by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 1, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to combat the illegal immigration crisis at America’s southern border is one step closer to Arizona Governor Hobbs’ desk.
Last week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed HB 2748, which was sponsored by State Representative Joseph Chaplik. According to the overview provided by the chamber, the legislation “establishes penalties and enforcement against illegal border crossings.”
All 31 Republicans voted in favor of the proposal, while all 28 Democrats voted in opposition. One seat was vacant at the time of the vote.
“The Biden administration’s abject refusal to uphold federal immigration laws is anti-American,” Representative Chaplik said. “It is directly responsible for catapulting our southern border into a state of chaos and facilitating an invasion unprecedented in scale and severity. Democrats at every level are working overtime to keep America’s borders open and unsecure, and Americans should demand to know why.”
Chaplik’s colleague, Representative Rachel Jones added, “Arizonans will come out in droves to vote for elected officials who are listening to them on the #1 issue of concern, THE BORDER CRISIS. To my colleagues on the left, the people don’t believe your gaslighting and rhetoric anymore. Americans want to feel safe in their own country.”
According to the press release from the Arizona House Republican Caucus, the “key provisions” of the bill include the following:
- Establishing a class 1 misdemeanor (or a class 6 felony for subsequent offenses) for individuals entering Arizona from a foreign country as aliens, except through legal ports of entry
- Imposing a class 1 misdemeanor for aliens re-entering the U.S. through Arizona if they were previously deported, excluded, or left while a deportation or exclusion order was pending
- Elevating the offense to a class 3 felony if the alien was removed due to multiple drug misdemeanors, federal inadmissibility, terrorism involvement, or removal following a nonviolent crime
- Elevating the offense to a class 2 felony if the alien was removed after committing a felony
- Providing for an order of return for aliens violating the law, with failure to comply constituting a class 2 felony
- Granting immunity from civil liability for local and state government officials, employees, and contractors enforcing the law, with indemnification for civil actions under federal law
- Mandating the Arizona Attorney General to pursue all available remedies to recover federal reimbursements for state costs incurred due to illegal immigration.
In pointing to the urgent need for state action to combat the border crisis, Chaplik’s communication also pointed to the following facts on the ground:
- Cartels are cutting holes in border fencing and controlling cross-border activity.
- 169 immigrants on the terrorist watch list tried to cross the southern border in the past year
- 24,000+ Chinese nationals were apprehended crossing into the U.S. from Mexico
- Over 150,000 gang members from Central and South America
- Over 7 million illegal crossings in the last 3 years, and more than 1 million in the last 4 months.
HB 2748 will now be considered by the Arizona Senate. If approved by the Senate, the bill stands no chance of being signed into law by Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, who, although she has recently increased the sharpness of her rhetoric against the federal government’s handling of the border crisis, has not agreed with most – if not all – of Republicans’ solutions to solve the lawlessness from a state level. In fact, legislative Republicans pointed out multiple times that Hobbs vetoed border-related bills in 2023, though she attempted to talk tough about the crisis in her January State of the State address.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 1, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona legislators are taking action to honor the memories of fallen U.S. service members from the state.
On Monday, the Arizona House of Representatives passed HB 2818, which “requires all state agencies to lower displayed flags to half-staff upon the death of a service member having a home of record in Arizona,” according to the overview provided by the chamber.
The proposal passed the state house unanimously. Three members did not vote, and one seat was vacant.
State Representative Quang Nguyen, the bill’s sponsor, said, “This legislation is dedicated to the families of our servicemembers. Lowering the flags in respectful observance for a day is the least we can do to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our great nation. For many of the families, it is all they have left.”
The bill would “direct the Governor to notify all state agencies to fly displayed flags in front of state buildings at half-staff within 48 hours after receiving notification of the death of a service member whose home of record is in Arizona.”
Earlier this month, the legislation was approved by the House Committee on Military Affairs & Public Safety with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 13-1 (with one member voting ‘present’).
Representative Nguyen also explained why he had named the bill after one of his constituents, saying, “I’m proud to name HB 2818 in honor of my constituent Daniel Aragaki, known to friends as Dan Ari. Dan was among the many, many veterans who weren’t treated very well when returning from service in Vietnam. Today, he actively volunteers with the Veterans History Project and the Sedona Area Veterans Community Outreach, supporting and honoring veterans in our state.”
At the beginning of this month, a U.S. Marine, Sgt. Alec Langen, was killed, alongside of four others, in a military helicopter crash near San Diego. Sgt. Langen was from Chandler, and left behind a wife of one month. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs shared her thoughts over the tragedy on her “X” account, saying, “I am heartbroken at the loss of Sgt. Alec Langen, one of the five Marines killed in this week’s helicopter crash. On behalf of the State of Arizona, I extend my deepest condolences to Sgt. Langen’s family as we grieve the passing of one of Arizona’s finest warriors.”
The next week, Governor Hobbs ordered flags at Arizona state buildings to be lowered to half-staff in honor of Sgt. Langen.
The Arizona Senate will now consider HB 2818.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Mar 1, 2024 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Gov. Katie Hobbs’ office used the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) drone to film the Pride flags on the Executive Tower last June.
AZ Free News is only now reporting on these facts because it took nearly nine months for the governor’s office to respond to our public records request.
Public records revealed that ADOT’s lead drone pilot captured at least 15 clips — over 21 minutes of raw footage — of the Pride flags hanging on Hobbs’ office. The displayed flags were the version of the rainbow Pride flag known as the “Progress Pride” flag, due to their inclusion of white, pink, and blue to represent transgenderism, and black and brown to represent both non-white individuals and those who died from HIV/AIDS.
The display was the first of the kind by the governor’s office. Hobbs previously hung a mainstream Pride flag while secretary of state in 2019, but legislative leadership removed it after several hours. Hobbs revealed the Pride flags on the first day of Pride Month.
“Kicking off pride month leaving no room for doubt that in Arizona, we celebrate the light and energy the LGBTQ+ community brings to our state,” said Hobbs.
ADOT drones are intended for inspections and surveying work on state infrastructure, such as highways and bridges. They were acquired about six years ago through a combination of state and federal funding.
ADOT received much of its drone fleet through a Federal Highway Administration-sponsored Arizona Council for Transportation Innovation program in 2018. At the time, the drones cost $18,100 in federal funds and over $4,500 in matching state funds.
According to public salary data from 2022, ADOT’s lead drone pilot makes over $79,200 a year: an average of $41 an hour on a 40-hour workweek. Drone piloting also requires certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which generally costs around $200.
As part of the display, public records documented how Hobbs invited guests to watch her unfurl the flags from the balcony and stand with her on the ground floor to admire the flags from below. Hobbs then hosted an hour-long “Pride Roundtable” with those guests.
Among those present at the roundtable were advocates of transitioning children’s genders, including those with personal experience like Lizette Trujillo. She was accompanied by her daughter, 15-year-old Danny, who identifies as a boy.
Other advocates present included two men identifying as women: Gaelle Esposito, lobbyist with Creosote Partners, and Jeanne Woodbury, interim executive director for Equality Arizona.
Additional public record requests revealed that the governor’s office sourced the flags from Phoenix Pride, the LGBTQ+ activist organization behind the annual Pride Festival. The organization reached out to the governor’s office last Easter.
Last year’s Pride Festival drew controversy for including overtly sexual displays such as genitalia and fetish costumes, nudity, and condom bars. Conversely, Hobbs’ takeaway from the festival last year was that the LGBTQ+ community was one of love and light.
Hobbs identified LGBTQ+ policies as her main priorities throughout her gubernatorial campaign. Her first executive order prohibited gender identity discrimination in state employment and contracts; however, Hobbs campaigned on taking anti-discrimination protections even further.
The governor promised to enact protections similar to those in Civil Rights laws: bans on LGBTQ+ discrimination in housing, education, adoptions, foster care, insurance, public accommodations, and credit procurement, as well as a ban on law enforcement profiling based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Corinne Murdock | Feb 29, 2024 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
State Rep. Alex Kolodin (R-LD03) is urging the Arizona Senate to do away with a bill allowing the export of the Valley’s emergency water reserve.
The bill, HB2201 sponsored by State Rep. Tim Dunn (R-LD25), passed the House with bipartisan support, 33-23, on Monday. Kolodin said that such a measure would inevitably raise utility bills.
“HB2201 allows part of Scottsdale’s emergency water supply to be transferred to out-of-county users, raising our utility bills,” said Kolodin. “I voted no. Needs to die in the Senate!”
Kolodin told AZ Free News that HB2201 will serve as a detriment to suburban ratepayers and force cities to compete for the dwindling supply.
HB2201 enables the interbasin transport of cities’ emergency groundwater supply from within the Harquahala Irrigation Non-expansion Area (INA) to any location within La Paz County. Dunn explained during last month’s hearing on the matter in the Natural Resources, Energy, & Water Committee that the bill would allow La Paz County to grow their existing water resources.
The Harquahala INA covers approximately 766 square miles within La Paz and Maricopa counties in the west-central portion of the state. Currently, Harquahala INA water supply may only be withdrawn and transported by the state and political subdivisions to the following initial Active Management Areas (AMAs): Phoenix, Tucson, Santa Cruz, Pinal, and Prescott.
AMAs rely heavily on mined groundwater and therefore come with higher levels of management than INAs. INAs regulate wells in rural farming areas where groundwater overdraft — the removal of too much water — is less severe. There are two other INAs in the state: Hualapai Valley and Joseph City.
These distinctions are outlined by Arizona’s Groundwater Management Act (GMA), passed over 40 years ago, which restricts interbasin water transportation for the state’s 51 groundwater basins in order to ensure AMAs maintain a 100-year water supply, also known as an assured water supply.
Healthy interbasin water transport hinges on a concept known as safe-yield: ensuring a safe balance between groundwater withdrawals and the natural and artificial recharging of water to AMA aquifers. Overdrafting can damage aquifer structure and limit future water storing capacity, increase the costs of drilling and pumping, and reduce the water quality.
Harquahala INA is considered an emergency savings account of sorts for water, saved in the event of prolonged drought: no groundwater has been transported out of the basin since 1990, according to the latest report from the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), the authority on water management. Yet, ADWR also reported that in almost all years from 2004-2022, the Harquahala INA had more water leaving the basin than entering mainly due to agriculture, which have made up 98 percent of the INA’s demand.
ADWR projected that annual supply would be insufficient for annual demand under any projected scenario over the next 50 years.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Corinne Murdock | Feb 29, 2024 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
While going to or from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, travelers may now make a pit stop at a new nearby marijuana shop.
The store is one of 16 locations in the state owned by Curaleaf, a marijuana dispensary company with 147 locations across 17 states. There are three other marijuana stores near the airport as well: JARS Cannabis, Local Joint by Zen Leaf, and Sunday Good Dispensary.
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lists marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act: the highest classification shared by some of the most addictive and dangerous illicit drugs, like heroin and crack cocaine. The DEA describes Schedule I drugs as those with high potentials for abuse and creation of severe addiction.
Current DEA data reports that long-term, regular use of marijuana can lead to both physical and psychological dependence and withdrawal, as well as health problems such as bronchitis, emphysema, bronchial asthma, and suppression of the immune system.
The DEA’s take on marijuana may be subject to change in the near future. Last month, the DEA confirmed it was conducting a review to reschedule marijuana. Days later, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released hundreds of documents outlining its recommendation to DEA to reschedule marijuana to a Schedule III drug.
In the meantime, current DEA scheduling means that marijuana products may not be transported over state lines, even between two states that have legalized marijuana — the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) technically prohibits the inclusion of marijuana in checked and carry-on bags. Officially, passengers may only bring products with .3 percent THC or less on a dry weight basis, or those approved by the FDA.
However, the TSA does disclose that its officers don’t actively look for marijuana during bag checks, and that it’s ultimately up to the officers to determine whether the passenger may proceed to travel with marijuana items.
“TSA’s screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers,” states TSA. “Accordingly, TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer. The final decision rests with the TSA officer on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint.”
That room for personal judgment appears to be in active use at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, according to travelers.
In recent months, some online users out of Phoenix claimed in a Reddit forum that they traveled successfully in and out of the airport with marijuana products.
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) data, there are 200 marijuana facilities and nearly 20,000 providers in the state.
The state legalized recreational marijuana use in 2020. The ballot measure, Proposition 207, ensured that adults over the age of 21 may possess up to an ounce of marijuana legally.
The state imposes both a transaction privilege tax and a 16 percent excise tax on marijuana sales.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 29, 2024 | Education, News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Arizona State University requires employees to complete inclusiveness training every two years.
This includes three modules: Inclusive Communities, preventing harassment and discrimination, and Title IX duty to report.
Mandatory training videos include “Fighting Gender Bias at Work,” and “Understanding Intersectionality.”
“The view here is actually an expansive view of inclusion, not a very narrow one,” said Bryan Brayboy, vice president of social advancement at ASU in an introduction video.
The stated goal of training on inclusive communities is to “help create awareness, develop skills to meet the needs of diverse students and develop teams of people capable of working together to advance the ASU mission,” according to the webpage with the training modules.
Other available trainings at ASU include:
- Affirmative action
- Age discrimination
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Diversity in the workplace
- How to strategically address social justice matters in the workplace
- Implicit bias and microaggressions
- Implicit bias in recruitment
- Tackling implicit bias and microaggressions
The webpage says ASU has more than 80,000 students on its campuses and more than 90,000 learners online. ASU is home to students from all 50 states and nearly 150 different countries.
“That creates a rich blend of backgrounds, making ASU highly inclusive and socioeconomically diverse,” the site says.
Arizona’s three public universities all promote diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, according to a Goldwater Institute report.
In the fall of 2022, ASU began requiring diversity statements from approximately 81% of job applicants.
Northern Arizona University required diversity statements from almost 73% of job applicants, and the University of Arizona required diversity statements from almost one third of job applicants.
The universities also encouraged applicants to incorporate critical race theory in written portions of their applications.
In August 2023, all three universities eliminated the use of diversity statements for job applicants after the Goldwater Institute’s report.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
