Late last month, Representative Jennifer Longdon transmitted a letter to House Speaker Ben Toma, informing him that she would be resigning her seat on Friday, January 26.
In the letter, Longdon said, “I am grateful for the trust and support bestowed upon me by the constituents of Legislative District 5. Serving Arizona as a member of Arizona’s legislature has been a profound honor. I take pride in the collaborative efforts that transcended party lines, resulting in meaningful bipartisan accomplishments. I remain humbled by the trust placed in me by the Office of the Speaker in naming me as Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Abuse and Neglect of Vulnerable Adults. I am proud of the accomplishments we have been able to achieve thus far.”
It’s been my absolute honor to serve the people of Arizona and work with the members & staff of the Arizona State Legislature. Thank YOU for your service! I’m proud of the work that we’ve done together. There is much more to do. I hope to talk about my new role very soon. pic.twitter.com/tz6KOvMLX2
On her last day, Longdon shared a picture of her on the House floor, writing, “Clearing out and saying goodbye. I’ll leave a piece of my heart (and hope) here. Thank you all!”
Clearing out and saying goodbye. I’ll leave a piece of my heart (and hope) here. Thank you all!! #AzLegpic.twitter.com/kmqNbgMJut
Governor Katie Hobbs made sure to recognize Longdon’s exit from the Legislature, stating, “I’m sending my best wishes to Representative Longdon as she moves to her next chapter. Her dedication to fighting for the people of Arizona is an inspiration. I know she’ll bring that same passion & dedication to her next role. Good luck, Jennifer Longdon!”
I'm sending my best wishes to Representative Longdon as she moves to her next chapter. Her dedication to fighting for the people of Arizona is an inspiration. I know she'll bring that same passion & dedication to her next role. Good luck, @JenLongdon!
Arizona House Democratic Leaders also released a statement to mark Longdon’s service and resignation. They said, “Representative Longdon has been one of Arizona’s most effective and compassionate leaders, both inside and outside the Legislature. On the issues of gun violence prevention and advocating for the rights of those living with disabilities, there is no stronger voice. On behalf of our caucus and the constituents she has served so well, we are grateful for her work and the lives she has impacted. We will miss her presence but we also know that her work will continue and that great things lie ahead.”
PRESS RELEASE: Democratic Leaders express gratitude for Rep. Jennifer Longdon's service after resignation announcement #azlegpic.twitter.com/uP1Q0PgGzn
Longdon served long enough this session to see her bill HB 2595 receive approval from the House Government Committee. This bill would “authorize a memorial in Wesley Bolin Plaza dedicated to investigative reporter Don Bolles, who was murdered in 1976.”
Representative @JenLongdon's HB2595 passed through the Government Committee again this morning – last session, the bill didn't make it to the finish line in the Senate. The importance is still the same. #azlegpic.twitter.com/E0dIG64NKG
Rep. Leezah Sun, D-Phoenix, resigned from the House after the Arizona House Ethics Committee found she violated House Rule 1 by exhibiting a pattern of disorderly behavior.
Sun “engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behavior in her official capacity and under the color of her office as a state representative,” the report says.
Four fellow Democrats in the Arizona House filed the ethics complaint against her. Chairman of the Ethics Committee Joseph Chaplik, R-Scottsdale, emphasized the role the committee plays in addressing complaints regarding potential violations of House Rules.
“It is important to clarify that our committee is not intended to emulate a court of law, and our investigation of matters is not conducted as a trial,” he said in a statement. “Rather, the proceedings in which Committee members have engaged in this matter were to receive Representative Sun’s input and gather pertinent facts related to a specific internal House matter—namely, whether Representative Sun engaged in disorderly behavior, contravening House Rule 1.”
Sun was entitled to “judicious consideration” of the allegations brought against her, Chaplik said.
“I’m proud that the Committee strived at all times to satisfy this constitutional guarantee, conducting two hearings to provide a platform for Representative Sun to present her perspective,” he said.
“I am appreciative of the witnesses, members, and staff of the Committee for demonstrating and upholding the integrity of the House and ensuring that our proceedings adhered to the highest standards of professionalism and fairness,” the chairman continued.
Sun tried to use her status as a lawmaker to interfere in a child custody transfer in June, according to the report. Four kids were supposed to go with a parental supervisor for visitation with their dad but wouldn’t get out of the car, so Sun told the supervisor to reschedule and “call it a day.” When the supervisor said she was following court orders, Sun reportedly told her she was “done” and “now you need to move on.”
Additionally, three city of Tolleson employees claimed Sun was aggressive toward them during a meeting in May and wanted to hurt them. She allegedly called the city manager vulgar names.
During a conference in Tucson, Sun allegedly threatened to throw Tolleson Chief Government Affairs Officer Pilar Sinawi off the hotel balcony in August. Sun later countered that her language was “hyperbolic,” but she admitted that she said if Sinawi were at the conference, she would “b**** slap” her, according to the report.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
A bill increasing the penalty for convicted smugglers passed the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan support on Tuesday.
The Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act is named in honor of a Border Patrol agent from the Rio Grande Valley who died in a Dec. 2022 ATV crash while tracking a group of illegal border crossers near Mission.
“This sends a signal to bad actors in #AZ06 and across our border communities that we’ll pursue actions that threaten American lives to the fullest extent of our law,” said Representative Juan Ciscomani, the Republican who sponsored the bill.
Thrilled to have my bill — the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act — PASS the House with bipartisan support!
This sends a signal to bad actors in #AZ06 and across our border communities that we'll pursue actions that threaten American lives to the fullest extent of our law. pic.twitter.com/1Eupgma5C9
The legislation makes failure to yield a felony, and smugglers could face a life sentence if an officer is killed during the apprehension.
Agent Raul Humberto Gonzalez, Jr. was traveling at high speed on Dec. 7 when he crashed. Gonzalez died in the hospital from injuries sustained in the crash.
Gonzalez previously served with the United States Department of Homeland Security – Customs and Border Protection – United States Border Patrol for more than ten years. He was assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Sector McAllen Station.
Mayra Flores, R-Ariz., tweeted a tribute to the 38-year-old father of two.
“My condolences to the family & friends of Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez,” she said. “He was tragically killed in an ATV accident while protecting our borders. Many knew him as a great father & as a go getter at work. We are forever grateful for his service and sacrifice.”
My condolences to the family & friends of Border Patrol Agent Raul Gonzalez. He was tragically killed in an ATV accident while protecting our borders. Many knew him as a great father & as a go getter at work. We are forever grateful for his service and sacrifice. #USBP#RGV#RIPpic.twitter.com/euSgBKkbqL
Arizona’s leading legislative Republicans are taking the state’s Secretary of State to court in advance of the 2024 election cycle.
On Wednesday, the State Senate Republican Caucus announced that President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma filed a challenge in Maricopa County Superior Court over the recently published Elections Procedures Manual (EPM), “requesting the court throw out a number of provisions in the EPM, which violate or conflict with current Arizona election laws.”
🚨 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: President @votewarren Initiates Legal Action Against Secretary of State for Attempts to Disenfranchise Voters, Create New Election Laws through Elections Procedures Manual
“Both the Secretary and our Governor have a track record of not following the law. As a result, I’m taking action to protect the integrity of our elections,” said President Petersen. “This reckless EPM opens the door to unlawful activity and undermines the voter confidence measures Republican lawmakers have implemented over the years.”
Toma added, “The Arizona Legislature is taking steps necessary to protect the integrity of Arizona’s elections…. Secretary Fontes has exceeded his jurisdiction, using the EPM to exercise lawmaking powers that do not belong to him. Our lawsuit aims to halt this overreach and nullify the unlawful provisions in the manual to ensure a fair and lawful electoral process for all Arizonans.”
The #AZLeg is taking steps necessary to protect the integrity of Arizona's elections. Today, Senate President @votewarren and I filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State @Adrian_Fontes over his unlawful 2023 Election Procedures Manual, which flaunts rules that violate existing… pic.twitter.com/NCgaJH995K
The lawsuit, which was filed by attorneys of Statecraft PLLC and Snell & Wilmer L.L.P., asked the Superior Court for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the implementation or enforcement of the 2023 EPM to the extent it purports to:
Allow county recorders to merely move to inactive status – rather than cancel the registrations of – voters who affirmatively stated on juror questionnaires that they do not reside in the relevant county and have not responded within 35 days to a notice from the county recorder;
Prohibit county recorders from relying on information provided by third parties in determining whether there is reason to believe a registered voter is not a United States citizen;
Delay implementation of statutorily required maintenance of the active early voting list until January 2027;
Excuse mistakes or errors in the statutorily required registrations of paid or out-of-state ballot measure petition circulators;
Compel county boards of supervisors to reflexively vote to adopt only the returns provided by the election official when conducting a canvass; and
Authorize the Secretary of State to certify a statewide canvass that consists of returns of fewer than fifteen counties.
The legislative Republicans will have stiff opposition in court from the trio of statewide Democrats who were responsible for producing and approving this EPM: Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Governor Katie Hobbs, and Attorney General Kris Mayes. When Fontes issued the 2023 EPM at the end of last year, he said, “Free, fair and secure elections have been this group’s commitment to the voter from the very beginning. This is what happens when a committed group of leaders comes together to serve their community. It’s good for our democracy and it’s good for Arizona.”
Governor Katie Hobbs, who preceded Fontes, said, “Partisan politics should have no role in how we run our elections. This EPM builds on the 2019 EPM and 2021 draft EPM from my tenure as Secretary of State and will ensure dedicated public servants from across the state will have the guidelines they need to administer free and fair elections. Together, we can protect our democracy and make sure every Arizonan has the opportunity to have their voice heard.”
As Secretary of State, Hobbs was required to finalize the EPM in 2021, but a divided government shared with Republican Governor Doug Ducey and Attorney General Mark Brnovich stymied the quest to secure a green light for the manual. Hobbs and Brnovich were also mired in an ongoing political feud, which resulted in legal bar charges that the Secretary of State brought against the state’s top prosecutor and several of his attorneys. After receiving Hobbs’ updated manual, Brnovich sued the SOS “to compel her production of a lawful EPM.” Brnovich alleged that “the SOS failed to provide the Governor and Attorney General with a lawful manual by October 1, 2021, as required, and instead included nearly one-hundred pages of provisions not permitted under the EPM statute.” The challenge from the former Attorney General was rendered unsuccessful, and the state was forced to revert to the previous cycle’s EPM (2019) to govern the 2022 races.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona’s Attorney General is standing with the state’s Senate President to protect the financial interests of families.
Last week, Attorney General Kris Mayes sent a letter to the IRS Commissioner, requesting the agency “reconsider its decision to tax the 2023 Arizona Families Tax Rebate.”
The IRS should reverse its stance on the Arizona Families Tax Rebate. Otherwise, my office will explore every legal option to keep these dollars in the pockets of Arizona taxpayers. My full letter to the IRS: https://t.co/izQoX66NqT
In a statement that accompanied her announcement, Mayes said, “The IRS should act promptly to reverse this decision and provide clear guidance to Arizona taxpayers as tax season nears. If they do not, my office is prepared to examine all legal avenues to ensure these dollars stay in the pockets of Arizona taxpayers.”
The news from the state Attorney General’s Office follows communication from Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen over this matter. Earlier this month, Petersen issued a press release to share that he was “working diligently to come to a resolution that will protect the more than 700,000 recipients from having to give the federal government a portion of [the rebate] this tax season.”
🚨 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Senate President @votewarren Works to Prevent Biden's IRS from Taking Advantage of "Arizona Families Tax Rebate" Recipients ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Y2B2JisOvy
Petersen also thanked Mayes’ office for “reaching out to us on this matter,” though he cautioned that “litigation likely isn’t the best approach.”
In her letter to the IRS Commissioner, Mayes argued that “the full Tax Rebate should be excludable from federal tax under the general welfare exclusion,” and that “at a minimum, the Tax Rebate should be excluded from federal tax to the extent it does not exceed state taxes that were actually paid and that were not deducted from federal income.”
The state’s top cop pointed to past IRS guidance and states where the agency “determined to be excludable from federal tax in February 2023,” such as Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, and Indiana. She added that different guidance from the IRS established other exclusions that benefited four states – Georgia, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Virginia. In closing, Mayes wrote that “it would…be fundamentally arbitrary and inequitable to preclude Arizona and its taxpayers from relying on that guidance, particularly given the materially similar (and less restrictive) state programs that the IRS found to be nontaxable in whole or in part last year.”
Mayes asked for the IRS to reply to her letter “by return letter or through amended published guidance no later than February 6.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona legislative Republicans are again standing with state attorneys general over an issue of national importance.
This week, both the Arizona State House and Senate Republican Caucuses announced that Speaker Ben Toma and President Warren Petersen had joined a letter to President Joe Biden, “urging (the administration) to either enforce our immigration laws and protect our southern border or get out of the way so Texas can.”
🚨 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Arizona Senate Republicans Stand in Solidarity with Texas' Efforts to Defend Itself Against Biden's Border Invasion@votewarren@ShawnnaLMBolick@AZSenatorShamp ⬇️⬇️⬇️
The letter to the White House follows an escalating disagreement between Texas state officials and the Biden Administration over enforcement of laws and allocation of resources pertaining to illegal immigration into that state. Both sides are looking to the Supreme Court of the United States to adjudicate this politically volatile dispute.
“Arizona is overwhelmed from the same dangers brought on by this invasion as Texas. Biden is literally dismantling our nation as we know it, allowing known terrorists and criminals to enter through our southern border with no consequences,” said President Petersen. “Since our Attorney General is not pushing back against the lawlessness Biden is promoting by working to destroy the border barriers Governor Abbott has built, the Legislature must speak out and stand in solidarity to support our neighbors.”
“Texas has every right to defend itself from the unprecedented flow of illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and countless threats at our southern border because of President Biden’s willful refusal to protect this nation,” said Speaker Ben Toma. “I stand with Governor Abbott and call on Governor Hobbs to follow his lead and invoke Arizona’s constitutional right to defend itself.”
“Texas has every right to defend itself from the unprecedented flow of illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and countless threats at our southern… pic.twitter.com/NP13xTfWzg
The letter that Petersen and Toma co-signed was led by the States of Iowa and Utah and joined by Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
In their letter, the attorneys general and legislators write, “The federal government should be working to stop this crisis, but it is not. And the Constitution’s Guarantee Clause requires that the federal government do so. It must ‘protect each [State] against invasion.’ But it has abandoned its duty. Nothing in the Constitution stops Texas from stepping up and doing its part to protect itself, and in so doing also protecting States across the country. To those that contend this power belongs only in Congress, they should take that up with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who stands with Texas. By following the Constitution, Texas is doing what the federal government has failed to do.”
Over the past few months, the two Republican legislative leaders have signaled a more aggressive shift in taking the reins from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to defend the law and Constitution. Attorneys general are not usually joined by outside parties on their amicus briefs or letters, yet multiple coalitions of Republican state prosecutors have included Petersen and Toma on several major filings. In previews for the 2024 legislative session, both the House and Senate Majority Caucuses indicated more of these efforts are to be expected throughout this year.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
