by Staff Reporter | Apr 10, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
A Phoenix-area school district instituted a new policy requiring oversight of books in the classroom.
Queen Creek Unified School District (QCUSD) began enforcing the policy in January after its governing board approved it unanimously in December.
The policy required the district to restrict general access to materials containing sexually explicit content within school and classroom libraries; develop procedures for site-level review, inventory, and parental access to the inventory list of all classroom library collections; and establish an accessible opt-out procedure for school or classroom library materials not directly related to content, curriculum, or standards.
Although Arizona law has long prohibited exposing children to sexually explicit materials, Arizona libraries and schools continued to offer books containing sexually explicit materials under the defense of the necessity of educating children on topics of sexuality and identity.
Books with sexually explicit content offered to minors in the past by school libraries throughout the state have included titles popular nationwide: “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson, “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe, “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins, “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews, “Crank” by Ellen Hopkins, “Sold” by Patricia McCormick, and “Flamer” by Mike Curato.
QCUSD Board member Kelli Anderson introduced the classroom library oversight policy after recognizing that district policy on oversight extended only to school library books. In a press release, Anderson reported that the primary complaint from parents concerned the books brought into classrooms.
“Before this policy, complaints about classroom books were the number one issue I heard from parents,” said Anderson. “Since it went into effect, I have received zero complaints from parents.”
Anderson said QCUSD’s action should be adopted by all other districts in the state as best practice.
“[A]fter listening to parents and reviewing our policies, it was clear there was a gap that needed to be addressed,” stated Anderson.
Arizona Women of Action (AZWOA), a parental advocacy nonprofit and Arizona chapter of America’s Women, agreed with Anderson’s assessment.
“This policy closes a major loophole and restores trust between schools and families,” stated AZWOA in a press release. “It empowers parents, supports teachers, and ensures students are learning in environments that are transparent and accountable.”
According to AZWOA, at least one parent has already reported seeing a difference in school handling of inappropriate books. That parent allegedly told AZWOA that his elementary-aged child’s school contacted him prior to the policy compliance deadline to recover a classroom library book deemed inappropriate under the new policy.
The parent also reportedly said he wasn’t aware his child had access to such materials in the classroom.
At the beginning of last summer, the Maricopa County Library District piloted a “parental choice” program at the Queen Creek library enabling parents to choose which books, if any, their child may not check out.
Months later, in September, the county removed sex education books from the children’s sections to the adult non-fiction sections at 12 of its 14 libraries.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 10, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona has enacted new legislation tightening oversight of registered sex offenders who seek to change their legal names.
House Bill 2223, sponsored by Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-LD1), adds new disclosure and notification requirements for registered offenders filing a petition for a legal name change.
“Sex offenders should not be able to change their name and slip through cracks that put Arizona families at risk,” Nguyen said. “This bill closes a loophole and locks in accountability. Victims deserve to know when the person who harmed them is trying to change identities through the courts. If you are required to register, you will not use a name change to hide your past, dodge scrutiny, or erase your trail.”
Under the new law, individuals on Arizona’s sex offender registry who apply for a name change must disclose their registration status as part of the application.
The legislation also requires applicants whose convictions occurred in Arizona to provide a copy of the name-change petition to the prosecuting agency involved in their case. This provision is intended to ensure that prosecutors, and, where applicable, victims who have requested post-conviction notification, are informed of the request.
If a court approves a name change, the law directs judges to order that the individual continue registering under both the new legal name and the prior name. The order must be transmitted to the county sheriff, ensuring that both identities are maintained within law enforcement records.
Existing Arizona law under A.R.S. § 13-3822 already requires registered sex offenders to notify law enforcement of changes in residence and legal name. However, prior statutes did not require courts to formally link name-change orders to registry records or mandate notification to prosecutors during the petition process.
HB 2223 adds those procedural steps without changing who is required to register as a sex offender or the duration of registration requirements under Arizona law.
The bill passed the Arizona House in February 2026 and advanced through the Senate unanimously on April 2 before being signed into law.
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 | Apr 9, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The transgender mayoral candidate for Fountain Hills was accused of using the town’s logo in his campaign materials.
Last month, the town of Fountain Hills issued a cease-and-desist letter to town council member Brenda Kalivianakis for incorporating the town’s logo into his mayoral campaign logo.
The Fountain Hills logo is based on the town’s famous 560-foot fountain, the tallest in the world when it was first built in 1970.
The logo’s depiction of the fountain has a saucer-shaped base resting on three horizontal lines representing water, three slated prongs protruding upward on each side from the base, a nozzle in the center of the base out of which emerges a jet of water curving up to the left, and two lighter-colored curves bending downward. The town adopted the logo in 2023.
Kalivianakis’ logo has many of the same markers: the three water lines, the saucer-shaped base, the three prongs on either side of the center nozzle, the upward arc of water curving to the left, and the two lighter shades of curves bending downward from the water.
The main difference between the town’s logo and Kalivianakis’ campaign logo is the latter has two additional lines coming off the upward arc of water to form the letter “K,” and the words “Brenda for Mayor” to the left of the fountain symbol.
On Monday, Kalivianakis posted a press release from his campaign addressing the cease-and-desist letter. He argued his logo was “clearly distinguishable and creates no likelihood of confusion with the Town’s mark,” and claimed contentions had more to do with his speech than the logo.
Per Kalivianakis, the town will hire a trademark attorney and potentially bill him for the costs. Kalivianakis called it a waste of taxpayer dollars.
“Using taxpayer resources to target a candidate’s campaign materials raises serious questions about selective enforcement and interference with protected speech,” stated Kalivianakis’ press release.
Kalivianakis closed with a plea for donations to his campaign.
Mayoral and council candidates all received a cease-and-desist letter from the town attorney, Jennifer Wright, last month. At that point, it wasn’t made clear who, specifically, was at fault for the trademark violation out of all the candidates.
However, Kalivianakis told the Fountain Hills Times that he believed the cease-and-desist was a politically motivated, targeted attack by Wright aimed at him.
“I’m disappointed that the highly partisan Town Attorney is attempting to manipulate a local election by threatening trademark litigation. My logo is not a recreation of the Town’s official logo,” said Kalivianakis. “It is a fair use depiction of our community’s most recognizable landmark, something that has long been a tradition in political campaigns.”
In 2023, Kalivianakis was cleared of an ethics complaint by an outside attorney. The complaint alleged Kalivianakis violated the town code by requesting a director investigate and remove a sign allegedly in violation of sign code rather than communicating that request through the town manager.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 9, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
State Rep. Gail Griffin (R-LD19) was recognized for achieving the longest active streak of “Above Expectations” performance among members of the Arizona House of Representatives, according to a new report from the Center for Effective Lawmaking.
The recognition was announced in a press release from Arizona House Republicans, which cited the Center’s State Legislative Effectiveness Scores for the 56th Arizona Legislature. The report found that Griffin maintained a three-session streak of “Above Expectations” ratings, the longest currently recorded in the Arizona House.
The Center for Effective Lawmaking is a nonpartisan research initiative operated jointly by Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia.
According to the report, Griffin received an effectiveness score of 5.50 for the 2023–2024 legislative session. That score ranked second-highest in the Arizona House and exceeded the scores of all members of the Arizona Senate during the same period. Griffin’s score was exceeded only by Rep. David Livingston (R-LD28), with 7.23.
The effectiveness scores evaluate lawmakers based on factors including bill sponsorship, legislative progress, and the ability to advance policy through the legislative process.
Griffin has focused her legislative work on areas including water policy, land use, natural resources, energy, job creation, and economic development.
In a statement, Griffin said, “I’m honored to be recognized for a record that reflects years of hard work on behalf of the people I represent. Southern Arizona expects results, not excuses. I come to the Capitol to protect our water, defend private property rights, support agriculture and mining, stand up for rural communities, and fight for the constitutional freedoms that matter to Arizona families. Good policy only matters if you can move it, pass it, and put it into law.”
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 Ethan Faverino | Apr 9, 2026 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) March Jobs Report, released earlier this week, shows the Small Business Employment Index declined 1.9 points to 101.6. While the index pulled back from February, it remains above the 2025 average of 101.2 and the long-term historical average of 100.
In March, a seasonally adjusted 32% of small business owners reported having job openings they could not fill, down just 1 point from the prior month but still well above the historical average of 24%. Of those, 27% had openings for skilled workers (down 1 point), and 12% had openings for unskilled labor (up 2 points).
“While small businesses are not hiring extensively, they continue to face difficulties related to labor cost and quality,” stated Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Despite the current stagnant employment growth, economic conditions could change rapidly.”
NFIB State Director Chad Heinrich added, “The numbers tell a clear story — small businesses want to hire, but qualified applicants are hard to find. Add the uncertainty around tax conformity, and owners simply can’t plan with confidence. Inaction at the Capitol has a real cost.”
A seasonally adjusted net 12% of owners reported plans to create new jobs over the next three months, unchanged from February and near the historical average of net 11%. Overall, 52% of owners said they were hiring or trying to hire in March, down 2 points from the previous month.
Among those attempting to hire, 45% reported few or no qualified applicants for the open positions, down 1 point from February. Specifically, 22% reported few qualified applicants (down 3 points) and 23% reported none (up 2 points).
Labor quality remained a top concern, with 15% of small business owners citing it as their single most important problem—unchanged from February and above the historical average of 12%. This marks the first time since December 2016 that labor quality has consistently registered at or above 15%. Meanwhile, 10% of owners identified labor costs as their top problem, up 1 point from February.
On the compensation front, a seasonally adjusted net 33% of owners reported raising worker pay in March, down 1 point from February. Looking ahead, a net 18% plan to increase compensation over the next three months, down 4 points from the prior month and the lowest reading since July 2025. Despite the recent softening, both actual and planned compensation levels remain above their historical averages.
“Employment growth has stagnated, as hiring plans continue to slide toward the historical average,” the report noted. Job openings have reached their lowest levels since the recovery from the COVID-19 recession.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 8, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Republican lawmakers are challenging Pima County over its resolution to prevent federal immigration enforcement from using county property.
House and Senate leadership filed a complaint with Attorney General Kris Mayes on Monday requesting an SB1487 Investigation. There is only one other active complaint under this designation, relating to a similar regulation prohibiting federal immigration enforcement activity on city property passed by the city of Phoenix.
In February, Pima County adopted a resolution, “Protecting County-Owned Properties,” prohibiting county departments, agencies, and employees from giving federal officials access to county buildings without a court warrant. The policy also barred departments, agencies, and employees from voluntarily assisting, facilitating, or cooperating with immigration enforcement.
The policy also prohibited county property from being used for staging areas, processing locations, or operations bases for immigration enforcement. The county defined staging area to include an assembling, mobilization, or deployment of vehicles, equipment, materials, or personnel for immigration enforcement.
Pima County Supervisor Rex Scott told AZPM that federal agents would have to justify themselves to county officials.
“If somebody with an enforceable warrant comes in, wanting to deal with what we’ve heard are the ‘worst of the worst,’ they’re going to be able to do that,” said Scott. “These warrantless, random sweeps that we’ve been seeing around the country are not going to happen on county property.”
Pima County Supervisor Tanya Nunez went a step further. She told KOLD that ICE needed to cease operations entirely.
“It’s a first step, it’s an important step, but it is really just the beginning. We need to have ICE not operate anywhere in our community, not just county property,” said Nunez.
According to the supervisors, the goal of the resolution was to prevent mass deportations and to limit immigration agents to warrant-based actions.
GOP leadership in the legislature say this resolution violates Arizona law prohibiting subdivisions of the state from limiting or restricting the enforcement of federal immigration laws, and the Supremacy Clause included in the Arizona Constitution.
Senate President Warren Petersen called the resolution a “radical” undermining of public safety in a press release.
“We’re seeing Democrat-run local governments put radical political agendas ahead of public safety,” said Petersen. “Instead of supporting law enforcement and protecting their citizens from crime, they’re creating barriers that make it harder to enforce the law and easier for criminals to stay in our communities.”
Senate President Pro Tempore TJ Shope argued these patchwork mandates from municipalities would only undermine law and order.
“This is about making sure our laws are applied consistently across Arizona,” said Shope. “When one county decides to go rogue, it creates gaps that undermine enforcement statewide. Arizonans expect coordination between all levels of government, not policies that tie the hands of law enforcement.”
House Majority Leader John Kavanagh questioned whether Mayes would have an biased approach, given her outspoken criticisms of ICE.
“Given her record and her public opposition to immigration enforcement, there is a serious question about whether she can review this case objectively. This is not a policy debate. The law is clear, and it must be applied,” said Kavanagh.
The city of Phoenix passed a regulation similar to Pima County’s resolution last month.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
