by Staff Reporter | May 21, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee was honored before Congress on Monday for her work and legacy inspiring girls and young women.
Congresswoman Debbie Lesko presented the recognition for Yee. Lesko noted that Yee was the first Chinese-American woman in Arizona to take on a high state-level position, as well as a Republican.
“It is the first Asian-American elected to a statewide office in Arizona history,” said Lesko.
Yee formerly served in the Arizona legislature, in both the House and the Senate, and rose to become the state’s second female majority leader, after the late Sandra Day O’Connor.
Prior to joining the state legislature and coming to Arizona, Yee worked for California’s Republican governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Shwarzenegger. After Yee moved to California, Yee became communications director for the place she now leads: the state treasurer’s office.
Yee’s transition into the legislature began after Governor Jan Brewer successfully recommended Yee to replace another lawmaker, former Republican representative Doug Quellan.
It was in the legislature that Yee passed a bill requiring doctors to provide women with the option of an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion.
Some of Yee’s high marks in office include her improvements that led to record highs of the Permanent Land Endowment Trust Fund, totaling over $8.6 billion at one point (as of March’s end, $6.75 billion); punishing companies’ boycotts of Israel; and getting into state law a requirement of financial education for high schoolers prior to graduation.
“Treasurer Yee’s service to Arizona has raised financial literacy rates, improved Arizona’s economy, and helped show young women and girls across the state that anything is possible,” said Lesko.
Yee has acted and spoken out consistently on her views of unsound policy, usually Democratic.
Back in February, Yee joined state Republican lawmakers’ lawsuit against the Biden administration over its confiscation of nearly one million acres of land in northern Arizona in an attempt to declare the land a monument.
The treasurer has also pushed back on Governor Katie Hobbs. She asserted publicly that the governor’s proposed education funding plan was “dangerous and unsustainable.”
Yee also refused to admit government employees under two agencies during a Board of Investment meeting after the Governor refused to nominate agency directors.
After the Hamas terrorist attack that initiated the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, Yee ramped up support for Israel. The state increased its bond holdings to support Israel.
Yee ensured Arizona was the first state in the country to enforce anti-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions laws. The state divested $143 million from Unilever, the parent company of Ben & Jerry’s, in response to the latter company’s ceasing distribution in Israel.
Yee also improved Education Savings Plans (ESPs) under her leadership. The ESPs were up 38 percent: a three-year difference worth $2.25 billion.
Last year, Yee resisted Hobbs’ alleged desire to cancel ESA-related grants enabling children to attend all-day kindergarten.
Assets under Yee’s management grew from $15.4 billion when she took office to $30.4 billion.
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by Daniel Stefanski | May 20, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republican legislators are working hard to come up with bipartisan solutions that would help to mitigate the state’s growing housing crisis.
This week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed two bills to augment the state’s housing supply. The first bill was HB 2720, which would “establish requirements relating to accessory dwelling units,” according to the overview from the state House. The second was HB 2721, which would “adopt requirements for middle housing development.” Both bills now head to Governor Hobbs’ desk.
According to the press release issued by the Arizona House Republican Caucus, these bills “will increase the supply of housing types that are currently illegal to build in most cities and towns across the state. HB 2720 will legalize backyard Accessory Dwelling Units, or Casitas, and HB 2721 will legalize duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes—or Middle Housing— in certain areas of cities and towns. Both bills will only apply to cities and towns with a population of more than 75,000 people.”
Both proposals were sponsored by State Representative Michael Carbone, who issued a statement to champion these bipartisan efforts during another contentious legislative session in the state’s divided government. Carbone said, “Arizonans across the state are being decimated by high housing costs and unrelenting inflation. Right now, our teachers, nurses, firefighters, and police officers can’t afford to live in the communities that they serve. Our children and grandchildren can’t afford to live in the communities that they grew up in. Most Arizonans have been priced out of the housing economy – it’s wrong and un-American.”
Carbone added praise for a Democrat colleague, who helped get these pieces of legislation to the finish line in the Arizona Legislature, writing, “I cannot go a single day without hearing from my constituents about the high housing costs in our state that is decimating my community and locking families in poverty. We worked tirelessly with housing and community stakeholders in order to craft this historic and bipartisan solution that we are proud to send to the Governor. This was truly a bipartisan effort, and I am grateful for Senator Hernandez’s leadership on this issue.”
Senator Anna Hernandez, a Democrat, noted the legislative success of one of these bills, saying, “Someone told me months ago, that we could never pass our statewide ADU (casitas) legislation. HB2720 just passed final read in the house with 35 bipartisan votes. This bill, that will legalize casitas, is now heading to the Governor’s desk. Huge thanks to everyone that worked with me and helped get this across the finish line.”
As the two bills head to the Governor’s Office for her decision, both Republicans and Democrats who supported these proposals are hoping for a better result than the fate that met another housing bill earlier in the session. Back in March, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed HB2570, which would have “create[ed] municipal prohibitions relating to home designs and single-family home lot sizes” – according to the overview provided by the state House. Hobbs explained that she had vetoed the proposal because “this is unprecedented legislation that would put Arizonans at the center of a housing reform experiment with unclear outcomes.”
The Senate Republican Caucus’ press release after the veto of HB 2570 highlighted that Hobbs became the “first Governor in the nation to block a bill removing zoning restrictions to bring housing prices down for hardworking citizens.” Representative Analise Ortiz, a Democrat, said, “I hope Governor Hobbs will support future plans to expand the state’s inventory of modest, starter homes and homes on small lots – homes that our parents & grandparents purchased years ago that allowed them to build wealth, lay roots in communities, and break cycles of poverty.” And Senator Anna Hernandez added, “I hope the Governor takes this moment to reaffirm her commitment to solving the housing crisis rather than stand as another obstacle in the way of solutions.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 20, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans continue to promote rural interests when it comes to the state’s groundwater policies and future.
This week, State Representative Gail Griffin released comments over her – and others in the Arizona Legislature – efforts to “increase groundwater recharge in rural Arizona communities that have had challenges with groundwater.”
Representative Griffin said, “Throughout rural Arizona, residents have had challenges with groundwater and asked leaders to take action to help address rural groundwater. For years, lawmakers have answered the call and worked on implementing policies that would increase groundwater recharge for local communities. In 2016 and 2021, we passed legislation to direct the Arizona Department of Water Resources and State Land Department to identify sites that could be utilized to develop groundwater recharge facilities. As a result of the legislation, the agencies identified over 300 locations statewide that could be utilized immediately to increase local water supplies for rural communities.”
She added, “Let’s focus on developing these proposed statewide sites and utilizing other tools available to increase groundwater, rather than top-down government mandates that would negatively affect local economies and job opportunities. Let’s work together for a win-win scenario that puts water in the ground and provides sensible solutions that protect rural Arizona.”
Griffin’s statements followed some from one of her colleagues in the other state legislative chamber, Senator Sine Kerr. Over the weekend, Kerr highlighted two bills working through the legislative process, dealing with housing and water supply. Kerr said, “Average working-class Arizonans can’t afford to purchase homes right now because of supply shortages. The prospect of homeownership has become out of reach for anyone making less than $120,000. To keep up with demand and bring prices down, economic experts say Arizona needs between 40,000 and 50,000 new homes. Unfortunately, current water policies are preventing new homes from being built in the most affordable markets.
“This year, legislative Republicans have introduced bills to save groundwater and increase housing supply in the Phoenix metro area. SB 1172 would allow developers to retire agricultural lands outside of cities and replace those lands with lower-water use, single- family homes. HB 2589 would allow developers to move forward with proposed projects, if they are willing to accept a 15% reduction to future demand in pumping. Together, these proposals could save over 320,000 acre feet of water annually.”
SB 1172 currently resides in the Arizona House of Representatives, after passing the state Senate in February. HB 2589 was approved by the state House in February, and has been stalled in the state Senate.
In a joint op-ed at the beginning of the month, both lawmakers championed their side’s approach to the groundwater issue, encouraging Governor Hobbs to enact the policies espoused in the aforementioned bills if and when the Arizona Legislature finished its work on those efforts. They wrote, “Sensible groundwater policies, like those proposed by Republicans, save billions of gallons of water for future generations and reduce upward price pressure on new homes by allowing the housing supply to increase in this state. This supports affordable housing in Arizona and the economy. When the governor signs these bills, it will help housing affordability and protect Arizona’s precious water resources at the same time, thus providing a win-win for everyone.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | May 19, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Amazon issued a statement blasting the Democratic Arizona attorney general for a “fundamental misunderstanding and mischaracterization of how Amazon’s businesses work.”
Under Arizona AG Kris Mayes’ leadership, the Grand Canyon state sued Amazon for “unfair and deceptive business practices under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and the Arizona Uniform State Antitrust Act.”
“Amazon’s anti-competitive and monopolistic practices have artificially inflated prices for Arizona consumers and harmed smaller third-party retailers that rely on its platform,” Mayes wrote.
Arizona filed two lawsuits, the first one focusing on the cancellation process for Amazon Prime, and the second targeting an Amazon algorithm that “determines which offer for a given product is made available via the ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Add to Cart’ buttons.”
“The lawsuit claims the Buy Box algorithm is actually biased toward offers that maximize Amazon’s profits, often favoring its own products or those of Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) sellers over better non-FBA options,” according to a statement from the Attorney General’s office.
The company is “surprised and disappointed” by the cases, a spokesperson for Amazon said, accusing the state’s AG of initiating the lawsuits “without reviewing a single document from Amazon.”
“Prime’s sign-up and cancellation processes are clear and simple by design, meeting a high bar for customer satisfaction well above legal requirements,” the statement says. “Customers sign up for Prime because it’s an incredible service and a great value, and they can cancel their Prime membership with a few clicks from the home page.”
“These suits would force Amazon to engage in practices that actually harm consumers and the many businesses that sell in our store—such as having to feature higher prices,” the Amazon statement continues.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | May 19, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
The city of Maricopa appointed a new city manager with an annual salary of $242,000 and a $650,000 house included in the package.
Ben Bitter’s package also includes a $400 monthly stipend for personal vehicle use and a $100 monthly cell phone allowance. He is now the city’s highest paid employee ever.
Bitter will start July 1.
On April 16, the city council approved the purchase of a house for Bitter valued up to $650,000, which he will repay at a half-percent interest rate over 30 years, significantly below current market rates.
Bitter is receiving an $83,700 raise over his current salary and $20,000 more than outgoing City Manager Rick Horst’s pay.
Some residents are upset about the amount of taxpayer dollars dealt to Bitter.
Bitter’s credentials include serving as the city’s capital improvement plan and engineering director in 2021. Since 2022, he has served as deputy city manager and chief product officer.
But his background is riddled with controversy. During his time as city manager in Ashland, Kentucky, the City Commission voted 3-2 to fire him, marking the first such dismissal in decades.
The commissioners accused him of several policy violations, including issuing a $7,000 check as advanced vacation pay to a city employee against city policy and failing to investigate over $200,000 missing from city expenditures on tires.
Bitter said he was “humbled” by his appointment.
“I am deeply humbled by the trust and faith that the City Council has placed in me to fill this position,” Bitter said in a statement. “Following on the heels of such a great leader and mentor is a daunting task, one which I do not take lightly.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 18, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A Republican law to protect missing children in Arizona has been signed into law.
This week, State Representative Barbara Parker championed the success of her bill HB 2479, which will “provide for the establishment of a Missing, Abducted and Runaway Children Unit within the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) if DCS fails to comply with statute; [and] revises various other requirements related to the recovery efforts for a child who is missing, abducted or runaway (disappeared)” – according to the overview provided by the Arizona House of Representatives.
Governor Katie Hobbs signed the bill into law on April 10.
In a statement to accompany her announcement about the bill signing, Parker said, “I couldn’t be prouder that HB 2479 has been signed into law. When I came to the legislature, I didn’t have any idea I would focus on this issue. Yet, two young women who went missing were eventually found dead in my district leaving members of our society shell-shocked and necessitating stronger interventions immediately. These tragic incidents make me determined not to forget or abandon even ONE child while serving in office since I have seen their heart wrenching consequences at close range.”
The Republican State Representative added, “The new statute will promote children’s welfare by holding its child safety systems accountable and significantly enhance our efforts at avoiding such misfortunes as well as assisting those affected families. I’m so grateful to my colleagues, Senator Farnsworth, and the foster care community who were involved in perfecting the legislation along the way. Thank you!”
Parker noted that her newly enacted bill “builds upon another law that she wrote last year, HB 2651, aimed at changing DCS’ reporting obligations when children go missing or are abducted or run away.”
Back in February, the bill passed the Arizona House with a bipartisan vote of 37-20 (with two members not voting and one seat vacant). After it was transferred to the state Senate, it was amended and passed with a 27-0 result (with three members not voting). The state House then concurred with the Senate’s changes with an overwhelming 46-12 tally (with two members not voting).
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the EPIC Group and Arizona National Organization for Women signed in to support the proposal, while representatives from the Arizona Department of Child Safety and Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police indicated their neutral standing on the bill.
HB 2479 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.
