by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Feb 1, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Another election has come and gone, and once again Arizona showed the nation that it doesn’t know how to count votes. Like a bad movie we are forced to watch every two years, rampant delays in processing early ballots left voters waiting over a week to find out who won key races in the state.
Virtually everyone around the country watching our slow-motion election train wreck, from major media outlets to national pundits, agreed that fixing Arizona’s tabulation process is long overdue.
Everyone, that is, except Governor Katie Hobbs and her partisan Democrat allies in the legislature.
This shouldn’t be a total shock to those who have followed previous attempts to reform our election system. Over the last couple of years, Democrats have opposed popular election reforms like requiring basic proof of citizenship to vote, all while millions were pouring in illegally through the southern border. They argued against commonsense voter ID laws, claiming our elections are safe and secure without them (and California democrats even banned voter ID outright).
And now, after Arizona was again one of the last states to finish ballot processing, the Democrats remain opposed to ensuring we have election night results…
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by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 19, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Democrats returned to work at the state legislature last week – this time with smaller numbers than the previous year.
Last Monday, the Arizona Legislature revved back into action for the 57th Regular Session. Even though legislative Democrats lost ground in both chambers during the November 2024 General Election, they were still excited for the start of the year and the work ahead to stand with Governor Katie Hobbs in a divided state government.
On its X account, the Arizona Senate Democrats Caucus posted, “Today the 57th Legislature kicks-off and Democrats have set a bold agenda to make Arizona more affordable, invest in public education, secure our water future, keep government out of our private lives, and protect our right to vote.”
State Representative Consuelo Hernandez wrote, “Honored to be sworn in for my second term in the 57th legislature as your state representative in district 21! Thank you for the confidence I commit to fighting to help improve our community. Thank you for your support!”
In a press conference before the Opening Day festivities, House Democrat Leader Oscar De Los Santos said, “It is time to put working families first. That is why we will make the government work for you and not the special interests.”
State Senator Eva Diaz added, “Today is Opening Day at the State Legislature. I will continue to take action for District 22 by advocating for effective public education, quality healthcare that’s accessible and affordable, and the rights of vulnerable communities and working class families.”
Senator Analise Ortiz stated, “Today I was officially sworn in as your State Senator. Thank you, Maryvale and Glendale for your trust in me. I’m honored to go to work every day to fight on your behalf for housing we can afford, fair wages, safe communities, and fully-funded public schools.”
Representative Kevin Volk posted, “This week, I was sworn in as State Representative for District 17 in Arizona’s 57th Legislature. I’m grateful to my family, friends, and supporters, and to the voters who entrusted me with this great responsibility. It is an honor to serve.”
While Democrats are filled with optimism at the beginning of this new legislative session, they will be largely relegated to the background as Republican lawmakers control the mechanisms of the House and Senate and lead negotiations on key items during the session, such as the budget. Democrats will again provide support for Hobbs however they can from their perches in the minority and attempt to set the stage for a legislative takeover in two years, in what will be another critical election year for the State of Arizona.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Nov 15, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) indicated that top Democratic leaders were to blame for their party’s massive election losses at the state and federal levels.
In a statement from Arizona Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (ADLCC) reposted by ADP, executive director Elsa O’Callaghan said that “down-the-ballot Democrats” in Arizona and across the nation were unable to overcome “top-of-the-ticket” troubles. O’Callaghan didn’t specify what those troubles were or who was behind them.
“We are deeply grateful for the candidates who put their lives on hold and stepped up to run, the staff who gave it their all, and the supporters who donated their time and money to protect Arizona’s future. Final results are now tallied and Arizona’s legislative chambers will remain in Republican control. Across the country, down-ballot Democrats worked tirelessly to combat top-of-the-ticket trends. It is now clear that those trends proved to be insurmountable. Too much is at stake to abandon our mission — especially with an extreme presidential administration coming into power. The work continues.”
Donald Trump won Arizona by over 52 percent of the vote (1.7 million votes), where Kamala Harris gained over 46 percent of the vote (1.5 million votes) — a difference of nearly 187,000 votes among 3.2 million voters. Comparatively, Joe Biden won by .3 percent of the vote back in 2020, a difference of just over 10,400 votes among 3.3 million voters.
Arizona Republicans flipped a net total of three seats in the state legislature: one in the senate and three in the house (and the loss of one other seat). That grew the Republican majority to 17 in the Senate and 33 in the House.
In the Senate, Republicans flipped one seat: LD4, with Republican challenger Carine Werner ousting incumbent Democrat Christine Marsh by 52 percent of the vote (over 5,400 votes).
In the House, Republicans flipped three seats: LD4, with Republicans Pamela Carter and Matt Gress securing both seats; LD13, with Republicans Jeff Weninger and Julie Willoughby securing both seats; LD16, with Republicans Teresa Martinez and Chris Lopez securing both seats.
Democrats flipped one seat in the House: LD17, ousting Republican Cory McGarr for Democrat Kevin Volk while Rachel Jones retained her seat.
Arizona Democrats failed to flip any congressional seats. They also failed to win the hotly-contested District 6 seat held by incumbent Juan Ciscomani.
Democrats did successfully win the open Senate seat left by independent Kyrsten Sinema. Democrat Ruben Gallego emerged victorious over Republican Kari Lake, winning 50 percent of the vote over Lake’s 47 percent.
Although Democrats fell short of securing the Arizona legislature, they did see a certain win with a significant ballot reform.
Arizonans approved a constitutional right to abortion up to birth: 62 percent were in favor (1.9 million voters) versus 38 percent against (1.2 million voters).
However, Arizonans also approved a ballot measure to allow police to arrest illegal immigrants entering the U.S — 63 percent (1.9 million) were in favor, while 37 percent (1.1 million) were against.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jul 31, 2023 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A coalition of Arizona lawmakers are pushing back against the recent ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on President Joe Biden’s student debt cancellation efforts.
Earlier in July, a group of Arizona Democrat legislators wrote a letter to President Biden, calling on his administration to “deliver its campaign promise to cancel student debt.”
The legislators, led by Representative Cesar Aguilar, expressed their collective outrage over the Supreme Court opinion in June, which overturned the president’s student debt cancellation plans. They wrote, “While members of the Court’s majority enjoy vacations paid for by billionaires, this ruling shows blatant disregard and disrespect for the 43 million American borrowers being crushed by student debt and desperate for relief.”
In their letter, the lawmakers included information about Arizonans who were in line to benefit from the president’s debt cancellation scheme that was thwarted by the nation’s high court, stating, “Nearly 900,000 Arizonans stood to benefit from your Student Loan Cancelation Plan – 12.4 percent of our state’s population. The average student loan debt in Arizona is $33,396. Your Student Loan Cancellation Plan could cancel $10,000 for those making less than $125,000 and up to $20,000 for those who are Pell Grant Recipients. Arizona has the 15th highest number of borrowers in the country and would have seen a significant financial release and economic impact.”
The Democrats warned of the consequences that could come with the Court’s decision, adding, “Without relief Arizonans will have less money in their pockets to pay for bills, goods and services strained by inflation. Less consumer spending reduces economic growth and moves the American Dream further out of reach for millions. … We urge you to act as swiftly as possible so Arizonans still recovering financially due to the pandemic can get back on their feet.”
On the last day of its recent term, the U.S. Supreme Court released its opinion in Biden v. Nebraska, striking down the president’s student loan cancellation program. Chief Justice John Roberts authored the opinion, and he was joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.
The majority opinion stated that “the ‘economic and political significance’ of the Secretary’s action is staggering by any measure. Practically every student borrower benefits, regardless of circumstances. A budget model issued by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania estimates that the program will cost taxpayers ‘between $469 billion and $569 billion,’ depending on the total number of borrowers ultimately covered.”
At that time, freshman Republican Representative Austin Smith reacted, “Cancelling student loan debt is and always will be an irresponsible and brainless ‘policy’ proposal. It deserved this fiery death at SCOTUS. Do not take astronomically large loans for a career with a salary you will never be able to pay off.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 25, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona legislative Democrats are facing increasing pressure over Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs’ shocking decision to veto an overwhelmingly bipartisan bill – and an upcoming vote this week to override that veto in both chambers.
On Sunday, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) wrote a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma, announcing their support for HB 2509 and for legislators’ “efforts to override the Governor’s veto.”
Last week, Governor Hobbs vetoed HB 2509, sponsored by Representative Travis Grantham, which deals with the sale and food preparation of cottage food – and now known as the Tamale Bill.
In her veto letter to the Arizona Legislature, Hobbs explained the reasoning behind her decision, writing, “This bill would significantly increase the risk of food-borne illness by expanding the ability of cottage food vendors to sell high-risk foods. It fails to establish sufficient minimum standards for inspection or certification of home-based food businesses, and could limit the ability of ADHS to investigate food-borne disease outbreaks. Nor does it provide a strong enough mechanism to ensure home kitchens are free of hazardous chemicals, rodent or insect infestation, or that equipment and storage of temperature-sensitive foods are adequate.”
Hobbs’ veto immediately drew bipartisan outrage, and legislative leaders plotted the path forward for veto overrides for this proposal. HB 2509 garnered 52 votes when it first passed the Arizona House, and 26 votes in the Senate – which amended the bill and sent it back to the House. The bill then obtained final clearance from the House with 45 votes before being transmitted to the Governor’s Office.
In her letter to the Arizona Legislature, NHCSL President Nellie Pou wrote, “For many Hispanic populations, selling homemade food is a family tradition passed down from generation to generation. Many low-income Americans need it to supplement their income in the face of disparities. It is a way to break the cycle of poverty. Today’s homemade food producers are tomorrow’s restaurant or nationwide prepared foods business owners….In Arizona this is especially important due to the significant Hispanic population and even more important to those who qualify under DACA or asylum seekers who have limited options when it comes to work.”
The NHCSL President did not hold back on Hobbs’ veto of this bill, saying, “By signing this bill, the Governor had an opportunity to support the Hispanic community and personal freedom that should be accessible to everyone. Our community should not fear legal repercussions for selling their homemade foods and we urge Arizona Legislators to do what is right and override her veto.”
As of now, it does not appear like the Legislature has enough votes to override the Governor’s veto on HB 2509. Even after providing a significant number of votes in both the House and Senate to send this legislature to Hobbs’ desk in the first place, Democrats have been reticent to sign on to the attempts to reverse the governor’s decision. Last week, the Senate Democratic Caucus issued a joint statement from its leadership team, announcing that “Senate Democrats will not be providing the required votes needed to override Governor Hobbs’ veto of HB 2509.”
The Senate Democratic leadership team added, “The bill, which we recognize has some benefits, also has some concerns brought forward by health advocates after the final vote. Our promise to Arizona is that we work to enact the best policy to protect consumers and sellers. As a Caucus, we stand ready to work with stakeholders to craft a bill, which could still be considered this session if Republican Leadership demonstrated that it is serious about addressing this issue. We were elected to solve the problems that are facing Arizonans daily, not to engage in political power struggles. It is our duty to serve the people and ensure that their voices are heard, and we are committed to fulfilling this responsibility with the utmost sincerity and diligence.”
The change of heart from some Senate Democrats who previously voted for the bill has not been lost on other neutral observers. Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts wrote Monday that she doesn’t buy the statement released by the Senate Democrats’ leadership team, saying, “Senate Democrats’ change of heart on the tamale bill isn’t about protecting the people from imagined illness. It is all about protecting a governor from embarrassment.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
