by Matthew Holloway | Sep 19, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen will propose legislation in the upcoming legislative session to rename State Route 202 the “Charlie Kirk Memorial Loop 202” in honor of the slain Turning Point USA co-founder.
The new legislative session, beginning on January 12, 2026, will open with Petersen’s legislation being introduced to rename the Loop 202 freeway that encircles the southern and eastern areas of the Valley, where Turning Point USA’s Phoenix headquarters is located.
“Wednesday, September 10, 2025, will forever be noted in history as a dark day where evil in its truest form was on full display,” Senate President Petersen said in a Tuesday press release. “Charlie Kirk was assassinated in cold blood by a cowardly terrorist and was targeted for his influence. But we must press forward. While Charlie Kirk cannot be replaced, this effort can make sure his legacy lives on.”
“We all have a role to play in carrying on Charlie’s legacy,” said Petersen. “Through God’s grace, by renaming this highway, we can ensure that his name, his mission, and his witness to the gospel will endure for generations to come. Even in the midst of sorrow, God’s Word reminds us that hope endures. Renaming this highway is a small step toward honoring Charlie’s immense contribution, but it is also a call for each of us to press on in faith, to live courageously for Jesus, and to stand firm in the principles Charlie so boldly championed.”
Speaking with KTAR host Mike Broomhead on Wednesday, Petersen addressed the possibility of political pushback to the legislation. Broomhead asked, “Do you believe that there will be immense support for this? I anticipate that there’s going to be some push back Mr. President. There are going to be some people that say that this is controversial. But do you think it will pass? And where will it be?”
Petersen replied, “Yeah. Of course, it’ll take, it’ll have to go through the legislature; it’ll need to be signed. I think it can be, and it should be. I mean, we have a portion of the freeway named the Ed Pastor freeway, and I don’t agree with Mr. Pastor politically, but I respect what he did for his constituents and some of the positive things he did for Arizona.
“And so, I mean, there’s no doubt Charlie Kirk, you know, he has all these admirable things that he has done and he pushed for and fought on values. And so, it should be improved. I think it will definitely pass the legislature. And I think we have a really great chance the Governor will sign it. Now, of course, all this will happen next year, as it won’t be able to happen until we’ve started the session. But there’s a lot things in the legislature that, you know, even if they don’t pass the first year, they do pass eventually. And I feel like this is something that needs to be done.”
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 Matthew Holloway | Sep 19, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Last week, Congressman Abe Hamadeh joined his fellow Republicans in passing the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a bipartisan vote of 231-196 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The landmark legislation delivers critical support for Arizona’s military communities, service members, and defense industry. Hamadeh’s vote reflects his commitment to strengthening national security and prioritizing the needs of his constituents in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.
“I am proud of the work we have done on the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act to support military families through a pay raise, restore America’s fighting forces, and secure our border,” said Congressman Hamadeh. “This legislation will get our service members what they need, when they need it, while supporting America’s manufacturers and workers.”
In a post to X, Hamadeh’s office wrote, “Congressman Hamadeh understands that Border Security is National Security, which is why he supports the FY26 NDAA to secure America’s borders. This means it fully funds the deployment of troops to the border and authorizes nearly $1 billion to combat drug traffickers.”
The FY26 NDAA, shaped through bipartisan collaboration, streamlines military procurement processes, delivering over $20 billion in savings while ensuring critical investments in Arizona’s military installations and defense innovation. Congressman Hamadeh’s leadership secured several key provisions that directly benefit Arizona’s service members, military bases, and defense industry.
Hamadeh’s office emphasized the key wins for Arizona in the FY26 NDAA. They highlighted two provisions impacting Luke Air Force Base in particular. The first is a provision requiring the Secretary of the Air Force to produce a detailed report on the operational impacts, workforce demands, and costs before any downgrade of leadership at major bases like Luke Air Force Base. This will ensure the base, a critical hub for training and operations, retains its one-star general leadership. The second provision addresses HVAC issues at the West Valley Air Force Base.
In broader moves for his district, Hamadeh worked with Rep. Don Davis (D-NC) to secure a provision eliminating burdensome regulations that required license holders to “babysit” machine guns during fitment and testing. This change will save Arizona’s defense industry, particularly in Congressional District 8, significant costs while boosting efficiency.
Hamadeh added additional provisions as well to invest in cutting-edge gyroscopes produced in Congressional District 8, enhancing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellite imagery, fast-tracking the customization of jet engine production in Phoenix for use in collaborative combat aircraft, and increasing the acquisition of dump trucks for the Arizona Army National Guard.
Working in bipartisan cooperation alongside Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) and Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04), Hamadeh also secured an order for three additional conversions of AH-64D to AH-64E Apache helicopters, saving jobs at Mesa’s remanufactured Apache production line, which had been at risk of shutting down. In collaboration with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Hamadeh included a provision requiring the Secretary of Defense to report on suicide prevention resources under The Brandon Act, named after Congressional District 8 service member Brandon Caserta, who tragically died by suicide.
Hamadeh emphasized the collaborative nature of the NDAA, stating, “I am grateful to my colleagues for their bipartisan support of Arizona’s military installations and innovators.”
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 Ethan Faverino | Sep 18, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club escalated its call for accountability, urging the County Attorneys of Mohave, Pinal, and Yuma Counties to launch investigations into Arizona State University (ASU) leadership for allegedly manipulating 2022 gubernatorial debate rules to favor Democratic Katie Hobbs over Republican Kari Lake.
The action follows a complaint filed by the Club in August 2025, with the Arizona Attorney General and Maricopa County Attorney, which was dismissed without a thorough review, prompting a broader push for enforcement under state law.
In a sharply worded letter addressed to the Mohave County Attorney Matt Smith, Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller, and Yuma County Attorney Karolyn Kaczorowski, Club President Scot Mussi detailed evidence of ASU’s deviation from established debate protocols, accusing university officials of using public resources to influence the election in violation of A.R.S. § 15-1633.
The statute states: “A person acting on behalf of a university or a person who aids another person acting on behalf of a university shall not spend or use university resources for the purpose of influencing the outcomes of elections or to advocate support for or opposition to pending or proposed legislation.”
This call-to-action stems from a September 2022 debate co-sponsored by ASU, Arizona PBS, and the Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC).
Under longstanding CCEC regulations (Ariz. Admin. Code § R2-20-107(K)), a candidate declining an invitation to debate their political opponent forfeits airtime, granting the attending opponent a 30-minute solo interview.
When Hobbs announced she would skip the debate, ASU and PBS bypassed set regulations, granting her an exclusive 30-minute interview, a first in years to do so.
Internal communications, obtained and reported by the Arizona Republic, exposed the intent behind the decision. ASU President Michael Crow, Chief of Staff James O’Brien, and ASU Media Enterprise Managing Director Mi-Ai Parrish allegedly prioritized Hobbs’ comfort over neutrality.
Parrish’s emails to O’Brien highlighted concerns that “Katie is getting roasted hard” for dodging the debate and pressed CCEC staff to limit Lake’s discussion of election integrity, arguing that airing “a person with those views was wrong.” CCEC Executive Director Tom Collins confirmed to the Republic that Parrish sought to suppress Lake’s platform.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the names of the County Attorneys. They have now been corrected.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 18, 2025 | Education, News
By Staff Reporter |
The Department of Education (ED) announced a significant new investment in school choice.
On Monday, ED pledged “historic” investments into charter schools, American history and civics programs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).
The department repurposed funding from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs to fund these investments.
ED Secretary Linda McMahon said the funds were reserved for programs “which support student success.”
“The Department has carefully scrutinized our federal grants, ensuring that taxpayers are not funding racially discriminatory programs but those programs which promote merit and excellence in education,” said McMahon. “The Trump Administration will use every available tool to meaningfully advance educational outcomes and ensure every American has the opportunity to succeed in life.”
ED also pledged over $160 million to the American History and Civics Education National Activities — Seminars for America’s Semiquincentennial program. 2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.
ED will award American history and civics grants for seminars that “directly commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Founding of the United States.” Eligible seminar programming must make a feature study of American political tradition: the ideas, institutions, and texts instrumental to this nation’s constitutional government and history. The seminars must also be based on “the first principles of American founding.” Eligible seminars must include the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.
$500 million in grants will be distributed to charter schools for the 2025 fiscal year. Another total of nearly $500 million collectively will be sent as one-time investments to HBCUs and TCCUs.
As justification for the reallocation of millions in government grants, ED cited the poor student outcomes exhibited by the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores released earlier this month. Student NAEP scores reached “historic lows” throughout K-12.
Nationally, average NAEP scores were lower across all three assessments: science at grade 8, mathematics at grade 12, and reading at grade 12.
Arizona students scored lower across the various subjects than the average national scores for both fourth and eighth graders. Fourth grade math scores averaged 232, compared to the national average of 237; fourth grade reading scores averaged 208, compared to the national average of 214; and fourth grade science scores averaged 149, compared to the national average of 153.
Eighth grade math scores averaged 270, compared to the national average of 272; eighth grade reading scores averaged 254, compared to the national average of 257; and eighth grade science scores averaged 148, compared to the national average of 153.
McMahon called the NAEP results “devastating,” and indicative of a trend of generations unprepared for adult life. McMahon questioned the spending of billions annually with such dismal results, and pledged to claw back some of those funds to invest in individual states and educational choice.
“At a critical juncture when students are about to graduate and enter the workforce, military, or higher education, nearly half of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading. Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before,” said McMahon. “If America is going to remain globally competitive, students must be able to read proficiently, think critically, and graduate equipped to solve complex problems. We owe it to them to do better.”
In May, ED pledged to increase charter school funding by $60 million for a program budget total of $500 million.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 18, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Arizona voters have low confidence in their elected leaders at both the state and national levels, according to a new poll.
The poll from Noble Predictive Insights, conducted in August, surveyed over 900 voters across the state.
Democrats have the least confidence in the state (56 percent), followed closely by independents (55 percent), and then Republicans (52 percent).
The poll also asked Arizonans if they thought the state is better off now than it was four years ago with the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, and the Maricopa County ballot audit.
Most of the respondents said they preferred the state of the state and nation four years ago compared to the present. Mike Noble, founder and CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, said in a press release these latest polling results indicate that Arizonans don’t believe the government they elected is delivering on its promises.
“Arizonans are signaling that they want to see tangible progress – whether it’s cost of living, housing, water, or the ability of leaders to work past gridlock, voters are looking for reasons to feel the state and the country are on a better path. Right now, they just don’t see it,” said Noble.
50 percent of Democrats expressed a preference for the 2020 state of Arizona to now, followed by 40 percent of independents, and 37 percent of Republicans.
The results didn’t vary too much across generational demographics. About one-quarter of voters across age groups expressed satisfaction with the present state of Arizona, and 40 percent across generational groups expressed dissatisfaction with the present.
When asked about the state of the nation four years ago compared to now, 74 percent of Democrats said the country is worse now, followed by 54 percent of independents, and 24 percent of Republicans.
The majority of Republican subgroups among respondents expressed greater satisfaction with the present state of the nation compared to four years ago.
Younger respondents (aged 18 to 29) had the most pessimism about the trajectory of the country. 23 percent of young voters expressed greater satisfaction with the country presently compared to four years ago. 53 percent of young voters expressed much less satisfaction.
Those above the age of 65 had less of a divide. 42 percent said the country is better off now than it was four years ago, and 50 percent said the country is worse off.
The top five concerns for respondents were, in order: affordable housing (38 percent Republican, 41 percent Democrat, 54 percent independent); inflation (48 percent Republican, 45 percent Democrat, 38 percent independent); immigration (62 percent Republican, 29 percent Democrat, and 39 percent independent); health care (34 percent Republican, 41 percent Democrat, and 40 percent independent); and education (23 percent Republican, 27 percent Democrat, and 23 percent independent).
Those outside the top five, in order, were: taxes, unemployment rate, climate change, gun policies, abortion, income gap, national defense, something else not listed, and LGBT rights.
Rankings for those categories were established by summarizing the totals from the responses of the three voter groups.
Overall, respondents expressed the opinion that immigration was overrepresented in political discourse and elected officials’ focus.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 17, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Requests to establish Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapters exploded in the days following the assassination of its CEO and founder, Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, a devout, professed Christian and Phoenix native, was a month shy of turning 32 years old at the time of his death. Kirk left behind a wife — CEO of Proclaim Streetwear and Bible in 365, and former Miss Arizona USA, Erika Kirk (née Frantzve) — and two young children.
Andrew Kolvet, executive producer for “The Charlie Kirk Show,” said on Sunday that TPUSA received over 37,000 requests for new chapters.
Prior to Kirk’s assassination, TPUSA reported having approximately 900 college chapters and 1,200 high school chapters, or about 3,500 chapters total.
“The organization has received over 32,000 inquiries in the last 48-hours to start new campus chapters,” said Kolvet. “Charlie’s vision to have a Club America chapter (our high school brand) in every high school in America (around 23,000) will come true much much faster than he could have ever possibly imagined.”
Kolvet also reported to Fox News that he personally received “hundreds of offers” to work or volunteer for TPUSA.
Many have reported witnessing a massive increase in church attendance the Sunday following Kirk’s assassination, accompanied with online postings of baptisms directly influenced by Kirk.
Donations also poured in to support Kirk’s widow and two children.
One GiveSendGo for the Kirk family sits at over $4.9 million as of Monday, with a goal of $6 million. ALP Pouches, a nicotine pouch company, organized the fundraiser.
Another GiveSendGo organized by TPUSA has raised over $1.8 million. TPUSA is also soliciting donations to continue its work and grow.
Another GiveSendGo was launched by conservative pundit Glenn Beck as a resurrection of the 912 Project. That fundraiser has raised over $500,000.
Several smaller fundraisers have also cropped up online and collected thousands: over 200 on GoFundMe as of Monday. The fundraisers pledge money to the Kirk family, TPUSA, or creating memorials.
Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University during another one of his viral campus debates, part of his “American Comeback Tour.”
Several days following Kirk’s death, law enforcement arrested Tyler Robinson, 22, for the assassination.
Per the FBI, Robinson had an “obsession” with Kirk and “hated” the conservative evangelist. FBI Director Kash Patel said that Robinson told another individual ahead of the assassination via text that he had an opportunity to kill Kirk and would do so because of Kirk’s Christianity.
“He had a text message exchange with another individual in which he claimed that he had an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk — and he was going to do it because of his hatred for what Charlie stood for,” said Patel.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino told Fox News that it was “fairly obvious to everyone” that Kirk’s assassination was “an ideologically motivated attack.”
In addition to the messaging evidence, ammunition recovered at the assassination site indicated allegiances to transgender and anti-fascist ideologies. Robinson’s romantic partner, his roommate, was an individual who identified as a “furry” and a transgender woman.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
