by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 17, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to strengthen Arizona homeowners’ property protections may be close to the Governor’s Office.
The Arizona Legislature is wrapping up consideration of SB 1129, which would “allow a property owner or the property owner’s authorized agent to request, from law enforcement, the immediate removal of a person who is unlawfully occupying a residential dwelling and outlines conditions that determine if a person is unlawfully occupying a residential dwelling; [and] deem that a person who fails or refuses to surrender possession of the property as directed by a law enforcement office is committing trespass” – according to the purpose from the Arizona Senate.
In a statement to support the legislation, Senator Wendy Rogers, the bill sponsor, said, “The issue of squatters taking over people’s homes is growing exponentially across the nation, including here in Arizona. People are scheming to take over homeowner’s properties, posing a threat to their safety and property rights. Arizonans are particularly vulnerable because of the number of snowbirds that leave their homes unoccupied for months at a time. Although we have trespassing laws, it’s often difficult to prove a person is unlawfully occupying a home and can result in a lengthy legal battle.”
Rogers added, “I introduced SB 1129 to combat this issue by allowing a homeowner to request law enforcement immediately remove that person from the property. It’s important to note, the bill was written to address strangers occupying a home, not someone who has lived in the home with the owner or with permission of the owner. Therefore, it protects against situations involving domestic violence. We must put an end to this criminal activity. This bill will soon make its way to the Governor’s desk, and I urge her to sign it.”
The bill first passed the Arizona Senate in February with a bipartisan 18-8 vote (with four members not voting). It was amended in the State House and passed with another bipartisan result, 39-19 (with two members not voting). SB 1129 was transmitted back to the State Senate for concurrence, where it remains for the present time.
Senators Farnsworth, Kavanagh, Kern, Shope, and Wadsack, and Representative Gillette joined Rogers as cosponsors of the legislation.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, a representative from the Manufactured Housing Communities of Arizona signed in to support the bill. Representatives from the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, Arizona National Organization for Women, State Conference NAACP, and WM E Morris Institute for Justice indicated their opposition to the proposal.
Last week, legislators held a press conference outside of the Arizona Capitol to mark the progress of the bill and urge its enactment into state law.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 17, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A new poll in the 2024 presidential election shows Donald J. Trump beating Joseph R. Biden by six points in the all-important battleground state of Arizona.
The poll was conducted by Echelon Insights, which surveyed registered voters in Arizona between March 12-19.
According to The Hill, which collected 35 presidential match-up polls out of the Grand Canyon State, Trump holds a 4.4% average lead over the Democrat incumbent. Of those polls, Trump has enjoyed leads since one released in November 2023 by Stand for Children, where the two were tied at 42 percent. Also considering these polls, the last time Biden experienced a lead in Arizona was in June 2023, where a poll from Public Opinion Strategies showed him with a two percent advantage over Trump.
Arizona’s eleven electoral votes will be critical for the eventual pathway to the White House by either candidate. In 2016, Trump won Arizona by 3.5% over Hillary Clinton. In 2020, Biden won Arizona by a razor-thin margin of 0.3%.
Both political parties are especially motivated in a presidential year within the state, but even more so when they look at everything else at stake for the future. There’s an open U.S. Senate seat, control of the Arizona Legislature, and a plethora of ballot initiatives for voters to work through in the November General Election.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 16, 2024 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to increase governance on cell phones in public schools was vetoed by Arizona’s Democrat governor.
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed HB 2793, which would have “require[d] each school district governing board and charter school governing body to prescribe and enforce policies and procedures that govern student access to the internet and limit student use of wireless communications devices during the school day.”
In a statement to House Speaker Ben Toma, Hobbs said, “This legislation establishes an unnecessary mandate for an issue schools are already addressing.”
The sponsor of the proposal, State House Education Committee Chairwoman Beverly Pingerelli, expressed her disappointment over the governor’s action, saying, “There is a growing body of research that clearly links the use of wireless devices like cell phones to increased negative social harms among our youth. Arizona middle and high schools today are flooded with students glued to screens. It’s an epidemic that is impacting everything from teen depression and anxiety, increased childhood obesity, and decreased academic achievement.”
Pingerelli added, “As a former school board member, I believe in local solutions. This is why my legislation called on school boards to develop policies and procedures to limit the use of devices for students. It called for sensible solutions and reasonable exceptions. The goal is to have personal devices ‘away for the day’ so students can engage and learn. Today, schools feel powerless to enforce even mild restrictions. The results are evident on campuses everywhere.”
The bill first passed the State House in February with a 31-28 vote (with one seat vacant). After being transmitted to the State Senate, it passed earlier this month with a 16-13 vote (with one member not voting).
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Arizona Association of County School Superintendents, Arizona School Administrators Association, and Arizona School Boards Association endorsed the legislation.
Chairwoman Pingerelli’s press release noted that legislative Democrats opposed her legislation “despite no formal opposition and not one person testifying against the bill.”
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne also weighed in on the news. He said, “Anyone with a minimum of empathy would empathize with teachers who try to teach while students are scrolling on their cell phones. Every instructional method is precious. A teacher should not have to put up with that interference with instruction.”
Horne added, “Cell phones have also become the major way in which students are bullied. It is enough that they get bullied on their cell phones when they’re away from school. It should not be happening while they are in school trying to learn, so that the bullying occurs 24 hours a day. To permit that bullying to go on 24 hours a day shows a lack of empathy for the students.”
The Republican schools’ chief shared the results of a recent poll in the state showing that 62.75% of respondent parents supported the increased regulations on their children’s cell phones in schools.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Apr 16, 2024 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) parents and community members urged greater action from their district during last week’s board meeting after the arrest of a prominent basketball coach for child sex abuse.
The coach, 37-year-old Patrick Battillo, known by his superfan alias, “Mr. ORNG,” was arrested last week for soliciting minors for sexual content. The school where Battillo coached, Peoria High School, had run a background check on him prior to his coming on board.
Parental concerns have been on the rise due to the constant news of other educators arrested for child sex abuse outside the district over the past year, as well as the steady stream of Arizona State Board of Education cases involving sexual misconduct.
Last month, 53-year-old Estevan Carreon with Glendale Union High School District’s Independence High School, was arrested after secretly recording students while they undressed. Over the course of seven months, three female educators in various Buckeye schools were arrested for inappropriate contact with minors: 23-year-old Alyssa Todd, 42-year-old Jessica Kramer, and 24-year-old Diana Pirvu.
In January, 35-year-old Daniel Pineda with Dream City Christian School in Glendale was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a student.
Last week’s extensive community participation with PUSD was due in part to a call to action by SMART Schools, a subsidiary of the conservative activist group Arizona Women of Action. In a press release, the organization urged involvement to increase student safety.
Tamra Farah, SMART Families Network Director, urged the board to find ways to heighten collective vigilance to safeguard the students. Farah reminded the board that another educator, Erin Quigley, had agreed to the suspension of his teaching certification amid allegations of grooming and possibly sexually abusing students.
Rachel Barnett — Littleton Elementary School District board member, Arizona School Board Association (ASBA) Black Alliance Officer, secretary of the NAACP, and former PUSD employee and mother — said that she wasn’t at all surprised by child sex abuse cases coming out of PUSD due to its standard for handling reporting of such cases.
Barnett said that a female senior student at Peoria High School urged her to speak at last week’s meeting. She said that PUSD had a “startling history of covering up abuse,” citing a practice of barring teachers who contact the Department of Child Services (DCS) and law enforcement from testifying in court, let alone admitting they were the ones who reported the abuse to DCS.
“It troubles me to say that I am not at all surprised to hear what’s presently unfolding in this district,” said Barnett.
Barnett further alleged that administrators weren’t notifying parents of the sexual abuse cases. PUSD Board President Becky Proudfit directed several members of the board to follow up with Barnett.
Dr. Tara Armstead, former member of the Arizona Department of Education’s African American Advisory Council and former Litchfield Elementary School District board member, said that background checks weren’t enough to catch predators. Armstead encouraged the board to listen more to the students.
Seak Smith — founder and president of The Mom Army, a child advocacy organization — urged the district to recognize the child sex abuse incidents as part of a greater pandemic.
“We need to understand that predators and pedophiles go where they can have access to children, and we have to do better to safeguard children and protect them from predators,” said Smith.
Mark Del Maestro, a Vietnam War veteran, said that pedophiles like those arrested recently were “Satan’s marionettes.” Del Maestro compared the rising rates of child sex abuse to the rampant molestation in war-torn Vietnam.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 15, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Another election-related bill was vetoed by Arizona’s Democrat Governor.
On Wednesday, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed HB 2393, which would have “require[d] political parties that choose to select a nominee for president by a vote that is open to the entire political party membership to provide a method of voting to uniformed services or overseas citizens and persons with disabilities.”
In a letter provided to House Speaker Ben Toma, Hobbs explained the reason behind her veto, writing, “If the state were to change the manner in which political parties hold their own elections, it would be important to reflect bipartisan agreement.”
Republican State Representative Alexander Kolodin, the sponsor of the bill, was outraged by the governor’s action. He said, “Governor Hobbs’ decision to veto this bill is not only irresponsible but also detrimental to the democratic rights of some of our most vulnerable citizens. This action leaves a critical aspect of our state law ambiguous, failing to secure the voting rights of individuals with disabilities and our dedicated servicemembers. At a time when ensuring access to the democratic process should be of utmost importance, this veto represents a significant step backward. It’s as if the Governor believes maintaining a murky legal landscape is preferable to granting clear and equitable voting rights to all Arizonans. This isn’t just about policy – it’s about ensuring every voice is heard and valued in our democracy.”
The proposal first passed the Arizona House of Representatives in early February with a 31-24 vote (with two members not voting and three seats vacant). The Arizona Senate then amended the bill and approved that version with a 16-12 vote (with two members not voting) late last month. The House concurred with the Senate’s changes, voting 31-28 (with one member not voting) to transmit the legislation to the Governor’s Office.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Apr 15, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Legislation to strengthen border security against illicit drugs passed out of committee on Wednesday.
The House Committee on Homeland Security passed the Subterranean Border Defense Act, which was introduced by Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., and Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif. The bill awaits further action on the House Floor.
The bill would require annual reports to Congress on counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations.
“Effective border security is created by overlapping deterrents. My legislation would help ensure that Congress has the necessary data to forge another much-needed layer of defense—especially when the Biden Administration’s policies have left our country inexcusably vulnerable,” Crane said. “I’m grateful to Chairman Green for his support of this bill and for his distinguished leadership on the Committee.”
Illicit cross-border tunnels along the southwest border of the United States represent a significant and growing threat to national security, according to a news release from the congressman.
Law enforcement officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the U.S. border since 1990. There has been an 80% increase in tunnel activity occurring since 2008.
House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green said the committee is committed to protecting America from cartels.
“Illicit cross-border tunnel operations are more evidence that vicious criminal cartels will stop at nothing to smuggle weapons, drugs, and illegal aliens into this country to our detriment, and for their profit,” Green said. “DHS must provide Congress with reporting on these operations annually, as well as the Border Patrol’s efforts to stop them, as these operations are a threat to all Americans.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
