Maricopa County voters appear to be locked in with their support of a sales tax renewal for the November General Election.
Earlier this month, Noble Predictive Insights (NPI) released a poll to show that Maricopa County voters were overwhelmingly in support of Proposition 479.
Proposition 479 is a result of SB 1102, which was passed in 2023, requiring “that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors call a countywide election for the continuation of the county transportation tax at least two years before the expiration of the tax, and shall conduct that election on a consolidated election date no less than one year before the expiration of the tax.”
The official title of the measure is the “Regional Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Investment Plan.”
If passed by Maricopa County voters, the revenues would be allocated in the following manner: “(a) 40.5 percent to freeways and other routes in the state highway system; (b) 37 percent to public transportation; and (c) 22.5 percent to arterial streets, intersection improvements and regional transportation infrastructure.”
According to the September survey released from NPI, Proposition 479 had 64 percent support from voters in August, compared to 18 percent opposition. Nineteen percent of voters were undecided about the question at hand.
The numbers for Proposition 479 are largely unchanged from two previous polls, dating back to July 2023. Opposition to the measure has only increased by a single percentage point since July 2023, while support has increased by eight percent during that same time frame.
“Maricopa County voters have had their minds made up for a year on this proposition – campaigns for it have clearly worked, and Prop 479 is on the fast track to victory in November,” said Mike Noble, NPI Founder & CEO.
After the Arizona Legislature passed a compromise for this proposal in July 2023, Republican Senate President Warren Petersen claimed victory, calling SB 1102 “the most conservative transportation plan in our state’s history.” He added, “The guardrails, taxpayer protections and funding allocations in the text of this bill reflect the priorities of voters, to reinvest their tax dollars in the transportation modes they use most.”
Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, who signed the compromise, was diplomatic in her statement, saying, “Today, bipartisan leaders invested in the future of Arizona families, businesses, and communities. The passage of the Prop 400 ballot measure will secure the economic future of our state and create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs for Arizonans. I am glad we were able to put politics aside and do what is right for Arizona.”
Members of the Arizona Freedom Caucus were adamantly opposed to the bill as it was released and approved. After the Prop 400 plan passed through the Arizona Legislature, the Freedom Caucus tweeted, “Legislative conservatives near unanimously opposed this horrible bill. Conservative watchdog groups unanimously opposed it. The bill may have been better than the communists at @MAGregion’s horrific plan, but that’s a ludicrously low bar for success. This bill was antithetical to conservatism.”
The breakthrough on the Prop 400 compromise between Republicans and Democrats in Arizona’s divided government took place after Governor Hobbs vetoed a Republican proposal earlier that summer. At that time, Hobbs stated, “I just vetoed the partisan Prop 400 bill that fails to adequately support Arizona’s economic growth and does nothing to attract new business or create good-paying jobs.”
In May 2023, the governor had created unrest over ongoing negotiations, allegedly sending out a tweet that highlighted her fight with Republicans at the Legislature at the same time she was meeting with Senate President Warren Petersen.
Petersen stressed the importance of the agreed-upon bill, asserting that officials had “secured a good, responsible product for the citizens of Arizona to consider in 2024, giving voters the option to enhance critical infrastructure that our entire state relies upon.”
This NPI poll took place between August 12-16 with just over 1,000 registered Arizona voters, including 595 individuals in Maricopa County.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Members of Arizona’s Freedom Caucus are gearing up for the 2024 Presidential Election in the Grand Canyon State.
Earlier this month, members of the Caucus participated in a conference call with former President – and current candidate for the Republican nomination – Donald J. Trump.
The Twitter account for the legislative group posted, “The Arizona Freedom Caucus met with President Trump yesterday to discuss the immediate need for strategic investments from his campaign into Arizona. He must build the GOTV & ballot chase infrastructure necessary for 2024 – and he must build it now.”
The @AZFreedomCaucus met with President Trump yesterday to discuss the immediate need for strategic investments from his campaign into Arizona.
He must build the GOTV & ballot chase infrastructure necessary for 2024—and he must build it now.https://t.co/L7kIbJXoNA
Senator Jake Hoffman, the chairman of the caucus, took part in the national call and had the opportunity to ask a two-part question of Trump. Hoffman asked the former President if he would “commit to declassifying everything to expose the Democrats and UniParty to the American people,” and if there would be an expectation to “see investments from your campaign specifically designated for building out a robust ground game and ballot-chasing operation in our state.”
Hoffman informed Trump on the call that “Democrats are already investing heavily in Arizona to build their electoral infrastructure and ground game for 2024,” and exhorted the former Commander in Chief to match those efforts immediately in the Grand Canyon State before it becomes too late.
A source with knowledge of the call told AZ Free News that Trump committed to the Arizona Freedom Caucus and the more than one hundred conservative legislators on the call that, when elected president again, he would declassify all of the documents showing the Democrats’ “pervasive and methodical plan to erode individual liberty and cripple American exceptionalism.”
The source also highlighted that “as one of the three most important states needed to win the 2024 election, members of the Arizona Freedom Caucus felt it was imperative to make the President aware of the millions being invested in our state by the Democrats, and the $30 million or more that will need to be invested by Republicans, specifically the presidential nominee, to win this state.”
Representative Austin Smith, who was also on the call, told AZ Free News that “we discussed the immediate need for strategic investment from his campaign to Arizona.” Smith added, “(Trump) must build the GOTV, early vote and ballot chasing infrastructure necessary for 2024, and he must do it now. Not after the primary. It will not matter who the nominee is, though I believe it will be Trump. We need the investment here now in Arizona in order to win.”
At the @AZFreedomCaucus we have mentioned to President Trump and it’s the same message for anyone who has a legitimate shot at securing the Republican nomination – invest in Arizona now. Start working the state now. It will be practically too late after the convention next…
One of the more-controversial social media posts in recent Arizona memory cost Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs the services of her press secretary.
On Wednesday morning, it was announced that Josselyn Berry had resigned her position as Governor Hobbs’ Press Secretary – not long after she had tweeted a GIF that showed a woman with two firearms, including the caption “Us when we see transphobes.”
After the news of Berry’s resignation hit the wires, the Governor’s Office released a carefully crafted statement: “The Governor does not condone violence in any form. This administration holds mutual respect at the forefront of how we engage with one another. The post by the Press Secretary is not reflective of the values of the administration. The Governor has received and accepted the resignation of the Press Secretary.”
The Arizona Freedom Caucus responded to the report, writing, “The Press Sec. for @GovernorHobbs has RESIGNED over this vile tweet calling for violence against Democrats’ political opponents. Katie Hobbs should stop surrounding herself with far-left partisans & instead hire people focused on doing the work of the people.”
The Press Sec. for @GovernorHobbs has RESIGNED over this vile tweet calling for violence against Democrats’ political opponents.
Katie Hobbs should stop surrounding herself with far-left partisans & instead hire people focused on doing the work of the people. pic.twitter.com/bVu6xqXCcd
— Arizona Freedom Caucus (@AZFreedomCaucus) March 29, 2023
Republican Representative Cory McGarr tweeted, “Probably too high of an ask for competent people to be appointed to positions.”
Probably too high of an ask for competent people to be appointed to positions. https://t.co/k32o1YkddG
Berry’s resignation followed hours of intense commentary – both locally and nationally – about her tweet. Many Republican legislators demanded her termination due to the nature of her post.
This wasn’t the first time Berry had created controversy with her Twitter account. As AZ Free News recently reported: “While communications director for the Arizona State Senate Democratic Caucus in 2020, Berry quote tweeted FBI Most Wanted Terrorist Assata Shakur several days after George Floyd’s death. Shakur escaped prison after having been convicted for murdering a cop and committing armed robbery, among other crimes. Arizona Senate Democrats also tweeted the quote on their profile, but deleted the offending tweet and issued an apology after backlash.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
A bill that would ban vaccine mandates for government employees died in committee on Monday after a Republican lawmaker voted with Democrats.
State Rep. Matt Gress (R-LD04) said that while he opposed vaccine mandates, he believed that the bill’s language was problematic and “overly broad.” Gress specifically noted his concern that this bill would inhibit the readiness of the armed forces.
“I have deep concerns about our military being ready to address any issues that may arise, including being dispatched to other parts of the world,” said Gress.
Not true. I’ve long been on record on this issue. I do NOT think employers (government or private) should be able to force employees to get the the COVID vaccine. It’s an issue of individual liberty. 1/2 https://t.co/u8MdL8dA3O
The bill, HB2316, would prohibit the government and public accommodations from discriminating against individuals based on their vaccination status, in addition to banning a mandate. These prohibitions wouldn’t apply to health care institutions, schools, and child care facilities. State Rep. Rachel Jones (R-LD17) introduced the bill, along with clean-up language from a strike-everything amendment from State Rep. Barbara Parker (R-LD10).
Several members of the Arizona Freedom Caucus, State Reps. Jacqueline Parker (R-LD15) and Joseph Chaplik (R-LD03), spoke out against Gress’ vote. Parker called Gress’ opposition to the bill “unacceptable,” with Chaplik retweeting her remarks.
Not acceptable. Take notice LD4. 👇 Your reps are NOT representing your interests. https://t.co/HWPKMK598b
During Monday’s committee hearing, Jones said that her husband, a Border Patrol agent, recounted how she was inspired to introduce this legislation because he and others faced the vaccine mandate. Jones said that she and Sen. Justine Wadsack (R-LD17) were inundated with calls from federal employees and contractors worried about the government’s vaccine mandate. Jones testified that they helped over 3,000 individuals retain their jobs.
“I really did make this promise to a lot of the federal employees that I met a year ago that I would come up here and make sure that I would protect them as Arizona citizens from any further overreach from the federal government,” said Jones.
Jones declared that the COVID-19 vaccine should never have been mandated in the first place.
“I think the 10th Amendment gives us the right to protect our citizens if the federal government is potentially overreaching,” said Jones.
Jones also read an anonymous letter from a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agent denied religious accommodations. The individual had served 17 years in the Air Force: 4 years active duty and 13 years in the reserves.
“’It was unsettling to think that I spent the last 17 years of my life ready to defend the constitutional rights of our citizens and never once did I realize that I somehow gave up my own constitutional rights in the process,’” read Jones. “’Here I am about to lose everything because I want medical freedom and, dare I say it, religious freedom.’”
Parker said that Arizona would be taking back authority from the federal government.
“A ‘yes’ vote means you will never allow a bureaucracy to use pseudoscience to destroy your civil liberties ever again,” said Parker.
Rep. Patricia Contreras (D-LD12) said that the bill was unnecessary, and claimed that the vaccine prevented COVID-19 deaths.
Among those who signaled opposition to the bill were the ACLU, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, Arizona Public Health Association, American Cancer Society, Coconino County, Arizona Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Katie Hobbs certainly seems to like power. That’s probably why she was so giddy with laughter and excitement during her swearing-in ceremony last month. Now, she’s gotten to work. And despite her claims that Republicans and Democrats will have an open door to her office to get to work on bipartisan compromise, her preferred method appears to be executive action.
In just over a month since beginning her reign as governor, Hobbs has already signed seven executive orders. And there’s no sign that she’ll stop there. Her first executive order, prohibiting gender identity discrimination in state employment and contracts, was particularly eye-opening. Consider it a small taste of the woke agenda Hobbs is looking to implement over the next four years. And while it’s good to see that groups like the Arizona Freedom Caucus are planning to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of such an order, it will take more than that to stop Hobbs from overstepping her authority…
