by Matthew Holloway | Mar 21, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona legislative Republicans criticized Gov. Katie Hobbs after she stepped away from budget negotiations, raising concerns about her proposed plan involving the state’s Public Land Trust Fund, according to a joint statement released by GOP leadership.
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro said in a statement that Hobbs “chose to walk away from budget negotiations despite a path forward being within reach.”
At issue is the governor’s proposal to increase distributions from Arizona’s Public Land Trust Fund, which supports K-12 education and is protected under the Arizona Constitution. According to the statement, legislative budget analysts estimate the proposal would reduce the fund from approximately $9.7 billion to $4.7 billion over the next 20 years.
The Republican leaders explained that the proposal calls for a 10.9 percent annual distribution over 20 years, compared to a previous structure of 6.9 percent over 10 years. They also raised concerns about the assumptions underlying the plan, including projected long-term investment returns.
“At the center of this dispute is her proposal to dramatically increase withdrawals from Arizona’s Public Land Trust, a voter-protected fund designed to support K-12 education for generations. This is not a solution. It is a long-term raid on a critical resource,” Petersen and Montenegro said.
“The Governor wants to drain a voter-protected education fund, pile on $1.5 billion in new debt, and rely on numbers that simply don’t add up,” they added. “We have shown the Governor’s Office a balanced budget with tax conformity. We’ve put forward a responsible plan that cuts taxes for working families and funds schools without gimmicks. She walked away from the table because her math doesn’t work. Arizonans deserve better than headlines and blame-shifting.”
The joint statement also criticized the broader budget framework, alleging it includes approximately $1.5 billion in new debt, higher taxes and fees, and revenue projections they described as unrealistic.
Republican leadership stated they had presented an alternative budget proposal that they described as balanced and including tax conformity, though details of that proposal were not included in the release.
The lawmakers said they intend to continue working on a budget plan in the coming weeks.
Hobbs’ office has not yet publicly responded to the statement as of publication, but in a post to X following its release, she wrote, “As Governor, and the sister of public school teachers—I know how important strong public schools are for Arizona families. I’m proud to keep fighting for our students, educators, and classrooms, because a great public education is key to expanding opportunity and the Arizona Promise.”
Petersen and Montenegro concluded their statement saying, “While the Governor plays political theater, Arizona families are dealing with real consequences. This impacts your cost of living, your paycheck, your kids’ classrooms, and whether Arizona remains affordable for the families who live here. A temper tantrum won’t balance the budget, and it is not leadership to rely on voters to pass the funding we need after the fact. We’re ready to get this done. The question is whether she is.”
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 Matthew Holloway | Nov 16, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona’s House GOP members presented a unified front Wednesday as Congress ended the weeks-long federal government shutdown, criticizing Democrats for prioritizing politics over the disruptions it caused Arizonans. Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) delivered one of the sharpest rebukes, claiming Democrats triggered the shutdown by refusing to back a Continuing Resolution similar to extensions they supported under the Biden administration.
“Make no mistake about it; the Democrats’ disgusting shutdown was only about attacking President Trump. They didn’t care if Americans were collateral damage,” Hamadeh said.
He described spending Veterans Day with families and servicemembers in his district who faced suspended federal services, adding that many urged him to “hold the line” until a deal was reached.
Hamadeh described his team as “energized” as the government reopens, saying, “We know we have our work cut out for us as the nation recovers from the Democrats’ misguided shutdown. While my team has been staying on top of casework and legislation, the shutdown prevented us from having full access to the personnel and services taxpayers pay for. As a result, we are going to be working overtime to ensure that we minimize the damage the Democrats created. I encourage my constituents to reach out to my office for any assistance with federal agencies they might have.”
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ02) echoed the criticism, describing the lapse in funding as “the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history.” Crane said the shutdown strained food banks, caused travel delays, and left rural families unsure whether they could access key services.
“Last night, I once again voted to fund the federal government. The American people should never be used as leverage to advance a political agenda,” said Rep. Crane. “To those who dealt with missed paychecks, worked without pay, and lived with great uncertainty, your determination and resolve are admirable. To the amazing people of rural Arizona who stood by one another during this challenge, I’m grateful for your strength and dedication to each other.”
In a post to X he wrote, “The American people should never be used as leverage to advance a political agenda.”
Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) faulted Democrats for rejecting what he called a “clean CR,” arguing that their last-minute demands forced the shutdown.
“Every single Democrat who voted against this clean CR voted for a government shutdown,” Ciscomani said in a statement. He told local reporters the standoff was driven by a “long wishlist of policy items” that Democratic leaders attempted to insert at the eleventh hour, “using our government as hostage to push their policy agenda through.”
Ciscomani visited with families in his district whose services were interrupted during the shutdown, including parents of disabled children and veterans dependent on federal support. He said he intends to monitor agency performance closely as operations resume.
The Tucson Republican soundly condemned Arizona Democrats in a post to X, “This shutdown was completely unnecessary and overdue to end. It’s disappointing to still see so many democrats, especially Arizonans, voting to remain shut down. “
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ05) issued his own statement praising the House’s vote to reopen the government, thanking conservatives who pressured leadership to reject Democratic terms and focus on fiscal restraint. Biggs applauded colleagues for what he called a “moment to permanently shrink the federal bureaucracy, restore constitutional limits, and return power to the states.”
The shutdown ended Wednesday after the House approved the Senate-passed funding package, and President Trump signed the bill into law, restoring government operations while avoiding the policy disputes that sank earlier versions. Democrats contend they rejected the previous CR because of Trump-aligned provisions and budget riders they argued would worsen long-term fiscal conditions.
Rep. Hamadeh framed the episode as senseless and revealing of Democrats’ priorities.
“The Democrats accomplished nothing with their senseless shutdown,” Hamadeh said, concluding, “except to show – without a doubt – that they do not put Americans first.”
As agencies reopen, GOP congressional offices across the state say they are preparing for an increase in casework as constituents attempt to navigate backlogged systems. Crane and Hamadeh both urged constituents to reach out as services begin returning to normal.
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 Jonathan Eberle | Jul 24, 2025 | Economy, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Republican leaders in the Arizona Legislature are highlighting a string of tax cuts they say are aimed at providing relief to working families, renters, and small business owners across the state. Over the past three years, lawmakers have passed three separate tax measures that they argue will reduce financial burdens for everyday Arizonans.
The most recent change, Senate Bill 1069, was approved last month and is set to take effect on January 1, 2026. The legislation raises Arizona’s business personal property tax exemption to $500,000, a move Republican lawmakers say will particularly benefit small businesses by cutting down on tax bills for equipment and other property used in daily operations.
In 2023, the legislature also passed Senate Bill 1184, which bans municipal excise taxes on residential leases starting in 2025. Supporters say the measure will help renters by prohibiting local governments from adding extra taxes to apartment and home leases, a cost often passed directly to tenants.
That same year, lawmakers enacted the Arizona Families Tax Rebate through Senate Bill 1734. The rebate provided one-time direct payments to Arizona households: up to $750 for single filers and up to $1,500 for joint filers. Families received $250 per child under 17, while older dependents qualified for $100 each.
Senate President Warren Petersen praised the tax cuts as part of a broader conservative approach to governance.
“At a time when families are feeling squeezed, we’re doing what government should—getting out of the way and letting our hardworking taxpayers keep more of what they earn,” Petersen said in a statement. “These tax cuts aren’t handouts. They’re the result of smart, conservative leadership that puts everyday Arizonans first.”
Petersen also framed the tax policy as aligned with President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda, signaling that Arizona Republicans see these moves as part of a larger national effort to spur growth and reduce government intervention.
Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, have raised concerns in past sessions that cutting taxes could limit state and local governments’ ability to fund essential services, including education and infrastructure. However, GOP leaders maintain that the state’s healthy revenues give them room to ease tax burdens without sacrificing core programs.
With these three measures now on the books, Arizona Republicans are positioning themselves as champions of taxpayer relief ahead of the 2026 legislative session and upcoming election cycles.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 30, 2025 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans are reacting to a financial crisis involving a local school district and calling for serious investigations into the developing matter.
This week, a number of Republicans in both the Arizona House of Representatives and Senate released statements about the situation surrounding Isaac Elementary School District being placed in receivership by the Arizona State Board of Education. Some legislators are even looking to the Maricopa County Attorney to investigate the school district if the state’s attorney general does not spring into action.
House Speaker Steve Montenegro said, “Our sympathies begin and end with the students, faculty, and parents of Isaac. At the heart of this crisis are more than 4,800 students and hundreds of employees who have been abandoned by failed district leadership. The falsification of financial records and the mismanagement of public funds are a betrayal of trust and must be investigated immediately. The people of Arizona deserve to know how this happened, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
Senator David Farnsworth, the Chair of the Education Committee, added, “I’m incredibly concerned by what’s transpired within the Isaac Elementary School District. My colleagues in both the Senate and House are investigating what led to the tremendous overspending and what legislative reforms we need to adopt to make certain a similar situation doesn’t happen in the future. What the State of Arizona won’t do is provide this school district a financial bailout without implementing any corrective policies. Doing so would only be a Band Aid on the wound and most certainly do more harm than good.”
Senator Carine Werner, a first-term legislator and the Vice Chair of the Education Committee, wrote, “My heart goes out to the teachers and staff of Isaac Elementary School District, many of whom are already living paycheck to paycheck and are now fearing the money isn’t going to hit their bank accounts come pay day because of the gross financial mismanagement by administrators within this district. We are working on solutions to ensure the children of these schools are not disrupted in their learning environments and those responsible are held accountable.”
Arizona House Majority Leader Michael Carbone stated, “Since taking office, Mayes has shown zero interest in tackling corruption in school districts. Instead, she has used her office to attack parents who use Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to seek better opportunities for their children. This is the same Attorney General who dropped all felony charges against a former Scottsdale Unified Superintendent engaged in a laundry list of fraudulent schemes at multiple school districts. Amazingly, Mayes only required the former administrator to pay income taxes on illegal kickbacks the administrator received – a sweetheart settlement for the ages. The students in Isaac deserve better.”
In their letter sent to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, Arizona House Republican leadership wrote, “In late December, the Arizona Auditor General sounded the alarm over the possibility of a receivership and noted that the Isaac Elementary School District has been identified as one of Arizona’s highest-risk districts since December 2020. The Auditor General has also reported that ‘[t]hroughout FY 2024, the District failed to report expenditures in the appropriate funds throughout the year and submitted a misleading and inaccurate FY 2024 annual financial report’ to the Arizona Department of Education. And in another report documenting multiple deficiencies in Fiscal Year 2023, the Auditor General noted potential conflict of interest issues, miscoded financial transactions, incomplete financial records and documentation, failures to deposit cash in a timely manner, and failures to provide training and guidance related to restrictions on accepting gifts or benefits.”
The House Republicans asked Mitchell to confirm an investigation into the Isaac Elementary School District matter because they lack confidence that Mayes would “fully and fairly investigate the school district’s leadership over these serious issues.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 7, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Ahead of the upcoming session, Arizona legislative Republicans are working on commonsense solutions to problems that their constituents are facing.
Late last year, Clay Robinson shared a story on X about the context to a bill introduced by State Representative Pamela Carter for the next legislative session – HB 2009. Robinson wrote, “A couple weeks ago, during deployment pre-mobilization, our JAG officer was signing ADOT vehicle license tax waivers for service members.”
He added, “Of course, I wanted to take advantage of this exemption. When I called ADOT, they had informed me that if I had already paid the tax for the year, I could not use it for a refund and instead could use it when I get back, per existing statute. Understandable, but annoying.”
When Robinson realized that there could be a statutory fix to this issue, he touched base with state legislators in an attempt to make his proposal a reality. According to Robinson, “The fix would be simple: allow for refunds, and create a 30-day window prior to mobilization with valid orders to use the exemption.”
In addition to Carter, who introduced the legislation, Robinson thanked her colleagues, Representatives Matthew Gress, John Gillette, and Rachel Jones, “for being responsive and open to constituent ideas.”
Gress responded to Robinson, saying, “Thanks for bringing this idea to us, Clay Robinson. This is what representative government looks like! A great bill sponsored by a great seat mate, Pamela Carter.”
Robinson ended his post with an encouragement to other Arizonans who might have other proposals to bring before their legislators. He said, “All this to say: you DO have a voice in your government. You CAN change the law. Mine is a small change, but I believe it will help more service members in the Arizona National Guard who are mobilized to support contingency operations across the globe and remove unnecessary barriers to financial assistance. HB 2009 still has a long way to go, but I’m excited to be a part of the process, even from a distance!”
The 57th Legislature – First Regular Session is quickly approaching, with Arizona Republicans controlling more seats in both the state House and Senate than the previous two years. Republicans will be again forced to contend with a divided state government with Democrat Katie Hobbs occupying the Governor’s Office.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
