The animosity and distrust between the Maricopa Board of Supervisors and the Republican-led Arizona Legislature continues to deepen with a new issue finding a wedge between the two sides.
On Wednesday, Arizona Senator J.D. Mesnard took to the floor of his chamber to address the Maricopa County Supervisors’ ongoing consideration of two legislative vacancies in both the House and the Senate.
"The length of time of these vacancies is the longest, while we've been in session, in a half a century! 56 years!"
One of the vacancies is due to an expulsion of a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives. The other for a resignation of a Democrat member of the State Senate.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is statutorily required by law to select the replacement for the vacancy from a pool of three same-party nominees chosen by their party. Republican precinct committeemen transmitted three names for the open House seat (Liz Harris, Julie Willoughby, and Steve Steele) as did the Democrats for the Senate seat (Representatives Cesar Aguilar and Flavio Bravio in addition to Quant’a Crews).
Mesnard’s frustrations boiled over on the Senate floor as he laid out his charge against the Supervisors’ alleged delay in filling the two vacancies for 19 (Senate) and 20 (House) days. He informed his colleagues “the length of these vacancies is the longest, while we’ve been in session, in a half a century – 56 years!” The East Valley lawmaker also said that 8.76 days is the historical average to fill the vacancy.
What seemed to bring Senator Mesnard to this point were some of the rumors he recounted hearing about for the reasons in the delay to fulfill the vacancies. According to the senator, “one of the rumors is there may be a belief that the county can reject all three of the nominees put forward.” The other rumor “is that (the supervisors) just want to sit on this for a while and hold out for some piece of legislation that they want to see passed” – in other words, “leverage” on the Arizona Legislature.
Senator Mesnard spoke on behalf of the 120 Republican precinct committeemen who rearranged their schedule back in April to nominate the three individuals to fill the open House seat. He bemoaned the fact that such a lengthy delay was not previously an issue, and he hinted that maybe his colleagues should take future action to change the statute to force the county board of supervisors to act with more urgency when filling vacancies during a legislative session. He stated that the “Board of Supervisors should have held a special meeting to hasten what should be an important priority for them.”
The members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors were definitely paying attention to Senator Mesnard’s words. Supervisor Steve Gallardo quickly responded on Twitter, writing, “Thanks for taking us all the way back to the 70s Senator. We didn’t receive nominees until the 4/18. Some didn’t respond right away to request for background info. Board is performing due diligence. As always, Arizona Senate Republicans are ignoring the facts.”
Thanks for taking us all the way back to the 70s Senator. We didn’t receive nominees until the 4/18. Some didn’t respond right away to request for background info. Board is performing due diligence. As always @AZSenateGOP are ignoring the facts. 🤣 https://t.co/JiRXnWLj0C
— Supervisor Steve Gallardo (@Steve_Gallardo) May 3, 2023
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
As budget negotiations between Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs and the Republican leaders of the Arizona Legislature continue to inch closer toward a summer deadline, the Senate President and Speaker of the House are finding other endeavors to do the people’s business.
On Monday, the Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus announced an action taken by President Warren Petersen “to defend the Save Women’s Sports Act in court.”
That action was a Motion to Intervene in the case of Jane Doe, et al. v Thomas C. Horne, et al., which Petersen and Speaker Ben Toma filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona Tucson Division “to protect a state law banning biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ athletic events at Arizona public schools, colleges and universities.” The newly enacted policy was SB 1165, which was signed into law by former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on March 30, 2022.
Petersen released the following quote to accompany the news of his court filing: “Senate and House Republicans stand in solidarity to protect women and girls from the injustices being attempted against them by the extreme left. Female athletes deserve equal opportunities in sporting events, which will not happen so long as males are allowed to compete against them. Science is clear that male athletes have many inherent physical advantages over females, including greater size, stronger muscles and larger bone structure. By allowing males to compete against females, we’re essentially subjecting young girls to greater risk of injury, as well as stripping them of athletic opportunities their female predecessors have long fought for. In the absence of the Attorney General defending Arizona’s law, we’re looking forward to fighting for the rights of female athletes across Arizona, as well as for the Court making it clear Arizona’s law protecting women and girls should be enforced.”
According to the Senate Republican’s press release, “on April 17, 2023, plaintiffs represented by a radical organization filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the law from being enforced in Arizona,” and “Attorney General Kris Mayes is not defending the constitutionality of the law.”
The transfer of power from Republican Mark Brnovich to Democrat Kris Mayes in the Attorney General’s Office has forced the Republican-led Arizona Legislature into the lead role when it comes to litigation of federal and state lawsuits. Both legislative generals figure to take many more legal actions over the next year and a half with Democrats occupying the Governor’s and Attorney General’s Office in the Grand Canyon State.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
After a week of controversy from an Arizona Democrat lawmaker, Republicans in the House of Representatives are attempting to hold her accountable for actions caught on tape.
On Monday, Arizona Representatives Justin Heap, David Marshall, and Lupe Diaz filed an ethics complaint with the House Ethics Committee against Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton. The charge, according to the filing, alleges “upon information and belief, Representative Stahl Hamilton removed and concealed House property – specifically, Holy Bibles that have long been on display in the House Members’ Lounge – without apparent authority to do so. After removing the Bibles, she placed them under seat cushions, potentially causing Christian Members of the House, staff, and guests to unknowingly sit on their own holy text, and also placed one of them in a refrigerator, which is disrespectful in the extreme.”
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE🚨 State Reps. @azjustinheap, @DaveMarshallAZ & @LupeDiaz4AZ have filed a formal complaint with the House Ethics Committee over recent conduct by Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, who admitted to removing and concealing Bibles displayed in the House Members… pic.twitter.com/ZejD5ISSJF
— Arizona House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) May 2, 2023
Monday’s complaint fulfills a Thursday promise by fellow Republican, Representative Jacqueline Parker, that details would be forthcoming on an ethics complaint in this matter.
An ethics complaint has been filed. Stay tuned for more details on Monday. https://t.co/VswUsbVjuz
— Rep. Jacqueline Parker (@electjacqparker) April 29, 2023
The three lawmakers released a joint statement, reading, in part: “The actions of Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton to remove, conceal, and disrespect the sacred text held in reverence by her fellow members suggests to her colleagues, and to the millions of faithful citizens of Arizona, that their beliefs and values are no longer welcome within the halls of their own government.”
Today I, with my colleagues @DaveMarshallAZ & @LupeDiaz4AZ filed a complaint with the House Ethics Committee against Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton. Below is our statement. "May the All Mighty God recognized, by Arizona's Founders continue to protect our liberty." https://t.co/outGOaBPGD
— Az State Rep. Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) May 2, 2023
The complaint does not request “the Ethics Committee to investigate or make any determination of any criminal allegations that belong in a court of law,” but rather “submit legal authorities for consideration because they are relevant for the Committee to determine whether Representative Stahl Hamilton violated House Rule 1.”
Making their case for the Ethics Committee to take necessary action against Stahl Hamilton, the Republican coalition’s complaint states: “Representative Stahl Hamilton engaged in disorderly behavior, potentially committed repeated acts of theft, and created a hostile work environment, which demonstrate a lack of respect for other members of the Legislature, staff, visitors, and their property, and the rule of law. Her actions, as a legislator in a position of public trust, may have caused offense to the practicing Christians in Arizona, who hold the Bible as a sacred text and expect their elected officials to uphold basic principles of respect and civility.”
The Republicans make it crystal clear in the complaint that they aren’t falling for Stahl Hamilton’s comments over her actions, writing: “Representative Stahl Hamilton has dismissed her unlawful actions as: “a playful commentary,” “a peaceful protest,” or an attempt to “start a conversation on the separation of Church & State.” These public comments came only after the Representative was aware that her actions had been caught on camera and the incident became a matter of national concern. Had a camera not been installed, these deeply inappropriate actions could have continued indefinitely to the detriment of other Members. The people of Arizona deserve a higher standard of decorum and respect from their elected representatives.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Last Friday, the Maricopa County Superior Court denied the city of Phoenix’s motion to extend the deadline imposed to clean up The Zone.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney apparently rejected the city’s insistence that they’d begun taking sufficient action.
“The Court interprets this argument as meaning the injunction is unnecessary because the City is already taking steps to abate the horrible conditions in the Zone,” wrote Blaney. “But the Court issued the Preliminary Injunction based, in part, upon the City’s past failure to address the issues in The Zone, as well as the City’s apparent lack of intent to do so until faced with possible judicial intervention.
In their motion to stay the court’s preliminary injunction, the city said it didn’t dispute the current conditions of the homeless encampments, but opposed the actions they were required to take, namely the court’s suggestion of campgrounds. The city took issue with the required deadline of July 10.
“[D]eciding how to spend taxpayers’ money, deliver services, and create new infrastructure for public housing is a legislative, not judicial function,” stated the city. “[T]he order intrudes into local law enforcement and prosecutorial discretion in what appears to be an order to take mandatory enforcement action — ignoring any analysis of the facts on the ground and ordering sweeping relief in its stead.”
The city further claimed that Blaney violated the constitutional separation of powers. It also seemed to question the judge’s description of homeless individuals’ conduct as a “nuisance.” Blaney’s ruling outlined the many ways that The Zone qualified as a public nuisance. The city said it couldn’t guarantee cleaning up The Zone.
“While the City seeks to maintain a clean and crime-free environment for its residents, those are outcomes that the City simply cannot guarantee, even with the expenditure of significant resources,” stated the city.
The city also claimed that Blaney’s order didn’t reflect public interest or the true desires of the Phoenix community. That contradicts the numerous business owners and residents of The Zone and elsewhere in the city that have complained about the homeless crisis.
“The City’s policies are the product of community meetings with policymakers, the gathering of information from all relevant stakeholders, and the advice of experts at the City and throughout the community,” wrote the city. “To circumvent this process and supplant the City’s plans with the Court’s own judgment is against public interest.”
🧵INBOX: Welcome to The Zone, the epicenter of the homeless crisis that @CityofPhoenixAZ refuses to solve. This man is one of many that will likely live and die on these streets under the city's current approach to homelessness. I investigated & uncovered shocking details… pic.twitter.com/snb8QkvjsA
The homeless crisis spiraled following the election of Mayor Kate Gallego, a Democrat, in 2019.
The Maricopa County Superior Court ruled in late March that the city of Phoenix was at fault for the current state of The Zone, and imposed a cleanup deadline this summer. The ruling came days after city officials promised to meet to discuss solutions for The Zone, in the wake of back-to-back murders.
Details of a settlement in a separate, federal case haven’t been publicized yet.
Democratic leadership has generally downplayed the urgency of the public nuisances and dangers presented by The Zone.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
On Monday, the University of Arizona (UArizona) chief of police stepped down in apparent relation to the professor slaying last year. UArizona President Robert Robbins issued the announcement.
Now-former University of Arizona Police Department (UAPD) Chief Paula Balafas has grappled with a sect of the university community advocating for stronger safety protocols on campus following the murder of Professor Thomas Meixner.
Balafas criticized a report from an independent committee formed by faculty members, the General Faculty Committee on University Safety For All Informed Faculty, stating that the university leaders were “stronger than their critics.”
The committee’s 30-page interim report, issued in January, claimed that UArizona was endangered by a “glaring institutional failure” concerning disregard for employee and student safety concerns.
Meixner was shot fatally by a former UArizona graduate student.
The independent faculty committee disbanded in March, expressing fears of retaliation from university officials. Around that time, the university released its own external safety report. The report by the PAX Group detailed three systemic issues: understanding and managing threats, providing a consistent and compassionate response, and the decentralization of communications.
The PAX Group reported finding a steady increase in violent crime and criminal activity beginning in 2018, with a peak in violent activity last year. The group further noted that UArizona measures handling crime were comparable to those employed by Arizona State University (ASU), despite ASU having 15,000 more students. Yet last year, UArizona suffered nearly 20 more incidents of aggravated assault and violent crime combined than ASU.
“Although the campus is relatively safe, the data on violent crime and related activity is heading in the wrong direction; so, as a community, the University of Arizona must address this,” stated the report.
In all, the report issued 33 recommendations to improve campus safety.
Robbins announced at the time of the external report’s issuance that Steve Patterson, a 25-year FBI veteran, would take over as the interim chief safety officer. Patterson was scheduled to begin on Monday. Robbins also announced the creation of a Campus Safety Advisory Commission made up of university and community members to advise Patterson, and the inclusion of the PAX Group in crafting a campus-wide master facility safety plan.
Replacing Balafas in the interim will be Oro Valley Police Department commander Chris Olson. He formerly served as a UAPD officer.
Balafas joined UArizona just over a year ago, in February 2022. UArizona noted that she represented the first female chief of police in university history. Balafas explained in an interview shortly after her hire, and several months before Meixner’s death, that she was drawn to UArizona’s focus on a progressive approach to policing.
“[T]he way the job description for UAPD had been presented was that they were looking for someone who is really good at building community within the police department but also outside of the police department, someone who is open to change who’d been in a progressive environment,” said Balafas.
Balafas also advocated for the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusivity training. She lamented that officers weren’t as welcome in certain areas on campus, namely multicultural centers.
Balafas wasn’t the only faculty member to depart. Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Liesl Folks also stepped down, though she won’t depart until the end of this semester.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Days after a powerful Arizona government watchdog group scored a major victory in the City of Phoenix, it is turning its attention to a neighboring city over the same issue.
On Monday, John Thorpe, a Staff Attorney with the Goldwater Institute, sent a letter to Tempe Mayor Corey Woods and councilmembers, expressing serious concerns about the proposed ordinance “Relating to the Payment of Prevailing Wages on City Construction Contracts” to be considered at the Council’s upcoming meeting on May 4.
Thorpe noted his understanding that “the proposed ordinance imposes, among other measures, prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements on all contractors who participate in public works projects for the City for contracts exceeding $250,000.”
Much like the letter the Goldwater Institute previously transmitted to the City of Phoenix, Thorpe warned, “if the City adopts this ordinance and regulates matters that are expressly pre-empted by state law, it will expose the City to a high risk of litigation, as well as costs and attorneys’ fees for parties who successfully challenge the unlawful ordinance.” He also highlighted the troubling nature of the Council’s consideration of this proposal “with less than one week’s notice and little chance for input from those most affected.”
The Goldwater Institute was again representing the Arizona Builders Alliance and the Associated Minority Contractors of Arizona.
The letter to Tempe’s municipal leaders follows the repeal of the prevailing wage ordinance from the City of Phoenix last month after a change of two councilmembers. The vote flipped from 5-4 (approval of prevailing wage) to 6-3 (opposition of prevailing wage). Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego voted to repeal the ordinance, writing, “Workers deserve a living wage – and we can deliver that through a robust, public process that doesn’t put the city in legal and financial jeopardy. That’s why I voted with a majority of Council to direct city staff to find legally viable ways to increase wages on city projects.”
On behalf of the Goldwater Institute, Thorpe cheered on the reversal from the City of Phoenix, stating, “Yesterday’s repeal….is a reminder that Goldwater will never stop fighting to hold government accountable and to defend Americans’ economic freedom from burdensome, counterproductive regulations.”
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is still considering a 1487 complaint from Democrat Senator Catherine Miranda, who submitted the request on April 17 to “clarify the apparent conflict between two statutes and consequently determine whether Phoenix has the authority to enact prevailing wage at the municipal level.” Though Tempe isn’t the focus of the inquiry to the state’s chief law enforcement officer, her final disposition could give valuable direction and information if more cities and towns attempt to pass versions of the prevailing wage ordinance.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
