The Democratic Party (DNC) and Arizona’s Democratic Party are looking to sue the state of Arizona legalizing third party services to purge voter rolls. In a press release, the DNC alluded that both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had a hand in urging this legal action.
The DNC sent their demand letter on Wednesday, thereby taking the first step toward legal action. In accordance with federal law, the DNC notified Arizona through a letter of their intent to challenge the voter rolls law.
The law allows the state legislature to enable a third-party service to review voter rolls to assess voter eligibility. That third-party service may then advise the secretary of state and county election officials to remove voters it deemed ineligible.
The DNC argued that this process is unlawful because it lacks standards, proper notification to voters, and keeps local election officials out of the process.
“[The law] violates the National Voter Registration Act because it does not have a standard by which eligibility is determined nor does it provide notification to voters that their registration is in jeopardy,” asserted the DNC. “It also violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, both because it deprives voters of the right to vote without notice and an opportunity to contest the basis of their removal from the rolls, and because it impermissibly allows Arizonans’ fundamental right to vote to be compromised by an unaccountable private party selected by the legislature.
DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison argued that Arizona’s new law removed voters unfairly and without due notice.
“Rather than leaving elections to election professionals, Arizona’s Republican legislature has granted itself the power to appoint a private party to unilaterally disqualify voters without even giving them notice,” said Harrison.
Arizona doesn’t offer same-day voting registration. Rather, voters are responsible for ensuring that they’re registered to vote in advance. Last year, the deadline was extended by court order to mid-October. A complete list of voter registration deadlines can be found here.
Arizona DNC Chair and State Representative Raquel Terán (D-Phoenix) had a slightly different perspective on the matter. She said that this law was a petty attempt by far-right politicians to rewrite election law after losing the presidency.
“Arizona Republicans are so upset they lost that they’re trying to rewrite election rules instead of changing their extreme policies,” said Terán. “Arizona Democrats are proud to join the DNC’s legal action to make sure that voters, not far-right politicians, get to choose who represents them. We are fighting to make sure that every voter has the freedom to make their voice heard.”
The Arizona GOP didn’t respond to AZ Free News by press time.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The arrest of Arizona Sen. Otoniel “Tony” Navarrete (D-LD30) on multiple charges of sexual misconduct with minors has led to demands for his resignation, and many of those making the statements are including information about hotlines for victims of abuse.
Navarrete was taken into custody Thursday on seven felonies involving sexual misconduct with two boys, ages 16 and 13. An initial court appearance was held by video feed in a Maricopa County courtroom Friday at which time a judge set Navarette’s bail at $50,000.
According to court records, the older boy reported multiple incidents of abuse to the Phoenix Police Department on Wednesday. The next day a detective recorded a confrontation call between the boy and Navarrete before making the arrest.
A confrontation call is a common practice used by detectives in sexual abuse cases, particularly with children who cannot confront a suspect in person. The victim is told by a detective what types of things to say and ask in an attempt to obtain incriminating evidence against a suspect to use at trial.
A number of pretrial release conditions were also ordered in Navarrete’s case, including a no-contact order with the two victims as well as all other minors. He must also consent to electronic monitoring if he posts bail.
If convicted of all charges, Navarrete faces a mandatory prison sentence of nearly 50 years.
After the hearing, several public officials called on Navarrete to resign.
“Sen. Navarrete should resign immediately,” Gov. Doug Ducey’s statement read. “These allegations are abhorrent. My prayers are with the young victims and their loved ones during this traumatic time”
The governor’s statement was followed by Senate President Karen Fann.
“These are serious and alarming charges that require Senator Navarrete to step down immediately,” Fann stated Friday afternoon.
Raquel Teran, a state lawmaker and chair of the Arizona Democratic Party also joined the calls for Navarrete’s resignation.
“Like many in our community, I am grieving as more details come out about the charges against my Senate seatmate,” Teran tweeted. “I am calling on Senator Otoniel ‘Tony’ Navarrete to resign immediately. We are elected to protect the most vulnerable, and that begins with our children.
Other Democrats who called for Navarrete to step down Friday are Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Kathy Hoffman, Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Also garnering attention after Thursday’s arrest is a tweet Navarrete made Wednesday morning complimenting US. Senator Mark Kelly, who was critical of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. Kelly called Kavanaugh “a dangerous choice” for the bench.
Blake Masters, who hopes to be Kelly’s opponent in the 2022 General Election, called out the senator for his silence on Navarrete’s arrest.
Navarrete, who is a member of the Arizona Legislature’s LGBT caucus, was elected to the State House of Representatives for LD30 in 2016. Then in 2018, he was elected to the State Senate, where he was assigned to the Senate’s appropriations, commerce, and health & human services committees during the last legislative session.
His official Senate biography lists his regular job as Deputy Director for Promise Arizona, a nonprofit community-based organization located in Phoenix. As Deputy Director, Navarrete worked to promote policies which “strengthen families and increase civic participation,” the biography reads.
The private school Brophy College Preparatory (Brophy) announced Wednesday that it would mandate the experimental COVID-19 vaccine. Their take on the mandate mirrored President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal employees and contractors – if an individual isn’t fully vaccinated, they must adhere to masking restrictions, social distancing measures, and frequent testing.
In a letter to parents, Brophy Principal Bob Ryan explained that there wouldn’t be a hybrid learning option for students. Therefore, students needed to adjust accordingly to create a safe learning environment. According to Ryan, Brophy students and faculty may choose to not be vaccinated; however, they would have to be tested regularly and be prohibited from overnight retreats and school travels outside of the metro area.
“Over the last six months, it has become increasingly clear that the most effective way to contain the spread of the virus is to have a vaccinated community,” wrote Ryan. “Therefore, effective September 13, every student, teacher, and staff member will need to have proof of vaccination on file with the school or get tested for COVID regularly. Additionally, effective Monday, August 9, and for the foreseeable future, any student who wishes to participate in overnight retreats or any school-related travel outside of the Phoenix metro area will be required to have proof of vaccine on file.”
Brophy will resume classes next Thursday.
Earlier this summer, Governor Doug Ducey signed the bill prohibiting K-12 mask and vaccine mandates into law. Both of Ducey’s sons are Brophy graduates.
It is unclear whether private schools like Brophy are exempt from the law. The COVID-19 vaccine is still under emergency use authorization (EUA) only from the FDA.
Representative Paul Gosar, DDS (R-AZ-04) debuted a new series on Sunday to keep his constituents in the loop: “The Gosar Minute.” The series offers fast-hitting facts, commentary, and solutions for current issues, presented by Gosar’s staffers in the style of traditional broadcast journalism.
Gosar’s latest series may be difficult to find, however. AZ Free News discovered that Twitter has hidden the tag #GosarMinute under its “Sensitive Content” setting. Any users searching for #GosarMinute on Twitter with their search settings hiding sensitive content won’t be able to find those Gosar Minuteposts. However, users will be able to locate the Gosar Minute postings on Gosar’s congressional Twitter page.
Twitter says that “sensitive media” may fall into the following categories: graphic violence, adult content, violent sexual content, gratuitous gore, and hateful imagery.
The premiere episode featured Gosar’s intern, Faith Graham, discussing how Department of Justice (DOJ) Attorney General Merrick Garland refused to meet with Gosar and Representatives Louie Gohmert (R-TX-01), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) to discuss the mistreatment and physical abuse of those imprisoned for nonviolent offenses committed at the Capitol on January 6.
“Today I am launching ‘The Gosar Minute.’ My team will discuss current events in short one minute clips and my take or involvement in them,” wrote Gosar. “Today’s topic is my recent visit to the DOJ with @RepMTG@RepMattGaetz@replouiegohmert ENJOY!”
Today I am launching “The Gosar Minute.” My team will discuss current events in short one minute clips and my take or involvement in them. Today’s topic is my recent visit to the DOJ with @RepMTG@RepMattGaetz@replouiegohmert
Gosar’s affiliate, Beni Harmony, presented Wednesday’s Gosar Minute. The latest episode focused on President Joe Biden’s border crisis and Gosar’s proposed solution: a ten-year pause on all immigration at the southern border to stymie issues caused by the unchecked influx of illegal immigrants.
“#GosarMinute[:] We cannot have legal immigration when we are experiencing an invasion of rampant illegal immigration at our southern border. It’s a threat to our national security and economy. We must wrap our arms around this and press pause until we do. #10yearmoratorium[.]”
? #GosarMinute ? We cannot have legal immigration when we are experiencing an invasion of rampant illegal immigration at our southern border. It’s a threat to our national security and economy. We must wrap our arms around this and press pause until we do. #10yearmoratoriumpic.twitter.com/8hRMI3TTn7
On his personal account, Gosar retweeted the debut episode of Gosar Minute with a clarification: this series is part of what he calls the “Gosar News Network.”
“The Gosar News Network back at it dropping truth bombs like it’s my business,” wrote Gosar. “#GNN #GosarNewsNetwork #GosarMinute.”
Landlords across America are owed more than $15.3 billion in rent arrears, and that amount is expected to hit nearly $19 billion by December, according to a report released last week by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia just as a federal moratorium on residential evictions expired.
In Arizona, residential rent debt – including utility costs normally paid to a landlord or management company- is estimated at more than $292,000 million across 43,900 households, That represents 5.9 percent of all renter households in the state, just above the national average of 5.8 percent out of 6.5 million households.
The Fed Reserve statistics are based on estimated rent arrears related directly to a loss of employment revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that roughly 138,500 Arizonans -and more than another 15 million people nationwide- are in arrears under that criteria alone.
The justice courts in Arizona’s 15 counties are expecting an onslaught of new evictions filings, as well as a push for removal notices from landlords who previously filed for and received an order for eviction but were prevented from enforcement due to the moratorium implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Arizona officials received nearly $1 billion in rental assistance, but agencies, renters, and landlords say the programs are paying out at a snail’s pace, leaving renters and landlords alike in a precarious financial position.
Many of the households that are expected to be evicted in Arizona in the coming weeks have reported not having another place to move to, in part due to damaged credit ratings and a loss of savings during the pandemic. On the flip side, many landlords in some parts of the state have a waiting list of prospective tenants ready with cash in hand to move in once non-paying tenants can be forced to move out.
Timed with the Fed Reserve’s July 30 report, President Joe Biden called on state and local governments to “take all possible steps to immediately disburse” the $45 billion of emergency funding approved by Congress as part of the American Rescue Plan.
“There can be no excuse for any state or locality not accelerating funds to landlords and tenants that have been hurt during this pandemic,” the president said. “Every state and local government must get these funds out to ensure we prevent every eviction we can.”
In the meantime, the Federal Housing Finance Agency is requiring all landlords of rental properties with Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac mortgages to give renters a 30-day notice to vacate before requiring them to leave, regardless of any local court-issued eviction order.
The CDC’s eviction moratorium had been extended several times before it expired July 31. The moratorium does not relieve renters of the legal obligation of paying rent, as well as any late fees, penalties, or interest. Those ancillary costs owed by renters are not included in the Fed Reserve estimates of renter debt.
The moratorium also required renters to attest to suffering a “substantial loss of household income, loss of compensable hours of work or wages, a lay-off, or extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses. In addition, renters were required to certify they have undertaken “best efforts to obtain all available government assistance for rent or housing.”
Renters were also required to pledge their “best efforts” toward making “as close to the full payment as the individual’s circumstances may permit, taking into account other non-discretionary expenses,” and that if evicted, they would likely become homeless.
Eviction protection was waived under the CDC moratorium for renters who violated other terms of a lease, such as being convicted of committing criminal activity on the premises, damaging the property, or violating health ordinances or building code.
