by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 1, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s Attorney General is standing with the state’s Senate President to protect the financial interests of families.
Last week, Attorney General Kris Mayes sent a letter to the IRS Commissioner, requesting the agency “reconsider its decision to tax the 2023 Arizona Families Tax Rebate.”
In a statement that accompanied her announcement, Mayes said, “The IRS should act promptly to reverse this decision and provide clear guidance to Arizona taxpayers as tax season nears. If they do not, my office is prepared to examine all legal avenues to ensure these dollars stay in the pockets of Arizona taxpayers.”
The news from the state Attorney General’s Office follows communication from Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen over this matter. Earlier this month, Petersen issued a press release to share that he was “working diligently to come to a resolution that will protect the more than 700,000 recipients from having to give the federal government a portion of [the rebate] this tax season.”
Petersen also thanked Mayes’ office for “reaching out to us on this matter,” though he cautioned that “litigation likely isn’t the best approach.”
In her letter to the IRS Commissioner, Mayes argued that “the full Tax Rebate should be excludable from federal tax under the general welfare exclusion,” and that “at a minimum, the Tax Rebate should be excluded from federal tax to the extent it does not exceed state taxes that were actually paid and that were not deducted from federal income.”
The state’s top cop pointed to past IRS guidance and states where the agency “determined to be excludable from federal tax in February 2023,” such as Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, and Indiana. She added that different guidance from the IRS established other exclusions that benefited four states – Georgia, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Virginia. In closing, Mayes wrote that “it would…be fundamentally arbitrary and inequitable to preclude Arizona and its taxpayers from relying on that guidance, particularly given the materially similar (and less restrictive) state programs that the IRS found to be nontaxable in whole or in part last year.”
Mayes asked for the IRS to reply to her letter “by return letter or through amended published guidance no later than February 6.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Feb 1, 2024 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
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?”
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.
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.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 4, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
One Arizona Republican Senator continues to hold the Biden administration accountable over the recent closure of a port of entry at the border.
On Wednesday, State Senator T.J. Shope, reacted to news of the Lukeville Port of Entry reopening, calling the initial move to close the vital border crossing “irresponsible and reckless.”
In his statement, Shope said, “Not only did this create financial turmoil for border communities within Arizona who rely on the tourism traffic to and from Rocky Point to support their families, but the closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry also put unnecessary stress and strain on our citizens and commerce who depend on a safe and direct route to this popular destination.”
Over the past few months, the border crisis has deteriorated considerably, forcing the Biden administration to take rather unprecedented measures in a frenzied attempt to mitigate public perception of the massive influx of illegal immigrants into the country. One of those actions was the closure of the Lukeville Port of Entry, which is the main thoroughfare to the popular tourist destination of Rocky Point, forcing families or commerce operators to detour hours to the east or west. A local business owner recently told an Arizona outlet that, in the aftermath of the closure, Rocky Point “was like a little ghost town,” noting that “local business, restaurants, hotels, rentals, everything has declined.”
Shope continued to address the situation in southern Arizona in his lengthy statement, blasting the Biden administration for a severe lack of border security. He said, “While I’m glad Lukeville is reopening on Thursday, the official statement from the federal government includes an absurd claim that ‘CBP will continue to prioritize our border security mission as necessary in response to this evolving situation,’ which is a blatant lie. The American people aren’t dumb. Nothing has changed at the border to prompt the opening of Lukeville. Thousands of illegals, many of which are criminals and terrorists, continue to pour into our state on a daily basis, overwhelming our brave law enforcement personnel. This was purely a political move after Republican lawmakers put immense pressure on the Biden administration to open this critical artery for commerce and legal traffic.”
The lawmaker promised to persist in holding the president accountable to his responsibility to secure the border and to refrain from closing American ports of entry.
Though the border crisis appears to be worsening by the day, legislative Republicans have effectively made the point that the reality for Arizonans could be more daunting if not for their check on the Democrats in the state – especially Governor Katie Hobbs. When Hobbs signed the state budget compromise in May, Senate President Petersen highlighted that his members “prevented the Governor and Democrat Legislators from advancing their extremist agenda…we’re not getting rid of state funded border security resources to keep our communities safe.” In the upcoming session, starting next week, expect Republicans to continue to introduce bills and policies that would give the Grand Canyon State more ability and resources to combat the many scourges of the border crisis.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Dr. Thomas Patterson | Dec 23, 2023 | Opinion
By Dr. Thomas Patterson |
Governor Katie Hobbs has had a change of heart over the immigration crisis on Arizona’s southern border. She recently reversed an earlier decision against deploying the National Guard, now sending over 200 Tucson sector troops and committing up to $5 million in Arizona taxpayer money to send troops to the Lukeville Port of Entry.
Hobbs also demanded the federal government reimburse Arizona $512.5 million for “migrant transportation, drug interdiction and law enforcement” expenses incurred under the Biden administration. She also promised to seek reimbursement “regularly” from the feds for Arizona’s border crisis mitigation.
What sparked the flurry of activity from our heretofore passive chief? Finally, the direct expenses to Arizona could no longer be ignored. They’re affecting Arizona’s budget and future financial viability.
For Hobbs and scores of other Democrat mayors and governors, compassionate sympathy with the plight of illegal immigrants was a good image so long as the expense was borne elsewhere. Hundreds of sanctuary cities were formed. Mayors from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other cities basked in assuring that theirs was an open, caring place.
Like Biden himself, they welcomed illegal immigrants to our shores. Sure, they heard the reports of complaints from border communities suffering from growing hordes of needy illegal immigrants, but those were mostly just red state conservatives anyway.
However, when the influx of visitors became so overwhelming that they had to be exported around the country, perspectives changed. Too late, Hobbs and the others realized the growth was out of control and the fiscal demands truly unsustainable. Their pleas for help from the feds were ignored.
It’s a good thing that our governor now acknowledges there is a problem, but she whiffed on her response. In fact, we don’t need more money, we don’t need more troops, we need to have the resolve to enforce the law against unauthorized entries into our country.
Instead, we advertise to the world that America welcomes all migrants and those who make it here will be admitted under the clever scheme of supposedly seeking asylum. They will be provided with transportation into the country, food, shelter, medical care, education, and social services.
We are then shocked when millions from the third world’s underclass stream in. Hobbs claimed the additional funds were necessary to “manage the influx of migrants” thereby unwittingly admitting the mistake. New money flowing to the border has been used not to stem the flow but to expedite the process of admitting even more invaders.
We desperately need a policy of admitting only those who are legally qualified for admission and turning away the rest. It’s not that complicated nor costly. It would save money and possibly the future of our nation.
The downsides of unlimited entry go far beyond the expenses borne by local governments faced with accommodating the immigrants’ short-term needs. We have had an estimated 15 to 20 million people illegally enter our country this century, 6.6 million processed through in Biden’s three years alone.
These are mostly undereducated, untrained people who are unlikely to attain self-sufficiency anytime soon. Most don’t mean us any harm, but others are terrorists, criminals, and foreign agents. Immigration errors, unlike some other policy areas, can’t be reversed. Our new residents are not going to leave – ever.
America is facing some daunting challenges. Most of our schools are failing to improve the education of underprivileged children. Public spending and our crushing debt load cast a black cloud over our future. Waves of lawlessness and organized criminal behavior plague us. The influence of Marxist-inspired social theories threatens to drive Americans, once believers in e pluribus unum, into warring identity enclaves.
Simply put, America is not in a position to spend more money or take on more problems, let alone accommodate a tsunami of 20 million illegal immigrants who will exacerbate every one of them.
America is famously a nation defined not by “blood and soil” but by the values on which we were founded – equality of all before the law, representative government, rule of law, limited government, and individual rights. The illegal immigration of tens of millions who don’t know or love America will change forever who we are and what America means to the world.
Dr. Thomas Patterson, former Chairman of the Goldwater Institute, is a retired emergency physician. He served as an Arizona State senator for 10 years in the 1990s, and as Majority Leader from 93-96. He is the author of Arizona’s original charter schools bill.
by Corinne Murdock | Dec 17, 2023 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Three of Arizona’s Democratic state lawmakers convened for a strategy session on gun control with Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday.
State Reps. Jennifer Longdon (D-LD05), Analise Ortiz (D-LD24), and Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D-LD21) were invited to participate in the Biden administration’s inaugural Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) and Safer States Agenda. The trio declared in a press release that gun violence constituted a public health crisis that required immediate intervention.
“Despite overwhelming public support to act, Republicans in the legislative majority have consistently refused to hear any efforts to reduce gun violence,” said the trio. “Reps. Ortiz, Longdon and Stahl Hamilton said now is the time to redouble efforts to overcome Republican intransigence, not step back from a public health crisis.”
The Safer States Agenda proposed a series of progressive, state-led initiatives: establishing an office of gun violence prevention in every state; investing in community violence intervention programs; funding community policing initiatives; implementing lethal means safety measures such as off-site storage sites and Extreme Risk Protection Orders (also called “red flag laws”); establishing victims services and trauma recovery centers for gun violence survivors; establishing a gun violence crisis response team; implementing stricter firearm storage laws; requiring reporting of lost and stolen firearms; confiscating firearms from domestic abusers; requiring universal and enhanced background checks; banning assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and ghost guns; requiring gun dealer licensing, recordkeeping, information sharing, and physical security; and end gun manufacturer’s immunity from liability.
President Joe Biden established OGVP in September and appointed Harris to oversee it. Ortiz, Longdon, and Stahl Hamilton were three among 100 state lawmakers from across the nation invited to strategize with OGVP.
After Wednesday’s meeting, Harris said that the proposed gun control measures wouldn’t conflict with the Second Amendment.
“It is a false choice to suggest that we have to choose between either upholding the Second Amendment or passing commonsense gun safety legislation,” said Harris. “Congress must have the courage to act, but until they do, the states must lead the way.”
The Department of Justice also published two model pieces of legislation to require stricter firearms storage and mandatory reporting of lost or stolen firearms.
The director of OGVP, Stefanie Feldman, was Biden’s longtime policy director dating back to the president’s first term as vice president under former President Barack Obama. While Donald Trump was president, Feldman served as the policy director for the Biden Institute.
One of the deputy directors of OGVP, Gregory Jackson, formerly directed the Community Justice Action Fund: a nonprofit focused on gun control and criminal justice reform, and a project of the dark money network offshoot, Tides Advocacy. The other deputy director, Rob Wilcox, formerly led federal policy for Everytown For Gun Safety, the gun control organization founded by major Democratic donor Michael Bloomberg.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
