by Ethan Faverino | Sep 25, 2026 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced that the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has secured a $5 million federal grant to expand teacher apprenticeship opportunities focused on special education.
The five-year grant will support the expansion of the Arizona Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program and create additional paid, job-embedded pathways for aspiring special education teachers to earn certification while working in Arizona schools.
“The grant will expand a program that currently serves more than 90 apprentices statewide, has doubled enrollment in the past year, and maintains a 97 percent apprentice retention rate,” stated Horne. “Nearly half of current apprentices are pursuing special education certification, demonstrating the strong demand for these pathways.”
The existing Arizona Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program combines paid classroom experience with coursework through an approved educator preparation program.
Apprentices work for a participating school district or charter school under the mentorship of an experienced educator while completing requirements toward teacher certification.
The federal funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Education’s Expanding Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness of Special Education Teachers and Early Intervention Personnel Through Registered Apprenticeships program.
The federal program supports registered apprenticeships aimed at attracting, preparing, and retaining special eduction teachers and early intervention personnel.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the initiative is intended to help address workforce shortages by expanding work-based pathways into those professions.
As part of the expansion, ADE will support the Arizona Special Eduction Teacher Registered Apprenticeship Program, providing aspiring educators with paid, school-based experience as they complete the requirements necessary to earn special education teacher certification.
The initiative will involve partnerships among local education agencies, educator preparation providers, and workforce organizations.
The Arizona Department of Education sponsors the apprenticeship program in partnership with the Arizona Apprenticeship Office and the National Center for Grow Your Own.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 24, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Progressive activist group leaders were charged and one was trespassed from Northern Arizona University (NAU) in connection with an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest.
The penalties resulted from the conduct of members from Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) Flagstaff during their ICE OUT protest earlier this month.
SDS Flagstaff is not a registered club on campus, and NAU does not recognize it as an official club on campus. The organization was founded in January 2026 and immediately began holding protests against ICE.
Kimberly Ott, associate vice president of University Strategic Communications, told The Lumberjack that SDS Flagstaff may register as an official club but has declined to take the necessary steps to fulfill registration requirements.
SDS Flagstaff Vice President Sarah Rogala and member Judah “Jay” Francabandera face allegations of code of conduct violations. Student Gio Alvarez also faces allegations. The students reportedly face penalties that may include suspension or expulsion.
The allegations include failure to comply with university officials and disrupting campus.
Rogala and Francabandera are scheduled to have their hearings on the charges later this month.
The organization held another protest opposing the charges against Rogala and Francabandera.
SDS is also accused of posting flyers and tabling on campus property, and using sound amplification without NAU permission.
Rogala was charged with code of conduct violations last semester and received probation set to expire Nov. 1, 2026.
NAU also trespassed Claire Wagoner, who is the SDS Flagstaff president, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization in Flagstaff, and a former NAU student.
Wagoner was also charged with code of conduct violations last semester as well. Those violations resulted in her receiving a deferred suspension set to expire May 1, 2028.
SDS Flagstaff is also demanding that NAU turn itself into a “sanctuary campus,” meaning that law enforcement could not detain illegal aliens on the property. SDS Flagstaff renewed their demands to the university in a statement following an ICE enforcement action that occurred on September 16.
“On Wednesday, September 16th, ICE agents kidnapped someone from Flagstaff, and these terrorists threatened to raid his home and kidnap his wife and children if they did not ‘self deport,’” stated SDS Flagstaff. “[ICE] is terrorizing anyone and everyone these fascist agents deem not white enough to be ‘legal.’”
In February, the organization held a sit-in protest and submitted more than 400 petition signatures as part of demands that NAU implement sanctuary campus policies. Justin Mallett, NAU’s vice president of Inclusive Excellence, and Bernadine Lewis, program director of Inclusive Excellence, met with Wagoner and Rogala but ultimately denied their demands.
That month, SDS Flagstaff also successfully protested against campus visits by the CIA, Border Patrol, and ICE. The CIA was scheduled to answer student questions, and all three agencies were anticipated to appear for the university’s Career Fair programming.
In March, SDS Flagstaff members demanded the Flagstaff City Council approve an ordinance from Keep Flagstaff Together banning ICE from operating on city property. The council rejected the proposed ordinance.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Sep 24, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Democratic congressional nominee Amish Shah did not participate in a second candidate appearance in less than a month, leaving Republican nominee Jay Feely to address voters at AMAC Action’s September 22 forum. The host said Shah did not respond to the AMAC invitation. His absence followed his decision to decline an August 26 Arizona PBS appearance.
“Please note that Democrat candidate Amish Shah was invited to participate but did not respond to our request,” the host said in the forum introduction, before introducing Feely.
Feely addressed Shah’s absence in a statement posted to X Tuesday.
“Arizonans deserve to hear from the candidates running to represent them. I’m disappointed that my opponent continues to hide from the public. But when you align yourself with Democratic Socialists, dodging questions is easier than answering for your policies,” Feely wrote.
AMAC Action’s announcement listed both First Congressional District candidates as invitees to the virtual event. The organization described the forum as a nonpartisan educational program offering participating candidates equal opportunities to discuss their priorities and answer questions.
The appearance followed Arizona PBS’ August 26 “Candidates in Conversation” program, during which Feely answered questions without Shah participating. Arizona PBS confirmed that Shah declined its invitation.
At the AMAC forum, Feely discussed immigration enforcement, economic policy, and congressional stock trading.
“This election comes down to two choices. On one side you have myself who believes in free market principles, that believes in capitalism…on the other side, the Democrat party has embraced this big government, socialist belief,” Feely said.
On immigration, Feely added, “If you come into this country illegally, you should not participate in any of our welfare programs.”
Feely also advocated for people who entered illegally to leave the country and pursue legal entry. And he endorsed restrictions on lawmakers’ financial activities.
“We should have a congressional ban on stock trading,” he said.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said Feely also addressed lowering costs for seniors, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and combating fraud. The committee criticized Shah’s absence and his health care positions.
“For seniors wanting answers about his socialist healthcare record, socialist Amish Shah was nowhere to be found. Socialist Shah would rather hide than defend the Bernie Sanders-AOC policies he praised,” NRCC spokesman Ben Petersen said.
Republican National Committee spokesman Nick Poche also criticized Shah in a statement provided to AZ Free News.
“Shah won’t debate because the second he opens his mouth, everyone in Arizona will know he’s an extremely far-left socialist who supports transgender surgeries for minors, soft-on-crime policies, and opening the border,” Poche said.
The Republican statements attributed Shah’s absence to his policy positions. The AMAC host’s introduction said Shah had not responded to the invitation but provided no explanation for his nonparticipation.
Health care has been a recurring subject in Republican criticism of Shah. Shah spoke in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and a universal, single-payer Medicare for All system during an April 2019 Arizona for Bernie town hall.
Shah’s current campaign platform describes him as a supporter of universal health care and calls for expanding coverage, protecting Medicare, reducing premiums, and lowering prescription drug prices. His public safety platform calls for fully funding police and stopping fentanyl trafficking across the border.
Both candidates are listed for a separate First Congressional District debate scheduled for October 7 at 6 p.m. That event is part of the debate series organized by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and the Arizona Media Association.
Feely, a former NFL kicker and broadcaster, and Shah, an emergency physician and former state lawmaker, are competing for the seat being vacated by Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ-01). The district includes northeast Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and Paradise Valley.
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 | Sep 24, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) joined dozens of members of Congress in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in a case involving an Orthodox Jewish man who was ordered by local officials to stop hosting prayer gatherings in his Ohio home without zoning approval.
The brief, filed in Grand v. City of University Heights, supports Daniel Grand in his legal challenge against University Heights, Ohio, and argues that protections under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) allow individuals to seek relief in federal court once government action substantially burdens their religious exercise.
The dispute dates back to 2021, when Grand sought to host an informal Jewish prayer group at his home. City officials sent Grand a cease-and-desist letter after learning about the gatherings, maintaining that the use required approval under the city’s zoning rules.
Grand applied for a special-use permit but later withdrew the application.
According to Biggs’ office, Grand learned during the process that obtaining approval as a house of worship would require his family to move out of the residence.
Grand subsequently sued the city and several officials, raising claims under RLUIPA and the First and Fourteenth Amendments, among other federal and state claims.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of several of Grand’s claims as unripe, concluding that he had withdrawn his permit application before the city reached a final decision.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, with oral arguments scheduled for December 9, 2026.
Biggs said the case raises broader questions about constitutional protections for religious exercise and the ability of local governments to regulate religious activity through zoning laws.
“Religious liberty was one of the foundational principles our Founders sought to protect when establishing our constitutional system of government,” stated Biggs. “The First Amendment and subsequent federal laws have protected generations of Americans in the free exercise of their faith without government intrusion or interference.”
“No local government should be permitted to undermine or eliminate that fundamental right,” added Biggs. “I am honored to stand with Daniel Grand in his fight to freely exercise his religion within his own home, just as our Founders intended.”
At the center of the case is RLUIPA, a federal law unanimously passed by Congress in 2000 that provides protections for religious exercise in certain land use and institutional settings.
Among other provisions, the law prohibits governments from imposing or implementing land-use regulations that substantially burden religious exercise unless the government can satisfy the statute’s requirements.
RLUIPA also directs courts to construe the law broadly in favor of protecting religious exercise.
The congressional amicus brief argues that the lower courts imposed an additional requirement not contained in the statute by requiring Grand to obtain a final zoning decision before pursuing his RLUIPA claim.
According to lawmakers, Congress designed RLUIPA to make it easier for individuals and religious organizations to challenge government actions burdening religious exercise, particularly in disputes involving local land-use decisions.
“Congress designed RLUIPA to enhance—not restrict—religious freedom,” the lawmakers wrote. “Courts that impose an atextual finality requirement turn that design on its head.”
The brief traces RLUIPA’s origins to earlier Supreme Court decisions concerning the Free Exercise Clause and Congress’ subsequent attempts to establish stronger statutory protections for religious exercise.
The lawmakers argue that Congress specifically intended the law to address problems involving local zoning decisions affecting churches, synagogues, home prayer meetings, and other forms of religious exercise.
They also contend that requiring individuals to complete potentially lengthy local zoning proceedings before going to federal court can leave them subject to the disputed restrictions for months or years.
The brief cites previous cases involving religious organizations in Michigan and California in which courts required additional local zoning proceedings before federal religious liberty claims could move forward.
The lawmakers maintain that RLUIPA instead permits a claim once a government imposes a substantial burden on religious exercise and the ordinary requirements for federal court jurisdiction are satisfied.
The Supreme Court’s eventual ruling could clarify when a RLUIPA land use dispute is sufficiently developed for a federal court to hear it and whether a claimant must first obtain a final decision from local zoning authorities.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 23, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Earlier this summer, State Sen. Kiana Sears (D-LD9) attempted to scam a restaurant out of more than $1,500 worth of fried chicken.
Now, Sears is part of the inaugural “Black Leaders for Katie” coalition, launched by Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday as part of her reelection campaign. Sears was named second in a list of 35.
Members of the media referred to the ordeal as “Chickengate,” so dubbed by the Arizona Agenda who retrieved the emails involving the restaurant, lawmakers, senate staff, and lobbyists that shed light on Sears’s conduct.
The ordeal began after a Republican lawmaker and bipartisan lobbyist group organized an event celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66. That event included more than $1,500 worth of catering from the Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken location in downtown Phoenix. The order included chicken, mac and cheese, coleslaw, sweet tea, and lemonade.
Following the event, Sears contacted the caterer purporting to be one of the individuals in charge. Sears did not coordinate or pay for the event. According to an email from the restaurant’s general manager, Sears claimed in a call that the chicken was “overcooked, dry, and not enjoyed by most” — directly contradicting positive feedback the restaurant had received from event coordinators.
The general manager also revealed that Sears demanded the $1,500 catering order be remade on Saturday, June 27 at 5:30 p.m. Those who coordinated the event urged the restaurant to ignore Sears’s request.
Sears later dismissed questions from the media about the scam attempt as a “distraction” from her work as a lawmaker, and refused to answer other questions regarding where the catering order would have gone if the restaurant had fulfilled it.
As part of Hobbs’ launch of Black Leaders for Katie, the governor hosted a roundtable pledging her commitment to minority-owned businesses.
Gus’s World Famous Hot & Spicy Fried Chicken began with a little operation founded by a Black family, originally called Maggie’s Short Orders by Napoleon “Na” and Maggie Vanderbilt when they first opened in Tennessee in 1973, and then renamed to the current branding after their son, Vernon “Gus” Bonner, who took over the business in the 1980s. The Bonner family has since sold the franchising rights to these restaurants.
There are four Gus’s locations in Arizona, and 38 locations across 13 states.
Other Black Leaders for Katie members are:
- Corey Woods, Tempe Mayor
- Quantá Crews, State Representative
- Kesha Hodge Washington, Phoenix Vice-Mayor
- Kevin Robinson, Phoenix Councilmember
- Henry Wade, Maricopa Councilmember
- Max White, Avondale Councilmember
- Khara House, Flagstaff City Councilmember
- Coral Evans, former Flagstaff Mayor
- Cloves Campbell Jr., former State Representative
- Berdetta Hodge, former Tempe Councilmember
- Rev. Sheriolyn Curry Hodge, Community & Business Leader
- Rev. Andre Miller, Faith and Community Leader
- Pastor David Wade, Mt. Calvary Baptist church
- Rev. Brian Wright, The Citadel of Praise, Overseer
- Connie DeLarge, Arizona Democratic African American Caucus, Chair
- Briona Parkinson, Maricopa Area Labor Federation, Chair
- Carla Gentles, Gentles Agency, Partner
- Karl Gentles, Gentles Agency, Partner
- Rosiland Moore, Business Leader
- Kent O’Jon, Business Leader
- Sasha Simmons, Business Leader
- Shannon Tolbert, Business Leader
- Ashley Anderson, Community Leader
- Dr. Edmon Baker, MD
- Dr. George Barnes, Education Leader
- Carla Boatner, Community Leader
- Dr. Joanne Curry
- Dr. Karen Hardin, Ed.D Faculty Emeritus
- Jackie Johnson, Community Leader
- Dr. Kenja Kassan
- Dr. Gail Knight, Community and Education Leader
- Dr. Matthew C. Whitaker, Community Leader
- Donna Williams, Attorney and Community Leader
- Rohn Ragland, Student Leader
[Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore via Creative Commons]
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 23, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The monsoon season rains are anticipated to wind down in Arizona, but the political attack ads are picking up.
Arizona residents have likely received campaign mailers at this point in the election season. Some of those mailers have a disclosure that they were paid for by the Arizona Democratic Party, thanks to funds by Arizona Public Service (APS) and Elevance Health (operating as Wellpoint, formerly Amerigroup).
These mailers appear to be targeting voters in swing districts throughout the state.
One mailer reflected opposition to Republican state legislative candidates seeking to represent Legislative District 13: Julie Willoughby for State Senate, and Kevin Hartke and Janet Weninger for State House. This mailer claimed Willoughby, Hartke, and Weninger would cost taxpayers more through school choice funds.
Another mailer reflected support for Willoughby’s Democratic primary opponent, Kristie O’Brien. This mailer claimed O’Brien would lower costs for the community.
Both mailers stress affordability, but they were financed by the same companies which have sought or imposed double-digit rate increases for Arizonans’ utilities and healthcare.
According to state campaign finance records, Elevance Health donated $25,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party last May. They have never donated prior to that time. As reported previously, Elevance Health was one of the top single donors last year to the heavily indebted Arizona Democratic Party.
APS donated $40,000 to the Arizona Democratic Party in three installments: June 2025, September 2025, and June 2026. The earliest APS donations on record to Arizona Democrats occurred in 2024, totaling $80,000.
As reported previously, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., the owner of APS, was one of the top donors for Gov. Katie Hobbs’ secretive inaugural and litigation funds.
As far as state campaign finance records go online (back to 2002), neither Elevance Health nor APS has ever donated to the Arizona Republican Party.
Both organizations have made headlines over the past year for raising their rates by double digits.
Elevance Health recently raised its premium rates by 24% across its Affordable Care Act and Medicare plans. It also requested an additional 17% increase in rate hikes for 2027, according to the Wall Street Journal. The company is also looking to cut down on the offerings within its affordable healthcare portfolio. It has signaled that it will exit underperforming Medicaid programs in multiple states by the end of 2027, following its recent departures from Louisiana and the Washington, D.C., markets.
Similarly, APS has requested to increase its rates by 14% to 16% for residential customers and more than 45% for large load users like data centers and manufacturing companies. APS is also petitioning to implement a new formula that would allow for automatic rate adjustments annually.
This financial support from Elevance Health and APS has boosted Democrats’ ongoing efforts to flip key seats in the Arizona legislature, which would result in Republicans losing their slim majority.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is targeting 17 races throughout the state, including in Legislative Districts 2, 4, 13, and 17 in the Senate and Legislative Districts 2, 4, 13, 16, 17, and 23 in the House.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
