Phoenix City Council declared Indigenous Peoples’ Day an official city holiday, replacing the traditional Columbus Day commemoration.
The holiday, which will take place annually on the second Monday in October, was approved by the council during Wednesday’s meeting.
“Phoenix is proud to recognize the roots on which our city was founded,” stated Mayor Kate Gallego.
Yesterday, the City Council voted to make Indigenous Peoples' Day an official city holiday! Phoenix is proud to recognize the roots on which our city was founded.
The city’s resolution falls in line with the recent precedent set by President Joe Biden. The president first declared the replacement of Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2021.
Biden’s resolution followed up on a memorandum honoring Native Americans that he issued within the first week of his inauguration. The 2021 resolution declared that Indigenous communities had contributed greatly to American history and culture, and had been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden’s resolution also commended Native Americans for having some of the highest rates of COVID-19 vaccinations.
“History demonstrates that Native American people — and our Nation as a whole — are best served when Tribal governments are empowered to lead their communities and when Federal officials listen to and work together with Tribal leaders when formulating Federal policy that affects Tribal nations,” wrote Biden. “The Federal Government has a solemn obligation to lift up and invest in the future of Indigenous people and empower Tribal Nations to govern their own communities and make their own decisions.”
Biden’s presidential proclamation exists without holiday privileges like bank closures, however. Only a congressional act could establish Columbus Day as an official federal holiday.
Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced Columbus Day a national holiday in 1937 to commemorate Italian explorer Christopher Columbus’ landing in the Americas on October 12, 1492, attributed as the discovery of the “New World,” as the Americas were then known.
Christopher Columbus garnered controversy in recent decades for enslaving some of the Native Americans he encountered, as well as the perspective that he encroached and overtook land that wasn’t rightfully his. Efforts to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day trace back to post-Sexual Revolution movements. In 1977, a United Nations-sponsored conference combating discrimination against Native Americans discussed replacing the holiday.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that cities and states began to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day over Columbus Day.
While former Gov. Doug Ducey signed a proclamation in 2020 announcing Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Phoenix is the first Arizona city to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. However, Ducey didn’t renew the proclamation by signing another in 2021 or last year.
I’m beyond excited that Gov. Doug Ducey has signed a proclamation declaring October 12th as #IndigenousPeoplesDay in Arizona! I fully support this at the local, state, and federal level, and I’m happy to share we will also recognize Indigenous People’s Day in #Tempe this year! pic.twitter.com/OtCpUrs10B
Some local leaders across the state, such as Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly, have wished to see greater local support for the holiday. The recorder toldKOLD in 2021 that only her husband, who isn’t Native American, was able to take the day off.
“They had school, I had work, the only person in our household who had today off for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, is my husband, who is not Indigenous,” said Cázares-Kelly.
My husband has Indigenous Peoples' Day off. I'll be working and our kids have class. Our kid,"Wait…So the only non-Indigenous person in this household has Indigenous Peoples' Day off?!" Lol Smh. Next year, I'm taking it off. #IndigenousPeoplesDay#NotAFederalHolidayYet
Tucson voters will be receiving their ballots in the coming days for an upcoming special election, and the single proposition for their consideration is drawing passionate arguments from both supporters and opponents.
Proposition 412 would grant “a franchise to Tucson Electric Power (TEP) Company for the purpose of providing electric transmission and distribution services within the City of Tucson for which the City of Tucson will receive a franchise fee and other consideration.” The “other consideration” comes, in part, in the form of a “Community Resilience Fee” that will fund Tucson’s Climate Action and Adaption Plan, which is an effort to achieve “carbon neutrality for City operations by 2030.” If Tucson voters were to approve the proposition, the agreement would continue until June 1, 2048. (The current agreement ends April 2026.)
Tucson’s Democrat Mayor, Regina Romero, has endorsed Proposition 412, stating, “Please join me in voting YES on Prop 412. Tucson Electric Power is a valued partner in our community’s efforts to fight climate change, and Prop 412 will provide critical support for the City of Tucson’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Prop 412 extends TEP’s service agreement for another 25 years with citizen oversight and opportunities to revise. Cleaner, greener and more resilient power for Tucson is important to all of us. Prop 412 is a smart investment in creating resiliency for Tucson.”
Joining Mayor Romero in support of Proposition 412 are Senator Rosanna Gabaldón and Representatives Andres Cano, Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, Consuelo Hernandez, and Chris Mathis – among others.
One of the main issues causing contention over this proposal is the insertion of a community resilience fee of 0.75% of all applicable revenues of TEP – in addition to the 2.25% Franchise Fee. This new fee would be collected and disbursed for “funding costs associated with the underground installation of new TEP Facilities or conversion to underground of existing TEP facilities currently installed overhead; and projects that support the City’s implementation of the City’s approved Climate Action and Adaption Plan.” Surprisingly, the fee has picked up opposition from both sides of the political aisle.
Steve Kozachik, a Democrat Tucson Councilman, recently wrote an opinion piece for the Arizona Daily Star, arguing that “we can do better than Prop 412.” He states that “TEP is not coming out of pocket with a single penny to support renewables in Prop 412. You are, in the form of a 0.75% resiliency fee. Let’s be clear. They’re collecting those new dollars from customers, not dipping into their own revenues in support of investing more heavily in climate mitigation and decarbonizing efforts.”
Councilman Kozachik argued that “for the first 10 years the new fee is being collected, 90% of it is earmarked for undergrounding utilities….And yet our climate reality demands much more than the aesthetic of undergrounding new utility lines. A financial commitment from TEP to partner in that larger renewable energy conversation is what’s lacking in the extension of their franchise agreement.” Kozachik suggested that it may not be such a bad thing for this extension to fall short of voter approval in the upcoming election as “it can be placed back on the ballot in either August or November.” He writes that “either date would give the city and the community time to meet and identify ways the utility can demonstrate a larger commitment to addressing extreme heat and how we safely provide electricity using renewable energy sources.”
On the other end of the political spectrum, the Pima County Republican Party urged voters to reject Proposition 412, stating, “There will be a special election May 16, 2023, where the voters will decide if they want to raise their Tucson Electric Power rates to remove some poles and somehow reduce climate change by throwing money at Tucson’s Climate Action Plan.”
Kevin Thompson, a Republican member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, weighed in on the community resilience fee, telling AZ Free News: “Franchise Fees are a routine component of a utility providing service to a municipality, but what isn’t typical is the coupling of a taxpayer supported slush fund to prop up pet projects for the city in the name of fighting climate change.”
The community resilience charge isn’t the only fee that TEP is attempting to pass along to its Southern Arizona consumers. Earlier last year, TEP submitted an application to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), proposing a rate increase of 11.8% to take effect no later than September 1, 2023. TEP informed the Commission that “the new rates are intended to result in an increase in retail revenues of approximately $136 million.” According to reports, TEP customers’ bills would increase more than $14 each month should the ACC sign off on the request.
The rate increase before the ACC has earned fierce opposition from the Sierra Club, which recently took a position against TEP’s attempted action. In a March 29th release, the Sierra Club warned “the rate hike would be catastrophic for low-income families who are already hard struck by inflation, and would hurt disadvantaged and frontline communities that often bear a disproportionate air pollution burden.”
Commissioner Thompson is closely watching as both the Special Election and ACC”s decision play out before him. When asked by AZ Free News for his thoughts on these unfolding issues affecting southern Arizona, he said, “Utilities should be approaching state regulators, not courting local governments, when promoting initiatives that may have an impact on the overall reliability and integrity of our power grid.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
A little drama between a member of the Arizona press corps and a state senator marked this week at the Arizona Legislature.
On Thursday, the Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus issued a press release, revealing that “a Coconino County Judge granted Senator Wendy Rogers an Injunction Against Harassment, which was served to a reporter.” That reporter was Camryn Sanchez from the Arizona Capitol Times.
Senator Rogers outlined the reasons for the court order, writing: “Earlier in this legislative session, after the reporter repeatedly invaded my personal space at my desk in the Senate Chamber, I requested that the Senate Sergeant at Arms and staff convey to the reporter that I did not want her to approach me. I didn’t have any further issues with this reporter until this week, when she showed up at two of my Valley homes, multiple times. The latest attempted contact at one of my residences happened Wednesday night. I don’t know this reporter personally, I don’t know what she is capable of, and I don’t believe anyone in their right mind would show up uninvited to my home at night. Therefore, I don’t trust that this person wouldn’t lash out and try to physically harm me in some fashion.”
Earlier Thursday, Rogers tweeted out pictures of a woman standing at what appeared to be multiple homes, stating, “Creepy @azcapitoltimes reporter @CamrynSanchezAZ has been stalking me and my neighbors at my private residences with no explanation. A judge just issued a restraining order against her for her bizarre behavior. See photos.”
Creepy @azcapitoltimes reporter @CamrynSanchezAZ has been stalking me and my neighbors at my private residences with no explanation. A judge just issued a restraining order against her for her bizarre behavior. See photos. pic.twitter.com/ItrWNkxU6t
In a perceived sign of solidarity with Rogers, Senate President Warren Petersen included his own statement in the Republican Caucus’ release, saying, “Our members know that the media will frequently engage with us in order to document the happenings at the Legislature, but everyone deserves privacy in their personal residences without worrying about reporters repeatedly showing up unannounced. A judge, who is a disinterested, non-biased, third-party heard Senator Rogers’ complaint and agreed with her position.”
Rogers opined on her decision to seek the court-issued injunction: “After seeking guidance from my legal counsel, family, and neighbors who are also quite bothered by the attempted contacts, we decided the Injunction Against Harassment would be the best approach. My neighbors should not have had to put up with this harassment either. When I signed up to be a public servant, I understood what the job entailed, including unwarranted harassment. I’m thankful to the judge who recognized the need to issue the restraining order, and I’m hopeful this reporter will heed the warning and stop showing up at my homes or face the full force and effect of law.”
The reporter, Sanchez, was defended by many of her colleagues from around Arizona. Brahm Resnik, a longtime anchor for 12News Phoenix, tweeted, “Sen. Wendy Rogers is playing a very dangerous game in order to stifle a legitimate investigation of her acceptance of taxpayer dollars. Her irresponsible speculation about a reporter’s behavior creates a predicate for Rogers or others to take action against the media.”
Sen. Wendy Rogers is playing a very dangerous game in order to stifle a legitimate investigation of her acceptance of taxpayer dollars. Her irresponsible speculation about a reporter's behavior creates a predicate for Rogers or others to take action against the media. (1/4) https://t.co/WNY5JMqsrq
Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, a reporter with the Arizona Mirror, wrote, “Camryn Sanchez is nothing but professional. Knocking on doors is the most basic J-School 101 reporting technique. Reporters have been doing it forever. If a politician is afraid of a reporter knocking on their door it says more about them than the reporter.”
And Hank Stephenson, a writer for the Arizona Agenda, chimed in with his thoughts: “So I’m thinking press corps caravan to all of Wendy’s houses….How’s Saturday for y’all?”
So I’m thinking press corps caravan to all of Wendy’s houses…
As the issues at America’s southern border continue to mount, one Arizona Congressman took advantage of a face-to-face encounter with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to let him know exactly how he felt about the official’s job performance.
On Wednesday, the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing to “examine the Biden administration’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget proposal for the Department of Homeland Security.” On the docket for the meeting was testimony from DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Arizona Freshman Representative Eli Crane sat on this committee and had a chance to question Mayorkas.
Representative Crane didn’t mince words and he didn’t leave anyone in doubt as to his true feelings about the Biden Administration’s policies at the border. Directing the full weight of his comments to Secretary Mayorkas, who was sitting directly in front of the dais in the committee room, Crane said, “Sir, you said in your opening statements that you’re attacking cartels and smugglers in an unequivocal way. You most certainly are not, sir. As a matter of fact, if they were in this room right now, the heads of these cartels, you know what they’d tell us? They’d say, ‘hey, reelect these guys again and by all means keep that guy right in his seat because he’s our MVP. He’s making it so easy for us to smuggle drugs, smuggle people, get gangs into this country, distract our Border Patrol agents, and at the same time, destroy the U.S. economy.’ So you’re not doing a good job, sir.”
Secretary Mayorkas is the MVP for the Mexican cartels.
As long as he's the head of DHS, the cartels have an easy time smuggling drugs, engaging in sex trafficking, emboldening gangs, distracting U.S. Border Patrol agents, and destroying our economy. https://t.co/i4PPpBF1rX
Crane then used this scathing, yet respectful and measured, lecture to reiterate his support for Articles of Impeachment against the DHS Secretary, which so far have been drafted by fellow Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs. Earlier this year, Congressman Biggs re-filed the Articles after first introducing the action in August 2021. In a press release announcing his re-introduction of the Articles, Biggs said, “It’s clear Secretary Mayorkas has committed high crimes and misdemeanors. His conduct is willful and intention. He is not enforcing the law and is violating his oath of office. For these reasons, Secretary Mayorkas should be impeached.”
Biggs and Crane aren’t the only Members of Congress on the track towards tougher action against Mayorkas. Back in November 2022, Kevin McCarthy, now the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, stated, “His actions have produced the great wave of illegal immigration in recorded history. That is why today I am calling on the secretary to resign. He cannot and must not remain in that position. If Secretary Mayorkas does not resign, House Republicans will investigate every order, every action and every failure to determine whether we can begin an impeachment inquiry.”
Just six months into Fiscal Year 2023, border officials have apprehended 1,223,067 illegal aliens at the southern border, including 191,899 in March (the most-recent month of information) – a little over half the numbers for the entirety of Fiscal Year 2022 (2,378,944). These apprehensions also do not take into account the number of ‘gotaways,’ which is a term for illegal aliens who escape detection by border officials and fade into countless American communities.
In February, Congressman Crane visited the southern border in El Paso, Texas, with members of the House Homeland Security Committee. Crane’s office publicized that the congressional delegation “witnessed a drug bust in real time, highlighting the severe drug trafficking issue plaguing our nation and the failure of the Biden Administration to disincentivize smugglers.” Crane said that the Biden Administration’s abandonment of the American people at the border was “a dereliction of duty” and “a betrayal of the American people they swore to protect.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The city of Flagstaff received nearly $9 million in federal funding to provide about 100 additional rooms for the homeless.
The Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) issued $8.95 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for purchase and renovation of the motel. The motel will provide 103 rooms as transitional housing before becoming permanent supportive housing.
Permanent supportive housing provides aid such as long-term leasing or renting assistance, as well as services to treat issues preventing total independence like mental illness and substance abuse.
Flagstaff Shelter Services (FSS), a nonprofit organization, will run the housing project. The housing is scheduled to become available this December.
Congrats to @FlagShelterOrg on today receiving $8.95 million in ADOH funding to acquire and rehab the Lucky Lane Motel 6 in @CityofFlagstaff into 103 units of transitional bridge housing serving homeless individuals and families. The housing is scheduled to open in December 2023! pic.twitter.com/2nUjcR0aqJ
FSS is the only Coconino County agency that provides emergency shelter and services without preconditions, such as sobriety, treatment, or service participation requirements.
Nixing preconditions for shelter and services is a key component of the “housing first” model toward addressing homelessness. “Housing first” theorizes that the homeless will choose to seek employment, achieve financial responsibility, receive mental health care, and/or receive substance abuse treatment if housing is first provided.
Flagstaff named housing first its choice approach for mitigating homelessness, following declaration of a housing emergency in 2020. The city unveiled its goals last February when it launched a 10-year housing plan to address the emergency.
Flagstaff noted that addressing homelessness would likely require an undisclosed number of millions of dollars.
In addition to outlining its housing first approach, Flagstaff attributed homelessness to systemic racial inequities. It also suggested implementing housing equity, in which individuals would receive disparate treatment in order to achieve purportedly equal outcomes.
Last July, FSS received nearly $6.2 million to purchase another motel, the historic Howard Johnson Motel off of Route 66, to provide 58 rooms to the homeless. FSS estimated they could serve over 1,000 people annually with emergency shelter through the motel conversion.
According to the Arizona Department of Economic Security annual report issued last December, there were over 13,500 homeless people in the entire state.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs just marked her 100th day in office, and a recent poll showed that she isn’t quite as popular in her state as other governors are in theirs.
A recently completed Morning Consult poll (conducted January 1 – March 31) highlighted America’s Most Popular and Unpopular Governors. Arizonans would have to scroll far down the list to find their governor’s name and numbers; Hobbs was third from the bottom.
Hobbs’ approval rating was below 50%, at 47%. Her disapproval number was at 36%.
NEW: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is the third least popular governor in America, according to a new Morning Consult poll. pic.twitter.com/jJ0rePrbY5
Politicos and other onlookers took to Twitter Wednesday to debate the significance of the numbers for Hobbs. DJ Quinlan, the former Executive Director of the Arizona Democratic Party, pushed back against some negative characterizations of the governor’s numbers, writing, “Since when is +11% grim? The previous governor was regularly underwater. A fair reading is that a plurality of voters have a favorable impression, but a lot of voters have yet to form an opinion.”
Since when is +11% grim? The previous governor was regularly underwater. A fair reading is that a plurality of voters have a favorable impression, but a lot of voters have yet to form an opinion.
Governor Hobbs’ initial tenure as the state’s chief executive has not been smooth, and her administration has had to deal with multiple missteps, including her decision to pull the nomination of her first appointee to serve as the Director of the Arizona Department of Child Safety, the lack of transparency over aspects of her Inaugural Fund, or the sudden resignation of her press secretary – among others. Hobbs has also clashed with Arizona legislators over many of their proposals or their perceptions of her unwillingness to negotiate with them over different policies.
Most recently, Hobbs vetoed HB 2509, which had attracted significant bipartisan support in both chambers of the state legislature, inciting outrage from all across Arizona. This action led Democrat Representative Alma Hernandez to tweet, “It’s not a veto to be proud of, and I know I am not the only one who feels this way.” Laurie Roberts, a columnist for the Arizona Republic, also slammed the governor’s decision, writing, “Give Hobbs credit. The governor, with veto No. 63, did manage to bridge the deep political divide in the Arizona Legislature. Most everybody is mad at her on this one.”
Daniel Scarpinato, a veteran of the Governor’s Office during the Doug Ducey era, told AZ Free News that “First impressions matter, and the new governor has a lot of ground to make up.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
