by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 23, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to protect children in the State of Arizona was recently vetoed by Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs.
Last week, Governor Hobbs vetoed SB 1435, which would have “subject[ed] a public entity to liability for losses arising out of an act or omission by a public employee that is determined to be a felony sexual offense under certain circumstances” – according to the overview provided by the Arizona House of Representatives.
In a statement to Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, Hobbs explained that “legislation that expands public entity liability needs to be carefully tailored and thoughtfully executed,” and that “this legislation does not meet that standard.”
State Senator Shawnna Bolick, the sponsor of the bill, responded to the governor’s action against her proposal, writing, “An institution tasked with keeping our children safe should be held accountable if they choose to hire someone who causes them harm. Sadly, Governor Hobbs disagrees. Keeping Arizona’s children safe is a top priority for Senate Republicans, and we’ve fought hard to close gaps in our system that allow those who facilitate crimes against our most vulnerable population, to get away with their heinous acts. One Arizona child who is victimized is one too many.”
When the bill passed the Arizona Senate back in March, it received bipartisan support with a 19-9 vote (with two members not voting). This month, the Arizona House of Representatives approved the legislation with a 34-26 result, sending it to the Governor’s Office.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Arizona School Administrators, Arizona Association of School Business Officials, Arizona School Boards Association, Greater Phoenix Educational Management Council signed in to oppose the bill. A representative from the Arizona Center for Disability Law endorsed the proposal.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 19, 2024 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
The State of Arizona has passed a balanced budget through the Republican controlled House and Senate not only hammering down a $1.4 billion shortfall in projected tax revenues but actually expanding and reforming the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA), and School Tuition Organization (STO) eligibility, much to Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs’ chagrin. Hobbs, despite her opposition toward the ESA program, implied her acceptance of the budget in a Saturday post to X, and on Monday evening signed the budget into law.
As reported by 12News, the budget was approved in a marathon of votes that stretched throughout the Saturday workday and landed on Hobbs’ desk where it was approved at the end of the business day. Many agencies in Arizona are now working with a budget cut of approximately 3% that arose primarily from depressed sales tax collections in 2023-24. Hobbs and her fellow Democrats have tried to assign the blame to former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey for tax cuts and expansion of the ESA program to allow all students access to the education of their choice.
In spite of this rhetoric, the GOP led legislature successfully prevented a reduction in the funds directed to putting students in underperforming schools into private schools and under the tutelage of homeschooling parents. The budget even included a 2% inflation-driven increase in the K-12 public schools budget.
Senate Majority Whip Sine Kerr explained in a statement from the AZ Senate Republicans:
“What’s not included in the $16.1 billion budget is an elimination of the historic Universal Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program or our School Tuition Organizations program providing tens of thousands of Arizona families the freedom to pick the best schools to meet their children’s unique learning needs.
We are continuing our commitment to providing every family in the state of Arizona with a quality education, no matter their zip code or economic status. Additionally, we said ‘no’ when Governor Hobbs and Democrats proposed eliminating our Arizona Freedom Schools at our public universities, which are dedicated to civics education and ensuring students are equipped down the road to lead our state to a brighter tomorrow.”
In the new budget, the ESA program sees an expansion to “allow the use of account monies to reimburse the parent of a qualified student or a qualified student for the purchase of a good or educational service that is an allowable expense.” Reforms to the ESA will be extensive with the Arizona Department of Education to work in consultation with the Auditor General to generate risk-based audits of the program and ensuring that educators being paid through the program are not subject to disciplinary action by the State Board of Education and requiring all teaching staff and personnel with unsupervised contact with the students be fingerprinted as public school teachers already are. Expansion to the STO program grew the student eligibility to include any students who “are placed in foster care … at any time before the student graduates from high school or obtains a general equivalency diploma.”
In her comments posted to X, Hobbs commented, “While this bipartisan budget delivers reforms to ESAs, they are not enough.” She added a commitment to bring “accountability and transparency” to the program referring to it as “unsustainable.”
In addition to the preservation and expansion of Arizona’s ESA and STO programs, the AZ Senate GOP offered the following highlights from the budget:
- Reduces state spending by $1.7 billion below the 2023-2024 enacted budget (a 10% reduction).
- Reduces ongoing spending by $330 million.
- Protects school choice programs—both Empowerment Scholarship Accounts and School Tuition Organizations are funded for continued growth.
- Protects Arizona Freedom Schools.
- Does not pull dollars from the rainy-day fund.
- No new taxes or tax increases.
- No new debt.
- Reduces ongoing funding of state agencies by 3.5%, including cuts to universities by $23 million.
- Maintains law enforcement funding, while adding $5 million for local border security support and $4 million for fentanyl interdiction and law enforcement response.
- Prohibits board fee increases for 2 years.
- Lowers vehicle emissions testing fees by 5%.
- Ends ongoing funding for COVID federal programs.
- Maintains road infrastructure funding.
- Adds additional full-time employees to reduce concealed carry permit application and renewal time frames.
- Makes conservative policy and spending reforms to the Arizona Commerce Authority, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Industrial Commission of Arizona, and the Board of Technical Registration.
Senate President Warren Petersen summarized the contentious budget in statement, “Following last year’s state budget, where Republican lawmakers provided inflationary relief to everyday Arizonans through $274 million in tax rebates distributed to struggling families, as well as a ban on the tenant-paid rental tax taking effect this January, Republicans are again successfully supporting our hardworking citizens while simultaneously reining in spending.” He added, “In this year’s budget, we defended more than $520 million allocated last year for much-needed transportation projects statewide. We also cut fees for Maricopa County drivers on emissions testing by 5%, and we banned fee increases on Arizonans from state boards for the next two years.”
“Arizonans can rest assured that their state has a balanced budget. I’m thankful for members of the legislature who came together, compromised, and passed this bipartisan agreement,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a statement reported by AZ Mirror. “But I know we still have more work to do.”
Despite the modest gains of the budget, not all Republicans supported the compromise. The Arizona Freedom Caucus seemed very displeased and took their case to the public in a post to X, writing, “It’s a perfect example of the Swamp that establishment Republicans at the Arizona Capital are saying ‘the Freedom Caucus is the problem’ on this budget The reality is that this is what happens when weak Republicans negotiate a budget in secret with Democrats.”
The Caucus cited a dozen shortcomings in the budget, namely that the Democrat and Republicans who formulated it, “Fail to appropriate any new meaningful border security money for local Sheriffs, kneecap a school choice tax credit, regulate private faith-based schools, weaponize public schools’ ability to stop conservative teachers from providing instruction to ESA students, impede parents’ right to educate their children as they see fit, gift hundreds of millions of your tax dollars to the healthcare industrial complex, refuse to do anything meaningful to fix our elections, use budget gimmicks to pretend to solve the state’s deficit, rather than actually solving it, sweep $430M of water funding intended to help solve our state’s water crisis, fail to hold Hobbs accountable for her illegal pay-to-play scheme, fail to hold Mayes accountable for weaponizing the justice system against her political opponents,” and “fail to hold Fontes accountable for his totally illegal Election Procedures Manual.”
They added, “In the case of the current budget, when @AZFreedomCaucus members approached leadership, raised concerns with some of the nonstarters in the budget, offered solutions, and indicated that with changes we could achieve Republican unity… Warren Petersen and Ben Toma rejected the changes instantly without even considering them, and then spent the rest of the day attacking, defaming, and insulting the members of the Freedom Caucus for not just blindly following orders. Unfortunately, establishment Republicans’ failure to see the present battlefield for what it really is will cost us the legislature. When Democrats take control, whether it’s in November or in two years… you can look back at who voted YES on this year’s budget to figure out who to blame.”
The budget is also likely to draw a legal challenge from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes regarding the ‘sweep’ of funding from the $1.14 billion, 18-year opioid One Arizona Agreement. The agreement, long a bone of contention between the AG, Governor, and Legislature, stems from a lawsuit that capped the Big Pharma opioid scandal and resulted in then-Attorney General Mark Brnovich signing onto to a $26 billion national settlement with Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen and Johnson & Johnson, which distributed, manufactured and marketed opioids respectively.
The funds are held by the AG’s Office as steward for the money designated for opioid treatment, prevention, and education. Mayes told 12 News’ Brahm Resnick, “I am not giving that money to them. It’s in my bank account at the Attorney General’s Office. It’s not going anywhere.”
In a lengthy statement posted to X, Mayes said, “I have stated publicly + very clearly that I refuse to release these funds in this way as it would violate the agreement, & I stand by those words today. This is an egregious grab, and I will do everything in my power to protect these opioid settlement funds for all Arizonans.”
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 Daniel Stefanski | Jun 13, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s Attorney General is facing yet another instance of Republican opposition to her desire to sideline Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in an investigation of the Governor’s Office.
This week, State Representative David Livingston became the latest Arizona official to weigh in on the brewing scandal and investigation over the Governor’s Office’s alleged impropriety with taxpayer dollars, writing a letter to Attorney General Kris Mayes, demanding that she “immediately recuse [herself] from investigating the pay-to pay scandal, which involves substantial donations to both the Arizona Democratic Party and Governor Hobbs’ inaugural fund.”
In his letter, Livingston reminded the state’s top cop that he had previously communicated with her office to “express disappointment with your disposition of my public resources complaint, which alleged that then-Governor-Elect Hobbs misused public resources in violation of A.R.S. S 16-192 by impermissibly funneling 53 contributions to the Arizona Democratic Party through a state website.”
Livingston pointed to Mayes’ handling of this issue, in what he called a “clear conflict of interest in investigating my public resources complaint,” as fuel for his latest transmission to the Attorney General’s Office. He wrote that Mayes’ “conflict of interest and mishandling of my complaint warrants your recusal from investigating the pay-to-play scandal because it likewise stems from Governor Hobbs’ unprecedented inaugural fundraising and political donations to the Arizona Democratic Party.”
The Republican legislator also told Mayes that she “either grossly misunderstand[s] Arizona law or [is] making a desperate attempt to claim jurisdiction over the pay-to-play investigation to protect Governor Hobbs and/or the ADP” with her efforts to shield the Maricopa County Attorney’s and Arizona Auditor General’s Offices from the inquiry. Livingston explained that “it is the county attorney that may refer criminal matters to [the Attorney General’s Office] for investigation by the State Grand Jury if the offenses fall within its jurisdiction,” and that “the Auditor General routinely works with county attorneys to conduct investigations and is statutorily authorized to do so.”
As he concluded his letter, Livingston opined that “if [Mayes] dislike[d] Arizona’s laws or the limits of [her] authority imposed by those laws, you are welcome to advocate for statutory changes through the legislative process. He added a warning, stating that “what you may not do, however, is make false statements about Arizona law to micromanage the conduct of other elected officials and public servants or prevent them from exercising their own powers and duties.”
Livingston’s letter to Mayes comes after letters from two of his Republican colleagues in the State Legislature, Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope and Representative Matt Gress, were sent to Mitchell and Mayes. Shope sent a letter on June 5 to both Mayes and Mitchell, asking both officials to “examine the facts surrounding the Department of Child Safety’s alleged decision to approve a nearly 60% rate increase for Sunshine Residential Homes and determine if conduct by any of the involved parties warrants a criminal or civil investigation.”
Gress followed up with a letter on June 6 to Mitchell, letting her know that “the Auditor General’s Office stands ready to partner with you in getting the facts about this troubling matter,” and that the Joint Legislative Audit Committee “will allocate the resources the Auditor General needs to help restore what appears to be a major breach of trust in our government.”
That day (June 7), Mayes fired off two letters to both Mitchell and the Arizona Auditor General, Lindsey Perry, over the investigation. Mayes told County Attorney Mitchell that “it would not be appropriate or in the best interest of the state to conduct parallel investigations into the same matter,” and that “a separate process conducted by the MCAO could jeopardize the integrity of the criminal investigation that my office will now proceed with.”
Mayes similarly told Auditor General Perry that “while [the Auditor General’s] office is statutorily authorized to examine records and conduct audits at the direction of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, at this time, the assistance of [her] office is not needed by the Attorney General’s Office for our investigation.”
After the letters from Mayes, Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee sent a letter to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, requesting “that [she] investigate the allegations that have occurred in [her] jurisdiction.” Yee also delivered a letter to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, highlighting the state’s top cop’s recent assertion to the State Auditor General and the Maricopa County Attorney that her office had singular control over any investigation “is not appropriate or authorized by law, as those entities have separate jurisdiction to investigate this matter.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 13, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Another Arizona official has weighed in on the pending investigation of the Governor’s Office.
On Monday, Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee sent a letter to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, requesting “that [she] investigate the allegations that have occurred in [her] jurisdiction.”
With the transmission of the letter, Yee became the latest elected official to insert herself into the discussion about what happened and what to do next with the recent allegations of improper use of state taxpayer dollars from Governor Katie Hobbs’ administration.
Less than a week ago, The Arizona Republic broke a story about the Arizona Department of Child Safety “approv[ing] what amounts to a nearly 60% increase in the rate that Sunshine Residential Homes Inc. charges to care for a child for a day.” The alleged action to approve the rate increase for the one organization was made while “DCS has denied pay increases to home operators and cut loose 16 providers during the contract renewal process.” The Republic also asserted that “no other standard group home provider was approved for any rate increase during Hobbs’ tenure.”
“As the Treasurer of Arizona, I am responsible for overseeing, safekeeping, and managing the State of Arizona’s securities and investments, which are duties I take seriously. Arizona taxpayers need financial accountability and deserve to know how their money is being spent,” said Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee. “Providing state dollars to political donors is a grave misuse of public funds. “Pay to play” and special favors have no place in state government.”
The Republican Treasurer also sent a letter to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, highlighting the state’s top cop’s recent assertion to the State Auditor General and the Maricopa County Attorney that her office had singular control over any investigation “is not appropriate or authorized by law, as those entities have separate jurisdiction to investigate this matter.”
Yee added, “The Attorney General wrongfully asserted that she has singular control over any investigation. I have requested a separate investigation to be conducted by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has separate jurisdiction in this matter and the current investigation by the Attorney General’s Office raises concerns of potential ethical conflicts of interest in representing state agencies and officials involved in the alleged scheme.”
The maneuvering to stake out a claim to investigate the Governor’s Office seemingly began after Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope sent a letter on June 5 to both Mayes and Mitchell, asking both officials to “examine the facts surrounding the Department of Child Safety’s alleged decision to approve a nearly 60% rate increase for Sunshine Residential Homes and determine if conduct by any of the involved parties warrants a criminal or civil investigation.”
State Representative Matt Gress followed up with a letter on June 6 to Mitchell, letting her know that “the Auditor General’s Office stands ready to partner with you in getting the facts about this troubling matter,” and that the Joint Legislative Audit Committee “will allocate the resources the Auditor General needs to help restore what appears to be a major breach of trust in our government.”
That day (June 7), Mayes fired off two letters to both Mitchell and the Arizona Auditor General, Lindsey Perry, over the investigation. Mayes told County Attorney Mitchell that “it would not be appropriate or in the best interest of the state to conduct parallel investigations into the same matter,” and that “a separate process conducted by the MCAO could jeopardize the integrity of the criminal investigation that my office will now proceed with.”
Mayes similarly told Auditor General Perry that “while [the Auditor General’s] office is statutorily authorized to examine records and conduct audits at the direction of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, at this time, the assistance of [her] office is not needed by the Attorney General’s Office for our investigation.”
The letters from Mayes led to the communication from Yee, who will likely not be the last Arizona official to comment on the direction of this pivotal investigation.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 6, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
On June 1, Arizona’s Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs released a video on X extolling Pride Month and her pro-LGBTQ+ policies. However, the contrast between Hobbs’ full support of LGBTQ+ interests and her past behavior did not go unnoticed by Brian Anderson, Founder of the Saguaro Group and Arizona Capitol Oversight.
This isn’t the first time either, as Anderson described his attention to the matter as “yearly.” Anderson brought back to light the seldom reported allegation that Hobbs removed her “preferred pronouns” and support for #BLM from her Twitter account prior to launching her 2022 campaign for governor.
Sharing Hobbs video to X, Anderson wrote, “Yearly #PrideMonth reminder that @KatieHobbs deleted her “gender pronouns” from her Twitter bio right before running for #AZGov so that voters didn’t know she’s weird lmao.” Accompanying his message were a pair of screenshots of Hobbs personal Twitter bio before and after her campaign announcement.
A search of the social media platform did reveal previous iterations of the post from 2022. Hobbs’ Republican opponent Kari Lake’s campaign posted a similar tweet in August of 2022 stating, “This as her bio before @katiehobbs announced for Governor. Before she started pretending she hadn’t spent her entire political career on the lunatic fringe of the radical left. We’re very curious about Katie’s updated pronouns & whether she still believes Black Lives Matter.”
On June 1, Hobbs ordered the Ninth Floor balcony of the Arizona Executive Building festooned with four “pride” flags and offered the statement, “I’m proud to stand tall for an Arizona that’s for everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community,” she said according to The AZ Mirror.
“To the LGBTQ+ Arizonans, we celebrate the light and energy you bring to our state, and I will continue to work alongside you until we have an Arizona where everyone, no matter who they are or who they love, has the safety, freedom and opportunity to truly live their authentic lives.”
However, absent from the proliferation of media coverage was any inquiry as to why Hobbs chose to remove her ‘preferred pronouns’ and her support of BLM from her bio prior to launching her gubernatorial campaign.
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.
