A bill requring schools to use students’ real names and biological pronouns is making its way through the Arizona legislature.
SB 1002, sponsored by Arizona Senator John Kavanagh (LD-3), would prohibit school districts, charter schools employees, or independent contractors from referring to any student by a pronoun differing from their biological sex or a name other than their legal name without parental consent. It also prevents a school district or charter school from requiring an employee or independent contractor to use a pronoun that differs from a person’s biological sex, if doing so is contrary to their convictions.
The bill has moved to the Arizona House of Representatives where it awaits approval by the caucuses and a final vote.
Explaining the bill in a video, Sen. Kavanagh said that his bill “has to do with school staff and teachers using a pronoun or a nickname for a student that is not aligned with that student’s biological sex. The bill says that no school personnel can call a student by such an inappropriate pronoun or nickname unless the parents consent. And in addition when the parents do consent, no school employee can be forced to call the person by the pronoun that does not align with their biological sex if it violates the employee’s religious or moral beliefs.”
He continued, “This is important because students that want to be called by a different name or pronoun than their biological sex, or so-called transgendered students, many of them have a condition called gender dysphoria, which causes a lot of anxiety, sometimes even suicidal thoughts. So, the parents may know about this and may have the child under psychiatric care and the child’s doctor may have told the parents do not entertain a different pronoun or name that’s different from the from the child’s real sex because it could harm the child. So, we certainly don’t want school personnel harming children and threatening their psychological well-being or driving them to suicide. So, we’re going to require parental permission because also it’s a matter of parents’ rights. Parents determine what’s good for their children, not a school staff member or a school teacher, however well-meaning they may be.”
As noted in the text of the bill, Arizona’s Parental Bill of Rights “reserves parental rights to a parent of a minor child without interference from the state, a political subdivision or other governmental entity or any other institution.” Among the rights enshrined in the laws A.R.S. §§ 1-601 and 1-602 are parental rights to direct their children’s “education, upbringing and moral or religious training,” and making healthcare decisions on their behalf.
The Arizona State Senate is considering a bill that would prohibit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients from using their benefits to purchase soda. House Bill 2165 (H.B. 2165) directs the state’s Department of Economic Security (DES) to seek a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement the restriction.
The measure, which has already passed in the Arizona House of Representatives by a vote of 32-27-1, would require the DES Director to request the waiver. If granted, the purchase of carbonated beverages containing more than one gram of added sugar or artificial sweeteners would be banned for SNAP recipients. If the waiver is denied, the bill mandates that Arizona reapply annually until it is approved.
SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federally funded initiative that assists low-income households in purchasing groceries. The program currently allows for the purchase of a variety of food products, including bread, meat, dairy, and infant formula, but excludes items such as alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, and non-food goods.
Supporters of the bill argue that it promotes healthier choices for low-income families and ensures that taxpayer-funded benefits are used for nutritious food. Critics, however, contend that the restriction unfairly targets SNAP recipients and could create logistical challenges in enforcing the ban.
The bill was assigned to the Senate’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee for further consideration. If passed and signed into law, the restriction would take effect following the USDA’s approval of the waiver.
The financial impact of the legislation is expected to be minimal, as no additional costs to the state’s General Fund have been identified. The debate over the bill is expected to continue as lawmakers weigh the balance between nutritional policy and personal choice.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The three Democratic candidates for the recently vacated State Senate seat for District 9 answered a brief questionnaire on misconduct, antisemitism, housing, and elections.
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin submitted the questionnaire to the candidates and released their responses on Monday.
Below were the questions provided to the candidates:
1. In recent years, state legislators of both political parties have been accused, investigated, condemned, censured, or found guilty of the following acts while serving at the State Capitol: Sexually molesting a minor; Praising a white nationalist, Holocaust denier; Sexually harassing fellow legislators and staffers; Making threatening statements; Refusing to cooperate with an Ethics committee investigation over prior sex crime charges; Making a death threat against a city’s employee and misusing an elected position to prevent execution of a legal court order in a private custodial matter; Sexually harassing a lobbyist by sending explicit photos and text messages, and propositions for sexual encounters. The list above is not exhaustive. How can you assure the Board of Supervisors that, if appointed, you will not engage in disorderly behavior but will conduct yourself in a manner consistent with a proper code of ethics?
2. If you have served in elected office before, please detail any ethical or disciplinary actions related to your term in office. Please provide context on the events that led to those actions and what the outcome was regarding those proceedings.
3. Since the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attacks, there continues to be a dramatic increase in anti-Semitism, around the world and in Arizona. The disturbing rise of anti-Semitism can be found in all segments of society, on both ends of the political spectrum. These attacks are waged on the internet or are further acts of physical violence. Many Jews in Arizona are fearful, including college students who have been subject to abuse and vitriol. What will you do to combat and condemn anti Semitism in our community?
4. The housing crisis is an important issue in Arizona, and in LD 9. There have been recent attempts at the legislature to overhaul zoning laws. What reforms do you think the legislature can get passed to address the housing issue?
5. Maricopa County, like all 15 counties, is responsible for carrying out the administration of elections. In recent cycles, election volunteers were under considerable pressure because of state election laws that drag out ballot processing and tabulating for up to two weeks after election day. Reform is sorely needed. What reforms do you think are essential to speed up the tabulation of votes by election night?
Metcalfe lost the Maricopa County Superintendent’s race last year, and sits on the East Valley Institute of Technology District’s board. Metcalfe has earned endorsements from the pro-abortion organization Arizona List, gun control group Moms Demand Action, and Save Our Schools Arizona.
Sears lost last year’s race for Maricopa County Justice Court’s North Mesa Precinct judgeship, and previously lost a race for the Arizona Corporation Commission. In last year’s race, Sears campaigned on key progressive initiatives on abortion, LGBTQ+, climate change, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sears served on the Mesa Public Schools Governing Board and presided over the East Valley NAACP. Sears is the assistant director of Arizona State University’s Faith Based Outreach and Community Partnerships. Sears also earned an Arizona List endorsement.
Winkle lost last year’s mayoral race for the city of Mesa. Previously, Winkle served briefly on the Mesa City Council; he was voted off the council in 2017 following a DUI — his second in a decade. Winkle is the part-time executive director of the Arizona Fair Housing Center and runs the search engine optimization company, Max Search Visibility Pro. Contrary to his questionnaire answers on anti-Semitism, Winkle advocates for a “Free Palestine.”
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On Monday, Common Sense Institute (CSI) Arizona released a new report on Arizona’s water resources. In the report, CSI made a determination that contrasts wildly with commonly preconceived notions that a supply scarcity issue is Arizona’s largest problem. Instead, the group called out gaps in “infrastructure and ingenuity.”
In a press release, CSI advised, “If Arizona opts to address its water future by ending growth and limiting development, rather than investing in infrastructure and addressing water policies, the Grand Canyon state faces the potential of billions in lost economic activity and thousands of new jobs.“
Glenn Farley, CSI Arizona’s Director of Policy & Research explained, “In general, Arizona’s water challenges are not just about scarcity; they are about infrastructure and ingenuity. For centuries, Arizona’s dry central valley has thrived through engineering solutions that move water from areas of plenty to areas of need. Leaders today have options that could lead to very different outcomes for the future economy of our state. Our data finds that investing in innovative infrastructure and giving property owners the legal and physical flexibility they need to access the water our economy demands, will result in increased economic growth for the state of Arizona.”
In particular, the report took aim at the home-building moratorium in the Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) imposed by Governor Katie Hobbs’ administration. According to CSI, should the moratorium be maintained for the next decade, Arizona could see a catastrophic $2 billion in lost GDP. However, the report adds, “Augmenting water supply by 300,000 acre-feet could create $4.7 billion in net state product.”
The report details that the expansion of “legal and physical infrastructure to move and trade water can help increase water availability without forced cuts or forced reallocation.”
CSI Arizona highlighted a 2018 controversial water deal between an investment firm representing the owners of farmland in Cibola, Arizona, near the Colorado River, and the town of Queen Creek that enabled Queen Creek to pay a private landowner $24 million for an annual allotment of 2,033 acre-feet of water. In other words: “the voluntary retirement of legacy agricultural farmland” through a private sale allowed a city without assured water rights through the Phoenix AMA to obtain the water needed to grow.
The report found: “Political and legal structures that acknowledge and facilitate, rather than impede, these kinds of transactions can help manage Arizona’s ongoing transition and continued growth. Furthermore, the ensuing injection of money and capital into the rural sources can be used for local economic development, creating a win-win.”
The think tank also called upon Arizona lawmakers to seek out alternative external sources of water citing the potential for desalination operations in Mexico at the Sea of Cortez, just 250 miles from Phoenix.
Citing the successes of Israel and Singapore to develop such systems, CSI noted, “While existing studies suggest the cost of desalination is high, approximately $2,000/acre-foot, costs may decline as the technology matures. Additionally, consumers may be more willing to pay if existing scarcity issues are not resolved.” Indeed, Israel currently relies upon desalination from the Mediterranean and Red Seas for over half of its fresh water supply.
According to a USA Todaystory from 2021, officials from Arizona, Nevada, California and Mexico have been exploring collaboration on such a project in exchange for trading some of the drinking water produced for a portion of Mexico’s allocation of the Colorado River.
A motion to urge President Donald Trump and the United States Congress to eliminate the “Vision Zero” transportation framework is making its way through the Arizona legislature.
Senate Concurrent Memorial (SCM) 1002, introduced by State Senator Carine Werner, and cosponsored by Sens. Angius, Carroll, Gowan, and Shope, asserts that the “Vision Zero” doctrine “diverts from sound transportation engineering methodologies and instead employs a one-size-fits-all approach that requires the adoption in all circumstances of lower speed limits, fewer and narrower roads and draconian traffic enforcement measures.” It also observes that while major cities within the U.S. have implemented these policies with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities, experience has proven that they achieve the opposite.
The drafters of the bill note: “New York City experienced the highest traffic fatalities in a decade, Los Angeles sustained a 22-year record high in fatalities in 2023 and Seattle has been subject to a steady increase in fatalities.”
The City of Phoenix approved the implementation of such a plan in September 2022 and has reintroduced and re-approved them since, with the most recent approved of in October 2024. The original plan was unanimously approved by the Phoenix City Council and allocated $10 million in annual funding.
As reported by ABC15, the Phoenix Department of Street Transportation reported in May of last year that although the city saw a decrease in serious traffic accidents, there was also an increase… in deadly crashes. The city plan proposes to reduce traffic deaths to zero by 2050 with Street Transportation Director Joe Brown saying, “It’s ambitious as it should be. Some places we’re hitting the mark and some places we have some work to do.”
As previously reported by AZ Free News, the Fountain Hills Town Council rejected the ‘Vision Zero Road Diet Plan’ in January by a 5-2 vote. Councilman Allen Skillicorn, joined by fellow councilors Gayle Earle, Rick Watts, Vice Mayor Hannah Toth, and Mayor Gerry Friedel, voted to reject the Resolution and terminate the plan, citing that it was rife with DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) policies unrelated to traffic safety.
“How is this plan racially equitable? Climate change, how does that relate to streets?” Councilwoman Earle asked.
In the text of the measure, Werner notes that “after adopting Vision Zero, Denver, Colorado’s traffic fatalities increased by 33% in the next five years compared to the previous five years, with motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists experiencing the highest fatality rates.” She added, “Portland, Oregon’s 2024 city auditor report attributed a doubling of fatalities to Vision Zero policies, despite reduced speed limits, stricter enforcement, intersection reconfigurations and improved lighting, raising concerns about its real-world safety outcomes.”
Concluding the memorandum to the Federal government, the Senate asked “that the President and Congress of the United States eliminate Vision Zero and the safe systems approach to transportation planning and funding, and instead promote transportation solutions that prioritize sound engineering methods, reliable safety outcomes, flexibility and engineering innovation without compromising individual freedoms or economic efficiency.”
Rep. Abe Hamadeh wants to include children in the Trump administration’s plan to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA).
Hamadeh partnered with former NFL player and Hall of Fame member Brett Favre to announce the new Congressional Fitness Challenge (CFC), a voluntary national initiative similar to the Presidential Fitness Test (PFT). The PFT was a program implemented from 1956 until its replacement with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP) in 2013.
“Our message is simple: reviving physical excellence among America’s youth will build a stronger nation,” said Hamadeh and Favre in an opinion piece for Outkick. “The Congressional Fitness Challenge is bringing back that same competitive spirit – updated for a new era. Just like generations before us, today’s kids deserve the chance to test themselves, measure their progress, and strive for greatness. At the very least, they deserve to be as healthy as they can be.”
🚨NEW🚨
Our message is simple: reviving physical excellence among America’s youth will build a stronger nation.
That's why Congress Hamadeh has partnered with NFL legend @BrettFavre to introduce the Congressional Fitness Challenge. #MAHA
— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) March 24, 2025
The CFC includes a one-mile run or walk, pull-ups or flexed arm hang, curl-ups or sit-ups, a shuttle run, and sit-and-reach — very similar to the PFT. The CFC also recognizes three achievement levels: gold (top 85th percentile), silver (top 75th percentile), and bronze (top 50th percentile).
Hamadeh and Favre asserted the CFC’s importance related to the inherent results of physical fitness: confidence, leadership, the drive to succeed, and an overall stronger and mentally healthier nation.
“The Congressional Fitness Challenge is an invitation – not just to kids, but to parents, teachers, coaches, and lawmakers – to invest in the next generation,” said the pair. “America has never backed down from a challenge. This is our chance to lead, participate, and build a healthier, stronger future.”
The PFT varied over the decades of its existence. In the final years of its existence, students could achieve the PFT’s Presidential Physical Fitness Award by scoring within the 85th percentile of their gender’s age range in five activities: curl-ups or partial curl-ups, shuttle runs, v-sit reach or sit and reach, one mile run, and pull-ups or right angle push-ups.
Unlike the PFT and its emphasis on specific fitness indicators, the PYFP focused on “comprehensive” measures of health.
Within the CFC, congressmen may use office budgets to promote and recognize the fitness achievements of children within their district.
Arizona’s childhood obesity rates have risen in recent decades.
According to the CDC, one in five U.S. minors are obese — about 15 million as of 2020. Obesity is more prevalent in Hispanic and Black children, and children in low-income families.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) State of Childhood Obesity reports approximately 19 percent of Arizona youths ages 10 to 17 having obesity. 13 percent of Arizona children ages 2-4 participating in WIC were obese. Similarly, 13 percent of Arizona high school students were categorized as obese.
RWJF pulls its data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the WIC Participant and Program Characteristics, the National Survey of Children’s Health, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
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