by Matthew Holloway | Jan 14, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Republican leaders across Arizona responded to the death of former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, remembering him as a dedicated public servant who left an imprint on the state’s legal and political landscape.
Brnovich’s family confirmed the 59-year-old’s passing on Tuesday, saying he will be “forever remembered and cherished by us as a beloved father, husband, son, and brother,” according to ABC15. The family asked for privacy as memorial arrangements are finalized.
Senate President Warren Petersen said Arizona lost “a devoted public servant” who defended state laws and the rule of law.
“His commitment to public service was matched by his love for this state and his pride in being an Arizonan,” Petersen said. He added that Brnovich “leaves behind a legacy of principled leadership and a record of service that will not be forgotten.”
In a post to X, Petersen added, “Mark was a devoted husband, father, and an outstanding public servant. Every time I saw him, he graciously thanked me for being one of the first to endorse his AG run. It was an easy decision—he was a strong conservative committed to keeping Arizona safe. Prayers for his wife Susan, their daughters, and the entire family during this incredibly difficult time.”
Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh said Brnovich understood the attorney general’s job “was not about politics, but about defending the law,” while Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope noted he was a “strong partner to the Legislature” who consistently defended Arizona’s sovereignty.
Senate Majority Whip Frank Carroll said Brnovich served the state “with conviction and courage” and carried out his duties “with integrity.”
The Arizona House Republicans released a statement posted to X, writing:
“The Arizona House Republican Majority mourns the passing of our friend and former Attorney General Mark Brnovich. Mark dedicated his career to defending the rule of law, protecting election integrity, and standing up for Arizona families. As Attorney General, he recovered millions for victims, protected small businesses, and worked tirelessly to make Arizona safer. Mark’s contributions as a public servant, veteran, and father will not be forgotten. We honor his life and extend our prayers and deepest condolences to his wife Susan, his children, and all who loved him.”
Former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey also released a statement praising Brnovich’s passion for the law, his advocacy for victims, and his upbeat, “happy warrior spirit,” which Ducey said were hallmarks of his career in a statement per AZ Family. He added, “It was an honor to campaign with and serve alongside Mark Brnovich. His passion for the law, justice, and victims were hallmarks of his career in public service.”
Brnovich’s predecessor in office, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, called him “an outstanding, dedicated public servant and a devoted family man,” noting that political differences did not prevent a lasting friendship in later years.
Brnovich served two terms as Arizona’s 26th Attorney General from 2015 to 2023. During his tenure, he was known for high-profile legal actions and outreach as a state and federal prosecutor.
Memorial service details were not immediately released.
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 | Jan 14, 2026 | Economy, News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity released preliminary employment data for November 2025, showing that Arizona’s economy added 21,300 nonfarm jobs year-over-year on a not-seasonally adjusted (NSA) basis, representing a 0.6% increase compared to November 2024.
This growth was driven primarily by the private sector, which added 28,000 jobs over the year, while government employment declined by 6,700 positions.
Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.3% in November 2025, up from 4.2% in September and 3.9% one year earlier. Over the same period, the U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate also rose, reaching 4.6%
The state’s seasonally adjusted labor force grew by 27,226 individuals from September to November 2025 and increased by 83,081 individuals (2.2%) year-over-year, reflecting continued population and workforce expansion.
From October to November 2025, Arizona added 17,500 total nonfarm jobs. Key monthly gains occurred in:
- Trade, Transportation, and Utilities: +10,600 jobs
- Government: +2,400 jobs, led by Local Government Education with +2,200 jobs
- Professional and Business Services: +1,600 jobs
- Leisure and Hospitality: +1,500 jobs
- Other Services: +1,400 jobs
- Manufacturing: +1,300 jobs
- Information: +1,000 jobs
Losses were reported in Financial Activities (-1,200 jobs) and Construction (-1,100 jobs), with a minor decline in Private Educational Services (-100 jobs). Health Care and Social Assistance showed no change month over month.
Over the 12 months ending in November 2025, the strongest job gains were made by:
- Health Care and Social Assistance: +14,500 jobs
- Professional and Business Services: +9,000 jobs
- Other Services: +4,800 jobs
- Construction: +2,100 jobs
- Leisure and Hospitality: +1,900 jobs
- Natural Resources and Mining: +1,300 jobs
- Private Educational Services: +1,200 jobs
- Financial Activities: +1,100 jobs
Year-over-year losses occurred in Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-6,700 jobs), Government (-6,700 jobs), and Manufacturing (-1,300 jobs).
Among Arizona’s major metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler MSA recorded the largest year-over-year employment gain, adding 78,100 jobs and bringing total employment to 2,801,000.
The Tucson MSA also saw solid growth, with employment increasing by 14,300 jobs, while the Prescott-Prescott Valley MSA added 2,800 jobs over the year. Smaller gains were reported in the Lake Havasu City-Kingman MSA (1,900 jobs), Flagstaff (1,300 jobs), and Sierra Vista-Douglas (800 jobs). The Yuma MSA experienced the opposite with a year-over-year decline of 1,500 jobs.
Statewide, Arizona’s total nonfarm employment reached 3,302,200 in November 2025 on a not seasonally adjusted basis, up from 3,280,900 one year earlier.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Jan 13, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A former Tucson councilman’s pornographic and violent past has resurfaced again amid his newly launched state senate race.
Tucson Councilman Rocque Perez advocated for the harm and murder of his political opponents and promoted pornography in the years immediately leading up to his foray into politics. Perez has since deleted all of the incriminating posts.
AZ Free News covered Perez’s rhetoric in October. These posts were made in 2020, around the time that Perez was a student body senator for the University of Arizona.
Perez advised his friend to murder conservative family members:
“So kill them, do your duty baby girl,” posted Perez.
Perez threatened to murder a classmate defending President Donald Trump:
“This vapid white girl is defending Trump[’s] response to COVID in my Zoom public relations class, do I end her or do I end her,” posted Perez.
Perez called for the assassination of Ivanka Trump:
“Someone throw this b***h off the capitol building roof please,” posted Perez.
Perez threatened to assault Trump if given the opportunity.
“Honestly I would take one for the team and knock him out if I could,” posted Perez.
Perez also wished for Trump to die from COVID-19, in multiple posts.
Perez called for the assault of conservative activist and pundit Kaitlin Bennett:
“How has she not gotten beat yet? Like… hath no one the bravery to literally hurt her cause…?” posted Perez.
Perez threatened to stab Trump voters:
“Roses are red, violets are blue, vote for Joe Biden, or I’ll cut you,” posted Perez.
Although Perez has ceased posting the caliber of violent rhetoric of his past, his actions indicate that he still holds the sentiments that inspired those deleted posts.
On Friday, Perez participated in a vigil for Renée Nicole Good, the Minnesota woman and anti-ICE activist fatally shot by law enforcement after driving her car in the direction of an ICE agent.
Along with advocating for assault and murder, Perez posted pornographic videos and pictures to promote his OnlyFans account.
In one of the posts, Perez claimed he engaged in sexual activities with an unnamed male professor and was later solicited by the professor’s husband.
In another post made in March 2021, Perez claimed to have masturbated while at work at the University of Arizona.
“Guys I’m so horny I might jerk off somewhere at work, stay tuned,” posted Perez. “Update: loads of bro butter at work.”
Both Perez’s personal and porn accounts were public. As a result, at least one minor engaged with Perez’s work. The California Globe uncovered in a report that one minor at the time, now a staffer for Tucson Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz, engaged with Perez’s porn account.
Although his pornography was public and clearly visible to minors, Perez would go on to become executive director for a nonprofit directly involved with minors: the Metropolitan Education Commission (MEC), created by Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva. MEC advises and makes recommendations on K-12 education for all of Pima County.
Perez launched his state senate campaign in December, around when his six-month appointment to the Tucson City Council came to an end.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 13, 2026 | Economy, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Republican legislative leaders in Arizona introduced a tax conformity plan on last week, aimed at aligning the state’s tax code with recent federal tax reforms. The proposal, outlined in a joint press release from the Arizona State Legislature, estimates roughly $1.1 billion in tax savings for Arizonans over the next three years.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman J.D. Mesnard (R-LD13) and House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Justin Olson (R-LD25) are sponsoring the plan through two bills: SB 1106 and HB 2153.
According to the release, Republican lawmakers say the conformity effort will provide certainty to taxpayers and tax preparers amid the current filing season. They state the proposal would adjust Arizona’s tax code to reflect provisions of the federal tax overhaul known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
The Republican plan would include measures such as increasing the child tax credit and establishing a deduction for childcare expenses. It would also aim to apply the federal tax reforms to Arizona’s individual and business tax structures.
“This is an urgent matter. With tax season underway, tax professionals and families alike need clear guidance now,” Senate President Warren Petersen said. “Until the Legislature acts and the Governor signs this plan into law, there is real confusion about how to handle state tax returns. We’re urging Governor Hobbs to join us in resolving this issue promptly by signing this historic tax cut when it hits her desk.”
House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-LD29) is quoted in the release, asserting that formal legislative action is needed to resolve confusion created by recent state tax guidance issued by the governor’s office, which he says assumes legislative action has already occurred.
Montenegro explained, “The Governor jumped ahead of the law by issuing state tax guidance this week that assumes legislative action – which hasn’t happened yet – and her recent executive order only deepens confusion. This kind of unilateral overreach undermines the process and leaves families, tax preparers, and businesses stuck in the middle.”
He added, “The Legislature is moving to restore certainty, respect the separation of powers, and make sure Arizonans have clear, lawful guidance.”
The press release states that Republican sponsors contend the plan’s focus is on working families, seniors on fixed incomes, and small businesses, and that it would codify measures such as preventing taxation of tips and overtime pay.
SB 1106 and HB 2153 are set to be debated in the Legislature as the session begins.
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 | Jan 13, 2026 | Education, News
By Ethan Faverino |
Grand Canyon University (GCU) announced it will continue its historic tuition freeze on the Phoenix campus for the 18th consecutive year, maintaining the same rate through the 2026-27 academic year.
The private Christian university will keep campus tuition at $16,500 (before institutional aid) for the upcoming year—the same amount that has been in place since the freeze began in 2008-09.
This longstanding commitment provides students and families with rare cost predictability amid widespread concerns about escalating college expenses and the long-term value of a degree.
In the 2024-25 academic year, more than 92% of GCU’s traditional students received institutional scholarships totaling $181 million, reducing the average tuition cost to approximately $8,900. This figure is comparable to many public universities and significantly lower than most other private institutions.
National data from the College Board’s Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid Report showed the significance of GCU’s decision. Since 2008-09, average in-state tuition and fees at four-year public colleges have increased 81% (from $6,585 to $11,950), while four-year private institutions have seen costs rise 78% (from $25,143 to $45,000).
GCU’s housing costs also remain well below national averages. The university’s estimated average room and board cost for 2025-26 is $10,658, compared to $13,900 at four-year public colleges and $15,920 at four-year private institutions.
This affordability is notable given that nearly all GCU’s modern residence halls have been constructed in the past 15 years, with approximately 64% of rooms being single occupancy.
Since the tuition freeze began in 2008, the university’s traditional campus enrollment has grown dramatically from fewer than 1,000 students to around 25,000, while the campus itself has expanded to 300 acres.
During this period, the university has invested more than $1.8 billion in new degree programs, classrooms, laboratories, research spaces, residence halls, and advanced technologies.
“When you look at the rising costs in higher education, it’s not surprising that families are questioning the value of a college education,” said GCU President Brian Mueller. “By freezing our tuition for nearly two decades, we have been able to build trust and predictability without compromising our academics. Our campus has grown exponentially, and we are blessed that it has occurred without passing those costs on to students and without requiring state tax subsidies that public universities receive.”
Mueller emphasized the broader impact of the university’s affordability strategy: “Freezing tuition costs is one way that we ensure higher education is affordable to all socioeconomic classes. That increases diversity on college campuses (over 40% of GCU’s ground campus enrollment are students of color), makes higher education more accessible to first-generation college students, and helps prevent students from taking on large amounts of debt.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Jan 12, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A proposed bill in the Arizona legislature would require members of the clergy to report any crimes admitted to them in confession.
The bill by Minority House Whip Stacey Travers, HB 2039, would expand the duty to report to religious leaders, specifically naming clergymen, priests, and Christian Science practitioners. Travers attempted to run the bill, without success, for every legislative session since coming into office in 2023.
Religious leaders would be held liable in a civil action should they fail to report not only ongoing but any potential future abuse of minors that has yet to occur. This failure to report would kick in if “reasonable suspicion” exists that “dependency, physical injury, abuse, child abuse, or abandonment is ongoing or that dependency, physical injury, abuse, child abuse, or abandonment may occur in the future.”
The bill would also remove the requirement for religious leaders to obtain consent from the individual making their confession before reporting to authorities.
“A member of the clergy, a Christian Science practitioner or a priest who has knowledge or a reasonable suspicion that a person is committing or may commit child abuse or neglect shall immediately report or cause reports to be made of this information to a peace officer, to the Department of Child Safety or to a tribal law enforcement or social services agency for any Indian minor who resides on an Indian reservation, except if the report concerns a person who does not have care, custody or control of the minor, the report shall be made to a peace officer only. This subsection does not apply to a confidential or penitential communication unless the member of the clergy, a Christian Science practitioner or a priest determines that the abuse or neglect is still occurring or will occur in the future.”
Punishments would vary depending on the proposed violations.
Those who fail to report a reportable offense (sexual offenses outlined within 13-1401 through 13-1430 of Arizona Code; obscenity; furnishing harmful items; surreptitious photographing, videotaping, filming, or digitally recording or viewing a minor; child sex trafficking; incest; or unlawful mutilation) would be charged with a class six felony.
All other violations of the bill would qualify as a misdemeanor.
Congressman Andy Biggs, a Mormon, said he was not shocked that a Democratic lawmaker was behind the bill.
“A terrible attack on Catholics in Arizona by, of course, a Democrat,” said Biggs. “This bill should never see the light of day.”
When Travers first introduced the proposed bill in 2023, she said it was Mormons (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS) who asked her to file it following the case of a Bisbee man, Paul Adams, who continued to rape his daughters for years after confessing his crimes to a Mormon bishop. Adams’ suicide brought his crimes to light.
“I picked up the mantle because I had LDS constituents come to me,” said Travers in an interview with Capitol Media Services.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
