The Arizona Supreme Court has reinstated injunctions limiting the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ ability to assign election duties legally entrusted to County Recorder Justin Heap. The court concluded Heap is likely to succeed on the central statutory-interpretation issue in the ongoing legal battle over county election administration.
In a July 7 en banc order, the court vacated a June 18 stay issued by the Arizona Court of Appeals and reinstated the Maricopa County Superior Court’s injunction orders, subject to temporary modifications intended to prevent disruption during the 2026 primary election.
The case, Heap v. Galvin, concerns provisions of Arizona election law assigning duties to “the county recorder or other officer in charge of elections.” Heap has argued that the language gives those responsibilities to the recorder or an officer designated by the recorder. The Board maintained that its administrative and budgetary powers allowed it to assign the functions to a Board-appointed elections director.
In a post on X, Heap wrote, “Today’s unanimous Arizona Supreme Court decision is a major victory for the rule of law. The Court restored the Superior Court’s injunction, rejected the Board’s legal theory, and reaffirmed that Arizona’s election laws mean what they say. We look forward to moving ahead and delivering secure, lawful, a successful elections.”
Unfortunately, this ruling DOES NOT end all litigation. So far the AzSC has overturned the Appellate Court's stay and reinstated the ruling of the Superior Court. The Board can still pursue its case on appeal. But the AzSC has now unanimiously stated that they agree with the…
— Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) July 8, 2026
The Supreme Court agreed with the Superior Court’s interpretation that the recorder has the authority to designate another official to perform those duties when necessary. The court rejected the Board’s contention that control over funding allowed supervisors to determine who would exercise the statutory functions.
Citing Arizona cases dating to 1956 and 1974, the court said, “the Board cannot use budgetary authority to usurp an independently elected officer’s statutory functions.”
Allowing the supervisors to appoint the official responsible for the duties would replace the Legislature’s direction that the recorder perform them, according to the order. The court concluded that the likelihood-of-success factor weighed in Heap’s favor on the central statutory question.
The ruling does not conclude the underlying appeal. It determines which injunctions will remain in effect while the litigation proceeds and indicates how the Supreme Court views the parties’ likelihood of prevailing on the statutory issue.
The dispute originated in Maricopa County Superior Court, where Judge Scott Blaney held an evidentiary hearing in January. In an April 16 ruling, later incorporated into an appealable May 18 order, Blaney defined the respective responsibilities of the recorder and supervisors.
The Superior Court found that the Board has a nondiscretionary obligation to fund all necessary expenses of the recorder. It also ordered the return of IT personnel, servers, databases, software, websites and equipment that had been under the Recorder’s Office’s control before October 2024, or funding sufficient to replace those resources.
The ruling further prohibited the Board from exercising duties delegated by statute to the recorder. Questions concerning individual expenses and funding levels were left for good-faith negotiations between the offices.
The Superior Court denied the Board’s request to stay those injunctions on May 13. The Board appealed, arguing that implementing the order during an election cycle would disrupt poll-worker supervision, early-voting operations, ballot tabulation, information technology systems and other election procedures.
A divided Court of Appeals granted the Board’s emergency stay on June 18, relying heavily on the principle established by the U.S. Supreme Court in Purcell v. Gonzalez. That principle urges courts to exercise caution when ordering changes to election procedures close to an election because of the potential for confusion and operational disruption.
The Arizona Supreme Court found that the Court of Appeals gave the Purcell principle too much weight and failed to conduct the full four-factor analysis required under Arizona law when considering a stay.
The court said Purcell remained relevant to questions of timing, feasibility, and public consequences, particularly because early voting in the 2026 primary was already underway. It did not, however, determine which official possessed statutory authority or replace the required analysis of the parties’ likelihood of succeeding on appeal.
The Supreme Court found that the Court of Appeals abused its discretion by granting the stay. To limit disruptions, the justices reinstated the injunctions as modified by a 12-point interim operational protocol proposed by Heap for the primary election.
According to an Arizona Supreme Court news release, the temporary procedures are intended to preserve continuity while the appeal moves forward. The court said neither its order nor the modified injunctions interfere with the public’s ability to vote in the primary or general elections.
Either party may ask the Court of Appeals for additional temporary modifications. If those requests require new factual findings, the appeals court may return the matter to Superior Court for further proceedings.
The Supreme Court also denied Heap’s request for sanctions against Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, who submitted an amicus brief in the case. The denial does not prevent either side from seeking sanctions later against an official who interferes with legally prescribed election procedures or fails to perform required duties.
The order took effect immediately. Heap called the ruling a victory for his office and said it restored the Superior Court injunctions.
“Today’s unanimous decision is a decisive victory for the rule of law,” Heap said in a statement released by the Recorder’s Office. He said his office was prepared to implement the order and administer the county’s elections. “In addition, it rejected the Board’s central legal arguments and made clear that the Recorder is likely to prevail on the merits. My office is ready to implement the Court’s order and deliver secure, lawful, and professional elections for the people of Maricopa County.”
Board Chair Kate Brophy McGee and Vice Chair Debbie Lesko said in a joint statement that they were disappointed by the decision and concerned about administrative changes during an ongoing election. They said county officials had reached a consensus following two days of court-ordered mediation shortly before the ruling.
“The Board will follow the law and abide by the court’s decision,” Brophy McGee and Lesko said. They added that the county’s 2.6 million voters remained their primary concern.
In a subsequent release, Heap announced that he had submitted what his office called “a court-aligned settlement proposal” to Judge Coury and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
“This proposal builds upon the framework developed during court-ordered mediation and more fully aligns the parties’ respective responsibilities with Arizona law and the direction provided by both the Superior Court and the Arizona Supreme Court,” Heap said.
“This agreement will provide a clearer operational framework designed to reduce future conflict and ensure the smooth, secure administration of elections for all Maricopa County voters,” he added. “I look forward to the Board’s cooperation with the Supreme Court and Superior Court’s orders as we finalize this agreement built upon respect for the rule of law.”
An Arizona mother went viral after objecting to a Phoenix Public Library storytime featuring a book she says encourages children to discuss their underwear with strangers.
Ms. Manjarrez posted a video to social media questioning why a public library would read a book encouraging preschool children to show off their underwear to strangers. Manjarrez said the book was “What Color Is Your Underwear?” by Sam Lloyd, first published in 2004.
In the book, animal characters lift up their clothes to reveal their underwear; at the end of the book, the final character is revealed to not be wearing any underwear at all.
“Why is it anybody’s business on what color underwear you have on, whether you’re adult or especially a child?” asked Manjarrez in her video.
Manjarrez claimed she was the only parent who left the storytime before it was over.
“I can’t be the only parent that got up and thought that was a completely inappropriate book for kids,” said Manjarrez.
A user, Mou Isabelle Phung, claimed in a comment that her molester used an underwear-exposure conversation similar to what the book portrays to molest her for the first time. Multiple other users attested in their comments that something similar happened to them.
“My first experience of a sexual encounter was me being five years old and being asked what color my underwear was so take that as you will,” said Phung.
A staff member at the Phoenix Public Library branch where the storytime occurred, Burton Barr Central Library, reportedly told Manjarrez that their literacy outreach librarian, Grethcen Wetter, coordinates storytimes.
A representative with Phoenix Public Library, Wendy Resnik, later told Manjarrez in an email that the book was “age-appropriate” and “lighthearted,” and intended only to “teach colors, animal identification, and prediction skills.”
“Although the title can sound surprising out of context, the content is silly, playful, and widely enjoyed by many families,” said Resnik. “The humor is entirely innocent and geared toward toddlers, focusing on silly visuals like a frog in green briefs or a horse in red boxers.”
It is unclear whether Resnik used AI to craft the email, or simply never reviewed the book herself. The book doesn’t depict a frog wearing green briefs, and nowhere does the word “briefs” appear in the book, though the first page does depict a horse wearing red boxers. The closest depiction to a frog in the book is the turtle character, depicted wearing purple underwear. AI is known for hallucinating information in its responses.
Resnik, wife of 12News political reporter Brahm Resnik, has served as the youth services coordinator for Phoenix Public Library for over 14 years.
Manjarrez stated in the caption of a video sharing the email that Resnik’s response greatly concerned her.
“I’m f——- livid because out of all the ways [to] teach children colors she thinks it’s acceptable to teach children colors through the colors of their damn underwear?” said Manjarrez.
Arizona Women of Action (AWOA) issued a statement on Manjarrez’s video, agreeing with the mother’s assessment of the book as problematic.
“Parents must speak up and demand accountability,” stated AWOA. “Protecting children’s innocence isn’t optional — it’s our responsibility.”
According to the library’s calendar, one of the city of Phoenix’s four Families First Resource Centers (FFRC) hosted the storytime. The center uses the Scholastic company’s Read and Rise programming to source the books, reportedly designed for children ranging in age from birth to five.
Phoenix’s FFRCs rely on grant funding from First Things First (FTF), the organization funded by the state through the approximately $150 million a year it collects from taxes on tobacco products.
FTF is run by its statewide board whose members are appointed by the governor, the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board, and volunteers through 28 regional partnership councils.
The Phoenix South Regional Partnership Council, which oversees the area containing the Burton Barr Central Library branch, received nearly $17 million this fiscal year and the last, of which nearly $2 million was allotted to family resource centers.
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The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released its July 2026 Monthly Debt Update, reporting that the total gross national debt reached $39.38 trillion as of July 3, 2026.
Debt held by the public totaled $31.68 trillion, while intergovernmental debt stood at $7.71 trillion.
According to the JEC, the nation’s debt has risen by $2.81 trillion over the past year and by $10.90 trillion over the past five years.
During the previous 12 months, the debt increased at an average pace of $7.71 billion per day, $321.15 million per hour, $5.35 million per minute, or $89,208.39 per second.
The annual increase equates to $8,204.76 per person and $20,814.36 per household, while total gross national debt now amounts to $115,188 per person and $292,217 per household.
Based on the average daily growth rate observed during the past three years, the United States is projected to surpass $40 trillion in gross national debt around October 2026. At the current pace, each additional trillion dollars of debt would accumulate in approximately 155 days.
The report also highlights the growing cost of servicing the federal debt. As of June 2026, the average interest rate on the total marketable national debt was 3.411% up from 3.375% one year earlier and 1.472% five years ago.
Over the past 12 months, the federal government paid $294.32 billion in interest to trust funds, averaging $24.53 billion per month.
According to projections from the Congressional Budget Office, net interest payments will account for 13.95% of federal outlays in FY26 rising to 14.25% in FY27, and 14.94% in FY28.
Treasury securities remain the primary component of publicly held debt. Of the $31.68 trillion in public debt outstanding, $16.06 trillion is held in notes, $6.69 trillion in bills, $5.45 trillion in bonds, and $3.49 trillion in other securities.
Treasury demands remain robust, with June 2026 bid-to-cover ratios of 2.72 for four-week bills, 2.40 for 10-year notes, and 2.30 for 30-year bonds.
Approximately 33% of publicly held marketable debt is scheduled to mature within the next 12 months, while the average maturity of marketable debt stood at 70 months as of March 2026.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Republican gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05) says Arizona’s affordability crisis cannot be solved by housing policy alone, arguing that water management, utility costs, state trust lands, natural resource development, and election integrity all require a new approach under the state’s next governor.
In an exclusive interview with AZ Free News, Biggs outlined what he described as the core priorities of a potential administration, saying Arizona’s long-term prosperity depends on responsible resource management while restoring confidence in state government.
“The affordability of housing” is the state’s biggest economic challenge, Biggs said.
“It gets attention, but it doesn’t encompass everything that’s related to it,” he continued. “The water issue is massive, and it goes hand in glove with housing.”
Biggs argued that utility costs, water availability, and management of Arizona’s natural resources all contribute to the state’s affordability challenges.
“But the one aspect to this all that’s not being addressed in this administration… is how do you manage the state’s natural resources, including state trust land?” Biggs said. “That is going to be critical going forward on affordability issues in the state and viability of long-term economic success.”
For Biggs, water policy remains central to that vision. Biggs said Arizona must play a far more active role in negotiations over the future of the Colorado River rather than allowing federal agencies to dictate the outcome.
“You have to be engaged,” Biggs said.
He said he has met with officials from the United States Bureau of Reclamation, the United States Department of the Interior, the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of Commerce, and the United States Department of Defense, arguing Arizona’s water allocation should reflect the state’s importance to national food production, semiconductor manufacturing, commerce, and defense.
“I’m encouraging all of them… to redo the environmental impact statement so it actually considers the national food security issue… the national defense sector… and the microchips and the industry,” Biggs said.
He also credited bipartisan work with Democrat Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-04) to secure additional conservation funding for Lower Basin states and said Arizona’s advocacy helped encourage releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir to stabilize Lake Powell.
Biggs also called for expanded forest thinning, continued livestock grazing, removal of invasive salt cedar, and responsible development of Arizona’s mineral resources.
“We have 26 of the critical minerals necessary in this state,” Biggs said. “You’ve got to figure out a way to use that and allow for extraction and development in a very rational and sane way.”
Addressing another growing issue, Biggs said he supports data center development but opposes taxpayer incentives.
“I sat down with multiple brokers for data centers and said, ‘Look, here’s the deal. No special breaks. No special benefits,'” Biggs said.
Instead, he said developers should finance their own electrical generation and water infrastructure without reducing resources available to existing residential or commercial customers. “We’re going to allow you guys to develop your power… provided that you do not encroach on current and future commercial and residential users.”
A policy report released by the Goldwater Institute in February warned that Arizona’s growing role as a national hub for data centers could be undermined by municipal regulations driven by concerns over water use, electricity demand, and land use.
On elections, Biggs said restoring public confidence would be among his first priorities if elected governor.
He pointed to Gov. Katie Hobbs’ veto of a Florida-style election integrity bill earlier this year and pledged to sign similar legislation if elected.
“One of the first bills I will sign is that Florida-style election integrity bill in January of 2027,” Biggs said.
Asked about the legal dispute between the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors over election administration, Biggs declined to side with either party but said he has spoken with both.
“I think both sides truly want us to have a fair, transparent election,” Biggs said. “They need to get this thing sorted out quickly.”
Biggs said he believes Arizona can become “the leader on election integrity” by the end of a potential administration.
The congressman is facing fellow Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ01), business owner Ken Miceli, and entrepreneur Scott Neely for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the primary and has centered much of his campaign on affordability, border security, government reform, and economic growth.
Apache County has removed the Spanish language from its print ballots.
Gila and Mohave counties made the same decision ahead of the 2024 general election.
Apache County officials cited printing costs and election wait times as deciding factors for the decision to limit printed ballots to one language. As support for these justifications, Apache County noted that it will continue to offer Spanish ballot translations on their electronic vote machines. Gila County does as well.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) praised the county’s decision as “pure common sense.” Hamadeh said all citizens have a duty to speak the language of their nation.
“In America, we speak English. Naturalized citizens must prove they can read [and] write it to vote, ballots should reflect that too,” said Hamadeh.
In March, Hamadeh introduced legislation to require that only English be provided on federal ballots, the Voting Only Through English Act (VOTE Act). The bill would tie federal funding to compliance, something Hamadeh said was necessary to “end[ing] multilingual madness, [and] put[ting] America first.”
The legislative proposal was in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order designating English as the official language of the U.S. The order revoked former President Bill Clinton’s Executive Order 13166 requiring federal agencies to provide materials and services in languages other than English, though it didn’t ban agencies from continuing with the practice.
“To promote unity, cultivate a shared American culture for all citizens, ensure consistency in government operations, and create a pathway to civic engagement, it is in America’s best interest for the Federal Government to designate one — and only one — official language,” stated the executive order. “Establishing English as the official language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared national values, and create a more cohesive and efficient society.
Another Arizona county just eliminated Spanish ballots ahead of the midterms, pure common sense!
In America, we speak English. Naturalized citizens must prove they can read & write it to vote, ballots should reflect that too.
That’s why Congressman Hamadeh introduced the Voting…
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) July 8, 2026
Not all counties are permitted to simplify their ballots by keeping only the English language. Maricopa, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Yuma counties are required under federal law to include Spanish translations on their ballots and election materials.
The law requires non-English translations on ballots and election materials for states and political subdivisions with more than 5% of citizens voting age that are limited-English proficient, and political subdivisions with more than 10,000 citizens of voting age that are a single language minority and are limited-English proficient.
Progressive advocates say all counties should cater to non-English speakers who desire to vote.
Senior campaign managers with All Voting is Local (AVL), Natalia Sells and Justa Lopez, have spoken out against these three counties’ decisions.
The two issued an opinion piece with the Arizona Daily Star claiming counties were slowly regressing toward an election system accessible only to white men.
“Whether intentional or not, these changes move us backward to a time when many Americans’ fundamental freedom to vote was limited to only White men,” said the two campaign managers.
Sells later told AZ Family that counties have a duty to be accessible to all voters.
“Counties shouldn’t be making it harder for people to be able to vote just because English isn’t their first and primary language,” said Sells.
Sells, a graduate of Arizona State University (ASU) Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, has worked with AVL since 2024.
Lopez, also a graduate of ASU, has served in managerial positions for several voter advocacy groups prior to joining AVL in March, including the Fair Elections Center, Mi Familia Vota, and Supermajority.
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A groundwater fee provision backed by Rep. Chris Lopez (R-LD16) has been included in Arizona’s FY2027 budget, extending Pinal County agricultural water fee relief through 2030 and giving irrigation districts additional time to use funds for groundwater and irrigation efficiency projects.
The provision is part of HB 4159, the environment budget reconciliation bill signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs on June 13 and enacted as Chapter 131 of the 2026 session laws. The law amended state groundwater statutes by extending the period during which no groundwater withdrawal fee is levied in the Pinal Active Management Area (AMA) for Arizona water banking purposes from 2026 to 2030. It also extends through 2030 the $ 2.50-per-acre-foot annual fee cap for groundwater and irrigation efficiency projects in the Pinal AMA.
Lopez introduced the policy earlier in the session as HB 2827. The introduced version listed Lopez as the primary sponsor, with Reps. Gail Griffin (R-LD19), Teresa Martinez (R-LD16), Michele Peña (R-LD23), and James Taylor (R-LD29) also listed as sponsors.
Pinal County farmers are getting needed relief and long-term certainty.
Thanks to Rep. Chris Lopez (@lopezforarizona), the FY2027 budget extends key pump tax relief through 2030, allowing farmers and irrigation districts in the Pinal Active Management Area to keep and reinvest… pic.twitter.com/bNKzMFxHpZ
— Arizona House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) July 7, 2026
Lopez serves as vice chair of the House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee and represents Legislative District 16, which includes portions of Pinal and Pima counties.
The Temporary Groundwater and Irrigation Efficiency Projects Fund provides money for projects tied to construction and rehabilitation of wells and related infrastructure for qualified irrigation districts in the Phoenix AMA, Pinal AMA, and Harquahala Irrigation Non-Expansion Area. Under Chapter 131, groundwater withdrawal fees collected in the Pinal AMA for groundwater and irrigation efficiency projects are deposited into the fund and used solely to construct and rehabilitate wells and related infrastructure in the Pinal AMA.
The law also extends the distribution schedule for unencumbered fund money. The previous June 30, 2027, deadline for distributing remaining funds to contributors is moved to June 30, 2032, with proportional distribution by Dec. 31, 2032. The repeal date for the Temporary Groundwater and Irrigation Efficiency Projects Fund is extended from March 31, 2028, to March 31, 2033. HB 4159 also extends the repeal date for the Arizona System Conservation Fund from March 31, 2027, to March 31, 2031.
Lopez said that, with ongoing Colorado River negotiations, the extension was needed to “provide stability for irrigation districts” preparing for reduced Colorado River water. He also said the measure helps “keep Pinal money in Pinal” and allows irrigation districts to upgrade wells and switch from open canals to closed-pipe systems, which he said conserves water by reducing evaporative losses.
