The governing board president of the Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) endorsed a code term named in a federal indictment as a threat against President Donald Trump.
In a Facebook post, PVUSD governing board president Anthony “Tony” Pantera shared a picture reposted by “The 50501 Movement,” an anti-Trump Facebook group, depicting seashells and rocks forming the numbers “8647.”
The string of numbers refers to eliminating (to “86” someone) President Trump (the 47th president). The picture was the same one posted and later deleted by former FBI Director James Comey last May, who was indicted by the Trump administration in April over the message.
Comey posted the message after Trump survived multiple assassination attempts in 2024. He maintains innocence and denies that his post held any violent connotations.
The first and more serious of the two occurred in July 2024 at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. One supporter was killed by the would-be assassin, Thomas Crooks; two other attendees were injured, and one bullet struck Trump’s ear. Crooks fired eight shots before he was shot and killed by a member of the Secret Service.
A second assassination attempt occurred in September 2023 outside of Trump International Golf Club. That would-be assassin, Ryan Routh, was fired upon and fled before he could shoot at Trump. Routh was sentenced to life in prison in February.
In addition to the Pennsylvania and Florida assassination attempts, in late 2024 federal agents foiled an assassination plot against Trump by a Pakistani terrorist in Texas, Asif Merchant, who had been recruiting terrorists on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Trump recently was subjected to another assassination attempt several weeks ago at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Would-be assassin Cole Tomas Allen rushed the event and shot at agents; one federal agent was struck in his bulletproof vest, but nobody was harmed.
The term “86” has mixed meanings — while it signifies “getting rid of” someone, that can range from firing to murder.
One origin of the slang can be traced to a mob-era phrase, “80 miles out and six feet under,” meaning the person subjected to a mob hit would be made to go outside of civilization to be killed and buried: “80 miles out [from civilization] and [buried] six feet under[ground].” Another relates to the historical sizing of a grave: 86 inches for vaults, or eight feet long and six feet deep for a plot.
Other origins include the shooting down of enemy planes by F-86 fighter jets in the Korean War; Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice describing those who go AWOL; alphanumeric associations on rotary phones in which the number eight was “T” and the number six was “O,” short for throwing out; old bartender traditions of serving less potent, 86-proof liquor to drunken patrons rather than 100-proof.
Mixed origins of the phrase aside, the Trump administration took Comey’s post as a threat of violence against Trump. A grand jury agreed and issued a two-count indictment against Comey. The indictment found that Comey knowingly and willfully made a threat to inflict bodily harm or kill Trump.
Pantera first took office in 2023. Prior to joining the governing board, Pantera taught in PVUSD for over 40 years.
Community members have called for Pantera to resign over his endorsement of Comey’s message.
🚨 Paradise Valley USD Parents & Residents: Your voice is needed!
PVUSD School Board President Anthony Pantera took to social media to repost a violent political message as seen below. This is UNACCEPTABLE! He oversees a school district!
The Maricopa County Superior Court ruled that Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller violated the law by entering an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The agreement — the 287(g) Task Force Model initiated last August — empowered Pinal County law enforcement to exercise certain federal immigration enforcement powers. This arrangement heavily relied on information-sharing to assist ICE with locating and arresting illegal aliens.
The Pinal County Board of Supervisors disapproved of the agreement. The supervisors contended that Miller needed their permission to enter into such an agreement, citing limitations within the state constitution and statute.
Outside counsel brought on by the county concurred with their view, but the Phoenix ICE Field Office said the 287(g) agreement could only be ended by either Miller or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). When Miller refused to renege on the agreement, the supervisors initiated the legal action which culminated in Friday’s ruling.
During the hearing on Friday, Superior Court Judge Michael Gordon said Miller had exceeded his authority and intruded upon Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple’s authority.
Miller said in response to Friday’s ruling that the decision would allow for the continued victimization of Pinal County residents at the hands of criminal illegal aliens.
“[W]e must now wait until those individuals create another victim and end up back in jail on a new charge under the Sheriff’s Jail Agreement,” stated Miller.
Miller said he is “strongly considering” an appeal.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
➡️Statement on the Lawsuit in Pinal County Board of Supervisors and Sheriff Ross Teeple v. County Attorney Brad Miller pic.twitter.com/9H7t8axLwN
— Pinal County Attorney's Office (@PCAOAZ) May 15, 2026
Board Chairman Jeffrey McClure’s response was that their lawsuit didn’t represent a rejection of immigration enforcement, but rather a rejection of Miller’s claim to authority.
“This Board has supported federal authorities and immigration enforcement for years. This lawsuit is about whether elected officials must follow Arizona law, respect the limits of their office and properly safeguard taxpayer dollars,” said McClure. “We support law enforcement partnerships that are properly authorized and fiscally sound.”
Teeple confirmed his office works and shares information with ICE on a daily basis.
The board approved a 287(g) agreement for Pinal County Sheriff’s Office regarding county jail assistance.
A judge sided with Pinal County Supervisors today and ruled against County Attorney Brad Miller, confirming that Arizona law grants the Board of Supervisors exclusive authority to approve County contracts and oversee spending. Read the full release: https://t.co/qvPD6rEi9ppic.twitter.com/2tS9sO3SYy
— Pinal County – Government (@PinalCounty) May 15, 2026
Earlier this week, Teeple and McClure claimed in a joint public letter that Miller’s ICE agreement wasted and abused taxpayer funds, and had diverted county attorney investigators from criminal prosecution support to federal immigration enforcement.
“Our position is clear: Mr. Miller has hired staff for new jobs that were never authorized, offered salaries that were never approved, and used public resources in ways that raise grave safety concerns,” stated Teeple and McClure. “[The county attorney’s] office prosecutes cases under Arizona law and represents county officials in civil matters. When those boundaries are crossed, it creates legal conflict, financial risk, and confusion that ultimately harms the public.”
Arizona’s rising marriage rate is having a positive impact on its poverty rate, according to a new study.
The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) and the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) published a 75-page report last week assessing the impact of family structures on childhood outcomes, academic performance, and community prosperity across the state.
CAP said the report indicated marriage to be an exceedingly powerful, though heavily underutilized, anti-poverty and life success tool.
Since the first year of the pandemic, 2020, Arizona rose from 39th to 35th on the nation’s Family Structure Index, which measures healthy family structure trends.
In 2011, 58 percent of children in Arizona lived with married parents. In 2024, that number rose to 62 percent.
From 2022 to 2024, 85 percent of Arizona children ages six to 17 living with married parents received A’s and B’s in class, whereas only 64 to 65 percent of children in that age range who lived with a single mother or other family structures received those higher grades.
15 percent of Arizona children living with married biological parents received poor grades (mostly B’s and C’s or lower). Comparatively, over one-third of children from single-mother or other homes received those poorer grades.
Additionally, reading proficiency scores tended to increase within districts with higher shares of married-couple households. 60 percent of students within the Higley Unified School District (HUSD) tested proficient in reading; 77 percent of households with children in that district have married parents.
The Flowing Wells Unified School District — which spends about 60 percent more per student on classroom support than HUSD — had a student reading proficiency rate of 35 percent aligning with its married-parent household with children rate of 54 percent.
The report found that the correlation between higher reading proficiency rates and higher marriage rates proved to be true regardless of race.
Marriage rates also proved to have an impact on Arizona children’s mental health. In non-intact families, girls were 60 percent more likely to be depressed and boys were 57 percent more likely to be depressed.
Arizona children in intact homes were less likely to be living in poverty. Less than one in 10 children from married homes were found to be living in poverty, compared to more than one in five children with cohabitating parents and one in four children in single-mother homes.
Unlike with academic outcomes, race did appear to have an impact on poverty. White children in Arizona had starkly lower poverty rates within both married and unmarried households than non-white children.
Three percent of white children living in intact homes were in poverty in Arizona, compared to 14 percent of Hispanic children, 20 percent of Native American children, and 22 percent of black children.
15 percent of white children living in non-intact homes were in poverty in Arizona, compared to 23 percent of Hispanic children, 27 percent of Native American children, and 31 percent of black children.
CAP President Peter Gentala said in a press release that Arizona, historically a frontier state, has a new frontier with building families.
“The American Dream — the Arizona Dream — is still within reach for every Arizonan, and strong families are how we get there together,” said Gentala. “This report isn’t partisan. It’s a data-driven invitation to every Arizonan who cares about the future of our state.”
The report, titled “Renewing Arizona Families: Why Strong Families Are Central to Arizona’s Future,” was co-produced with University of Virginia researcher and National Marriage Project director W. Bradford Wilcox.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Budget negotiations between Arizona Senate Republicans and Governor Katie Hobbs’ administration are continuing at the Capitol after the Governor vetoed the Senate Republican budget proposal on May 5th.
The Republican plan included one of the largest tax cuts in Arizona history while fully funding education and public safety priorities.
Hobbs described the budget as “unbalanced and reckless.”
In her veto letter she stated, “This budget is unbalanced and reckless. With it, Arizona would default on our debt obligations, endanger vulnerable children, slash critical public safety funding, and pay for tax breaks to billionaires, data centers and special interests by kicking Arizonans off their healthcare and taking food off their tables. Arizonans cannot afford chaotic and dysfunctional Washington-style budgeting in our state government. I have made it clear that I will engage in good-faith negotiation. But I will not sign a budget that brings Washington-style chaos and dysfunction to Arizona’s budget. Let’s get back to the negotiating table and get serious about delivering for Arizonans. I am ready when you are.”
Despite the Governor’s public criticism, her team returned to negotiations almost immediately. On Thursday, May 14th, Governor Hobbs lifted the month-long bill signing moratorium she had imposed on April 13th.
The moratorium had been conditioned on Republicans publicly releasing a budget proposal and engaging in what she described as “good-faith” negotiations. It has severely limited the Senate’s ability to conduct normal floor business for weeks, stalling progress on unrelated legislation and disrupting the regular legislative process.
Senate Republicans noted that work never stopped despite the moratorium and recent media reports. Members have continued meeting with stakeholders, addressing constituent issues, reviewing legislation, and participating in budget discussions nearly every day.
This last week, the Senate Committee on Director Nominations convened to consider Governor Hobbs’ nominee, Brig. Gen. John Conley, to lead the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.
The Republican budget proposal, unveiled on April 27, fully conformed Arizona’s tax code with federal changes made through President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” It funded the tax relief through targeted fund sweeps and reductions to most state agencies outside of core priorities.
Senate Republicans remain focused on completing a responsible budget that controls spending, protects core priorities such as education and public safety, and delivers historic tax relief for Arizona families facing affordability challenges.
The Senate returned last week for additional floor work, committee activity, and ongoing budget negotiations. With the moratorium now lifted, Senate leaders expressed optimism that both the budget process and the broader work of the Legislature can move forward without further delays.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Legislative District 13 candidate Debra Schinke is looking to get into government to reduce its footprint, and ensure it further prioritizes faith, law, and families.
Schinke, a Chandler Citizens Police Review Board member, also wants to apply her 17 years as a fraud prosecutor to cutting down on waste within the presently struggling state budget.
The former president of Chandler Republican Women (2020-2023) told the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce in a candidate interview last month that she experienced the injustice of bureaucratic bloat during her upbringing in a California farming community.
During her youth, Schinke said she helped around her father’s gas station in addition to taking up customer service and accounting for his propane company. The former Grace Community Christian School board member attested to the struggles imposed by copious regulations on her father’s small businesses.
Schinke said freedom can’t exist without freedoms in the marketplace.
“Some of us need to stand up and defend the small businesses in our communities,” said Schinke. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy.”
Schinke decided to run for public office because of her son, a member of the Air Force stationed in Japan. During her time as a precinct committeewoman, Republican state committeewoman, and Arizona Federation of Republican Women leadership team, she has spent years working campaigns for candidates running for city councils, school boards, the legislature, and Congress.
“It just spoke to my heart again, that if our sons and daughters are over fighting for us and our freedom and liberty, then I need to be here on the frontlines, too,” said Schinke.
Schinke’s platform consists of historically standard perspectives like: encouragement of public faith in God, protection for parental rights, resistance to bureaucratic growth, a strict view of borders, implicit trust for law enforcement, and an open mind for school choice.
While Schinke generally opposes a larger government presence, she has taken exception to the ongoing issue of water. Schinke indicated that the state ought to lead on conservation measures, but without creating additional burdens on residents.
On this and other pressing issues in the Valley, like public transit and housing, Schinke said she needed to conduct more research. In all cases, Schinke said her litmus would be the impact on Arizona families.
Per her latest campaign finance report, Schinke has raised nearly $40,400.
Other candidates in the LD13 race are Democratic candidate Racquel “Rockee” Armstrong and Republican candidates Kevin Hartke, Chandler mayor, and Janet Weninger, wife of State Rep. Jeff Weninger (R-LD13).
Armstrong’s platform encourages increased government spending to deflate costs by expanding affordable housing and public transportation.
Both Weninger and Harktes’ platforms appeared similar to Schinke’s, but with more openness to select government spending to improve social outcomes.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
The Common Sense Institute (CSI) released the first report in its 2026 Ballot Guide series, examining the fiscal, educational, and family impacts of the proposed “Protect Education Act.” The analysis concludes that the measure would immediately disqualify approximately 20,300 current universal ESA families through a new income cap, while gradually excluding more than half of Arizona families with school-aged children over time as incomes rise faster than the cap’s limited adjustment.
The proposal would also impose new accreditations, testing, and spending restrictions on participating schools, potentially disrupting educational choices for over 100,000 Arizona students currently using Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs).
Arizona’s K-12 landscape has been shifting for more than a decade, with district enrollment declining since 2008 as families increasingly turned to charter, private, homeschool, and micro school options. District schools lost roughly 50,000 students in 2021-2022 alone—before universal ESA eligibility—and today enroll about 75,000 fewer students than in 2019-2020.
Fewer than 70% of Arizona’s school-aged children now attend district schools, down from 80% a decade ago.
In response to these trends and parent demand for alternatives, lawmakers expanded ESA eligibility in 2022 to all school-aged children, removing prior public-school attendance requirements. Participation surged to more than 100,000 students (nearly 10% of Arizona’s K-12 population), with annual awards totaling around $1.1 billion. One quarter of participants remain in pre-universal categories, including a rapidly growing share of students with disabilities.
Key Impacts of the Proposed Act
The Protect Education Act would limit universal ESA scholarships to households earning under $150,000 annually, require participating private schools to register, accredit, and/or conduct mandatory state testing, and further restrict allowable uses of funds by tightening definitions of “noneducational” and “luxury” items.
CSI’s analysis estimates that 24% of current ESA users have household incomes above the proposed threshold, immediately affecting roughly 20,300 universal-eligibility families.
Statewide, approximately 400,000 school-aged children—potentially up to 40% when accounting for family sizes—could be permanently excluded from universal ESAs based on 2024 income distributions.
Although the cap includes a 2% annual inflation adjustment. Arizona household incomes have historically risen closer to 4% per year, leading CSI to project that more than 52% of families with school-aged children could be income-excluded by 2045.
The restriction could also indirectly reduce participation in other eligibility categories. Growth in ESA usage among students with disabilities accelerated after universal expansion; without it, there might have been roughly 10,000 fewer participants in those targeted groups.
“Arizona’s K-12 system has been evolving for more than a decade as enrollment patterns, family preferences, and educational models continue to diversify,” stated Director of Policy & Research at CSI, Glenn Farley. “This analysis finds the proposed Act would not simply adjust ESA eligibility requirements, but could significantly reshape access to nontraditional education options over time. More families are signaling that one size does not fit all and are seeking educational choices that better meet their children’s needs.”
Fiscal Analysis: ESA Delivers Savings
ESA students receive significantly less funding than their public-school peers. The average universal ESA award is approximately $7,700 per student, compared to nearly $15,000 per public-school student. CSI estimates that shifting 20,000 universal ESA students back into district classrooms would increase annual taxpayers costs by about $115 million.
Despite serving over 100,000 students, the total number of publicly funded K-12 students (district, charter, and ESA) remains consistent with pre-2020 projections. The funding mix has simply shifted to better align with actual enrollment and family preferences, producing net savings for taxpayers. Arizona is also spending 30% more per-public school pupil (inflation-adjusted) than a decade ago, yet the share of funding reaching classrooms has declined slightly while support services have grown.
Academic Performance and Oversight
According to CSI, Arizona district students score low on state assessments with only 39% proficient in reading, 32% in math, and 27% in science. Available data indicate stronger outcomes in private and homeschool settings.
ACT scores show private school students outperforming public school counterparts by 19% and homeschool students by 12%. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results similarly suggest private school students outperform roughly 70% of their public peers where comparable data exist.
CSI’s survey of participating private schools revealed that 84% already administer standardized testing and about two-thirds hold accreditation from recognized bodies. All respondents imply background checks and staff qualification standards. Private school leaders warned that the Act’s new requirements would create administrative burdens, with three-quarters indicating possible tuition increases and one in five suggesting they might stop accepting ESA students—potentially displacing over 4,600 reported ESA users.
Oversight mechanisms already exist in the ESA program. Arizona Department of Education audits found only 1.9% of sampled spending “unallowable” and 0.3% “egregious”—rates lower than many other public programs.
“Arizona was one of the first states to broadly expand Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, and a growing number of states have since adopted similar programs as demand for educational flexibility has increased,” added Farley. “If approved by Arizona voters, the proposal could significantly narrow access to options many Arizona families have increasingly turned to as part of the state’s changing education landscape.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
