by Matthew Holloway | Nov 14, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona’s top elected leaders — Democrats and Republicans alike — have joined forces to demand federal action after the seven Colorado River Basin states missed a critical deadline to finalize post-2026 water-sharing rules. In a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, they warned that refusal by upper basin states to commit to verifiable conservation has pushed the negotiations to a breaking point.
The letter, dated November 11, 2025, highlights Arizona’s role as a leader in water conservation and criticizes upper basin states for refusing to commit to verifiable reductions, which the signatories say have stalled a seven-state agreement needed to sustain the river amid ongoing droughts.
The seven Colorado River Basin states—four in the upper basin (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico) and three in the lower basin (Arizona, California, Nevada)—missed a federal deadline on November 11th to submit a consensus plan for sharing water shortages after 2026, when current operating guidelines expire. Federal officials, including the Bureau of Reclamation, have urged the states to reach an accord to avoid potential court intervention or unilateral action by the Trump administration.
In the letter, the Arizona leaders commended Burgum’s efforts over the past year to develop a framework preserving the century-old 1922 Colorado River Compact, which allocates water among the states. They emphasized the river’s critical role in fueling Arizona’s advanced technology ecosystem, world-class agriculture, military bases, and communities home to millions, including 22 of the basin’s 30 Native American tribes.
“Arizona’s cutting-edge semiconductor industries and IT infrastructure are making it possible for the onshoring of manufacturing operations that are critical for maintaining American technological leadership,” the letter states. It notes that Yuma County, one of the world’s most sophisticated agricultural regions, produces over 90% of the winter leafy greens supplied to the United States and Canada each year.
The signatories stressed that Arizona’s allocation is vital not only to the state’s citizens but to national economic growth and independence. They warned that the upper basin states’ refusal to offer “meaningful, verifiable conservation commitments” over the last two years risks these foundations of growth.
Arizona has positioned itself as a basin-wide leader in water efficiency, the letter asserts, partnering with California and Nevada to propose creative and significant post-2026 operating criteria. Under most scenarios, Arizona’s plans would conserve 1.5 million acre-feet of water per year, representing more than 27% of the state’s entitlement in most years. This follows more than 3 million acre-feet in efficiencies already offered by the lower basin states since 2023 to stabilize Lakes Mead and Powell.
In contrast, the letter points out that upper basin states have repeatedly refused to implement any volume of binding, verifiable upper basin reductions. “This extreme negotiating posture—four of the seven Basin States refusing to participate in any sharing of water shortages—has led to a fundamental impasse that is preventing successful development of a 7-State consensus plan for management of the Colorado River,” it reads.
The group urged Burgum to use his authority to ensure that any alternative considered by the Department of the Interior “contains measurable and enforceable conservation requirements” for the upper basin, guaranteeing the resource remains available for Arizona’s contributions to the economy and national security.
Signatories to the letter include Governor Katie Hobbs (D), Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14), House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-LD29), Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan (D-LD18), and House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos (D-LD11).
A joint statement from the seven states and federal officials acknowledged the missed deadline. Still, it affirmed a shared recognition of the basin’s challenges, with negotiators committing to continuing talks despite the setback. Lake Mead’s surface elevation stood at 1,057 feet as of recent measurements, with commenters noting that’s just 37 feet above levels that could trigger a “devastating” crisis for Arizona, including potential mandatory cuts to urban and agricultural users.
The full text of the letter is available here.
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 | Sep 5, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) has joined with colleagues from seven western states to reconstitute the Colorado River Caucus, which he will co-chair with Democrat Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado.
As Arizona is heavily dependent on water flowing from the Colorado River, with 2.85 million acre-feet allocated to the state annually, the state’s political representation in decisions that govern the river has always been critical.
Initially launched as a bipartisan effort by members of the 118th Congress in 2023, the 12-member Colorado River Caucus includes representation from Arizona, California, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado.
“The Colorado River is the beating heart of the American Southwest,” said Congressman Ciscomani. “Millions of people in Arizona and six other states depend on it as a source of water for our homes and businesses, our farms and ranches – our way of life. The Colorado River Caucus will help us understand and manage this precious resource as we deal with the impacts of a record-breaking drought that has lasted more than two decades. Collaboration is key and that’s the goal of this bipartisan caucus.”
In May 2023, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and the Colorado River Lower Basin States agreed to a new plan under the Biden administration “to conserve 3 million acre-feet over the next three years to protect the Colorado River system.”
However, in March of this year, Common Sense Institute (CSI) Arizona released a report that pointed to gaps in “infrastructure and ingenuity,” rather than supply scarcity as the state’s greatest water resource issue. CSI advised at the time, “If Arizona opts to address its water future by ending growth and limiting development, rather than investing in infrastructure and addressing water policies, the Grand Canyon state faces the potential of billions in lost economic activity and thousands of new jobs.“
The release from Ciscomani indicated that the Caucus will task itself with advocating for a seven-state solution that incorporates efficient conservation measures to preserve water rights across the board.
Secretary Karen Cesare of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD), representing Pima County, said in a statement, “The Colorado River has been and continues to be one of the most vital issues for the State of Arizona. Since the days of Senator Carl Hayden and Representative John Rhodes, our state has always had leaders in Congress that work on this important issue. I am very happy that Representative Ciscomani is returning as co-chair of the Colorado River Caucus and is continuing this legacy of leadership.”
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 Staff Reporter | Jun 4, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Evidence of voter fraud has been discovered in Arizona and seven other states, allegedly.
The secretary of state of Ohio, Frank LaRose, announced Tuesday he had discovered and submitted evidence of voter fraud in Arizona as well as Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
The alleged voter fraud consisted of noncitizen voter registration and double votes. LaRose discovered the alleged voter fraud during reviews of the Ohio Voter Registration Database by their Public Integrity Division.
The reviews yielded evidence indicating 11 individuals voted in the seven states and Washington, D.C.
LaRose passed along the findings to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, along with the attorneys general of the other affected states and Washington, D.C.
“We must send a clear message that election fraud won’t be tolerated,” said LaRose. “Through the investigations of our Public Integrity Division’s Election Integrity Unit, we are rooting out lawbreakers so we can bring accountability and justice.”
In a press release, LaRose reminded voters that every single vote counted.
“Critics of Ohio’s election integrity efforts may try to minimize the significance of these referrals, as though some small amount of election crime is acceptable,” stated LaRose in a letter to Ohio Attorney General Yost. “Even one illegal vote can spoil the outcome of an election for the citizenry at large, whether it be a school levy, majority control of a legislative chamber, or even a statewide election contest.”
During her campaign for attorney general, Mayes dismissed claims of widespread voter fraud occurring in Arizona.
“Know what has been debunked repeatedly? Any indication of widespread, systemic voter fraud,” posted Mayes on X during her campaign run in 2022. “Many of us find the continuation of lies about that ‘truly appalling.’”
Mayes was declared the winner of the 2022 attorney general race, despite questions remaining of over 9,000 uncounted provisional ballots and their potential effect on her slim margin of victory over now-Congressman Abe Hamadeh. Mayes’ already-slim lead of over 500 votes dropped to under 300 after uncounted votes were discovered in Pinal County during a recount.
As of this report, Mayes hasn’t indicated whether she will act on the referral to her office for investigation or prosecution.
Mayes’ focus on election-related prosecution has largely concerned securing criminal convictions for President Donald Trump’s 2020 electors — a group she refers to as the “fake electors.” All of Mayes’ efforts to coordinate a plan of prosecution (with the help of a Washington, D.C. advocacy organization) and secure the indictments were for naught.
Late last month, the Maricopa County Superior Court ruled that Mayes must redo her entire case against the electors, citing her failure to instruct the grand jury on applicable provisions of the Electoral Count Act of 1887.
More recently, Mayes unsuccessfully attempted to prevent Cochise County from carrying out its plans for a new jail district election. The election was deemed necessary in court due to the 2023 election on the issue being invalid — nearly 11,000 eligible voters were left without ballots. Mayes pushed in court to have the county abide by the results of the flawed 2023 election.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 7, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
An attempt to transform Arizona’s elections systems on Tuesday night fell well short after voters went to the polls.
Proposition 140, which would have imposed a mixed system of Ranked Choice Voting and jungle primaries for future elections in Arizona, was defeated with almost 60% of the vote share, as of Wednesday evening.
“We are so grateful for the Arizonans who stood up to oppose this radical transformation of our elections systems,” said Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb and former Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Gould, co-chairs of the No on Prop 140 Committee. “Voters of all political persuasions wisely concluded that Prop 140 would do irreparable harm to our state if enacted. Arizona elections must be free, fair, and transparent, and that is what our system remains after this just result.”
One of the measure’s fiercest opponents, Scot Mussi, the President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, praised the outcome. He said, “Prop 140 was one of the worst ideas to ever be proposed in our great state, and it is fitting that it met its demise from a vast majority of Arizonans. Radical leftists, out-of-state billionaires, and scheming consultants tried to hoodwink voters into adopting this failed system, spending millions of dollars and duplicating signatures to qualify for the ballot. We are so pleased that millions of Arizonans did their homework and said ‘hell no’ to, what would have been, a disastrous transformation of our elections system. California can keep their destructive policies and systems on their side of the state line.”
The organization behind Prop 140, Make Elections Fair Arizona, did not appear to issue a statement as of Wednesday on its website or social media platforms. Immediately following the close of polls on Tuesday night, its account promised to be “back online soon with an Election Day campaign update,” but that does not seem to have materialized yet.
In a Wednesday press release, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club highlighted the defeat of Ranked Choice Voting questions in several states in Tuesday’s General Election. Those results were as follows:
- Colorado: Proposition 131 was defeated with almost 55% of the vote
- Idaho: Proposition 1 was defeated with almost 70% of the vote
- Montana: Both CI-126 & 127 were defeated
- Oregon: Measure 117 was defeated with almost 60% of the vote
- South Dakota: Amendment H was defeated with more than 65% of the vote
- Nevada: Question 3 was defeated with almost 54% of the vote
- Alaska: Measure 2, which repeals the state’s ranked choice voting system, appears headed toward passage
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 23, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The financier of the ballot initiative seeking to reform Arizona’s elections with open primaries and ranked-choice voting has the impact of flipping states blue — much like its primary funder did in Colorado.
That financier, Unite America, is listed as the single biggest funder on the campaign media spending report for the entity behind Proposition 140, the Make Elections Fair PAC. Unite America gave over $1.7 million to boost the political action committee earlier this month.
Unite America’s primary funder is one of its board co-chairs, Kent Thiry, who was behind several election reforms that shifted Colorado to a blue state. Thiry acquired his wealth being the chairman and CEO of the national dialysis provider DaVita from 1999 to 2019, a role that resulted in him facing a 2021 federal indictment for violating antitrust law. A jury acquitted Thiry of the conspiracy charges in 2022.
Additionally, DaVita agreed to pay out a $34.5 million settlement earlier this year over whistleblower allegations of anti-kickback laws. The millions were a portion of the nearly $1 billion in whistleblower settlements: $450 million in 2015 over allegations of defrauding Medicare by billing the government for trashed dialysis drugs, and $350 million in 2014 for other alleged kickbacks to doctors.
Rather than reform his dialysis business over those years, Thiry trained his sights on elections.
Through his investments and organizational efforts, Thiry has taken credit for several major reforms in Colorado. Those reforms include allowing unaffiliated voters into party primaries (2016), establishing a public vote and nixing in-person presidential caucuses (2016), and thwarting gerrymandering through the establishment of an independent commission (2018).
This year, Thiry has spent millions to achieve the ultimate goal in Colorado and all other states, including Arizona: establishing open primaries and ranked-choice voting. Thiry believes that America won’t survive without those two major reforms.
“There aren’t that many great democracies that have survived more than a couple hundred years. And in order to survive, you have to modernize and modify and reflect society,” said Thiry in an interview with CPR News.
Those three gradual reforms contributed to the state’s shift from purple to blue over the years.
With Thiry’s help, Unite America has spent over $70 million since 2019 on getting states to similarly reform their elections with open primaries and ranked-choice voting.
Unite America (formerly the Centrist Project) gained more momentum in Colorado following Republican firebrand Lauren Boebert’s surprise congressional victory in 2020.
That year, Unite America successfully spent over $3 million to enact open primaries and ranked-choice voting in Alaska. In the first election cycle after those reforms, Republican House candidate Sarah Palin lost the House race, and Republican moderate Lisa Murkowski defended her Senate seat against a more conservative challenger.
In addition to Arizona, the organization has invested in state campaigns for the major election reforms that have benefited centrists and Democrats in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Per Unite America’s research arm, Unite America Institute, their goals for election reforms include top-four nonpartisan primaries, full voting from home, ranked-choice voting used for all offices, and an independent redistricting commission.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
