by Daniel Stefanski | May 31, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A high-profile visitor recently made the trek to the southern border in Yuma, Arizona.
Earlier this month, former Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Chad Wolf made a trip to Yuma, Arizona, to check on the status of the southern border under the Biden administration. Wolf served as one of the DHS Secretaries in the Trump administration.
Wolf first visited a local food bank. He noted that “the situation here is getting worse not better, [that] 116 different nationalities [require] numerous food / dietary challenges, [and that] the surge in illegal aliens is severely impacting the food bank’s ability to provide for the people of Yuma.”
He added that a “major concern here is the Biden administration’s push to eliminate the requirement to have an ID or be a resident in order to receive food benefits.”
The former Trump cabinet official stopped by the wall at the international boundary, which was a staple of the previous administration in border states.
When Wolf was at the border, he spotted travel documents from illegal aliens who had recently crossed. One of the papers he located was a boarding pass from an alien who traveled to Cancun two days prior and crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in Yuma on that day. Wolf stated that the “cartel facilitated.”
He also highlighted a group of illegal immigrants who crossed the border at 2:30am the next morning, taking pictures of some of the approximately 60 individuals who were now being processed by the Border Patrol. Wolf asserted that there were “seven different nationalities represented – including Syrians and Chinese.”
The final post from Wolf focused on the construction of the border wall under both the Trump and Biden administrations. Wolf focused on the “remaining steel bollards lying on the ground and unused.” He opined that “the Biden team redesigned new fencing to plug gaps and to say they didn’t build ‘Trump’s’ wall instead of using this infrastructure,” adding that this was a “waste of taxpayer dollars.”
This week, Wolf shared a recap video from Polaris National Security to share highlights and information about his trip to the border.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 31, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona legislative Republicans are standing against a proposed accord from the World Health Organization.
Earlier this spring, an Arizona Senate Republican took aim at the WHO’s Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response Accord (PPPRA). In a statement for the Arizona Senate Republicans weekly newsletter, Senator Janae Shamp, who read the proclamation in her chamber, said that “The World Health Organization is creating a global pandemic agreement between its 194 member states, including the U.S, that would be detrimental to our health and freedoms. The Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response Accord would establish WHO as the governing authority on a wide range of healthcare issues, including vaccinations, abortion, and transgender therapy, all of which are rightly in the province of the American people and their representatives.”
Shamp added, “The PPPRA would also establish WHO as the ‘arbiter of truth’ on all pandemic-related information, thus silencing dissenting voices in direct violation of our First Amendment rights. These are just a couple examples of how the treaty would disturbingly infringe upon our constitutional rights. This week, I read a proclamation stating the Arizona Senate opposes the United States’ participation in this agreement and urges the Biden Administration to withdraw our nation from it.”
The proclamation, entitled “Arizona’s Sovereignty from Participation in the WHO’s Pandemic Prevention Preparedness and Response Accord,” noted that the WHO’s PPPRA would “become binding upon the United States unless the Biden Administration opposes or delays adoption, [and that] there is concern that the U.S.’s participation in the PPPRA will place America’s sovereignty in jeopardy by relinquishing national and state power to an international organization over which this country has little to no control.”
The proclamation was transmitted to President Joe Biden.
Recently, former President Donald J. Trump told attendees of the Libertarian Party National Convention that “drafts of the agreement show that they (the WHO) want to subjugate America to foreign nations, attack free speech, [and] empower the World Health Organization to redistribute American resources.” He promised to “rip them (this WHO agreement and other similar arrangements) up and throw them out on day one of the Trump administration.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 31, 2024 | Economy, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Two Arizona Republican bills to tackle the state’s deepening housing crisis were recently signed into law.
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed HB 2720 and HB 2721. HB 2720 “establishes requirements relating to accessory dwelling units” – according to the overview from the Arizona House of Representatives. HB 2721 “adopts requirements for middle housing development” – also according to the overview from the state House.
In a statement that followed the governor’s signature of his bills, State Representative Michael Carbone, a Republican, wrote, “It’s the goal of Republicans in the Legislature to make life more affordable for everyday Arizonans by addressing the urgent need for more diverse housing options. I’m pleased to have the Governor sign my two bills into law, which will help mitigate the effects of rising housing costs and ensure that our teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers, and families can live in the communities they serve and love.”
Carbone added, “Importantly, the legislation reinforces a homeowner’s right to use their property as they see fit which, for some, may include adding accommodations for multigenerational housing or to generate additional income. The enactment of this legislation is a significant step toward solving the state’s housing crisis, and I am proud of the bipartisan effort that made it possible.”
Hobbs also released a statement to mark her signature on these two proposals, saying, “I’m glad the legislature heard my calls to come to the table to pass common sense, bipartisan legislation that will expand housing options and help mitigate the effects of rising costs to make life more affordable for everyday Arizonans. And today, I’m proud to sign bills into law that will expand access to ADUs and missing middle housing.”
The governor continued, “I was born and raised in an Arizona where a middle-class family could buy their own home. In the past year alone we have made dramatic strides towards making that the reality again for the next generation. …Moving forward, I hope we can work together to address short term rentals that displace long-term community residents, and crack down on speculation by out-of-state real estate investors that drives up the cost of housing for Arizonans.”
Both bills will go into effect 90 days after the conclusion of the 2024 Arizona Legislative Session.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 30, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The Arizona Legislature has sent a bill to the governor that would strengthen protections for political candidates.
Last week, the Arizona Senate approved SB 1359, which would “require a person who distributes a deceptive and fraudulent deepfake of a candidate within 90 days before an election to include a clear and conspicuous disclosure that the media includes content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and subjects a person that fails to disclose a deepfake as outlined to a civil penalty” – according to the purpose statement from the state Senate.
Senator Frank Carroll, the sponsor of the bill, noted in the Arizona Senate Republicans weekly newsletter that his proposal received “near unanimous support.”
In February, Carroll’s legislation had passed out of the Arizona Senate with an overwhelmingly bipartisan result of 24-4 (with two members not voting). After it was transmitted to the Arizona House of Representatives, it was amended and received a 56-0 tally earlier this month (with four members not voting). The Senate then concurred with the changes from the other chamber with a 25-1 vote (with four members not voting).
Senators Bolick, Gowan, Petersen, and Shamp joined as co-sponsors of the legislation.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, Arizona National Organization for Women, and State Conference NAACP signed in to support the bill. A representative from the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona indicated opposition to the legislation.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | May 30, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A recent editorial from The Daily Kos’ Joan McCarter, citing the past talking points of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has declared confidently that “The GOP has a ‘candidate quality’ Senate problem—again.” Curiously, among three other Republican Senate candidates, McCarter included Arizona’s Kari Lake among the supposedly problematic candidates. However, recent polling doesn’t appear to bear out the assessment.
According to polling from Florida Atlantic University PolCom Lab/Mainstreet Research, taken Sunday, May 19th to Tuesday, May 21st, 2024. the race for the Seat of Independent former Democrat Senator Kyrsten Sinema is a highly competitive one with Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) leading Kari Lake by a mere 6.6 points in a poll that was weighted in favor of 2020 Joe Biden voters.
Polling from Emerson showed Gallego’s diminishing lead has dropped to two points, statistically putting them neck and neck. Alex Nicoll, Lake’s campaign spokesperson, told Breitbart, “Ruben Gallego can try to distance himself from Biden all he wants, but he won’t be able to run from his progressive record. Ruben has voted with Joe Biden 100% of the time, even more than radicals like AOC. Arizonans know it, and they know that Biden-Gallego policies are responsible for the pain they feel at home.”
In a memo released Tuesday the Lake campaign suggested that undecided voters, many of whom are polling toward former President Donald Trump, could break for Lake.
“Among the all-important undecided voters, Joe Biden has a 74% disapproval rating and Gallego only has a 35% unfavorable rating among those voters. Once voters know that Gallego has been a rubber stamp for Biden, those undecided voters will coalesce behind Kari Lake. Not to mention, the generic Republican leads in the ballot, 48%-45% and among the undecided they prefer the Republican, 55%/36%. These undecided voters are more Republican and they vote for Donald Trump, 55%/26% which means the undecideds should be significantly more inclined to vote for Kari Lake.”
Reporting from The Hill, dated May 23rd citing a new Republican Primary Poll from Noble Predictive Insights (NPI) pitting Lake against Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, indicated a narrowing race as well. The poll showed 46% of polled Arizona Republicans support Lake with 21 percent supporting Lamb with a quarter of voters still undecided.
NPI founder Mike Noble said in a statement, “Something we don’t typically see is an increase in undecided voters this close to primary election day. While Lake remains the frontrunner, her diminishing lead and the growing number of undecided voters indicate a volatile race.”
Compared to the unopposed run of Rep. Gallego who was for all intents beknighted by the Arizona Democratic Party, the robust Republican primary could indeed be seen as a far healthier process enabling GOP voters to hash out the best possible candidate rather than settling for a default candidate.
The Daily Kos, along with many other outlets have also pointed to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for evidence of this narrative noting that McConnell “left Arizona off his list of places where the party is certain to play,” withholding ad purchases in the state according to Politico. But reporting from CNN paints a different picture of McConnell, for all his disagreements with former President Donald Trump and Lake, as taking a ‘watch and wait’ stance.
“We don’t have an ideological litmus test,” McConnell said. “We want to win in November.”
McConnell, speaking on behalf of the National Republican Senatorial Committee told the outlet, “We’ll be involved in any primary where that seems to be necessary to get a high-quality candidate, and we’ll be involved in every general election where we have a legitimate shot of winning – regardless of the philosophy of the nominee.”
As CNN noted, he told interviewers there’s a “high likelihood” that GOP leaders would wait and see who emerges victorious from the primary before deciding whether or not to engage in funding the race. McConnell was firm in his refusal to discuss support for Lake or any other candidate.
However, he did add, “I didn’t mention Wisconsin; I think clearly you’d have to have an outstanding candidate. And I think there are some other places where with the right candidate, we might be able to compete – in Nevada, Arizona.”
So in short: in Arizona anyway, the notion that the Republican party has a ‘Candidate Problem’ as McConnell infamously claimed in 2022, doesn’t appear to be the case, even to him. The primary will take place on July 30, 2024, when Arizona Republicans will decide to back Kari Lake or Sheriff Lamb against Ruben Gallego.
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 Daniel Stefanski | May 29, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Fears of terrorists and other dangerous individuals crossing the border are driving Arizona legislative Republicans to take action on the southern border crisis.
Over the weekend, Senator David Gowan issued a statement over the border crisis and his Caucus’ efforts to send a border-related measure to Arizona voters for the November General Election. He specifically focused on the ongoing apprehensions of suspected terrorists at the border, writing, “Democrats touting dangerous and misleading rhetoric about the Secure the Border Act, as well as the border crisis as a whole, is reckless for many reasons. They would like citizens to believe the only people entering our country are innocent asylum seekers. However, the data coming from federal agencies, such as the FBI and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as well as our state law enforcement, consistently tells us otherwise. These agencies have been warning us of the increase in terrorists entering our country illegally and the threat they pose to the safety of America.”
The southern Arizona Republican senator added, “According to the most recent federal data, the number of suspected terrorists who’ve entered our country illegally has spiked over 2,500% during the Biden Administration. Border Patrol agents have apprehended nearly 400 illegal aliens between fiscal years 2021 and 2024 whose names appeared on the terror watch list. This includes Afghan, Pakistani, and Chinese nationals, among many others. Our country is in danger, and we are in dire need of securing our border!”
Earlier this month, the Arizona Senate Republicans Caucus’ “X” account shared a video with statements from Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and National Border Patrol Council Vice President Art Del Cueto, highlighting the dangers of the increasing number of ‘gotaways’ who have eluded law enforcement at the border. Many of these individuals are entering the United States through the Tucson Sector of the border, which covers a vast stretch of southern Arizona.
A recent Freedom of Information Act request from Fox News revealed that “between FY 2010 and FY 2020 inclusive, there were over 1.4 million gotaways, ranging from a low of 86,226 in FY 2011 to a high of 171,663 in FY 2013.”
There have been at least 1.8 million ‘gotaways’ at the border in almost four years of the Biden administration (FY 21-24).
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, who successfully ushered the Secure the Border Act through his chamber this past week, released a statement on the urgent need for voters to be able to consider this measure and state Democrats’ opposition to commonsense border solutions to protect communities. Petersen said, “The Governor’s reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of our citizens during this open border crisis our state is currently enduring at the hands of Joe Biden has left us no other option than to send the Secure the Border Act to the ballot. She’s blocked numerous attempts by Republican lawmakers to pass legislation addressing this issue, so we want to empower Arizonans to take matters into their own hands to protect their communities and support our law enforcement.”
The Republican Senate President added, “I’m pleased to report this critical measure, also known as HCR 2060, passed the Senate this week and now heads to the House for a final vote before appearing on the November ballot. Sadly, all Senate Democrats voted against the measure. Illegal immigration cost Arizona taxpayers more than $3 billion dollars last year. We’re confident we can offset future losses, reduce crime, and save lives with HCR 2060.”
Now that HCR 2060 has been passed by the Arizona Senate, it will now be considered by the Arizona House of Representatives. This chamber, which is led by Speaker Ben Toma, is expected to approve of the measure, which would send it to state voters for the November General Election.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
