by Ethan Faverino | Mar 31, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen sharply criticized Governor Katie Hobbs last week for vetoing Senate Bill 1010, which would have designated the Loop 202 as the “Charlie Kirk Loop 202.”
Petersen accused the governor of breaking Arizona’s long-standing nonpartisan tradition of honoring individuals based on their impact and contributions to public life rather than political alignment.
“Governor Hobbs didn’t just veto a bill. She broke with a long-standing Arizona tradition of recognizing impact over politics,” stated President Petersen. “Charlie Kirk inspired millions of Americans to engage in their communities, speak freely, and exercise their First Amendment rights. He built something that reached far beyond Arizona, and he brought that energy right here to our state. That kind of influence matters.”
Petersen emphasized that Arizona has historically honored service and civic contributions without requiring political agreement. He pointed to the precedent of naming a portion of the same Loop 202 after the late Congressman Ed Pastor, a Democrat, as a tribute to his service.
“Arizona has never required political agreement to recognize someone’s contribution to public life. We’ve recognized impact, service, and people who’ve shaped conversations and encouraged others to participate,” added Petersen. “This veto makes it clear that standards have changed. It tells people that recognition now depends on political alignment, not contribution. That’s not how Arizona has ever approached these decisions, and it’s a disappointing shift for our state.”
Gubernatorial candidate, Congressman Andy Biggs, also condemned Hobbs’ veto, saying, “Katie Hobbs wants us to forget about Charlie Kirk. We won’t. And we will honor him in November by voting her out of office.”
The bill directed the Arizona Department of Transportation to install appropriate signage, specified that the designation would not supersede existing names (such as Red Mountain Freeway, Santan Freeway, and Congressman Ed Pastor Freeway), and carried no anticipated fiscal impact to the state’s General Fund. It also required the new name to appear in official state records and documentation.
In her veto message, Governor Hobbs stated:
“Today I vetoed SB1010.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination is tragic and a horrifying act of violence. In America, we resolve our political differences at the ballot box. No matter who it targets, political violence puts us all in harm’s way and damages our sacred democratic institutions.
I will continue working toward solutions that bring people together, but this bill falls short of that standard by inserting politics into a function of government that should remain nonpartisan. Any renaming of a highway must follow the current process through the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names and not be circumvented by the Legislature.”
The veto marks the second time this session that Governor Hobbs has rejected legislation honoring Kirk, following her earlier veto of a bill proposing a specialty license plate in his memory.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Mar 31, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has opened a formal inquiry into how regulated utilities are using artificial intelligence in system operations, including planning, forecasting, and infrastructure management.
According to a March 24 announcement, Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson initiated the docket titled In the Matter of Researching and Discussing the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to More Efficiently and Reliably Deliver Energy and Water to Customers (Docket No. AU-00000A-26-0060).
Arizona Corporation Commission records show the inquiry directs regulated electric, natural gas, and Class A and Class B water utilities to provide information on their current and potential use of artificial intelligence in operations, including planning and forecasting, storm response, and equipment procurement. The docket also outlines plans for a public workshop later this year to gather input from stakeholders and subject matter experts.
“Our regulated utilities operate energy and water plants and distribution systems that are identified as critical infrastructure for Arizona,” Márquez Peterson said. “Discussions have been occurring frequently at national and regional conferences on the use of AI to automate and improve services. It’s important that our Commission engage in the dialogue surrounding these technological advancements on behalf of our regulated utilities and their ratepayers.”
The docket states that the Commission is seeking information to better understand how artificial intelligence may be used “to more efficiently and reliably deliver energy and water to customers,” while ensuring systems remain secure and resilient.
The proceeding will begin the Commission’s review of how artificial intelligence could be integrated into daily plant operations and distribution systems used by Arizona’s regulated utilities.
As part of the inquiry, utilities are being asked to detail how artificial intelligence is currently used or may be deployed in the future, particularly in areas such as system planning, demand forecasting, response to outages and severe weather events, and infrastructure and equipment procurement.
The Commission stated that the inquiry will also examine how utilities are implementing artificial intelligence to maintain system reliability and protect critical infrastructure.
According to the announcement and docket filing, a workshop will be held before the end of the year to allow stakeholders and subject matter experts to provide input and discuss information submitted into the proceeding.
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 | Mar 30, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Arizona Republic was named among the nation’s worst-performing newspapers.
The outlet belongs to Gannett Co., Inc., the largest newspaper owner in the nation. It was also one of Gannett’s worst performing papers, out of the over 300 publications the media giant owns.
The Arizona Republic had the biggest decline in circulation (19 percent) according to new data on audited major papers by the Alliance for Audited Media. Out of all the largest audited papers, the Arizona Republic came in fourth for greatest circulation losses.
The paper’s circulation dropped to 32,800 in 2025 from 40,500 in 2024.
Turning Point USA executive Tyler Bowyer attributed the paper’s decline to its political bent, allegedly against conservatives.
“I did try to warn them a lot! They still haven’t done anything to be fair and save the paper,” said Bowyer.
Last August, Gannett offered buyouts to top staff at the Arizona Republic following their closure of the Deer Valley Printing Facility, the paper’s historic printing facility in North Phoenix. Gannett moved its print operations for the paper from Deer Valley Printing to its facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Over 100 workers were laid off as a result of the closure.
That facility also printed the Arizona Daily Star, Arizona Daily Sun, The New York Times, and USA Today.
Gannett wasn’t the only company to take a hit with its papers. 25 of the largest audited newspapers had an average daily print circulation decline of 12 percent last year.
The Washington Post experienced the worst year-on-year decline out of all the top papers (21 percent to 87,600), followed by the Los Angeles Times (19.8 percent to 63,500), Chicago Tribune (19.7 percent to 48,600), and finally the Arizona Republic.
Among the top 25 audited papers with the least circulation decline were the New York Post (4.2 percent to 117,000), Connecticut Post (5.3 percent to 30,700), the Mercury News (7.3 percent to 24,200), and The New York Times (8.6 percent to 228,200).
Only one out of the top 25 experienced an increase in circulation: The Villages Daily Sun (4.2 percent to 48,700).
The Arizona Republic was not among the top 50 news websites for visits in the U.S. either, according to Press Gazette data.
In 2022, Gannett executed a significant cost reduction program that yielded sizable layoffs and salary reductions at a 10 percent minimum to pay down $150 to $200 million of debt.
Those mass layoffs became pointedly evident by 2023. The Arizona Republic went from 140 employees in 2018 to less than 100 by 2023 per an analysis by NewsGuild.
In an effort to claw back some lost ground, unionized workers under the Arizona Republic spent years fighting for an agreement with Gannett to improve wages. They announced success in December 2023: Gannett promised to raise wages while preserving medical and retirement benefits for the surviving staff of the layoffs. Arizona Republic reporters unionized in 2019.
Circulation declines, layoffs, and budgeting woes have plagued the Arizona Republic in recent years despite forays into initiatives designed to boost readership and offset cost, like hiring from Report for America.
Only one out of the three Report for America corps members still works for the Arizona Republic.
Other Arizona-based outlets to receive Report for America-funded reporters were the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, KOLD-TV, Arizona PBS, Nogales International, Arizona Luminaria, Pinal Central, and Tucson Sentinel.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 30, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) is investigating over 200 individuals for noncitizen voting.
The MCAO notified the public in a press release of the investigation.
The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office referred the names of over 200 individuals to the MCAO between last week and this week. Out of that population, 60 have reportedly cast votes in the past.
MCAO limited the amount of information given to the public about their investigation.
“This investigation is in its very early stages, and in order to protect the integrity of the investigation, we will not comment further. When more information is available for release, we will make that public,” stated the MCAO.
Last month the recorder’s office notified the public of those 60 individuals they determined were noncitizens and had voted in prior elections.
Those 60 noncitizens with a voting history were uncovered following the recorder’s review of nearly 61,700 voters affected by the Motor Vehicle Division oversight that failed to acquire documentary proof of citizenship. At the time of the press release in February, the recorder’s office found a total of nearly 140 noncitizens under that classification who had registered to vote.
The recorder’s office relied on the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to confirm the citizenship of the registered voters.
Last October, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) expanded authorization use within the SAVE database to enable states to verify citizenship on its voter rolls.
The updated authorization allowed for additional identifiers beyond the last four digits of Social Security numbers to include full Social Security numbers as well as driver’s license and passport numbers.
Along with the SAVE database expansion, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem came to Arizona in February as part of a promotional tour on the SAVE Act.
That visit by Noem advanced more than just public awareness of the SAVE Act.
Arizona lawmakers revealed during a committee hearing earlier this month that the former recorder of Maricopa County, Stephen Richer, was being investigated for possible obstruction.
The revelation occurred as part of discussions by the House Federalism, Military Affairs, & Elections Committee on a criminal investigation package delivered to DHS and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence by the committee chair, State Rep. John Gillette (R-LD30).
“Stephen Richer telling recorders not to comply with the legislative public records request. That is not a glitch. That’s on purpose,” said Gillette. “There appears to be some obstruction or intent to obstruct other recorders from doing their job because they have an association, he was president of the association at the time, but he was instructing other elected officials that are not of Maricopa County how to comply or not comply in this case with a lawful public records request from the House. That is being looked at, and thus we’ve had a subpoena issued since.”
Although the MCAO announced they were investigating the alleged noncitizen voters, they weren’t the only agency notified of the problematic registrations.
The recorder’s office also referred the alleged noncitizen voters to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 30, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
The Arizona Department of Education’s leader admonished one party for rejecting a new mandate on schools to report deadly on-campus incidents.
Democratic lawmakers opposed HB 4109 during a Wednesday vote in the Senate Education Committee, even though one of their own, State Rep. Lydia Hernandez (D-LD24) sponsored the bill. Republicans on the committee voted in favor of it.
HB 4109 would require school boards to adopt a structured safety policy with certain, detailed implementation responsibilities imposed on school district superintendents.
Among those responsibilities of the superintendent included in the bill: written notification to students’ parents and school employees within 24 hours of any incidents or threats involving life-threatening violence or violence involving a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; immediate notification to a law enforcement officer of observed or notified incidents involving the aforementioned situations concerning violence, and any confiscations of dangerous instruments or deadly weapons; and confiscation, or designation of confiscation to administrators, of any dangerous instrument or deadly weapon possessed by any person on school property.
School districts would also need to publish annual public safety reports detailing the number of lockdowns, shelter-in-place events, and evacuations; incidents involving a deadly weapon or dangerous instruments; incidents referred to law enforcement officers; and a summary of the school district’s adopted public safety policy and its implementation.
The bill would prohibit school districts from taking retaliatory action against employees, parents, students, state agents, or any other individuals for reporting a violation of the public safety policy requirements.
Failure to adhere to the legislation would result in school leaders facing a class one misdemeanor charge.
State Superintendent Tom Horne published a press release the day after the committee hearing accusing the Democrats on the Senate Education Committee of “reckless and irresponsible” behavior: flippant of school safety and willfully ignorant of the present safety problems plaguing school campuses.
“The bill requires notice to parents and staff within 24 hours of a life-threatening incident on campus. That is a perfectly reasonable requirement that schools should be doing anyway,” said Horne. “It is ironic that the bill is sponsored by Democrat Representative Lydia Hernandez. She deserves credit for this effort. I am pleased the bill passed out of committee even with the opposition from members of her own party.”
State Rep. Hernandez explained that the murder of Michael Montoya, 16, in Maryvale High School last August was the motivator behind the bill. Montoya was stabbed to death in a classroom by another student.
“This was a constituent bill brought to me by my neighbors, families that were so traumatized by what happened. But it’s not just limited to this one incident, but a series of incidents that keep taking place,” said Hernandez. “It’s not about politics, it’s about protecting the safety of our kids. You and I would do it, and I hope it never has to be one our children that are the victims.”
State Sen. Eva Diaz (D-LD22) said it concerned her that the bill would criminalize noncompliant school board members and superintendents.
State Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R-LD13) countered that it wasn’t unprecedented to hold school officials accountable through criminal penalties in the context of public safety.
“I understand the logic when you’re talking about public safety, at some point there has to be some oomph behind it because we’re talking about fundamental student safety,” said Mesnard.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Mar 29, 2026 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
A Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) teacher committed suicide while fleeing arrest for the sexual abuse of a minor.
Steven Charles Mitten III, a history teacher at Shadow Mountain High School, fled from police on Wednesday shortly before taking his own life, according to a media advisory issued by the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) on Thursday.
Mitten, 65, previously worked at Cactus Shadows High School within the Cave Creek Unified School District (CCUSD). CCUSD awarded Mitten their Excellence Award in May 2018, given to one teacher in the school for outstanding contributions to students.
Per PPD, an unnamed adult female reported to law enforcement on Monday that Mitten initiated a sexual relationship with her when she was 16 years old. That relationship purportedly lasted for approximately three years.
The Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) immediately investigated the woman’s claim and found probable cause to arrest Mitten.
The media advisory explained that Mitten fled from the Fugitive Apprehension and Investigations Detail (FAID) in his vehicle with a firearm. After law enforcement used a grappler to stop Mitten’s vehicle, Mitten turned his gun on himself and shot himself in his vehicle.
Detectives and the Special Assignments Unit (SAU) apprehended Mitten, and the Phoenix Fire Department transported him to a hospital. Mitten later succumbed to the self-inflicted gunshot wound.
PPD advised that other details were omitted from public communications given the ongoing nature of the investigation.
“This case reflects the unwavering dedication of our detectives, who work tirelessly on behalf of survivors, especially in cases involving crimes against children,” stated the advisory. “We recognize the lasting impact these incidents have on survivors and their families, and we remain committed to seeking justice while handling these sensitive investigations with care and professionalism.”
The Arizona State Board of Education (AZSBE) does not have any disciplinary records pertaining to Mitten.
Arizona Department of Education records reflect Mitten received a standard professional secondary certification covering history, political science and American government, and social studies for the sixth through twelfth grades in April 2021. Mitten also had a full endorsement for structured English immersion covering preK-12.
Another Arizona teacher was arrested this week for sexual exploitation of a minor. An elementary school teacher and high school coach, Timothy James Sonier, 48, was arrested on Thursday for uploading child sexual abuse materials. Sonier faces 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Sonier taught at Dodge Traditional Magnet School and coached girls’ junior varsity basketball at Salpointe Catholic High School. Sonier has lived in Tucson for nearly 30 years; he passed a background check by Tucson Unified School District.
Prior to Dodge and Salpointe, Sonier worked at Dietz K-8 School, Catalina High School, and Sabino High School.
The AZSBE latest enforcement action report reflected that enforcement actions increased nearly eightfold from 2014 to 2024. AZSBE attributed this increase to the increased staffing and efficiency of case processing, not an upward trend of immoral or unprofessional misconduct in schools.
Although males comprise only 24 percent of total educators, they represented 61 percent of all enforcement actions.
A majority of enforcement actions since 2012 have come from sexual offense cases (671 out of 1,876 cases, or 36 percent). These cases are not distinguished between offenses against minors versus adults. In 2024, 29 percent were associated with sexual misconduct behaviors.
AZSBE has not published its enforcement action report for 2025 as of this report.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
