Gov. Katie Hobbs’ proposed education funding plan is “dangerous and unsustainable” according to State Treasurer Kimberly Yee.
Hobbs’ plan, if passed by the state legislature, would renew Proposition 123 for another decade and increase the state land trust fund to nearly nine percent. In a statement on Tuesday, the treasurer accused the governor of irresponsible mismanagement of taxpayer funds amid record inflation.
“Governor Hobbs wants to raid the land trust to cover for her mismanagement of the state budget and overzealous spending plans in an ever-increasing inflationary environment,” said Yee.
Yee warned that Hobbs’ plan would violate the Enabling Act, the terms under which Arizona achieved statehood in 1910. She recommended a four to five percent distribution, declaring Hobbs’ vision “unfeasible” based on past performance.
“My office has not reported a 10-year return over 8.9 percent in nearly two years. Over the span of the last 10 years, only 32 months have had a 10-year return over 8.9 percent,” said Yee.
Governor Hobbs' proposal to increase Prop 123 distributions to 8.9% is dangerous and unsustainable.
— Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee (@AZTreasurerYee) January 16, 2024
That’s something the governor acknowledged in her announcement of her plan: the average 10-year annualized return amounts to just over seven percent.
Proposition 123, the Arizona Education Finance Amendment, was a voter-approved 2016 constitutional amendment to increase education funding by $3.5 billion over a decade using monies from the general fund and state land trust fund. Yee oversees the land trust fund.
Although Yee declared the funding plan wasn’t sustainable, Hobbs claimed that there were ample funds going unused.
“[We shouldn’t] let billions of dollars accrue in a bank account and do nothing to address our immediate needs,” said Hobbs.
Hobbs marketed her renewal plan as a means of increasing education funding without raising taxes.
“The choice is clear: we can give our children a quality education or let billions of dollars stand idle without addressing our immediate needs,” said Hobbs.
My Prop 123 renewal plan will increase compensation for educators & make schools safer for our kids – all without raising taxes.
The choice is clear: we can give our children a quality education or let billions of dollars stand idle without addressing our immediate needs.
Under the governor’s plan based on a decade-long average distribution, 2.5 percent will continue general school funding ($257 million), 4.4 percent will raise educator compensation ($347 million), 1.5 percent will increase support staff compensation ($118 million), and .5 percent will invest in school capital for safety and security ($39 million).
State Sen. Christine Marsh (D-LD04) is sponsoring the bill with the governor’s plan. Marsh also sits on the Senate Education Committee.
“Renewing and expanding this vital funding source for our schools is crucial to ensuring Arizona’s students receive the high quality education they deserve,” said Marsh.
Today, @GovernorHobbs announced her #Prop123 renewal plan, which will expand on the current Prop 123 funding to continue building a quality public education for the more than 90% of Arizona children who attend public schools.
A Prescott mother blames Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for her daughter’s death.
In testimony to Congress on Thursday, Josephine Dunn explained that her daughter, Ashley, overdosed from fentanyl trafficked through the border in May 2021. Dunn testified on the day that would have been her daughter’s 29th birthday. Mayorkas declined to appear for that hearing.
“In my humble opinion, Mr. Mayorkas’ border policy is partially responsible for my daughter’s death. His wide-open border policy allows massive quantities of poisonous fentanyl into our country. Arizona is the fentanyl superhighway into the United States,” said Dunn. “We need to close the fentanyl superhighway; we need to close the border.”
The border crisis initiated under President Joe Biden ushered in a tidal wave of fentanyl trafficking. The surge in overdoses and deaths from the potent drug has resulted in its classification as an epidemic.
The fatal overdose of Dunn’s daughter prompted several attempts to pass an eponymous law in the state legislature, the Ashley Dunn Act, to charge drug dealers with homicide if their product contributed to the death of a user. State Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-LD01) carried the law both times.
Lawmakers have shot down the bill during both the 2022 and 2023 sessions. Some have contended that the law would be unconstitutional since it allows homicide charges for individuals whose actions weren’t a direct cause for the victim’s death. Former users also have argued that such a bill would strip accountability from the users themselves. Proponents argued that it would result in fewer drug deaths and deter distributors from selling lethal drugs.
In response to Dunn’s testimony, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) noted that the current Biden administration tasks Border Patrol with taking in and taking care of illegal immigrants more so than preventing illegal migration.
“The Biden Admin has tied the hands of our Border Patrol and sabotaged our national security,” said Crane. “The money the Biden Admin is requesting for ‘border security’ would be used to process more aliens into our communities NOT for protecting Americans.”
The Biden Admin has tied the hands of our Border Patrol and sabotaged our national security.
The money the Biden Admin is requesting for "border security" would be used to process more aliens into our communities NOT for protecting Americans. pic.twitter.com/c4VQcLQvU4
According to Maricopa County, fentanyl constitutes 60 percent of all drug-related deaths and has become the deadliest drug in the state.
In 2023, the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) documented over 1,600 confirmed opioid deaths in the state and over 4,000 non-fatal opioid overdoses. So far, the data indicates that there were less deaths than there were in 2022 and 2021, which had over 1,900 and over 2,000 opioid deaths respectively, but more overdoses: there were just over 3,400 opioid overdoses in 2022 and just over 3,700 overdoses in 2021.
Naloxone, the overdose reversal drug, was administered nearly 6,000 times this past year compared to over 8,000 times in 2022 and over 7,100 times in 2021.
However, AZDHS noted that the data may not be complete for the months of September through December of last year.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The Maricopa County Republican Committee is calling on Arizona state congress members to run a bill that mandates calling voter registration cards by a more accurate name.
“Will one or both of your members please run a bill that mandates all 15 Arizona County Recorders replace erroneous so-called “Voter *ID* Card” terminology, misrepresenting what are, in fact, Voter *Registration* Cards?,” a Sunday Tweet reads.
The Tweet was in response to approximately 260,000 Maricopa County voters recently receiving new voter registration cards, which Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer called ID Cards.
“The new ID cards will look exactly like the regular cards but will include a note that indicates the boundary changes,” Richer said.
Voter IDs are a “long & strongly established principle” in Arizona, according to the Maricopa County Republican Party.
“A Voter Registration Card never serves as an authorized form of Voter ID, in & of itself,” the party tweeted. “It may potentially serve as a partial supplement, in combination w/ other docs—but never equivalent—to Voter ID.”
According to Maricopa County Republicans, the Arizona Elections Procedures Manual refers to voter registration cards as such, rather than as a “Voter ID” or “Voter ID Card.” The terms should not be used interchangeably, according to the Republicans.
Arizona voters are required to show a valid government-issued ID, as well as a voter registration card.
“However long ago ‘Voter ID Card’ got started (‘It’s been around so long & it’s only a word!’) & however strong Maricopa County Government’s institutional leverage may be, We The People hold the ultimate leverage: upholding a most basic & essential principle of Election Integrity,” the Maricopa County Republicans said.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
Animal abusers have a greater chance of getting away with their crimes under current Arizona law, according to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
The county attorney and animal welfare advocates are working to change that. In a press conference on Tuesday related to the nationally-highlighted case of serial animal abuser April McLaughlin, Mitchell urged state lawmakers to pass proposed legislation like SB1047 to make it easier to bring charges against animal abusers.
“Anytime that we can further narrow the definition of words like ‘water’ and ‘food’ and ‘shelter,’ and make it more explainable, it’s going to help us be more successful in prosecution,” said Mitchell. “So it’s not just ‘water,’ it’s ‘water that’s fit for consumption,’ as an example, so we’re removing the ambiguity.”
— Maricopa County Attorney's Office (@marcoattorney) January 16, 2024
McLaughlin — also known by other aliases like “Sydney Taylor McKinley,” “April Addison,” and “Tay McKinley,” in addition to an alleged additional dozen other aliases — faces around 80 misdemeanors and eight felony charges related to animal abuse committed under her nonprofit rescue, Special Needs Animal Welfare League (SNAWL). Most of the misdemeanor charges are pending in the Chandler municipal court, with the remainder in the Maricopa County Superior Court.
An investigation last September, prompted by a viral social media campaign, discovered 55 severely neglected special-needs dogs living in deplorable living conditions and five puppies deceased in a freezer. Of the 55 rescued, at least five have been euthanized.
The campaign that inspired the investigation into McLaughlin and some of her victims is evidenced through hashtags like #chandler55 and the account dedicated to exposing McLaughlin, “clydethesuperhusky_truth.” The latter account dates back to 2019.
However, animal welfare advocates have claimed that McLaughlin has hoarded special-needs dogs for years in the state under her various aliases — and that they attempted to get law enforcement involved, to no avail. Those advocates also say that McLaughlin would diagnose some healthy dogs with disabilities.
Under the alias “April Addison,” McLaughlin started a different special needs dog rescue nonprofit called “Special Pawz” several years ago. With exposure of the alleged abuse under that nonprofit, McLaughlin shuttered the organization before relaunching as SNAWL.
McLaughlin achieved social media fame, for a time, earning her video features and interviews with popular national programs and organizations like Inside Edition and The Dodo.
McLaughlin attempted to recover ownership rights to 13 of those dogs; her petition was denied in Chandler, which she appealed. Earlier this month, the superior court denied that appeal.
McLaughlin pleaded not guilty to the charges on Wednesday in the superior court.
County Attorney @Rachel1Mitchell joined the @AZHumane this morning in support of SB 1047, a critical piece of legislation aimed at protecting pets and strengthening the state's animal cruelty laws. pic.twitter.com/nHMITajq2y
— Maricopa County Attorney's Office (@marcoattorney) January 16, 2024
Present at the press conference were members of the Arizona Humane Society (AHS), who partnered with State Sen. T.J. Shope (R-LD) to craft SB1047.
AHS also assisted in submitting evidence worthy of pressing animal abuse charges against McLaughlin, after charges were initially dropped against her due to an initial need for more evidence. AHS had previously conducted wellness checks on McLaughlin’s residence.
AHS reported that it responded to 15,000 calls for service and opened 10,000 animal abuse investigations last year — a 21 percent increase from 2022.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Arizona Republicans are gearing up for the November General Election.
Last week, the Arizona Republican Party announced that it had “set another record-breaking fundraising quarter under the leadership of Chairman DeWit.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The AZGOP Sets Another Record-Breaking Fundraising Quarter Under the Leadership of Chairman @JeffDeWitAZ
The press release transmitted from the AZGOP highlighted that state Republicans had “raised $670,345.91 from over 7,564 individual donors” in the 2023 fourth quarter.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, AZGOP Chairman Jeff DeWit said, “As the AZGOP’s leadership, we are fully committed to core Republican values. We are tirelessly raising funds and actively recruiting dedicated Republicans to run for office. Our focus includes increasing republican voter registration, fiercely protecting election integrity, opposing bad initiatives like ranked choice voting, and building a massive get-out-the-vote machine. We are thankful to our wonderful donors who recognize the impactful efforts of the AZGOP, and we are working hard to use those dollars as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
The AZGOP noted that the 2023 Q4 fundraising haul was significantly higher than quarters for “similar periods in past election cycles, subtracting Republican National Committee transfers to show actual donation numbers.” Its news release asserted that the party brought in $186,621.59 in the fourth quarter of 2015, and $340,436.39 in the fourth quarter of 2019.
DeWit and his team will need every possible penny from donors in advance of the onslaught of significant campaigns later this year. Arizona is a high stakes swing state in the 2024 Presidential contest, and the eventual Republican nominee will likely require the state’s 11 electoral votes if he (or she) is to capture the White House. The Grand Canyon State will also feature one of the nation’s most competitive U.S. Senate races, and both major political parties will be vying for control of the state legislature, where Republicans hold very narrow majorities in both chambers. In addition, there may very well be multiple ballot measures for voters to consider in November (one of which is an abortion amendment), that could permanently change the state’s DNA.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Last week, Ali Bradley, a National Correspondent for NewsNation, revealed news that the Lukeville Port of Entry had shut down for a brief time. Bradley attributed the closure to “violence in Mexico” due to “fighting/gun battles within the cartel,” per her sources.
#BREAKING The Lukeville Port of Entry closed for a short period of time this morning due to violence in Mexico.
Sources tell me it’s because of fighting/gun battles within the cartel.
The Sinaloa cartel runs operations on the other side of the border. At the end of last month a… pic.twitter.com/cmMcPv1c34
Bradley stated that “the Sinaloa cartel runs operations on the other side of the border, (and) a Mexican National Guard soldier was killed in a gun battle at the end of last month.”
Art Del Cueto, the Vice President of the National Border Patrol Council, has also raised awareness of increasing cartel violence on the Mexican side of the border. At the end of 2023, he thanked “Mexican media reporting on the mass cartel war that has erupted just south of our borders.” He added, “12 cars destroyed, 20 deaths. 5 cars that were bulletproof. This is the intel agents and the people near the border need to be receiving. Unfortunately, many individuals involved in the cartels can freely come into the US and ask for asylum.”
Del Cueto posted two additional updates in recent days. On one, he broadcasted audio of a gun fight in Sonoyta Sonora, saying, “It ain’t no joke down there. The war continues…It’s not about the human smuggling the problem is much bigger than that.”
Then, Del Cueto shared another video of “more heavy gun fighting as a battle ensued in the town of Magdalena De Kino just south of Nogales.” The veteran border patrol agent asserted this cartel violence had become “a daily occurrence throughout different parts near the U.S.-Mexico border.”
The temporary shutdown of this port of entry comes after Lukeville experienced a much lengthier closure, which started December 4, 2023, and ended January 4. In announcing the reopening of the port, U.S. Customs and Border Protection promised “to continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation…(by) assess(ing) security situations.”
Despite the Biden Administration moving to reopen the Lukeville Port of Entry, some Republicans still wanted to address the root of the crisis. Arizona State Senator T.J. Shope was one of those officials, as he called the initial action to close the vital border crossing “irresponsible and reckless.” Shope also said, “Not only did this create financial turmoil for border communities within Arizona who rely on the tourism traffic to and from Rocky Point to support their families, but the closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry also put unnecessary stress and strain on our citizens and commerce who depend on a safe and direct route to this popular destination.”
Over the past year, legislative Republicans have effectively made the point that the reality for Arizonans could be more daunting if not for their check on the Democrats in the state – especially Governor Katie Hobbs. When Hobbs signed the state budget compromise in May, Senate President Warren Petersen highlighted that his members “prevented the Governor and Democrat Legislators from advancing their extremist agenda…we’re not getting rid of state funded border security resources to keep our communities safe.” Republicans are expected to continue to introduce bills and policies in this current legislative session that would give the Grand Canyon State more ability and resources to combat the many scourges of the border crisis.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
