Phoenix City Council member Anna Hernandez is advocating for the city to reduce its police presence and funding.
Hernandez joined a press conference hosted by Semillas Arizona and Pueblo Unido por la Democracia Y La Educacion/People United for Democracy and Education (PUDE), two newer progressive sister advocacy groups.
Activists held signs with messages including “NO PEACE STOP FUNDING POLICE” and “YOU CAN’T SHOOT POVERTY AWAY” during the Monday press conference designed as a precursor to the city council policy session on Tuesday.
Hernandez said during the press conference that law enforcement shouldn’t be responding to calls concerning issues with mental health or homelessness.
“We cannot keep relying on law enforcement to respond to behavioral health crises, poverty, housing instability, and challenges facing our community while underinvesting in the services that actually address these conditions,” said Hernandez.
During Tuesday’s policy session, Hernandez also said that police need to stop engaging with the youth. Hernandez’s criticisms were in response to the Phoenix Police Department’s draft strategic plan to improve public safety and community transparency.
“I don’t believe our officers should be engaging with our youth, considering what we’re seeing happen, especially by some of our school resource officers, not just in the city of Phoenix but across the state of Arizona and across the country,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez said that police interactions with the homeless or mentally ill would only serve to “criminalize” these populations. Hernandez concluded her remarks with an apology to the audience for Phoenix police’s draft strategic plan.
“I’m so sorry, you should not be experiencing this,” said Hernandez to the meeting attendees. “We failed you.”
Hernandez’s impetus for serving in an elected office is based on the fatal shooting of her brother, Alejandro Hernandez, by Phoenix police in 2019. At the time of his death, Alejandro was walking through a canal high on methamphetamine, noncompliant with officers’ commands, and repeatedly pointing a replica gun disguised to look like a real rifle at police. Hernandez had called police on her brother for violating her family’s order of protection against him.
“[T]he evidence indicates that the officers […] believed it was possible Mr. Hernandez was carrying [a] loaded firearm,” stated the ruling. “Accordingly, when Mr. Hernandez brought the toy to his face and pointed the gun towards the officers just prior to being shot, [the] officers on the scene reasonably believed they were in immediate and life-threatening danger.”
Hernandez’s mother sued the city of Phoenix over Alejandro’s death, but the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona ruled the shooting to be justified in 2024.
Prior to serving on the Phoenix City Council, Hernandez served in the Arizona Senate from 2023 through 2025.
While in the state legislature, Hernandez sponsored bills proposing major reforms to police conduct and oversight.
Senate Bill 1074 proposed to reclassify suspects harmed or killed by police use of force as “victims,” require investigative attorneys to provide interpreters for suspects who don’t speak English, and permanently ban from law enforcement and withhold pensions for officers involved in a shooting or in-custody death from law enforcement.
Senate Bill 1419 proposed to prohibit police from using unmarked vehicles to stop and detain individuals.
According to its Facebook page, Semillas Arizona’s founders and current leadership consist of illegal aliens. The organization characterizes its more than 7,000 members as “migrant, indigenous, and working-class” Arizonans advocating for the abolition of ICE, multiculturalism, and reduced police presence in neighborhoods.
PUDE, according to its website, shares the goals of Semillas Arizona and realizes them through endorsements of candidates in its Voceros program and campaign support for political candidates in its Semillero de Voceros program. PUDE also founded and leads the political action committee Harmonize AZ Now!, which provides a voting guide that ranks political candidates based on their alignment with the PAC’s beliefs.
PUDE’s first three endorsements were Bobby Nichols, Tempe City Council member; Elizabeth Lee, Democratic nominee for the 5th Congressional District; and Ed Hermes, Phoenix City Council candidate.
No campaign finance data exists for PUDE or Harmonize AZ Now! as of this report. Semillas Arizona received its tax exemption in March of this year according to IRS records, though social media activity reflects the organization existing as far back as 2020.
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Gov. Katie Hobbs has so far declined to sign a cross-partisan election stability pledge.
The pledge from Leadership Now Arizona, issued to candidates earlier this month, contains the following six commitments: following Arizona’s election laws, promoting a peaceful election environment, protecting elections workers, respecting all eligible voters, resolving disputes lawfully, and accepting certified election results.
Leadership Now Arizona noted in its announcement of candidates supportive of the pledge that Hobbs has so far rejected the commitments.
“Gov. Katie Hobbs has acknowledged receiving the pledge but has not signed it,” stated the organization. “Leadership Now Arizona welcomes her campaign’s continued consideration and will update this record if additional candidates respond.”
Hobbs’ opponent Andy Biggs, the Republican nominee for governor and 5th District congressman, signed the pledge, as did other top Democratic candidates.
Attorney General Kris Mayes, Democratic incumbent, signed the pledge, as did Warren Petersen, the Republican challenger in the race. So did Adrian Fontes, the Democratic nominee and incumbent for secretary of state; Nick Mansour, the Democratic nominee for state treasurer; and Teresa Leyba Ruiz, the Democratic nominee for superintendent of public instruction.
Leadership Now Arizona is a coalition of Republicans, Democrats, and independents, and a state chapter of the Leadership Now Project, a national organization. The parent organization was founded and is led by Daniella Ballou-Aares, a former senior advisor in the Obama administration and a young global leader for the World Economic Forum.
Although the parent organization endorses Hobbs’ reelection as part of its sweeping slate of Democratic candidates, Hobbs hasn’t agreed to the terms of the pledge to support election integrity.
Leadership Now Arizona was co-founded by Adam Goodman and John Fees.
Goodman is the CEO of Goodmans Interior Structures, an architectural company, and board chair of the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. Goodman said in a statement that those who don’t sign the election stability pledge are signaling opposition to the stability, predictability, and confidence of elections.
“Our businesses depend on stable institutions, predictable rules, and confidence in the rule of law, and prolonged election uncertainty puts that at risk. It’s encouraging to see candidates from both parties put these commitments on the record,” said Goodman. “But the real test comes after November 3, when they’ll need to show the same respect for the process they’re committing to today.”
Fees is co-founder and CEO of GradGuard, a tuition and renters insurance provider, and former chair of Education Forward Arizona. Fees echoed Goodman’s sentiment, stating that candidates determine the public’s response to election proceedings and results.
“Elections don’t end when the polls close, and in Arizona, we know that counting every eligible vote takes time,” said Fees. “Candidates have an enormous responsibility to set the tone for what happens next. That means giving election officials the time and space to do their jobs, rejecting speculation and unsubstantiated claims, and reminding voters that a careful, lawful process is more important than a rushed result.”
The Leadership Now Project has eight state chapters across Arizona, California, Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio, New York, and Massachusetts. It has a pilot student chapter in Massachusetts, and 22 states where members are present without a state chapter.
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U.S. Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ02) joined Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner at a Champion Homes facility to discuss reducing regulatory barriers and expanding affordable housing.
In a statement on X, Crane thanked Champion Homes for hosting the visit and credited the company with providing housing and employment in Arizona.
“We had a great discussion on shared priorities with @HUDgov, including cutting red tape and expanding affordable housing,” Crane wrote. “Grateful for the quality homes and jobs they bring to Arizona.”
Champion Homes manufactures factory-built housing, including manufactured and modular homes. The company sells homes through a network of retailers and offers multiple floor plans and configurations.
The priorities Crane described overlap with a new federal initiative focused on manufactured housing. In an announcement earlier this month, HUD said Turner would co-chair the Task Force on Manufactured Housing Innovation alongside the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and Veterans Affairs also serve on the task force.
President Donald Trump established the task force through an executive order addressing housing costs. The order directs the group to submit recommendations within 180 days to facilitate modern manufacturing methods for manufactured and other factory-built housing eligible for federal housing programs.
The task force’s assignments include identifying duplicative federal reviews, improving coordination of certifications and inspections, and examining how federal financing programs can support increased production. The order also calls for maintaining standards for safety, quality, durability, and consumer protection.
The task force must also evaluate whether existing federal authority allows grants to be conditioned on, or used to encourage, state and local adoption of standardized permitting and licensing for factory-built housing.
HUD described the initiative as an effort to modernize housing standards and accelerate approvals across federal agencies. Its announcement identified regulatory changes and innovation as tools the administration intends to use to expand housing supply.
Crane’s post described the facility discussion in broad terms and did not announce a specific regulatory proposal, funding award, or construction commitment resulting from the visit.
In his own post to X, Turner wrote that under the Trump administration, HUD is “supporting innovators to increase supply and help more families achieve the American Dream of homeownership.”
Arizona state Rep. Selina Bliss (R-LD1) received the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association’s (AzHHA) 2026 Legislator of the Year Award for her work on legislation allowing hospital personnel to delegate child abuse reports when necessary to continue caring for patients.
The association presented the award last week at the Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference in Tucson. Bliss, a nurse and nurse educator, chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee.
Bliss was recognized in part for securing an amendment to Senate Bill 1127 that addresses how hospital staff meet their child abuse reporting obligations.. The legislation was signed into law in June.
“As a nurse, I know that what we pass at the Capitol has to work in a hospital,” Bliss said. “Reporting suspected child abuse is a serious responsibility, and we needed to make sure the law gave hospital staff a practical way to meet that responsibility while caring for their patients. I’m pleased we got that change into law, and I appreciate AzHHA’s recognition and its work on behalf of Arizona hospitals.”
👏Rep. Selina Bliss Receives AzHHA’s 2026 Legislator of the Year Award
“As a nurse, I know that what we pass at the Capitol has to work in a hospital. Reporting suspected child abuse is a serious responsibility, and we needed to make sure the law gave hospital staff a practical… pic.twitter.com/AKJ3Mio9yh
The enacted legislation adds a requirement that mandated reporters with direct knowledge of child abuse or neglect immediately report it to the Department of Child Safety and prohibits them from delegating that report, subject to an exception for employees and agents of healthcare institutions.
Under that exception, those employees and agents may designate someone to make the report when delegation is reasonably necessary to continue patient care or comply with applicable standards of care, including state or federal legal obligations.
The provision also specifies that the law is not intended to require multiple reports from healthcare institution employees or agents concerning the same facts and circumstances that prompted a reasonable belief of abuse or neglect.
AzHHA identified the provision as particularly important for rural hospitals and facilities with limited resources.
“Representative Bliss brings a nurse’s perspective to every healthcare conversation at the Capitol,” said Damien Johnson, the association’s director of government relations. “On SB1127, she ensured Arizona’s child abuse reporting law protects children without pulling caregivers away from the bedside when patients need them most. Her steady, practical leadership has made a real difference for Arizona hospitals and the patients we serve.”
The Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC) lacks the authority to revoke a candidate’s eligibility for public campaign funding once the candidate has been certified.
The Arizona Supreme Court clarified in a ruling last Friday that the CCEC does not possess greater authority than the secretary of state to determine which candidates qualify for Clean Elections funding.
The court ruled that the CCEC cannot overturn the secretary of state’s certification of qualifying contributions, which are $5 donations from individual donors that candidates must collect to qualify for public funding.
The case began after two Green Party candidates sued the CCEC in September: Risa Lombardo, who is running for governor, and DuWayne Collier, who is running for secretary of state. This latest ruling sides with the argument Lombardo and Collier made: that the CCEC was acting beyond its statutory authority by attempting to claim the power to override the secretary of state’s certification authority.
Tom Collins, CCEC executive director, sent letters to Lombardo and Collier in August accusing them of falsifying their qualifying contributions and warning them against further spending of their campaign funds. Collins advised Lombardo and Collier that they would be ordered to repay the millions in funds the pair received collectively.
Lombardo received about $2.8 million and Collier received about $739,000 from the CCEC.
In response, Lombardo and Collier accused the CCEC of threatening them with punishment prior to a formal investigation. The pair claimed the letters from Collins caused them to effectively suspend their campaigns. Both candidates say they felt too threatened to spend the Clean Elections funding the secretary of state certified them as eligible to receive.
The CCEC advised both Lombardo and Collier that they would have to repay the funds they received pending the outcome of the investigations. The CCEC gave Collins until later this week to submit the results of his investigation into Lombardo and Collier — Thursday, October 29, or five days before the general election.
The Arizona Supreme Court took on the case about a week before it issued this latest ruling.
In the ruling against the CCEC, Chief Justice Ann Scott Timmer cited A.R.S. §§ 16-950(B) and (C), state law that assigns the secretary of state and county recorders the role of certifying candidates that receive adequate qualifying contributions. Timmer also noted that the CCEC’s own rules also define those roles set forth by state law.
“The statute does not confer authority upon [the CCEC] over that process, nor do the rules contemplate it,” stated Timmer in her court ruling.
However, the CCEC will be permitted to continue its investigations into Lombardo and Collier.
Timmer said that the court would address the CCEC’s authority to investigate and power to punish candidates after the commission undertakes its investigation and in the event that it imposes a punishment. Timmer noted that the CCEC is no longer including the secretary of state’s certification of the candidates as part of its investigation; therefore, the court didn’t rule on whether the CCEC has the authority to order the candidates to return the public funds.
“Those issues are best addressed after [the CCEC] investigates any alleged malfeasance and imposes a remedy if malfeasance is found,” stated Timmer.
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Gov. Katie Hobbs authorized $16 million more in grants to build additional shelter beds and maintain services for the homeless in Arizona.
The Hobbs administration sourced the $16 million from the state’s Housing Trust Fund, which was originally established by the legislature nearly 40 years ago to assist low-income families with housing. The fund exists within the Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH), and unclaimed property makes up one of its main sources of income.
ADOH Director Ruby Dhillon-Williams said in a press release issued last week that the additional investment would fund “solutions that help reduce the number of unhoused Arizonans.”
Hobbs said in the press release that health and safety come from the availability and access to shelter.
“Access to safe shelter is critical for the security and wellbeing of Arizonans,” said Hobbs. “With this funding, we will ensure more Arizona families have a roof over their heads and the services they need to get back on their feet.”
This latest investment is a continuation of the Hobbs administration’s housing first approach.
Housing first refers to policies in which homeless individuals are given housing prior to receiving treatment for the root causes of their homelessness, like drug addiction. City of Phoenix officials identified the housing first approach as the causation for “The Zone,” the city’s mass homeless encampment plaguing its downtown.
One of Hobbs’ first investments as governor in the way of homeless solutions was the city of Tucson’s Housing First program. Hobbs hasn’t openly advocated for housing first since taking office; on the campaign trail, Hobbs expressly advocated for housing first but acknowledged that it wasn’t an approach widely accepted by voters.
“Housing first is a model that works. We know it works. I don’t think we have a lot of political will to institute programs like that here. But we know it works and we should be utilizing models that are successful to address this issue,” said Hobbs in an interview with The Copper Courier in November 2022, several days before winning the gubernatorial election.
The grant awardees for this latest investment include:
Flagstaff Shelter Services in Flagstaff, $2 million
UMOM New Day Centers in Phoenix, $2 million
ARM of Save the Family Foundation in Mesa, $1 million
Catholic Charities Community Services in Bullhead City and Flagstaff, $1 million
City of Phoenix, $1 million
City of Tucson, $1 million
COPA Health in Phoenix, $1 million
Keys to Change in Phoenix, $1 million
Primavera Foundation in Tucson, $1 million
Central Arizona Shelter Services in Phoenix, $901,000
Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona in Sierra Vista, $815,000
Phoenix Dream Center in Phoenix, $700,000
Sister Jose Women’s Center in Tucson, $700,000
Justa Center in Phoenix, $500,000
Coalition for Compassion and Justice in Prescott, $499,000
Cornerstone Mission Project in Kingman, $249,000
Gila Valley Samaritan Home in Graham and Greenlee counties, $197,000
La Frontera Center in Tucson, $140,000
The Hobbs administration previously gave $38 million through the state’s Housing Trust Fund to implement housing first approaches for preventing and addressing homelessness.
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