by Corinne Murdock | Jul 15, 2023 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the upcoming year, which outlines the annual budgets and expenditures for the Department of Defense, has a historic number of amendments — 23 of which were filed by Arizona’s representatives.
Over 1,500 amendments have been filed onto the NDAA, H.R. 2670. Congress anticipates final passage on Friday. However, the House Freedom Caucus has expressed opposition to it. The caucus consists of 45 members, of which four are Republican Reps. Andy Biggs, Eli Crane, Debbie Lesko, and Paul Gosar. Biggs, Crane, and Gosar filed 14 of the amendments.
The caucus expressed opposition to the NDAA over the military’s progressive policies and stances on abortion; China-Taiwan relations; critical race theory; climate change; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); LGBTQ+ issues; and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
The following are amendments filed by Arizona’s congressmen (all amendments and the bill text are available here):
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05)
Amendment 365 (Version 1): require the Department of Defense to perform an audit. If not, the DOD’s discretionary budget authority would be reduced by .5 percent. Cosponsors: Reps. Crane, Andrew Clyde (R-GA-09), Michael Burgess (R-TX-26), and Mary Miller (R-IL-15).
Amendment 367 (Version 1): urge the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship and the need to continue offering security assistance and related support. Cosponsors: Crane, Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24), and Miller.
Amendment 369 (Version 1): terminate the designation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally.
Amendment 371 (Version 1): prohibit the use of funds for any project or activity related to NATO until the Secretary of Defense certifies to the congressional defense committees that each NATO member country spent two percent of their respective GDP on defense expenditures. Cosponsors: Crane and Miller.
Amendment 373 (Version 2): require the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and United States Agency for International Development to give Congress a report on agreements made with the Taliban.
Amendment 375 (Version 1): exempt defense-related activities from the Endangered Species Act.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06)
Amendment 816 (Version 1): insert text of H.R. 2393, the Combating Cartels on Social Media Act of 2023 to the bill. This bill requires DHS to report and implement a strategy to combat the use of social media by transnational criminal organizations to recruit individuals in the United States to support illicit activities at the border. Cosponsors: Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Burgess.
Amendment 948 (Version 1): direct United States Geological Survey to provide for the inclusion of Copper on its’ critical minerals list. Cosponsor: Bob Good (R-VA-05)
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ-02)
Amendment 995 (Version 1): condemn Lieutenant General DeAnna Burt for politicizing the military’s stance on domestic policies during the DOD LGBTQ+ Pride Event and emphasize the importance of the military remaining apolitical to maintain its readiness and effectiveness. Cosponsors: Biggs, Gosar, Miller, and Lauren Boebert (R-CO-03).
Amendment 1000 (Version 1): prohibit the DOD from making participation in training or support for certain race-based concepts a requirement for hiring, promotion, or retention of individuals. Also ensures that employees and service members cannot be compelled to declare belief in or participate in training that promotes such concepts as a condition of favorable personnel actions. Cosponsors: Biggs, Gosar, Good, Miller, and Boebert.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09)
Amendment 441 (Version 1): authorize employees at the Yuma Proving Grounds to use nonelectric vehicles in the performance of their duties. Cosponsor: Biggs.
Amendment 598 (Version 1): require the Secretary of Defense to expeditiously disclose to the public all records relating to the war in Afghanistan. Cosponsors: Biggs, Boebert, Byron Donalds (R-FL-19), Randy Weber (R-TX-14), and Andy Ogles (R-TN-05).
Amendment 672 (Version 1): authorize the Army and Corp of Engineers to complete, reinforce, and maintain the wall on the southern border. Cosponsors: Crane, Biggs, Boebert, Donalds, Weber, Ogles, and Ken Buck (R-CO-04).
Amendment 711 (Version 1): grant Congress exclusive power to declare a national emergency. Cosponsors: Crane, Boebert, Weber, and Ogles.
Amendment 739 (Version 1): designate phosphate, copper, and uranium as minerals critical to national security.
Amendment 1415 (Version 1): declare Congress’ responsibility to provide compensation for all individuals that developed radiation-induced cancer from past nuclear weapons testing. Cosponsor: Crane.
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07)
Amendment 861 (Version 1): strike language that exempts Air Force activities from any requirements under the Marine Mammal Protection Act that would protect the critically endangered Rice’s Whale.
Amendment 898 (Version 1): extend the protections necessary for the continued use by the Air Force of the Barry M. Goldwater Range in Arizona. Cosponsor: Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03).
Amendment 1378 (Version 2): prohibit the amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available by this act be used to establish or maintain any relationship between the Department of Defense and the Government of Ecuador, including any office or agent of such government, in order to provide, authorize, or assist in any way in the transfer of weapons, military equipment, crowd control supplies, or any other supplies, to such government or to coordinate joint exercises with the military and police forces of such government until certain criteria is met.
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ-04)
Amendment 465 (Version 1): expand a program to compensate “downwinders” in Arizona and Nevada exposed to and affected by DOD-led atmospheric nuclear testing from 1945 to 1962.
Amendment 1400 (Version 1): direct the State Department to create a strategy for subnational cooperation between local law enforcement, civil society, and government to combat fentanyl trafficking holistically. Also directs the State and Treasury to review how to best expand financial access to countries in the Caribbean.
Amendment 1424 (Version 2): direct the Secretary of the Veterans Affairs (VA) to regularly ensure the accuracy of the VA Accreditation Search database, to submit an annual report on the accreditation process for agents/attorneys/representatives, and to create a trademarked insignia for accredited agents/attorneys/representatives to use.
Amendment 1425 (Version 1): prohibit the use of federal funds for the maintenance of civilian vehicular assets (yachts, jets, cars, etc.) seized in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs and officials.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jul 15, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As the Arizona Legislative session may be nearing its final stretch, the state’s premier business organization is highlighting bills that would have had grave consequences for jobs.
On Wednesday, the Arizona Chamber Foundation and the Common Sense Institute released a report, showing that “67 failed bills from the 2023 legislative session in Arizona” would have cost the state’s economy $9.5 billion and deprived individuals of 113,500 jobs. According to the report, those bills would also have “imposed over $25 billion in annual new costs on Arizona’s businesses, including $15 billion in new taxes and fees.”
The two organizations compared Arizona’s path to our neighboring state of Colorado – if the Grand Canyon State would have passed any or all of the 67 bills of note. They reveal that 13 bills that failed this year in Arizona, “have actually passed in Colorado.”
Danny Seiden, the President and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued a statement in conjunction with the report, writing, “At the Arizona Chamber, we are committed to protecting the job gains we have seen in Arizona in recent years. This analysis provides important data points for legislators to consider as these failed bills will likely resurface in future sessions.”
Katie Ratlief, the Executive Director of Common Sense Institute Arizona, also weighed in on the announcement, saying, “This study shows that policy matters when it comes to jobs and economic impacts. Policymakers and the public should be informed about the short and long term impacts these pieces of legislation have so they can weigh pros and cons and make informed decisions.”
AZ Free News reached out to Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, one of the key forces behind killing these bills throughout the still-ongoing session, to respond to the report. Petersen said, “This is a great example of why policy matters. Arizona has built on years of sound policy under Republican leadership that has helped grow our state’s economy. We’ll continue to do everything we can to protect Arizona citizens and our economy from the type of policies that have negatively impacted Colorado.”
House Speaker Ben Toma, another stalwart defender of conservative principles in the Legislature, added, “The far left has tightened its grip on the Democrats in Arizona and it shows in the bills they introduced this session in the State Legislature. They propose business and environmental regulations that would stymie growth, kill jobs, and make energy costs higher. In my term as Speaker of the House, I will continue to work to stop these policy proposals so we can continue to be a state on a positive trajectory with low taxation, high growth, and maximum freedom.”
Freshman Republican Representative Matt Gress shared his thoughts on the report in a tweet, stating, “POLICY MATTERS. Arizona succeeds when leaders trust people over government. @CSInstituteAZ’s report reveals that some politicians think they know better than you with terrible ideas like, tax hikes, higher energy costs to fund more ‘green’ regulations, greater compliance with the ‘Mother, may I?’ administrative state. That’s everything Arizona is not.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jul 14, 2023 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Americans’ support for school choice is on the rise.
A recent poll from Real Clear Opinion Research showed that school choice has the support of 71% of the 1,000 registered voters who participated in that survey. This number was a seven-point increase from an April 2020 poll.
In this June 27-30 poll, support for school choice came from 80% of Republican voters, 66% of Democrat voters, and 69% of Independent voters. Though the Republican and Democrat support was up from April 2020, the 9% increase in favor from Independents was the most among the political parties.
The question presented to voters on the survey was as follows: “School choices gives parents the right to use the tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school which best serves their needs. Generally speaking, would you say you support or oppose the concept of school choice?”
The CEO of American Federation for Children, Tommy Schultz, lauded the news about the growing support for school choice around the country, saying, “School choice support is here to stay, and politicians who ignore this reality do so at their own peril. Parents are the new interest group in town, and legislators would be wise to keep responding to their needs. The days of the old one-size-fits-all model are numbered, welcome news for the countless students who need something different to learn and thrive. AFC is thrilled to continue standing behind parents as they gain more options for their children’s education.”
Arizona has been at the front lines of the surge in school choice support. Last year, the Republican-led Legislature passed a historic expansion of the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program, allowing any child in K-12 to apply. According to a June 30 update from the Executive Director of the ESA Program, Christine Accurso, 62,005 Arizona students have now been enrolled.
That same update also showed that the program, under the direction of Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, had largely caught up with the backlog and influx of reimbursements to ESA account holders. As of June 30, the ESA Program only had 1,195 Reimbursement Orders in the queue – down from 24,409 on February 8.
When asked about the increasing support for school choice in Arizona and around the nation, Superintendent Horne told AZ Free News, “We have a lot of excellent public schools in Arizona. But no matter how good a public school is, it may not be able to meet the needs of all students. Rich parents have always had the ability to choose the best school to meet the needs of each of their children and people at all economic levels should have the same ability. In addition, competition improves public schools. The United States has been prosperous, and the Soviet Union was poor, because we had competition which drives people to do their best, while they were a government monopoly. As they used to say in Poland, ‘We pretend to work, and they pretend to pay us.’ The same applies in education. Competition causes everyone to do better.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jul 14, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A state government agency is earning accolades for its positive workplace environment.
On Tuesday, the Arizona Department of Revenue made the 11th annual list of 2023 Top Companies to Work for in Arizona, giving the agency this honor for the second straight year. The list comes from the Arizona Capitol Times, Best Companies Group, and BestCompaniesAZ.
According to the Department of Revenue, “this highly selective list is the result of comprehensive, anonymous employee surveys measuring culture, work environment, leadership, and employee pride and satisfaction, combined with rigorous evaluations of workplace practices, policies, benefits, and demographics.”
“The Arizona Department of Revenue is honored to receive this award for the second year in a row, and all the credit goes to our incredible people,” said Rob Woods, Director of the Arizona Department of Revenue. “We have a diverse team with a culture of inclusion who daily display that they care about one another, lift each other up personally and professionally, and are consistently seeking excellence in their service to Arizona’s taxpayers. We are grateful that our people and culture have been recognized and are looking forward to the coming year as we celebrate this achievement and incorporate new initiatives for our team members.”
Woods was “appointed as Director of the Arizona Department of Revenue in March 2021, having joined the Department in January 2020 as Deputy Director.” He previously “founded the Government Transformation Office for the State of Arizona, led the development of the Arizona Management System, and served as Vice President at JP Morgan Chase.”
After then-Governor Doug Ducey appointed Woods to the Director’s position, Ducey said, “He continues to find innovative ways to improve operations and enhance efficiency, and he stepped up to a leadership role during a crucial time for our state.”
On January 17, Governor Katie Hobbs announced that Woods would remain as the Department’s Director. Hobbs released a statement about Woods (and two other members of her expanding cabinet included in the release), saying, “I have the utmost confidence that these directors have the expertise and wherewithal to take on the challenges and opportunities in their department.”
The Department also took time to share some features about itself in the news release about its inclusion in the exclusive list, writing, “ADOR offers a healthy work-life balance and a culture of personal and professional development, with educational opportunities and in-house training. The Department excels at helping our team members find meaningful, fulfilling careers with us. We recognize our people in several ways, highlighting those who exemplify our agency’s Core Values of Commit to Excellence, Care About Each Other, and Do the Right Thing. ADOR truly thrives in our collaboration and open communication. We excel in being transparent with each other and bringing everyone to the table. Our leaders are coaches, encouraging input from all and helping teams discover solutions to foster our culture of continuous improvement. At ADOR, we know we aren’t just developing employees; we’re developing leaders.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Jul 13, 2023 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
The Pima County Democrats may have violated open meeting law by neglecting to issue public notice of their meeting and requiring secrecy when selecting potential replacements for former State Rep. Andrés Cano. State law nullifies any actions taken during a meeting found to have violated open meeting law.
The public must receive a 24-hour notice of the meeting details. However, as Tucson Sentinel reported, Pima County Democratic Party leadership initially refused to provide access to the online meeting link.
Leslie Stalc, Legislative District 20 chair, reportedly told the outlet that she “sent out notices to anyone who was concerned” when asked if she issued public notice of the meeting. During the meeting, Pima County Democratic Chairman Eric Robbins reportedly prohibited public participants from recording the meeting or discussing anything that took place.
“No party but the party host may create an audio or video recording of these proceedings,” said Robbins. “No matters discussed here may be disseminated to the public for any purpose not consistent with the goals of the Pima County Democratic Party.”
Later on in the meeting, Robbins reportedly admitted that they hadn’t been as transparent about the meeting as they should have. He denied any malicious intent, predicting that reporters might pick up on the potential open meeting law violation.
“We are trying to accommodate this and be as open and transparent as possible. Again, if people need to level criticism on that point, I understand it,” said Robbins. “It’s certainly news if you have to make it news. But realize we’re not trying to do anything nefarious here.”
The leadership also reportedly opted to not disclose the vote tallies during the meeting, but pledged to do so at a later point.
After the meeting, counsel for the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) declared that leadership met open meeting law requirements by putting a calendar event on their website. The event listing didn’t include information about how the public could attend.
The Pima County Democratic Party calendar only listed the Tanque Verde Valley Democratic Club Monthly Meeting. Legislative District 20 meetings occur on the fourth Monday of each month.
The county party didn’t post about the meeting on any of their social media profiles.
Fellow LD20 lawmakers, State Rep. Alma Hernandez and State Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales, requested a do-over of the meeting in a joint letter to the ADP and the Pima County Board of Supervisors (BOS).
Supervisor Matt Heinz told Tucson Sentinel that it didn’t matter if the public was notified. Even if the meeting did violate open meeting law, Heinz said he would propose that his colleagues consider the three candidates anyway.
“The public notice thing doesn’t make a difference for the process at least with this,” said Heinz.
Cano resigned formally on Independence Day, about a month after announcing his intent to do so. The former lawmaker stepped down to obtain a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Pima County Democrats voted last Saturday for three candidates to replace Cano: Elma Alvarez, Lourdes Escalante, and Betty Villegas.
Alvarez is a Tucson Unified School District teacher. Escalante is the executive director and former co-director of programming of Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras, an activist group across southern border states and Mexico.
Villegas is the development director for the South Tucson Housing Authority, with a brief former stint as a supervisor for Pima County and a longtime housing program manager for the county.
Cano issued support for candidates Villegas and Alvarez.
The unselected candidates were Michael Crawford, Wesley Crew, Andrew Curley, Sami Hamed, and Akanni Oyegbola.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jul 13, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The U.S. Supreme Court saved one of the biggest opinions of the term for its second-to-last day, and its decision triggered reactions on both sides of the aisle in Arizona.
When the nation’s high court handed down its highly anticipated ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, it made a significant correction in the standards for admissions systems used by public universities around the United States. The Court held that race-based standards in Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions programs “violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”
Writing for the majority coalition of the Court, Chief Justice John Roberts stated, “…the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual – not on the basis of race. Many universities have for too long done just the opposite. And in doing so, they have concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”
The historic decision by the Supreme Court, drew reactions from Arizona’s politicians on both side of the aisle.
In response to an inquiry from AZ Free News, Senate President Warren Petersen replied, “This is a great decision for the fight against discrimination. The highest court in the land agreed with Martin Luther King Jr. in that you should not be judged by the color of your skin. An individual should be considered for college admissions based on academics, experience, qualifications and character—not by race. I’m thrilled this ruling will bring some sanity back to institutions of higher learning.”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope told AZ Free News, “SCOTUS made the right decision today. As the proud son of a Mexican American mother and a white father of German ancestry, our family always knew that we should be judged on our character and not our color. We’re all Americans and we all share a responsibility in keeping this country free of racism & bigotry.”
Democrats, however, took issue with the Court’s ruling. Senate Democratic Leader Mitzi Epstein released a statement after the opinion’s revelation, saying, “Affirmative Action has never been about jumping to the front of the line without any merit. It has been about providing a ladder of equity to help those who have faced adversity in education, the workplace, housing, and every aspect of American life. Affirmative Action has been about providing opportunities for students who are Black and Brown to attend colleges, and for college students to live, love and learn among diverse peers. The same people celebrating this bad Court decision have been actively trying to whitewash history and walk America back to the book-burning past. SCOTUS did not rule against legacy admissions, employee and family recommendations, and grandiose donor admissions. The Court ruled to allow favoritism, but not favoritism for those who have faced racist obstacles. The Court ruled for the favored to get more favors, just as Republican politicians have pushed ways for the rich to get richer, and for the powerful to get more power.”
Democrat Representative Analise Ortiz called the Court’s opinion “devastating,” adding that “this ruling upholds white supremacy in higher education and the workforce. Simultaneously, the efforts to privatize K-12 education and drain public schools of funding achieve the same end. We must fight back to ensure racial equity in education.”
Kimberly Yee, the State’s Republican Treasurer, also weighed in on the news of the day, writing, “I applaud the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to keep merit, character and academic achievement the center point of college admissions. The American Dream is attained by putting in the honest, hard work. No one should be able to cut ahead of the line in the name of affirmative action, based on the color of their skin. This decision upholds the core Constitutional principle that no institution in America is allowed to discriminate based on race.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
