by Jonathan Eberle | Jun 8, 2025 | Education, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona lawmakers have approved legislation aimed at combating antisemitism in public schools and colleges, marking a bipartisan push to establish new standards for addressing hate-based conduct in the state’s education system.
The bill, House Bill 2867, also known as the Antisemitism in Education Act, received final approval from the Arizona House and now awaits the signature of Governor Katie Hobbs. Sponsored by Representative Michael Way (R-LD15), the measure bars the promotion of antisemitic views in classrooms and on public college campuses, while outlining a formal process for investigating and disciplining violations.
“Arizona’s students and teachers deserve to learn and work in an environment free from antisemitic hate,” said Rep. Way following the bill’s passage. “This bill ensures schools are places of learning, not battlegrounds for political indoctrination.”
The legislation applies to public K–12 schools, community colleges, and state universities. It prohibits educators and administrators from promoting antisemitic conduct or language, coercing students to support antisemitic viewpoints for grades or academic advancement, and using public funds for programs that include antisemitic instruction or training.
Violations are first to be reported to a school or college official, who must investigate and take corrective action within 30 days. Appeals can be escalated to a local school board or the Arizona Board of Regents. Legal action in court is permitted only after all administrative avenues have been exhausted.
HB 2867 is based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, a standard also recognized by the U.S. Department of State. The bill includes explicit protections for teaching about Jewish history, the Holocaust, and the State of Israel. Supporters say the measure does not interfere with First Amendment rights.
The legislation aligns with the House Republican Majority’s broader efforts to confront hate and promote public safety within state institutions.“The Legislature has done its job. The public supports this,” said Rep. Way. “Now it’s up to the governor to do hers and show that Arizona won’t tolerate antisemitism in public education.”
Representative Way, who represents Mesa, Queen Creek, and San Tan Valley, has made combating antisemitic threats in education a legislative priority. The bill’s bipartisan support suggests growing consensus among lawmakers that additional safeguards are needed in light of recent national and international events that have sparked increased concerns over antisemitism on college campuses and in school settings.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | May 4, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen announced Wednesday that the state legislature has joined a coalition of 20 states in support of Idaho’s voter ID law, which prohibits the use of student IDs when registering to vote or casting a ballot. The move comes as the law faces an appeal in federal court.
The coalition, led by Arizona and Montana, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in the case of March for Our Lives Idaho v. Phil McGrane. The brief defends Idaho’s authority to establish its own voter identification requirements under the U.S. Constitution.
The challenged Idaho law, enacted in 2023, was designed to tighten election security by limiting acceptable forms of voter identification. Student IDs from high schools and higher education institutions are no longer valid under the new law. Two advocacy groups, including March for Our Lives, sued to block the measure, arguing it disproportionately impacts young voters. Although a lower court dismissed the case, it is now being appealed.
In their legal brief, the 20-state coalition argues there is no evidence the law violates the 26th Amendment, which prohibits age-based discrimination in voting rights. The states contend that Idaho’s law does not intentionally target young voters and that legislatures have broad constitutional authority to prevent election fraud before it occurs.
“Every state has an absolute right to implement voter ID laws through its legislature,” said Senate President Petersen. “Arizona has been at the forefront of this movement to ensure the integrity of our elections through voter ID requirements. Prevention is better than prosecution.”
Petersen emphasized that states should not be required to wait for fraud to occur before taking preventative steps. He praised Idaho’s approach and affirmed Arizona’s commitment to maintaining strict election standards.
Voter ID laws have been a source of national debate, with supporters saying they protect election integrity and opponents claiming they can disenfranchise voters, particularly younger and marginalized communities. Legal challenges continue to test how far states can go in setting identification rules without violating federal protections.
The Ninth Circuit Court’s decision in the Idaho case could have broader implications for other states with similar laws or those considering tightening voter ID requirements. No date has been set for oral arguments in the appeal.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 25, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
An Arizona legislator has put out the call: he needs a second job. Arizona Representative Nick Kupper (R-LD25) put out posts to LinkedIn and X on Tuesday announcing that he is seeking to start a new role in addition to his work as a lawmaker.
Writing in a post to X, Kupper explained, “If you’re wondering, state reps make ~$35k with base pay/per diem. Once I got elected I was laid off for being a legislator. That sucks, but I’d rather go bankrupt than give up on my constituents. That being said 4 kids eat a lot, so if you know of any remote jobs I’m all ears.”
In his post to LinkedIn, he wrote, “My role as State Rep is great, but pays very little and timing wise effectively only allows me to work remote roles.”
In Arizona, the state legislature has been traditionally viewed as a part-time job. With the session running from January often through June or even July, it’s easy to see why. And while strange compared to more populous states, this is a very common system.
In Texas for example, the legislature is only convened for a maximum of 140 days every odd-numbered year, barring special sessions called by the Governor for 30-day stretches. Montana, Nevada, and North Dakota, have similar odd-numbered-year arrangements.
Salary-wise, Arizona ranks near the middle of the pack with its $24k plus per diem ranking 24th out of the fifty states. In neighboring New Mexico, the legislature receives no salary at all, only earning a $161 per diem during session. By contrast, a New York legislator earns a salary of $110k per year with per diem, totaling approximately $142k annually.
As reported in early March by AZ Free News, Arizona Legislators have taken considerable heat over Senate Concurrent Resolution 1003, a measure to effectively double their salaries to $48k along with increases in per diem payments and benefits.
One major point of contention is a disparity in pay between members who live within Maricopa County versus outside of it.
“I think there’s discrimination happening currently (with) the way members of this body and Senate are paid, when you have members that literally could get three times the total pay package because they live outside of Maricopa versus inside,” Representative David Livingston (R-LD28) told AZ Capitol Times. “This needs to be fixed.”
Sen. John Kavanagh (R-LD3) proposed a salary plan linked to inflation and dating back to 1998 in its calculations explaining, “We’re not asking the voters to really in real dollars increase our pay. We’re asking them to keep our pay at the same real dollar amount that they thought it was worth in 1998.”
The bill has passed the Senate and House Appropriations Committee and will now go to the floor of the House before potentially going to the voters in November.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Apr 18, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
This past November was a good time to be a Republican, especially here in Arizona. Not only did President Donald Trump win our state in a landslide victory, but Republicans expanded their majorities in both the Arizona House and Senate—despite being outspent in every single race.
While this turn of events shocked many in the corporate media who were convinced that Arizona was on its way from being a purple state to a blue state, we knew that voter registration trends told a different story.
Over the last couple of years, the gap between registered Republicans and Democrats in Arizona widened from 3.04% in 2020 to 4.03% in 2022. By April of last year, it had increased to 5.77%. And by November, it had expanded to 6.77%, a registration increase that proved decisive in President Trump’s overwhelming victory.
Now, 5 months removed from their electoral wipeout in November, there has been a lot of discussion about whether the Democrats’ political fortunes in Arizona would be reversing after their blowout loss to Trump.
Unfortunately for them, the latest voter registration numbers poured plenty of cold water on those dreams…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Matthew Holloway | Apr 9, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
During remarks from the Trump administration’s Border Czar Tom Homan at a joint session of the Arizona legislature, House and Senate Democrats abruptly left the chamber carrying signs allegedly naming “legal residents and students who have been disappeared by Homan and ICE.”
The Democrat lawmakers then exited the House of Representatives to join news crews with between 10 and 20 demonstrators present to protest Homan’s speech.
In a press release from Arizona House Democrats, Senator Catherine Miranda (D-LD1) stated, “It’s disturbing that my colleagues are giving a platform to someone who has caused so much harm to our community.” She claimed, “Tom Homan isn’t just deporting people, he’s responsible for kidnappings, disappearances, and the deportation of individuals for reasons as unjust as having tattoos, protesting, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
In his remarks, Homan directly addressed the Democrat narrative saying, “I try not to curse much, if I offended anybody I don’t care. I don’t, because I get irritated when I started talking about the false narrative being pushed by the left.“ Speaking to the Democrat House Members and Senators directly he said, “Thank you for making my day. I love haters. They make my day every day.”
Referring to them later he said, “Under the Biden administration, half of the men and children? They were smuggled into this country. Taken out the hands of their families, giving them to a criminal cartel to be smuggled into this country. And we’re the bad guys?”
“All these people who just walked out, what did they do? Did they speak up about that? Did they speak up to the fact that 300,000 of these children can’t be found because they’re released to unvetted sponsors? The last administration had one goal: process quick, release quick, because there’s no overcrowding. We can say ‘the board is secure, nothing to see here,’” said Homan.
Homan told the joint session, “So at the end of historic immigration, where millions of people come across the border, 9 out of 10 of them will end up with an order of removal from a federal judge. That’s why there’s going to be massive deportation operations. You can’t demand due process and ignore the decision at the end of that due process, which is an order removal. The law requires it. That’s exactly what’s going to happen. There are gonna be consequences. And if we don’t do it, if we don’t do it, we send the whole world a message, enter United States illegally. It’s a crime.”
He later noted, “It’s not okay to be in this country illegally. And people hate on me for that. If you’re in the country illegally you should be looking over your shoulder. It’s not okay to enter this country illegally, it’s a crime.“
Homan observed, “We will not apologize for sending two plane loads of terrorists out of this country. I cannot believe any judge will order anybody bringing those two plane loads of terrorists back to this country. President Trump put America first. Of course we’re litigating that case. We just had a big win on that yesterday.”
“We’re going to keep having wins because President Trump’s put America first. He’s not going to apologize for removing terrorists from this country ever. And I will not rest until every member of TDA and MS -13s are eradicated from this country. Then I’ll take a day off. But until then, hate on me all you want,” concluded Homan. “I know I got a lot of haters in this room, but I don’t give a shit. We’re gonna get this job done with no apologies.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
