Although former President Donald Trump will be on Arizona ballots come March, he may not be eligible to run.
In a historic and narrow ruling, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that former President Donald Trump isn’t eligible for office under Section Three of the 14th Amendment, which prohibits insurrectionists, rebels, or sympathizers from running for office.
The court issued a stay on its decision until either Jan. 4 or the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the case, whichever comes sooner.
Arizona’s Republican leaders decried the court ruling online, while Democratic leaders largely remained silent.
Arizona House Speaker and congressional candidate Ben Toma (R-LD08) called the ruling an “abomination to the rule of law,” noting that Trump was convicted of no crime.
“This is a gross politicization of the Justice System and the Supreme Court should intervene to reinstate him on the Colorado ballot,” said Toma.
The decision by the Colorado Supreme Court is an abomination to the rule of law. Donald Trump has not been convicted of a crime and has every right to appear on the ballot in Colorado.
In a series of tweets, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) called the ruling “election interference” and speculated that the ruling had suspicious timing, given the historic low approval rating awarded to President Joe Biden recently. Crane accused the Democratic Party of fearing a Trump-Biden faceoff.
“At the end of the day, the left fears a return of President Trump because it would be a return to peace through strength,” said Crane. “He threatens to end their forever wars abroad, their open borders at home, and their government control over YOU.”
Anyone else find it interesting that this lands just as Biden’s approval ratings hit all time lows? https://t.co/zcpo1qsO1V
Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) called the decision “insane” and “the ultimate attack on democracy.”
“Democrat-appointed Colorado judges rule in favor of group saying they want to protect democracy by throwing @realDonaldTrump off ballot when the act of throwing Trump off ballot is the ultimate attack on democracy!” said Lesko.
Has the world gone totally insane??? Democrat-appointed Colorado judges rule in favor of group saying they want to protect democracy by throwing @realDonaldTrump off ballot when the act of throwing Trump off ballot is the ultimate attack on democracy!
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) saud the court decision was based on political, not legal reasoning.
“The [Democrats] know they can’t beat Trump, so they remove him and disenfranchise the voters of CO,” said Gosar. “A new low for our country. SCOTUS must end this election interference madness.
The dems know they can't beat Trump, so they remove him and disenfranchise the voters of CO. A new low for our country. SCOTUS must end this election interference madness.
With the start of the 2024 Arizona legislative session just weeks away, Republicans took time this week to roll out their agenda for the upcoming months in a divided state government.
The plan, released by the Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus on Thursday, featured eleven categories for 2024 – budget approach, inflation relief, law enforcement & military, education, water, infrastructure, health, government, judiciary, elections, and litigation. The caucus looked back at the year that was in 2023, writing, “Senate Republicans unified in the face of divided government, passed a fiscally conservative and responsible budget historically early in the legislative session, provided inflation relief, funded critical infrastructure projects, protected school choice, and served as a check on executive and federal overreach.”
The 2024 Arizona State Senate Majority Plan is now available!
Here are our caucus priorities, positioning and approach on important issues for the upcoming session.
Senate Republicans also previewed their efforts for the next legislative session in the plan, stating that they would “remain laser focused on easing the burden of rising costs for our citizens, while continuing to stop dangerous California-style policies from being implemented in the Grand Canyon State.” They added that they would “remain unified in protecting freedoms and constitutional rights, advocating for family values and safe communities, promoting free market principles and limited government, and stopping radical ideologies from infiltrating the way of life and opportunities we’ve established over the past decade for all Arizonans.”
‘Unified’ was definitely a key theme Senate Republicans wanted readers to take away from their plan for 2024, as it was central to a successful 2023 despite razor-thin majorities in both legislative chambers and a Democrat in the Governor’s Office. Republicans in both the Arizona House and Senate were highly disciplined on a number of fronts throughout the 2023 legislative session, staying unified on almost every issue while relentlessly fighting for conservative principles. Because of their cohesive strategies, Republicans were able to gain major victories and concessions from Governor Katie Hobbs when it mattered most, as well as to win points with the general public for their work.
2024 promises to be a more challenging year for legislative Republicans. Hobbs will be starting her second year on the job and has a new chief of staff who is respected by many on both sides of the aisle. Hobbs will also be looking for more wins to showcase for her base in what will certainly be a volatile election year on all levels. The governor was soundly criticized by many in her party for, what appeared to be, a capitulation to Republicans over the most-recent budget compromise – especially when it came to Arizona’s historic school choice program. Hobbs spent the rest of the year taking critical and damaging aim at ESAs.
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope cheered on the plan, saying, “Honored to be a part of the Arizona Senate Republicans family! We will work hard to deliver for the hard working people of Arizona!”
Senator Anthony Kern shared similar sentiments: “Republicans have your back, Arizona, and will ensure State 48 ‘NEVER’ looks like Democrat controlled California!!”
Republicans have your back, Arizona, and will ensure State 48 "NEVER" looks like Democrat controlled California!! https://t.co/dZAAnuYEuf
Arizona’s schools chief is continuing his quest to make state schools safer.
Last week, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne released a number of recommendations from his administration’s task force meant to strengthen school safety.
Superintendent Horne said, “The safety of our schools is of the utmost importance. There is no greater nightmare than to contemplate a maniac shooting up a school and it’s essential that everything is done to increase campus safety. This committee has done remarkable work and now the task is to get these proposed changes implemented so we can make the state’s school safety program even stronger.”
A handful of the recommendations from the task force involve changing state laws, which the Arizona Legislature would have to approve through legislation and then the governor would have to sign. Those changes are as follows:
Removing barriers to allowing retired law enforcement officers to work as School Resource Officers.
Allowing for the school safety program to pay for School Safety Officers and school psychologists in addition to the other positions currently included in the program.
Adding increased mental health training to focus on adolescent mental health issues, education privacy law and civil rights matters.
Adding language to the law requiring attention to school architecture, ingress and egress and safety technology and training.
The task force also recommended steps for the Arizona Department of Education to enact within its statutory responsibilities, including the following:
Reviewing and providing additional safety training and materials.
Hosting an annual conference for educators, law enforcement and mental health professionals.
Pursuing partnerships with entities that can help encourage workforce development in the social work and mental health sectors.
According to Horne’s office, his task force “consists of educators, legislators, representatives of mental health professions, law enforcement, and other community leaders.”
With the next legislative session just weeks away, the recommendations from the school safety task force may come at a perfect time to put the issue in front of lawmakers returning to work in January. Since school safety is a priority of Horne and his administration, he and his team will surely be lobbying for these changes and attempting to work with legislators from both sides of the aisle as they attempt to keep Arizona boys and girls safe at their schools.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers held a press conference to announce their plan to “ease the financial burden hitting hardworking Arizonans when they fill their gas tanks…by addressing fuel blend requirements in Arizona.”
The fuel blend issue at Arizona pumps has long been a point of contention between legislative Republicans and the Hobbs’ administration, leading to this proactive attempt at a solution on the lawmakers’ side. According to the press release issued by the State Senate Republican Caucus, “Arizona is required to provide drivers in Maricopa County a specific fuel blend for cooler season months and a different fuel blend specific for warmer season months.” The blend employed by the state during spring and summer is “Cleaner Burning Gas” (CBG) – a boutique blend dictated by statute and procured from outside the state, which can lead to shortages and higher prices for consumers filling up their tanks at critical times of the year.
Faced with this issue of a very limited set of approved fuel blends, Arizona legislative Republicans announced that they had “identified eight comparable blends” in their free-market proposal to allow “as many fuel blends as possible.”
“We believe the EPA can and should approve those blends for use, as they provide nearly identical clean air benefits as CBG,” said Senate President Warren Petersen. “Providing multiple fuel options allows the market to compete during unexpected shortages and helps keep gas prices low for Arizona drivers.”
Senator Justine Wadsack, the bill’s sponsor, added, “The Legislature was not made aware of the shortage until after it had happened. As part of our plan, we’re proposing the Legislature be immediately notified if a waiver is requested by refineries, and that the Senate President and House Speaker are provided the authority to file a waiver request directly with the EPA. Hardworking Arizonans are struggling in this economy. Turning a blind eye to crippling gas prices is like throwing salt on their wounds. As lawmakers, we should do everything in our power to improve the lives of our citizens who elected us to represent them.”
The issues raised by Wadsack refer to previously induced information this year that the Governor’s Office was convinced by the EPA not to submit a waiver for an “alternative fuel type to provide an adequate supply for drivers and preventing a hike in gas prices,” despite oil companies warning state officials of significant refinery shutdowns and past Arizona Governors applying for and receiving that opportunity. According to Senate Republicans, “this catastrophe reduced the supply of the CBG (fuel blend).”
In an exclusive statement to AZ Free News, Representative Austin Smith said, “I applaud my fellow freedom caucus colleagues, Kolodin and Wadsack, for being the leaders on this issue. Every Arizonan, specifically in Maricopa County, has felt the pain at the pump under the Biden administration. Katie Hobbs could have led on this issue with requesting a waiver from the EPA, but failed to do so. As Vice Chairman of the House Energy committee, I look forward to seeing the proposals come forward this upcoming session. It’s the upmost importance to deliver real solutions to working Arizona families where we can.”
Earlier this year, Senator Jake Hoffman unleashed a blistering rebuke of Hobbs’ reported failure “to do the right thing by requesting this waiver to allow prices at the pump to drop.” Hoffman’s statement followed the aforementioned accounts of a letter that had been sent to Hobbs in March by independent petroleum refiner HF Sinclair, warning the state’s chief executive “of a critical supply shortage in Arizona due to an unexpected equipment failure stopping the production of CBG required by the Biden Administration in Maricopa County, as well as parts of Pinal and Yavapai Counties.”
At the time, Hoffman said, “Katie Hobbs’ incompetence as Arizona’s Governor continues to take center stage, and hardworking Arizonans are paying the price for it. The average price for a gallon of gas right now in Maricopa County is a full $1 higher than the national average. This is extra money that could help with groceries, medications and other necessities many of our taxpayers are having a difficult time affording because of the Biden Administration’s reckless policies leading to historic inflation.”
Senator Shawnna Bolick, who also attended the Wednesday press conference, told AZ Free News that “earlier this year, a proposed waiver that would have helped Arizonans save millions at the pump was rejected by an unelected government bureaucracy. During the critical supply shortage of CBG this spring it would have been invaluable to have this legislation to increase the availability of multiple gas blends instead of the current monopoly. It is time to remove unnecessary excessive red tape and open the market to competition to help Arizonans counter the Biden inflationary economy.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
An Arizona lawmaker was recognized for her efforts on behalf of law enforcement this past legislative session.
On Tuesday, the Arizona House Republicans Conference announced that freshman State Representative Selina Bliss “was recently honored by the Arizona Constable Association for her dedicated efforts in support of Arizona constables.” Those efforts included the sponsoring of HB 2617 in 2023, which would have fixed “a disparity in current state law whereby retired constables have more extensive carry rights and protections than their active-duty counterparts.”
✅FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE✅ State Representative @SelinaBliss Recognized by Arizona Constable Association for Advocacy on Behalf of Constables
“It is an honor to champion our law enforcement and peace officers in Arizona.”
In a statement, Bliss said, “It is an honor to champion our law enforcement and peace officers in Arizona. HB2617 reflects our commitment to ensuring that constables, as essential members of our law enforcement community, are afforded the necessary privileges and protections to carry out their duties effectively. This bipartisan effort reflects our collective dedication to strengthening public safety and supporting those who are sworn to serve and protect on the front lines.”
The honor from the Arizona Constable Association follows one given earlier this year to Bliss from the Arizona Citizens Defense League, which named the Republican Representative from northern Arizona as its “Legislator of the Year.”
Representative Bliss wasted no time in coming to the legislature and working to achieve results for her constituents and Arizonans. Bliss introduced HB 2617, which would have “allowed a constable or deputy constable to carry a firearm, both on and off duty and in the same manner as other certified peace officers, if the constable or deputy constable is in compliance with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) firearms requirements and has fulfilled all other requirements as prescribed.” The first-term legislator told AZ Free News that she had introduced the bill after learning from her own Yavapai County Constable Ron Williams “that constables and deputy constables are not part of the list in ARS 38-1113, which covers off-duty carry of firearms by peace officers.”
Even though the legislation passed out of the State House with broad bipartisan support on May 15, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the bill four days later. In the governor’s veto letter to House Speaker Ben Toma, Hobbs said, “I am concerned that this bill would have expanded the authority of constables to carry a gun while off-duty whereby some constables may choose to view themselves as having a ‘duty to respond’ when they are off duty.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
