by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 19, 2023 | Economy, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
An Arizona lawmaker is calling out Governor Katie Hobbs for rising gas prices.
On Friday, Senator Jake Hoffman issued a press release, which highlighted “disturbing details…over what Katie Hobbs knew about Arizona’s fuel supply, and the fallout of crippling gas prices from her inaction, after concerns were raised over a major shortage.”
Hoffman’s release originated from reports that a letter 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 ‘Cleaner Burning Gasoline’ (CBG) required by the Biden Administration in Maricopa County, as well as parts of Pinal and Yavapai Counties.” Hoffman revealed that HF Sinclair had “asked Hobbs to seek a waiver on that requirement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but the Hobbs Administration denied that request, baselessly claiming the EPA wouldn’t approve it.”
The state senator put Governor Hobbs on blast for this inaction, asserting that her constituents would pay a literal price for this decision: “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. Hobbs had an opportunity to do the right thing by requesting this waiver to allow prices at the pump to drop, but she instead chose to selfishly play political games with the livelihoods of our citizens by refusing to back down from her woke ‘green’ agenda to appeal to her far-Left base. Katie, this is not California. In Arizona, we put families first.”
Senator Hoffman’s release shared part of the letter from HF Sinclair, where the refiner argued that Hobbs would be within her right to seek the waiver from the EPA, writing, “Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 7545(c)(4)(C)(ii), EPA may temporarily waive a control or prohibition respecting the use of a fuel when extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances prevent the distribution of an adequate supply to consumers. EPA may grant such a waiver where such circumstances are the result of a natural disaster, Act of God, refinery equipment failure, or another event that could not reasonably have been foreseen or prevented, and where doing so would be in the public interest (e.g., when a waiver is necessary to meet projected temporary shortfalls in fuel supply in a state or region). Such circumstances presently exist in Arizona.”
The Hobbs’ Administration may not have been willing to pursue this waiver to help Arizonans at the gas pumps – something that can’t be said about the Biden Administration, which had another opportunity to lower fuel prices earlier this year. Last month, the EPA issued “an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline – gasoline blended with 15% ethanol – to be sold during the summer driving season.” According to the EPA, “the waiver will help protect Americans from fuel supply crises by reducing our reliance on imported fossil fuels, building U.S. energy independence, and supporting American agriculture and manufacturing.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 7, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A powerful Arizona state senator is calling out the state’s Democrat governor for her veto of his bill that would have protected children.
This week, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB 1696, which was recently transmitted to her office. The bill would have outlined “prohibitions on the State of Arizona, a state or a city, town, county or a political subdivision of the state regarding sexually explicit materials.” Those aforementioned entities would have been prohibited “from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials,” and the properties owned, leased or managed by those entities would have been banned from filming or facilitating sexually explicit acts.
Hobbs explained her reasoning behind the veto in a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, writing, “I have vetoed SB 1696. While I agree that not all content is appropriate for minors, this bill is a poor way to address those concerns. The sponsor has stated that this bill was aimed at preventing a specific action from reoccurring, while in reality it is written in such a vague manner that it serves as little more than a thinly veiled effort to ban books.”
The bill’s sponsor, Senator Jake Hoffman, was outraged over the governor’s action, issuing a blistering statement to push back against her decision: “Once again, Katie Hobbs is spotlighting Democrats’ far-left extremism by vetoing yet another bill intended to protect our children from exposure to sexually explicit materials at the hands of Arizona governments. It’s absolutely sickening that Katie Hobbs is allowing pornography to be filmed in our state’s taxpayer-funded classrooms. These should be safe spaces for our kids to learn in, not venues for the sexually explicit adult entertainment industry. No 12-year-old child should ever have to worry that their middle school desk was the location of a porn shoot, yet because of Hobbs’ actions, this is precisely the case. Hobbs should be ashamed of herself, and every parent in the state of Arizona should be outraged. This is a despicable use of government resources, and there should be legal repercussions in place to discourage these types of practices from ever occurring again.”
In a release sent out just days before Hobbs vetoed his bill, Hoffman explained why his proposal was vital for the interests of the Grand Canyon State, saying, “Just last year, two Arizona teachers in Mohave County used government facilities to film pornography which they were then posting and profiting from. Astonishingly, there is no law that prohibits this from happening.”
SB 1696 recently passed the Arizona House of Representatives with a 31-27 vote (with one member not voting and one seat vacant) after clearing the chamber’s Government Committee with a party-line 5-4 vote. Earlier in the legislative session, it had received approval from the state senate with a 16-14 tally, after being given the green light in the chamber’s Government Committee with another 5-3 party-line vote.
Senators Anthony Kern and Justine Wadsack and Representatives Rachel Jones, Cory McGarr, and Austin Smith joined as co-sponsors to this bill.
Representatives from the Arizona Education Association, the Arizona Chapter for the National Association of Social Workers, the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, and Save Our Schools Arizona registered their opposition to the bill throughout the legislative process.
The Arizona Freedom Caucus had weighed in on Hoffman’s earlier plea to Governor Hobbs, writing, “Taxpayer-funded facilities should never be used for things like filming pornography. Unfortunately, it’s a fact that they have been. Putting an end to this abuse of taxpayer-funded school classrooms is a no brainer. Governor Hobbs do the right thing & sign the bill.”
Democrat Representative Nancy Gutierrez took the opposing approach in her response on Twitter, posting: “This is who you are voting for if you are voting Republican in AZ. This is disgusting propaganda. Instead of putting the Legislature on a break for weeks, maybe we could go do our jobs and not leave time for this foolishness.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 3, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs is again facing stiff opposition to one of her nominees for leadership with a state agency.
On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Director Nominations voted to reject Martín Quezada’s appointment to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
The committee’s action now puts Quezada’s nomination in jeopardy with the full Senate expected to take up the recommendation in the coming days.
During the hearing, former legislator Adam Kwasman, who appeared to be in attendance, tweeted his strong opposition to Quezada’s confirmation, writing, “The Arizona Senate must soundly reject the nomination of Martín Quezada as the director of the RoC. He has demonstrated, in his political career a consistent, radical anti-Jewish viewpoint. He is one of this state’s BDS leaders. Such bigotry has no place in any administration.”
After the conclusion of the hearing, the panel’s three Republicans shared their thoughts in a press release transmitted by the Senate Republican Caucus. Chairman Jake Hoffman stated, “Mr. Quezada has a history at the Arizona Legislature of spreading antisemitism, which prompted the Israel Heritage Foundation to send Katie Hobbs a letter calling for his termination as ROC Director. What’s equally disturbing are his continual, on-the-record comments made while serving as a legislator regarding hiring and firing practices. According to Mr. Quezada, qualifications for a job are determined by skin color, gender, religion and political affiliation. This is not a philosophy any state agency should ever adopt. The fact that Katie Hobbs is turning a blind eye to this is certainly more indicative of ‘chaos’ and not the ‘sanity’ she promised after taking office.”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope added, “The ROC can ultimately make or break the livelihoods of contractors within our state, so it’s important to choose a leader who supports entrepreneurs in their quest to serve our citizens responsibly and honorably. Unfortunately, during his tenure in the Legislature, Mr. Quezada developed a track record of voting against small businesses 82% of the time, according to data released from NFIB. We can’t in good faith sign off on a director who has a history of voting against the community in which he’s tasked with serving.”
And Senate Majority Whip Sine Kerr said, “Some of the more disappointing moments from today’s committee highlighted Mr. Quezada’s baseless and hateful accusations against Republicans as a whole. The ROC Director must be able to work with contractors of all races, genders, religions and political affiliations for the betterment of our state. Unfortunately, Mr. Quezada’s extremist views should automatically disqualify him from serving in this role. I would also argue that any politician who states they don’t believe they need to keep promises made to their constituents is not someone to be trusted in any capacity.”
Hobbs nominated Quezada on January 23, writing, “I have full confidence that the expertise represented in this group of leaders will bring us closer to an Arizona that works for everyone. These directors will rise to both the challenges and opportunities in their departments and in our state.”
The Senate Committee on Director Nominations was formed by Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen earlier in the year and was “tasked with gathering information and evaluating qualifications on the governor’s executive appointments in order to recommend a course of action for the Senate to take on each individual.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 15, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona taxpayers are going to get some extra cash for the holidays thanks to Republicans giving back from this fiscal year’s budget.
Included in the Fiscal Year 2023 Arizona Budget was the insertion of the Arizona Families Tax Rebate. According to a release from Arizona Freedom Caucus Chairman and Senator Jake Hoffman, “Arizona families can expect to receive one-time tax rebates of up to $750 for qualifying households. Those with dependents under the age of 17 will receive $250 per dependent, or those with dependents 17 and older will receive $100 per dependent, capped at three dependents. Households must have a tax liability of at least $1 in order to be eligible. This criterion is based off of 2021 state tax returns.”
Hoffman explained the motivation for the tax rebate, writing, “Gas, groceries, housing and energy prices have surged over the past three years since Democrats took control of the federal government. As a result, Arizona families are hurting while they attempt to pay for the most basic necessities each month, like putting food on the table, keeping a roof over their heads, paying medical bills, keeping the lights on and filling up their gas tanks. In the meantime, government is flush with cash and in the position to give back to our honest, hardworking taxpayers.”
“This is the first time in at least 30 years our state lawmakers have been able to step up to the plate to provide a tax rebate of this magnitude for our citizens,” said Hoffman. “I’m proud of the leadership of the Arizona Freedom Caucus, and for the support of our Republican colleagues, to dedicate $260 million to helping struggling Arizona families. Despite the current economic uncertainty, the Arizona Freedom Caucus, and conservative Republicans at-large, remain fully committed to keeping Arizona free, vibrant, and prosperous for Arizona families, and all Arizonans, for generations to come. We hope this extra money will make life a little less stressful for our Arizona families as they approach the Christmas holiday season later this year.”
This tax rebate appeared to be the focus of discontentment from some Democrats at the state legislature. Earlier in the week, Representative Oscar De Los Santos took to Twitter to share his thoughts about the recently negotiated budget, saying, “Important context missing from AZ budget debate: Years of massive GOP corporate tax giveaways have resulted in AZ not having the resources – this year & in the future – we need to fund our schools, ensure housing & healthcare for all, solve the water crisis, and more.”
De Los Santos’ charge led Republican Representative Justin Heap to respond: “By ‘corporate tax giveaways’ do you mean the ‘Family Tax Rebate’ that will give every Arizona family with children a check? Leave it to Democrats to characterize giving some of their tax money back to Arizona families as ‘tax giveaway.’ It’s not our money, it’s theirs.”
The pushback from Heap led another Democrat lawmaker, Representative Athena Salman, to add, “That’s false. Your rebate program leaves out families like mine who started and grew our families after 2022. Plus non-tax filers. Go read the bill, it’s short.”
Scot Mussi, the President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, told AZ Free News, “we were very pleased to see the budget not only be structurally balanced, but also return nearly $300 million back to taxpayers. That money belonged to hardworking families, and we are glad it’s getting returned to them.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 11, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to protect children on the internet is nearing the finish line in the Arizona Legislature, though some partisan opposition puts its fate in jeopardy with Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs should it reach her desk.
SB 1503, sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers, “directs a commercial entity to verify that any person attempting to access an internet website containing a substantial portion of material harmful to minors is at least 18 years old.” The bill “authorizes the age verification to be made through a commercially available database that is regularly used by businesses or governmental entities for the purposes of age and identity verification; or any other commercially reasonable method of age and identity verification.” It “subjects a commercial entity that violates the verification requirement to civil liability for damages, including attorney fees and costs, resulting from the minor’s access to the material.”
Rogers was joined on her bill by co-sponsors (and fellow Senators) Ken Bennett, Sonny Borrelli, Frank Carroll, David Farnsworth, Jake Hoffman, Steve Kaiser, John Kavanagh, Janae Shamp, T.J. Shope, and Justine Wadsack.
The bill first cleared the Arizona Senate Transportation and Technology Committee in February with a bipartisan vote of 5-2. Democrat Senator Christine Marsh joined four other Republicans to advance the legislation out of committee. After a Rogers’ amendment was adopted on the floor, the full chamber approved the bill with a bipartisan 19-11 vote, though Marsh did not vote in favor.
Senator Rogers cheered the passage of her proposal after the Senate vote, tweeting, “Need to be age 18 to view ‘content harmful to minors’ (pornography) on the internet. My SB 1503 passed the Arizona Senate. #ProtectChildInnocence”
SB 1503 was then transmitted to the Arizona House of Representatives where it was assigned to the Regulatory Committee. In March, the Committee took up and considered this bill, passing it with a party-line 4-3 vote. It awaits the green light from the House before it travels to the Governor’s Office for her final decision.
During the House Regulatory Committee hearing, Representative Nancy Gutierrez explained that she thought this legislation was “an infringement on our First Amendment rights,” and she found it “ridiculous” that anyone would suggest that a company would be at fault for a child looking at inappropriate websites. Gutierrez was baffled that anyone would also suggest that “there is a mechanism that would even be able to verify age.”
Her Democrat colleague, Representative Alma Hernandez, agreed with these sentiments. Before Hernandez voted against SB 1503, she first stated that she didn’t want children looking at pornography on the internet, but that this was “almost impossible to actually enforce.” She argued that the United States is “not North Korea, China, or Iran, where those countries have internet censorship,” and she challenged her Republican colleagues to return to their freedom-loving roots when coming up for solutions of problems that are perpetrated on the internet. Hernandez stated that she believes “it should be up to the parents to decide if they want to put screening mechanisms on their children’s phones.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
