Late last month, the Arizona State House Judiciary Committee approved, HB 2435, which was sponsored by Speaker Ben Toma. The bill would “require a person who is convicted of a third or subsequent organized retail theft offense to be sentenced as a category two repetitive offender in certain circumstances,” according to the overview provided by the chamber.
HB 2435 passed the committee along partisan voting lines – 6-3, with all Republicans voting to affirm the legislation.
Before the committee’s vote, Toma hosted a press conference outside of the state capitol with Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, who announced her strong endorsement of the legislation. Mitchell took to the platform “X” to share an update from the event, writing, “Thank you, Rep. Ben Toma, for your help in combatting Organized Retail Crime. If you plan to commit this crime, plan to stay. In Maricopa County, we will prosecute retail theft!”
Thank you, @RepBenToma, for your help in combatting Organized Retail Crime. If you plan to commit this crime, plan to stay.
— Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell (@Rachel1Mitchell) January 31, 2024
Toma added, “California may tolerate lawlessness, but my bill, HB 2435, will tell criminals that they’ll pay a heavy price for stealing. A big shout out to Rachel Mitchell and AZ Retailers for working with me on this important legislation!”
California may tolerate lawlessness, but my bill, HB2435, will tell criminals that they’ll pay a heavy price for stealing.
In the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from Quiktrip, AZ Retailers Association, Combined Law Enforcement Association of Arizona, AZ Food Marketing Alliance, AZ Association of Counties, and the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce registered their support for the bill. Representatives from the AZ National Organization for Women, State Conference NAACP, Rural Arizona Action, ACLU of Arizona, and AZ Attorneys for Criminal Justice signed in to oppose the proposal.
The efforts to augment penalties for these organized retail theft crimes continue the state’s already strong reputation on this front. Arizona has an Organized Retail Crime Task Force, which commenced under former Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s administration and is housed in the State Attorney General’s Office.
In December 2021, Brnovich wrote an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, warning would-be criminals of his office’s efforts to investigate and prosecute these offenses – especially in the wake of the lawlessness in Arizona’s neighboring state to the west. He wrote, “As Arizona’s attorney general, I have refused to capitulate to the lawless mob…We expect our efforts will deter such theft and hope our task force becomes a model for California and other states.”
Current Attorney General Kris Mayes has continued to combat these crimes, including over the just-completed Christmas holiday. In December, her office announced that it had “seized thousands of cloned gift cards and other merchandise in partnership with the Arizona Retailers Association and with the help of law enforcement partners.” Mayes’ coalition also arrested eight people “as part of an alleged scheme to defraud retailers and consumers.” The first-term attorney general said, “The successful seizure of thousands of cloned cards and the arrest of several individuals reflects my office’s unwavering dedication to stopping organized retail theft across Arizona.”
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell also has a strong presence against organized retail theft. In 2023, her office announced that it had made 354 bookings over these crimes, which was the most in the county since 2020. Additionally, in November 2023, Mitchell started a ‘Safe Shopping’ Campaign “to stop this fast-growing category of lawlessness.” Mitchell said, “Here’s what I say to the thieves who commit these crimes: we will find you, you will be arrested, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office gives three tips to Arizonans to help them experience ‘safe shopping.’ Those include:
Be patient with retailers. While it might take an extra minute to get an item (decongestants, for example) from behind a locked display, it’s worth it. Know you’re doing your part to keep prices low and keep crooks at bay.
Never engage with thieves. If you’re suspicious, reach out to a store manager. Never confront a thief on your own.
Keep your personal items locked up. If you carry a handbag, keep it closed and close to you. If you leave purchases in your car between shopping stops, make sure that vehicle is locked up tight.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Wyoming was the state with the largest increase in auto loan debt, followed by South Dakota, Texas, Delaware, Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado, Florida, Alaska, and tenth, Arizona.
“Wyoming residents have a very high average auto loan balance, at $22,104, and reached that number after increasing their average by nearly 1.9% between Q3 2023 and Q4 2023,” John Kiernan, editor of WalletHub, said. “Wyoming residents pay out a whopping $543 per month toward their auto loan debt, on average.”
The states with the smallest increase included Ohio, Nevada, Oregon, West Virginia, Michigan, Connecticut, Montana, Utah, Missouri, and Rhode Island.
Kiernan said from Q3 2023 to Q4 2023, residents of most states either had a less than 1% increase in their average auto loan balance or saw a decrease in the average.
“A few states had more dramatic increases, as high as around 3%, which suggests that people in some states are more affected by inflation in car prices or are biting off more than they can chew when it comes to loans,” Kiernan said.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne approved PragerU teaching materials for Arizona classrooms.
“In some classrooms, the extreme left side has been presented,” Horne, a Republican in his second tour as school superintendent, said Wednesday at a Capitol news conference. “These present an alternative.”
Teachers in all public and charter schools can use PragerU’s lessons and educational videos in their classrooms, Horne said.
Founded by Dennis Prager, PragerU is a conservative media organization offering free, pro-American content. The nonprofit makes videos on topics including economics, character development, politics, American history, and Judeo-Christian values.
Arizona joins several other states in adopting PragerU’s content into its public school curriculum. In July, Florida became the first state to allow schools to use PragerU videos as a teaching tool. Oklahoma, Montana, and New Hampshire followed soon after.
Critics fear the use of PragerU videos in classrooms will push a far-right political agenda.
“This is a program that is not actually a university, despite its name. It’s not an accredited program. It’s not an actual education organization and it’s deeply funded propaganda,” Beth Lewis of Save our Schools Arizona said.
But PragerU says that its mission is to offer a “free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education.”
“Parents who are showing up and are hearing there is a left-wing domination of the educational market, they have an option for something else for their kids, that’s it,” PragerU CEO Marissa Streit said.
Each school district will be able to choose if they want to use the material or not, Horne said.
Horne has fought left-wing ideology in the classroom throughout his time as superintendent. Horne canceled presentations on social-emotional learning at a conference sponsored by his department after two weeks in office last year.
He also removed LGBT resources from the state Department of Education website.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09), and Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-07) were three out of less than 30 congressmen to push back against President Joe Biden’s bombing of Yemen.
Last week, the three men signed onto a bipartisan letter with 27 other members of Congress to declare that the military strikes were unauthorized, therefore unconstitutional, and that Biden required the consent of Congress to further engage.
“Article One of the Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole power to declare war and authorize U.S. military action,” stated the letter.
The congressmen argued that Biden only holds the authority to introduce U.S. forces into hostilities either after a declaration of war by Congress, after specific statutory authorization from Congress, or in a national emergency when the U.S. is under imminent attack.
Biden ordered the strikes earlier this month in response to Yemen-based Houthi militant attacks on U.S. military forces dating back to November. Biden’s letter to Congress announcing the strikes alleged that he had authority under the War Powers Resolution (WPR) of 1973.
Immediately following Biden’s letter to Congress, Biggs condemned the move as unconstitutional.
“[Biden] can’t unilaterally pull us into another war,” said Biggs. “Why does he want so many wars?”
Biden’s airstrikes in Yemen blatantly violate Article 1 of our Constitution.
Similarly, the congressmen contended in their letter that Biden proceeded under a selective reading of the WPR.
“The WPR of 1973 does not give blanket authority for a President to unilaterally involve U.S. military forces in a conflict if a President simply notifies Congress within 48 hours. The 48-hour reporting requirement only applies to a situation in which a President must act due to an attack or imminent attack against the United States,” read the letter.
However, the letter didn’t express any intent on applying punitive measures for the executive overreach. Rather, the letter concluded with a request for Biden to heed to their authority under the Constitution, with an offer to “debate” any war-making request by the administration.
The other members of Congress to sign onto the letter were Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna, Val Hoyle, Pramila Jayapal, Cori Bush, Jonathan Jackson, Summer Lee, Rashida Tlaib, Greg Casa, Ilhan Omar, James McGovern, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ayanna Presley, Nydia Velazquez, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Delia Ramirez, Barbara Lee, Jamaal Bowman; and Republican Reps. Warren Davidson, Thomas Massie, Nancy Mace, Anna Paulina Luna, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Harriet Hageman.
In another statement on Tuesday following the deaths of three troops in Jordan, Gosar again declared Biden lacked the authority to bring the U.S. into a foreign conflict.
“Biden does not have the authority to take us into war with Iran without Congressional approval,” said Gosar.
Biden does not have the authority to take us into war with Iran without Congressional approval.
Gosar further declared that Biden’s foreign policy was to blame for the three deaths.
“Biden bears full responsibility [for] the drone attack on our troops by recklessly reopening nuclear arms negotiations [with] Iran [and] giving them $6 billion [to] fund its military, refusing [to] enforce the Trump-imposed Iranian oil sanctions which has allowed Iran [to] rake in billions of profits,” said Gosar. “Biden also reversed the Trump-imposed freeze on millions of dollars that were diverted [to] Iran-sponsored terrorist activities.”
Biden bears full responsibility 4 the drone attack on our troops by recklessly reopening nuclear arms negotiations w/Iran & giving them $6 BILLION 2 fund its military, refusing 2 enforce the Trump-imposed Iranian oil sanctions which has allowed Iran 2 rake in billions in profits.…
Arizona law enforcement officials are warning against a federal consent decree for the City of Phoenix Police Department.
Earlier this month, the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association sent a letter to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, highlighting their members’ “complete opposition to any additional federal oversight of local law enforcement in the state of Arizona.”
The letter, sent by Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes and Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse, wrote that “the unintended but far-reaching consequences of federal oversight in Phoenix are of great concern to all law enforcement agencies in Arizona.” They noted the exorbitant costs of such decrees – most recently in Arizona’s backyard with Maricopa County, which has shelled out “$250 million of taxpayer funds in the last 16 years including on court monitors who have a disconnect between their mandate and experience, and their investment in the community.”
Sheriffs Rhodes and Clouse pointed out “the failure of the DOJ to help Arizona secure its borders” as another strike against the federal government’s ability to effectively commandeer a local police department, let alone to maintain its constitutionally tasks. They stated, “The DOJ has the authority and powers to also initiate a civil rights investigation into the Department of Homeland Security and as of yet has not. One does not need to look far to see the extraordinary constitutional violations occurring at our southwest border at the hands of the DHS. We find this inequity hypocritical considering the serious public safety implications manifesting from this failure.”
The association promised its complete support to Phoenix “in rejecting an offer of negotiation or consent decree by the DOJ,” adding the sheriffs would “stand behind you in forcing litigation to shine the light for all your citizens onto the allegations.” They asserted that “the necessary oversight of your police force can be done internally, with confidence from your constituents and other law enforcement agencies.”
Just days after the sheriffs transmitted this letter, the City of Phoenix sent one of its own to the DOJ, requesting “that the Department of Justice commit to negotiating in good faith a technical assistance letter with the City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department, with assurances sufficient to reassure the DOJ that the City and PPD will continue with the reforms they are in the process of implementing.” The City’s letter accused the DOJ of operating its investigation with “a lack of transparency,” alleging the federal team “has declined to meaningfully share its observations, impressions, concerns, or tentative conclusions with the City of Phoenix, PPD, or their counsel despite numerous requests, and has rejected a specific request for a mid-investigation briefing.”
According to the City of Phoenix, “a technical assistance letter would allow the DOJ to provide Phoenix remedial recommendations and mechanisms to ensure proper implementation without the presence of a court enforced consent decree and monitor.”
The city argued that its Interim Chief, Michael G. Sullivan, has helped to enact meaningful reforms over “virtually every aspect of the operations implicated by the DOJ investigation.” City officials made the case that Sullivan’s changes “demonstrate a powerful commitment to reform, a commitment that warrants a different approach from the DOJ than has been the case over the past dozen years.”
Late last year, Arizona State Representative David Marshall and 20 of his colleagues in the chamber sent a letter to City of Phoenix officials, asking them to “swiftly reject any consent decree proposed by the DOJ and challenge the findings in the forthcoming DOJ report.”
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE🚨 Arizona House Republicans Urge Phoenix Mayor to Reject Federal Control of Police Department
“To preserve Arizona’s sovereignty consistent with our state constitution, you must reject the DOJ’s coercive consent decree.”
The request from these representatives followed other petitions from Arizona officials who oppose the imposition of a consent decree upon the city’s police department. Earlier last fall, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell posted her displeasure with the principle of federal monitoring of law enforcement departments, writing, “Look no further than MCSO to see what ‘federal monitoring’ does to agencies. Monitors (people paid to determine whether an agency is in compliance) have ZERO incentive to find compliance. It will cost the taxpayers MILLIONS and crime will increase.”
Look no further than MCSO to see what "federal monitoring" does to agencies. Monitors (people paid to determine whether an agency is in compliance) have ZERO incentive to find compliance. It will cost the taxpayers MILLIONS and crime will increase.@MCSOAZ@andybiggs4az… https://t.co/InGA5Vs3lc
— Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell (@Rachel1Mitchell) November 4, 2023
City of Phoenix Councilmember Ann O’Brien also wrote an op-ed for the Arizona Republic, voicing her sentiments regarding any arrangement handed down from the DOJ. In her piece, O’Brien wrote, “I have no intention of signing anything given to us by the Department of Justice without getting to read their findings first. That’s the thing: the DOJ gets agencies to sign an agreement in principle before ever releasing their findings, which essentially means that agency will negotiate a consent decree in good faith. Not Phoenix.”
Per the City of Phoenix’s information, the DOJ’s Civil Pattern or Practice investigation into the Phoenix Police Department “is the 71st investigation of its kind since the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 was signed into law by President Bill Clinton.” If DOJ finds “patterns or practices of misconduct,” then Phoenix will likely find itself with a federal monitor.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
