5-3 party-line vote.
Senators Anthony Kern and Justine Wadsack and Representatives Rachel Jones, Cory McGarr, and Austin Smith joined as co-sponsors to this bill.
Representatives from the Arizona Education Association, the Arizona Chapter for the National Association of Social Workers, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, and Save Our Schools Arizona registered their opposition to the bill throughout the legislative process.
The Arizona Freedom Caucus had weighed in on Hoffman’s earlier plea to Governor Hobbs, writing, “Taxpayer-funded facilities should never be used for things like filming pornography. Unfortunately, it’s a fact that they have been. Putting an end to this abuse of taxpayer-funded school classrooms is a no brainer. Governor Hobbs do the right thing & sign the bill.”
Taxpayer-funded government facilities should never be used for things like filming pornography.
Unfortunately it’s a fact that they have been.
Putting an end to this abuse of taxpayer-funded school classrooms is a no brainer.@GovernorHobbs do the right thing & sign the bill. https://t.co/3PQTHFjQ7u
— Arizona Freedom Caucus (@AZFreedomCaucus) June 1, 2023
Democrat Representative Nancy Gutierrez took the opposing approach in her response on Twitter, posting: “This is who you are voting for if you are voting Republican in AZ. This is disgusting propaganda. Instead of putting the Legislature on a break for weeks, maybe we could go do our jobs and not leave time for this foolishness.”
This is who you are voting for if you are voting Republican in AZ. This is disgusting propaganda. Instead of putting the Legislature on a break for weeks, maybe we could go do our jobs and not leave time for this foolishness. https://t.co/i2VrXrfsGh
— Representative Nancy Gutierrez (@nancygforAZ) June 1, 2023
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The state of Arizona set aside $5 million to research the impact of psychedelic mushrooms on those suffering from mental illnesses like PTSD and drug addiction.
The funds provided by the Arizona legislature in this past session will go to the Scottsdale Research Institute (SRI), the only Arizona facility authorized by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to grow psilocybin mushrooms. Sue Sisley, SRI president, revealed to ABC 15 that this would be the first study of its kind on human subjects.
“Real natural psilocybin mushrooms have never been evaluated in a controlled trial, can you believe that?” said Sisley. “It works its way into that part of the brain and activates some of the neurocircuits that haven’t been enlivened in a while. It starts to enable the brain to kind of be recalibrated.”
Sisley said that all of the data — both positive and negative — would be published in medical journals for public review. Trials are anticipated to begin within the year.
Sisley was also known for being the principal investigator for the only Federal Drug Administration (FDA)-approved trial in the world to examine the safety and efficacy of marijuana smoking in combat veterans with severe PTSD. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) granted the approval in March 2014. At the time, Sisley was a professor at the the University of Arizona (UArizona) College of Medicine.
The DEA gave Sisley approval for another study on the efficacy and safety of marijuana to treat PTSD in April 2016.
In addition to being licensed for medical-grade cannabis growth, SRI has been licensed to make and issue MDMA and LSD for study.
In 2020, NIDA warned that marijuana usage is linked to an increased risk of earlier onset of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.
Shortly after NIDA’s approval, UArizona terminated Sisley. Sisley claimed that she was terminated by the university for her political activity: specifically, involvement with a recall campaign against then-State Sen. Kimberly Yee, currently the state treasurer. Sisley also claimed that UArizona was opposed to her medicinal marijuana research.
UArizona rejected Sisley’s claims, pointing to legislation they supported the prior year enabling marijuana research to be executed on college campuses.
“The University of Arizona does not comment on personnel issues. In regard to marijuana research, in general, in 2013, the UA championed state legislation to ensure that universities could perform medical marijuana research on campus,” stated the university. “The UA has not received political pressure to terminate any employee as has been suggested in some media and other reports.”
At the time of the federal research approvals through the present, Sisley has served as a medical director for a medical marijuana dispensary, White Mountain Health.
All of the mind-altering drugs in Sisley’s research — psilocybin mushrooms, marijuana, LSD, and MDMA — were the basis of study for the CIA’s covert “mind control” experimentation program, MK-ULTRA, and its predecessors: Project Bluebird and Project ARTICHOKE.
These experiments were inspired by Japanese and Nazi doctors’ practices of using mescaline on prisoners in the Auschwitz and Dachau concentration camps. MK-ULTRA consisted of psychological torture, resulting in numerous deaths and permanent mental damage.
The CIA destroyed most of the documents pertaining to MK-ULTRA in 1973 following the Watergate scandal. About 20,000 documents were spared due to erroneous filing in a financial records building. The following year, The New York Times began to uncover the program, prompting a congressional investigation.
The researcher that started and ran MK-ULTRA, Sidney Gottlieb, was awarded by the CIA for his work.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
