The group seeking to end Arizona’s universal school choice program declared that it doesn’t have to disclose the percentage of out-of-state funds.
A complaint filed in April alleged the Protect Education, Accountability Now Committee (PEANC) falsely advertised that only 9% of contributions came from out of state.
PEANC’s ballot initiative, the Protect Education Act, would impose an income cap limiting enrollment in Arizona’s school choice program, Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, and eliminate funding rollover.
PEANC claimed in a response submitted on Friday and obtained by AZ Free News that Arizona law only requires the percentage of out-of-state contributors, not out-of-state contributions.
The section of Arizona law at issue (A.R.S. § 16-925) states the following:
“In addition to the disclosure required by subsection A of this section, a political action committee that makes an expenditure for an advertisement shall include a disclosure stating: […] The aggregate percentage of out-of-state contributors as calculated at the time the advertisement was produced for publication, display, delivery or broadcast. The disclosure shall state ‘paid for by _____’ as prescribed by subsection A of this section, followed by ‘with _____% from out-of-state contributors’ with the blank to be filled by the aggregate percentage prescribed by this paragraph.”
Counsel for PEANC argued in its response letter that, while nearly $4.5 million of its $4.6 million in net contributions did come from Washington, D.C. labor organizations, only 9% of all contributors to PEANC were from out of state.
“This text requires disclosure of the aggregate percentage of out-of-state contributors — i.e., based on contributor counts — not dollar amounts or ‘aggregate funding,’ and that percentage is calculated ‘at the time the advertisement was produced,’” stated PEANC’s counsel, Barton Mendez Soto. “The word ‘contributors’ refers to the people or entities making contributions, not the dollar amounts of their contributions.”
PEANC’s counsel said their interpretation accurately reflected what they dubbed the “contributors-percentage metric” represented by the statute.
The complainant, Jack Pannell, filed his complaint with the secretary of state after he observed a disclaimer on the bottom of PEANC’s website claiming that out-of-state contributors accounted only for 9% of total funding.
An archived version of the site captured in early February reflected an out-of-state contributions disclosure that totaled 50%.
Major Arizona-native donors to the PEANC came nowhere near the millions posted to PEANC’s finance reports; these donors include Arizonans For Quality Education (AFQE), $50,000; Nita and Phil Francis, $25,000; and the Arizona Education Association, $10,000.
Approximately 99% of AFQE’s funding has been tied to “shadow sponsors,” meaning unnamed corporations and LLCs. The remaining funds, less than half of a percent, came from an individual named Christopher “Chris” Kotterman on behalf of the Friends of ASBA, an affiliate of the Arizona School Boards Association.
Kotterman has served as Gov. Katie Hobbs’ senior policy advisor since late 2024.
The Protect Education Act would need about 256,000 signatures to make the ballot. The petition-filing deadline is July 2.
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Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap has asked the Maricopa County Superior Court to hold the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in civil contempt, claiming the Board has failed to comply with a court order issued more than six weeks ago restoring election authority and resources to the Recorder’s Office.
The filing comes 43 days after Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney ruled that the Board of Supervisors has exceeded its statutory authority by assuming control over election functions assigned by Arizona law to the County Recorder.
In an Application for Order to Show Cause filed on May 28, 2026, Heap argued the Board has continued to exercise powers the court determined belong to the Recorder’s Office while refusing to return critical election personnel, systems, and resources.
“The Court settled these issues 43 days ago,” stated Heap. “Since then, the Board has refused to comply, continued exercising powers the Court ruled it does not possess, and even interfered with Recorder personnel carrying out their lawful duties at Recorder-operated election sites.”
The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed by Heap against the Board after disagreements over election administration responsibilities, funding, and operational control.
In its April ruling, the court rejected the Board’s argument that it possessed “plenary” authority over county election administration. Blaney wrote that Arizona election statutes specifically assign numerous election duties to the Recorder and that the Board cannot assume those responsibilities without legislative authorization or the Recorder’s consent.
The court found that Arizona law designates the Recorder as the responsible official for 111 election-related functions assigned to the “recorder or other officer in charge.” As a result, Blaney ordered the Board to restore authority, personnel, and election systems to the Recorder’s Office or immediately fund replacement systems.
The ruling also directed the Board to release election-related funding appropriated for the Recorder and prohibited the Board from exercising election functions delegated by law to the Recorder.
According to Heap’s latest filing, the board has yet to return election IT personnel, servers, databases, websites, and other systems necessary for the Recorder’s Office to carry out its statutory responsibilities. The filing further claims the board has refused to authorize the use of state and federal funds appropriated for election administration.
Heap also pointed to actions taken during recent May jurisdictional elections, stating that the county’s Elections Director instructed poll workers at Recorder-operated ballot replacement sites to disregard directions from the Recorder’s Office staff regarding voter information requirements under state law.
Additionally, the Recorder’s Office argues that the Board adopted a resolution asserting authority over early ballot drop boxes during the early voting period despite the court’s injunction and Arizona statutes assigning that responsibility to the Recorder.
The Recorder’s Office contends these actions represent continued violations of the court’s order rather than delays in implementation. The filing states that Recorder officials attempted to negotiate phased transition plans, resource-sharing agreements, and other cooperative solutions which were rejected by the Board.
Heap is now asking the court to order the Board to appear and explain why they should not be held in contempt, impose sanctions sufficient to compel compliance with the April ruling, and award attorney fees and court costs.
“The voters of Maricopa County deserve election administration that follows the law, respects the courts, and remains focused on conducting elections that are lawful, secure, accurate, accessible, and worthy of the public’s trust,” added Heap.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The City of Scottsdale has issued a Truth in Taxation notice advising residents that city officials may consider an increase in the primary property tax levy for fiscal year 2026-27 as part of the municipal budget process.
According to Scottsdale’s public notice and supporting budget documents, the city is proposing a primary property tax levy increase tied largely to Arizona’s statutory two-percent adjustment, while projecting that the primary property tax rate itself could decline due to growth in assessed property values.
The Arizona Daily Independentreported that Scottsdale is proposing an increase in primary property taxes of $681,888, or 1.70%, above the prior year’s levy level, excluding revenue generated through new construction and changes related to voter-approved bonded indebtedness or overrides.
Scottsdale’s published notice states that the city “may increase” its primary property tax levy over last year’s level and emphasizes that the notice itself does not mean a tax increase has been approved. Instead, the city said the notice reflects the possibility that the City Council could discuss and potentially adopt a levy increase during the budget process.
According to the city, the current primary property tax rate of $0.4891 per $100 of assessed valuation could decrease to as low as $0.4801 as rising assessed property values offset portions of the proposed levy increase.
City budget documents show Scottsdale’s proposed FY 2026-27 primary property tax levy totals approximately $41.29 million, an increase of about $1.02 million over the current fiscal year’s $40.27 million levy. City officials reported the increase is primarily attributable to the statutory two-percent adjustment and includes repayment to the Risk Management Fund for tort liability claim payments made during calendar year 2025.
Scottsdale’s proposed secondary property tax levy, which is used for repayment of voter-approved general obligation debt, is also forecast to increase. According to city documents, the proposed secondary levy would rise from $34.85 million in FY 2025-26 to $36.70 million in FY 2026-27 due to increased debt service obligations.
Despite those levy increases, Scottsdale projects the combined city property tax rate could decrease from $0.9124 to approximately $0.9068 per $100 of assessed valuation because of growth in the city’s net assessed property values. City officials estimate that a homeowner with an assessed property value of $100,000 would pay approximately $90.68 in combined city property taxes under the proposal.
The city has scheduled a Truth in Taxation hearing, Property Tax Public Hearing, and Municipal Streetlight Improvement District hearing for June 9 at 5 p.m. at Scottsdale City Hall Kiva, located at 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard. Meetings will also be broadcast on Cox Cable Channel 11 and streamed through Scottsdale’s website.
Following those hearings, Scottsdale officials plan to consider formal adoption of property tax ordinances during the City Council meeting scheduled for June 23.
The principal who went viral in the Valley for barring parents from attending eighth grade graduation due to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity played a key role in banning a parent from another school campus in violation of the First Amendment.
This week wasn’t the first time that Bronwyn Sternberg, principal at the Cecil Shamley School in the Tempe Elementary School District (TESD), has kept parents off campus for reportedly political reasons.
In February 2020, Sternberg participated in the ban of a parent, Rebecca Hartzell, from the premises of Marana Unified School District’s Dove Mountain School. Sternberg was an associate principal at the time, and identified in a Supreme Court filing as an official who coordinated Hartzell’s removal. The Arizona District Court ruled in March that district officials had unconstitutionally retaliated against Hartzell for her speech, consistent with a prior finding in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. A jury awarded Hartzell $200,000.
Now, a little over six years later, Sternberg has taken another action to keep parents off campus in relation to a highly politicized issue.
On Wednesday, Sternberg informed parents that they wouldn’t be permitted to attend their child’s eighth grade graduation to prevent any additional ICE detainments.
Immigration authorities detained a Cecil Shamley School mother and her son off school property on Tuesday. This prompted Sternberg to call off all outside attendance to the promotion ceremony, which occurred on Thursday.
ICE issued a statement explaining that it arrested the mother, 47-year-old Margoth Del Pilar Paredes-Ortiz of Ecuador, on referral by Border Patrol for suspicion of illegal alien smuggling. Paredes-Ortiz was subject to a removal order from an immigration judge issued last March.
Per ICE, Paredes-Ortiz voluntarily requested that her son, also an illegal alien from Ecuador with a final order of removal, be returned with her to Ecuador.
Federal law requires equal public school access to all children regardless of immigration status.
Paredes-Ortiz and her son were taken to a Texas facility for deportation proceedings.
Sternberg said that closing the graduation ceremony off to parents and other guests was a matter of safety. Sternberg said students from the sixth and seventh grades would be allowed to attend instead, and that parents would receive a recorded video of the promotion ceremony.
“This change may be disappointing for some families; however, we feel it is truly in the best interest of our students and staff. I appreciate the partnership, kind words, and questions that I have received from our parents. Thank you for your cooperation as we prioritize our students,” said Sternberg.
Libs of TikTok shared a copy of the letter to parents in a viral post.
BREAKING: @TempeElementary Principal Bronwyn Sternberg sent a letter to families informing them that parents and guests will NOT be allowed to attend students' graduation after a reported illegal alien parent and her child were arrested by ICE near the school. pic.twitter.com/TGRxTFsqcT
Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-04) visited the detained family and indicated he was working to secure their release. Stanton and Arizona’s other elected Democrats have given illegal aliens constituent privileges and prioritized them in their constituent work.
I’m sickened that a Tempe student and their parent were violently detained by ICE and taken to a detention center in Texas just before his 8th grade promotion.
Terrorizing a child, ripping them from their community, and forcing them into detention is beyond cruel. It is inhumane… https://t.co/n7i1jv9J1W
— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) May 28, 2026
Shamley School students conducted a walkout from school in protest of the Paredes-Ortiz family’s deportation.
Sternberg became principal of Cecil Shamley School in 2023.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
Tucson Democratic State Senate candidate Rocque Perez is facing renewed scrutiny following resurfaced social media posts containing violent rhetoric and new attention to earlier allegations involving disputed online activity and deleted social media accounts.
The controversy comes as Perez seeks the Democratic nomination for Arizona’s Legislative District 20 Senate seat, where he faces state Rep. Alma Hernandez in a July primary.
Archived posts tied to Perez’s X account included violent political rhetoric dating back to 2020. The posts reportedly included statements such as “So kill them, do your duty baby girl” in response to complaints about conservative family members and “Someone throw this b—- off the capitol building roof please” in response to a post by Ivanka Trump. Other archived messages reportedly encouraged violence toward political opponents and referenced harming individuals in online settings.
The posts were first published by the California Globe in October and later independently corroborated through Archive.org.
Perez, now 27, told the Arizona Republic he was aware prior to entering politics that his past online activity would likely face public scrutiny and argued that the posts originated when he was 20 and 21 years old. At the time, he worked as a student employee at the University of Arizona in multicultural advancement and research communications roles, according to university employment records cited by the Republic.
“You wouldn’t be asking me these questions if this was any other 19, 20-year-old at the time,” Perez told the Republic.
Hernandez sharply criticized the rhetoric and rejected Perez’s explanation.
“To brush it off and say you were young and dumb, that’s not an excuse,” Hernandez told the Arizona Republic, calling the posts “unacceptable for anyone seeking public office.”
The resurfaced posts have also revived attention to earlier reporting involving Perez’s online presence.
Alleged Sex Worker Tied to Adelita Grijalva Scrubs Social Media Accounts.
In February, the California Globe reported that social media accounts allegedly connected to Perez and others tied to Tucson-area political circles had been deleted or scrubbed following scrutiny. The publication later published screenshots from an X account it alleged Perez used to promote an OnlyFans account known as “ThatLocalBoy,” citing material supplied by a source. According to the report, the account included photographs of Perez and sexually explicit promotional content linked to OnlyFans activity.
Another Gay Activist With Ties to Rep-Elect Adelita Grijalva Scrubs Social Media.
Perez denied those allegations when questioned by the Republic and said he never operated an OnlyFans account.
“Not at any point did I put out anything like this,” Perez told the newspaper.
The Republic reported it could not independently confirm Perez operated the alleged OnlyFans account and noted that the account in question no longer exists. Perez further declined to specifically confirm or deny whether photographs and sexually oriented posts associated with the account belonged to him, telling the paper he was “not going to relegate what was me or not me.”
Perez graduated from the University of Arizona in 2022 with a degree in political science. He previously served briefly as an appointed Tucson City Council member, and currently serves as the executive director of the Southern Arizona Education Council, formerly known as the Metropolitan Education Commission.
The Glendale City Council voted 4-3 Thursday to remove Democrat Councilmember Jose “Lupe” Conchas from office, ruling that his election to the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District Board rendered him ineligible to continue serving under the Glendale City Charter.
The vote followed a special meeting in which councilmembers, residents, and elected officials debated whether Conchas’ newly elected SRP position constituted a second compensated public office prohibited by city rules. The council ultimately approved Resolution R26-60 declaring the Cactus District seat vacant effective immediately.
According to the Glendale City Charter, councilmembers “shall hold no other public office for which they receive compensation” except for service as a notary public or member of the National Guard or military reserve. During the meeting, city officials stated that the council was acting under its charter authority to judge the qualifications of its own members. The resolution cited Conchas’ May 2026 swearing-in to the SRP board and Arizona statute allowing compensation of up to $60 per meeting day for SRP board members.
Mayor Jerry Weiers, Vice Mayor Ray Malnar, and Councilmembers Lauren Tolmachoff and Dianna Guzman voted in favor of the resolution, while Councilmembers Bart Turner and Leandro Baldenegro opposed it. According to AZ Family, the vote left the Cactus District seat vacant and triggered the city’s appointment process.
Glendale officials and supporters of the resolution argued the matter centered on compliance with the city charter rather than politics.
“This has nothing to do with retaliation or retribution or anything,” Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff said following the vote.
“My vote today is based on the law,” Councilmember Dianna Guzman added.
Mayor Jerry Weiers later issued a statement saying that Conchas’ election and swearing-in to the SRP District Board constituted service in “a public office that receives compensation” and that, pursuant to the city charter, the council determined he no longer met the qualifications necessary to serve on Glendale City Council.
Conchas rejected the council’s interpretation and argued that he had not accepted compensation for his SRP service. During the meeting and in subsequent interviews, he maintained that the removal effort was politically motivated and connected to his recent criticism of council stipends and vehicle allowances.
According to Axios Phoenix, Conchas said he had stopped accepting Glendale’s stipend and vehicle allowance and believed his removal was linked to his opposition to the policy, which is reportedly under review following an Arizona Attorney General complaint.
Public testimony at Thursday’s meeting reflected sharp disagreement over the council’s action.
According to an Arizona Daily Independent report citing an anonymous city staff source, Conchas allegedly made an offer during deliberations that some participants viewed as an attempt to influence the vote’s outcome. ADI reported that Conchas suggested he would focus exclusively on his district and forego a future mayoral campaign if allowed to remain on council. Conchas has not publicly responded to that allegation.
Several speakers, including state lawmakers and community activists, urged the council to reject the resolution, arguing that Conchas had been duly elected and that the move created the appearance of political retaliation. Others supported removal, arguing that the city charter’s language was clear and should be applied consistently regardless of political considerations.
State Rep. Quantá Crews (D-LD26) questioned whether the charter applied if Conchas declined compensation from SRP, while State Rep. Cesar Aguilar (D-LD26) argued that the common meaning of “receiving” compensation involved accepting payment rather than merely being eligible for it.
Crews commented, “The people have the power here,” telling council members, “I don’t feel comfortable with the people’s power being taken away from them.”
Other speakers, including Glendale residents and former elected officials, argued the council had a legal obligation to enforce the charter regardless of Conchas’ popularity or public service. Former State Sen. Anthony Kern told the council he supported the council’s action, saying, “It is because of the rule of law.” He added, “It is not against Mr. Conchas at all…it is because law has to be followed.”
Conchas told AZ Family he plans to pursue legal action challenging the council’s decision and seek reinstatement to the seat.
