by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 3, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The number of illegal immigrants apprehended during Joe Biden’s tenure in the White House is adding up.
Last month, the Missouri Freedom Caucus shared a graphic, showing state populations versus the number of illegal immigrants encountered by border officials since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021. The number of illegal immigrants during this time frame was 8,500,000, which would make it the 13th-most populated U.S. state.
By comparison, Arizona has a population of 7,431,344.
The 8.5 million figure includes an estimate of over 1.7 million ‘gotaways’ who have escaped detection from law enforcement. Some experts, including border officials, believe that this number could be on the low end of the actual number of illegal immigrants sneaking past agents.
The escalating border crisis has taken center stage of many political discussions over the past year – especially in Arizona, where a divided government remains at odds with how to attack the grave problems from a state level. Arizona Republicans, who control both chambers of the state legislature, were active throughout 2023 in introducing proposals to combat the border crisis and to raise awareness for the issues faced by law enforcement and members of their communities alike.
Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs also took some action through her Office and her rhetoric has recently intensified against the federal government’s handling of the situation on the ground in her state.
At the start of the new legislative session, Republican leaders invited Arizona border sheriffs to come speak before a joint session in the State House of Representatives. After that event, Senate President Warren Petersen said, “Folks, we have a huge national security problem on our hands, and the federal government is nowhere to be found. Sheriff Mark Dannels described the invasion as the ugliest he’s ever seen it. Over the past 24 months, his deputies booked nearly 3,000 individuals for border crimes, engaged in more than 400 felony high-speed chases, and have been forced to release more than 30,000 illegals into our communities. Sheriff Wilmot showed disturbing images of the death and destruction his deputies are encountering in our communities from the cartel and human smugglers.”
Petersen also addressed the changing tone from Hobbs, writing, “While our Democrat Governor is speaking out against Biden’s handling of the border, we need her actions to match her words. She vetoed three good border bills last year. Governor, sign our border legislation.”
Arizona legislative Republicans also introduced new legislation this past month to mitigate the effects of the crisis at the southern border, holding a press conference to announce their proposals to “provide law enforcement with the support they need to defend our citizens against these threats.” One of the bills Republicans will seek to pass through the legislature, the Arizona Border Invasion Act, is sponsored by Senator Janae Shamp. The other bill highlighted by the Party was Senator David Gowan’s Aggravated Unlawful Flight Act.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 3, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The Arizona Legislature has another vacancy.
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.”
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!”
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!”
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.”
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.”
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will now be tasked with filling the legislative vacancy in the near future.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 2, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
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.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 2, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
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.
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.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 1, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
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.”
“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 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.
by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 1, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
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.”
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.”
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.
