by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 31, 2025 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
School funding is a hot topic at the Arizona Legislature as the 57th Regular Session prepares to launch into its second month.
Arizona lawmakers and the Governor’s Office are wrestling over the looming expiration date for Proposition 123, which has helped fund the state’s K-12 schools since it was established under the previous Ducey administration.
One legislator in particular, Senator J.D. Mesnard, noted this deadline in the weekly newsletter published by Arizona Senate Republicans, saying, “With a new session comes a new opportunity to work on bills that may not have reached the finish line in the year prior. As such, I’m again working on a Proposition 123 extension plan to send to the ballot. This measure was first approved by voters in 2016. It allows a larger percentage from the state land trust to be distributed to our K-12 schools. Prop. 123 is set to expire this summer. With this in mind, Republicans backfilled the money allocated each year to K-12 schools within the last state budget, nearly $300 million, so there are no disruptions to this funding stream.”
Mesnard added, “The new Prop. 123 I’m proposing would be additional dollars on top of what we backfilled. My colleagues and I would like this money to go directly to teacher pay raises, with a goal of each educator receiving an additional $4,000 annually. I will keep you posted on the progress of Proposition 123 as well as other commonsense legislation that will hopefully receive the Governor’s signature.”
In Governor Katie Hobbs’ recent State of the State address, she touched on the vital importance of Prop 123, saying, “We must address the impending expiration of Prop 123, which provides critical funding for public schools and teachers. Renewing it is essential. If we fail to act, we are throwing away an opportunity to fund teacher pay raises and give Arizona’s children the opportunity they deserve – all without raising taxes on a single Arizonan. When Prop 123 originally passed, it was a bipartisan success and proved that Republicans and Democrats could come together and do the right thing for our students, teachers, and parents. So let’s put our kids first again and provide the certainty they and our schools need. Let’s address the Aggregate Expenditure Limit to make sure schools stay open. Let’s pass a Prop 123 extension to fund our schools without raising taxes.”
Following the Governor’s speech to both chambers of the Arizona Legislature, Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope offered one of the Republican responses to her proposal. He said, “We will take action to equip our K-12 schools with quality educators at the front of every classroom by using a Proposition 123 renewal to increase teacher pay above the national average.”
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has also weighed in on the Prop 123 debate. Earlier this month, he posted, “We must renew Prop 123 and increase the income from the land trust, which is overflowing with money, to increase teacher salaries.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 5, 2025 | Economy, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans highlighted their state’s low tax rate after a recent signing of a baseball star with the hometown team.
Late last month, Corbin Burnes, a free agent pitching star, decided to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, shocking most onlookers, who had predicted that he would likely end up with another Major League Baseball suiter.
One report shared that Burnes made his decision based on Arizona’s lower tax rate. Burnes had been wooed by the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants – two jurisdictions with significantly higher taxes than the Grand Canyon State.
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said, “Sports players choose AZ over other states because our taxes are lower. Businesses do the same.”
Former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey added, “I’ll be looking forward to watching Corbin Burnes in a Dbacks jersey next year – and very glad to see that Arizona’s lowest flat tax in the nation is what brought him to AZ! Sorry Gavin Newsom [&] Justin Trudeau!”
Burnes had been reportedly offered more money by the aforementioned teams before deciding to ink a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
According to a post on X, the top tax rate in California is 14.4%, and the top federal and provincial tax rate in Toronto, Ontario is 53.53%. Arizona’s tax rate is 2.5% in comparison.
Arizona owes its low tax rate to the work of Governor Ducey and legislative Republicans, who enacted the transformational tax bracket in 2021.
Two staunch free-market advocates, Tim Phillips (President of Americans for Prosperity) and Grover Norquist (President of Americans for Tax Reform), wrote a piece in Newsweek, praising the accomplished feat of the Arizona Legislature, spearheaded by State Senator J.D. Mesnard and Ducey. They stated, “Arizona, on the other hand, provides a good example: lower the tax rates to let people keep more of what they earn and invest in what they care about most. Limit government spending to grow no faster than the incomes of the citizens who pay the taxes. Create a magnet for job-creating investment and hardworking Americans who simply wish to be left alone to work hard, take care of their families and support their communities.”
Phillips and Norquist added, “The Arizona reform is a positive model and one that should be followed by other states and the federal government.”
When the Arizona Supreme Court gave the green light for these tax reforms to go into effect, Arizona Free Enterprise President Scot Mussi said, “Today’s decision from the Arizona Supreme Court is a big win for taxpayers in our state. The legislature passed historic tax cuts last year that benefit all Arizona taxpayers. It’s time for Invest in Arizona and out-of-state special interest groups to accept this reality and stop making a farce of the referendum process.”
Mesnard touted the progress of his historic legislation in a campaign newsletter in January 2023, saying, “The historic tax reform that I championed in 2021 is now in effect for income earned this year – a full year ahead of schedule thanks to strong government revenues. Valued at more than $2 billion, this reform reduced individual tax rates to 2.5%, resulting in a tax cut for every single Arizona family and Arizona having the lowest flat tax in the nation.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 22, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republican officials have met with the State of Florida’s chief of elections to ascertain necessary changes to their own systems of counting and reporting votes.
On Tuesday, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen led a call with the Florida Secretary of State, Cord Byrd, for the purpose of gleaning information about the Sunshine State’s efficient ballot tabulation for Election Day.
In a post on his X account, Petersen marked the meeting, saying, “Just finished a great meeting with Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and his staff discussing what they do to get election results quickly. As expected a big difference is that we do not have a cutoff for early ballot drop-offs at polling places like they do. But we also learned of other ways to be more efficient. I look forward to passing legislation so that AZ will have election results night of.”
Petersen also thanked the Republicans who joined him on the call, including Representatives Steve Montenegro, John Gillette, Senators Shawna Bolick, John Kavanagh, JD Mesnard, incoming Senator Mark Finchem, Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin, incoming Supervisor Debbie Lesko, and Republican Party of Arizona Chair Gina Swoboda.
In an exclusive comment to AZ Free News, Petersen shared more of his thoughts about the meeting, stating, “What I came away with is that the biggest thing we can do to speed up results, that would be the easiest to implement, would be having a cutoff of 7 p.m. on the Friday before the election to drop off ballots.”
Secretary Byrd acknowledged the meeting on social media, posting, “Yesterday, I and my team at the Florida Secretary of State spoke with legislative leaders from Arizona including the Senate President and Speaker of the House about how Florida’s election code allows for the timely and accurate counting of ballots. We are happy to share the Florida blueprint.”
Senator Bolick, who was also on the call with the Florida Secretary of State, told AZ Free News that, “In the past, I have worked with folks who helped fix the Florida issues. We also have tried different solutions over the past few years only for bills to be vetoed or killed by fellow GOP legislators because they didn’t sponsor the bill. I believe late earlies are the biggest hinderance in getting results on election night. Our voters are tired of being the laughingstock of the country, especially voters in Maricopa County. We shouldn’t be waiting two weeks for results. Early voting ends the Friday before the election as should mail-in ballots.”
Bolick added, “Florida’s voters know they can’t walk their vote by mail ballot into a polling place on election day. They can only walk it into their supervisor’s (aka our recorder’s) office on election day. Voters I have spoken to would be okay modifying these changes if it means getting results on races on election night. I am certain the legislature would be interested in appropriating funds to ensure timely, accurate results.”
State Senator Wendy Rogers also indicated her presence on the call and cheered the opportunity “to learn from Florida’s successes!”
Lesko made sure to note the call on her X account, writing, “Today, I was privileged to join AZ Senate President Warren Petersen, House Speaker Steve Montenegro, Supervisor Thomas Galvin, and several state legislators, on a call with Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd to discuss their policies for elections that have made Florida into an admirable model. Republicans and Democrats must unite to make necessary reforms to Arizona elections. I look forward to working with legislators to accomplish this worthy goal on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.”
Republicans in the Arizona Legislature have vowed to make these reforms their top priority in the next legislative session, which starts in January. However, they are expected to meet resistance from Democrats, especially Governor Katie Hobbs, who has vetoed other commonsense elections bills in her previous two years in office.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 13, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans pulled out some key victories in extremely competitive districts to expand their control of the state legislature.
Entering the 2024 General Election, Republicans had a very narrow control of the Arizona Legislature. Over the past year, local and national Democrats poured millions of dollars into specific districts, hoping to flip one or both chambers.
Instead of a party shift, however, Republicans did more than maintain their control of each legislative body; they may have slightly expanded their numbers, as the makeup looks today with most of ballots counted across the state.
In District 2, Republican Senator Shawnna Bolick staved off a ferocious challenge from Democrat Judy Schwiebert, winning by almost four percent.
Bolick said, “I cannot thank our family, friends, and supporters enough for helping to push us over the finish line. I am fortunate to have had helping hands to complete our post card writing campaigns in both the primary and the general elections. We also had to deliver campaign literature to voters in all the precincts targeting registered voters across all political parties. We had volunteers from all over the state making phone calls and sending positive text messages to our district’s voters. Thank you to everyone who reached out to help us, maximizing our efforts to reaching our goal of winning this seat.”
In District 4, Republican newcomer Carine Werner unseated incumbent Democrat Senator Christine Marsh, emerging victorious by more than 3.5%.
Werner issued a statement after her race was called, writing, “We were successful because we worked hard and listened to voters in District 4. I say ‘we’ because it isn’t about me, it’s about finding solutions for small businesses, families, our schools, and first responders. I will legislate the same way I campaigned and have served on school board – with integrity, transparency, and accountability. I want our district to feel like their hard work and entrepreneurship means something. I want people to get more for their hard-earned dollar, because we can help reduce prices and keep taxes low. And I want parents to feel empowered to make the best choices for their kids. This election is about all of us and the future of our state – I’m honored to be part of it and to know that voters have trust and faith in me. Now it’s time to deliver.”
Incumbent Republican state Representative Matt Gress easily won the top spot in this district to return to his chamber for a second term in office. His running mate, Pamela Carter, held off Democrat Kelli Butler by less than one percent to capture the second House seat.
Gress stated, “The latest batch of votes are in, and we are WAY up in #LD4! I am so grateful you have re-hired me as your state representative with wide support across our community. I’ll continue working for YOU! On this campaign, we talked about common sense — we didn’t sling mud. I can’t wait to get back to work, delivering more results for our community and state. In short: THANK YOU, #LD4!!!”
Carter added, “WE DID IT! We have been victorious in winning the final seat in the Arizona House of Representatives in LD 4! Great news for Arizona! Thank you to my Lord Jesus Christ, my team, and all of my supporters and volunteers for making this possible. Congratulations to President Trump, our 47th President of the USA! Together, we will make Arizona and America strong, healthy and vibrant again!!”
In District 13, Republican Senator J.D. Mesnard won reelection with a margin of over six percent.
Republicans Jeff Weninger and Julie Willoughby won both House seats for the district. For Willoughby, this upcoming term will be her first full one in office. For Weninger, this victory marks a return to the state legislature after a brief hiatus from public service.
Weninger said, “We had to counter an enormous amount of campaign spending coming from out-of-state special interest groups. In the end, they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting my opponent. But we responded even stronger and again sent a message that the people of this district value real relationships and real results. Desperate money from DC liberals won’t fool them. In fact, it appears this will be my biggest win yet for the State Senate!”
In District 17, Republican candidate and former legislator Vince Leach has a razor-thin lead of approximately 1,500 votes over Democrat John McLean.
In District 23, Republican incumbent state Representative Michele Peña finished atop the field of candidates for House, ensuring another term in the Arizona Legislature.
As of Monday night, Republicans appear to have secured 17 of 30 Senate seats and 33 of 60 House seats. There are still thousands of votes outstanding throughout the state.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 10, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
With Arizona election results lagging yet again, Republicans are pointing to failed action from the state’s Democrat governor to help correct the holes in the system.
Once again, the Grand Canyon State is the focus of negative post-election attention due to the length of time required to tabulate outstanding ballots. Legislative Republicans have highlighted their efforts to improve efficiency and speed of vote counting, as well as Governor Katie Hobbs’ rejection of some of their past proposals.
In a press release on Friday, Senator J.D. Mesnard noted that one of his bills in 2023 would have “resolved the biggest contributor to the delay in final election results while establishing equal treatment of those coming to the polls on or near election day.” Hobbs vetoed this piece of legislation, SB 1595, which would have “required those who decide to hold on to their mailed ballots until after the Friday before election day to follow the same ID requirements as everyone else when dropping off their ballots.”
Senator Mesnard said, “Once again, Arizona is a laughingstock across the country for how long it’s taking our state to determine winners and losers in this election, an election with national implications. This chaos, confusion, frustration, and controversy is nothing new for us and easily could have been avoided this year had the Governor not vetoed SB 1595. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again – ignoring this problem is a complete disservice to our voters who are taking their precious time to exercise their civic duty. It also continually puts us in the national spotlight, and not in a good way. We can’t just kick the can down the road every election cycle. My proposal was commonsense, practical to implement, fair to the voters, and would have made a real difference in tackling the lengthy timeline voters and candidates – and the nation – continue to complain about.”
Mesnard vowed to redouble his efforts to resolve the issues plaguing the state’s elections system, adding, “Senate Republicans will work again to send a bill like this to the Governor’s desk next session, and we hope she will do the right thing by signing it this time so we can finally move past this ongoing embarrassment.”
Hobbs failed to provide much of a reason for her veto of this bill in her customary letter to Senate President Warren Petersen in June 2023, writing, “This bill fails to meaningfully address the real challenges facing Arizona voters.”
Two days after this most recent Election Day, Petersen echoed Mesnard’s sentiments in a post on his X account, stating, “I have tried without success to shift us to the Florida model that has a Friday cutoff to drop off early ballots. Current delay is from counting the mail ballots dropped day of, which have to be signature verified. Maybe I can get enough support now to get it to the finish line.”
A handful of Republican legislators agreed with Petersen’s sentiments for the solution to Arizona’s issues. State Representative Selina Bliss said, “I sponsored this bill our last two sessions and the House Chair of the Elections Committee wouldn’t hear it. I will be sponsoring it again. So glad to have a Senate champion Warren Petersen to get this done!!”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope weighed in, saying, “Let’s put the bill to shift to the Florida model on Governor Hobbs desk!”
State Representative Justin Wilmeth added, “I’ll definitely support a shift to this model!”
Arizona Senator Wendy Rogers stated, “Yes, we have been TRYING and will PERSEVERE!”
It wasn’t just Republicans at the state legislature noting the issues facing Arizona elections. Laurie Roberts, a columnist at The Arizona Republic, wrote a piece this week entitled, “Why does it take Arizona so long to count votes? This problem is fixable.” Roberts wrote, “I think it’s time to put the early back in early ballots. If you want to vote on Election Day, then go vote the old-fashioned way – in person.” She also said, “…it’s just not realistic that nearly a quarter of a million people can drop off early ballots on Election Day, then expect to know who won a close race on election night. In a swing state, no less. As the world is watching (and, I suspect, wondering what the heck is wrong with Arizona). Fix it in January, please, Arizona legislators.”
Petersen publicly thanked Roberts for her piece and expressed hope that the right legislation would become law this next year. He noted, “Hopefully with your voice and the overwhelming support from AZ citizens it will pass and get signed by the governor.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
