by Jonathan Eberle | Jul 6, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Governor Katie Hobbs signed legislation Wednesday creating a new Independent Correctional Oversight Office for Arizona’s prison system—but critics say the move rings hollow, as the Governor declined to provide any funding to make the office functional.
Senate Bill 1507, introduced by Senator Shawnna Bolick, was designed to increase accountability and transparency within the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR). The bill comes amid heightened scrutiny of the state’s prison system following recent inmate deaths and reports of systemic failures.
But while the bill was signed into law, supporters say its impact has been effectively neutralized by the Governor’s refusal to allocate funding to the new office. “I’m glad to see Senator Bolick’s SB 1507 signed into law. This is a long-overdue step toward accountability in our corrections system,” said Rep. Walt Blackman. “But a law without funding is just a press release.”
Senator Bolick, who chairs the Senate Regulatory Affairs & Government Efficiency Committee, expressed frustration with the Governor’s decision, accusing her of prioritizing appearances over action.
“Signing a bill and refusing to fund it is like buying a car and not putting anyone in the driver’s seat,” Bolick said. “The Governor is selling the illusion of progress while withholding the tools the office needs to function.”
The oversight office was envisioned as a neutral body to monitor Arizona’s prison system, investigate abuse, and ensure transparency—functions advocates say are urgently needed.
Supporters of the bill argue that the Governor’s rejection of all related budget requests undermines the very accountability the legislation was meant to establish. Without staff, resources, or operational funding, the office exists only on paper.
Bolick is now urging the Governor to take immediate steps to rectify the situation, suggesting Hobbs find funds either within her own office or by reallocating money from another agency.
“If she believes in this office,” Bolick said, “she needs to fund it.” For now, the Independent Correctional Oversight Office remains a concept without a functioning framework—leaving reform advocates wondering when, or if, oversight will become reality in Arizona’s prison system.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Jul 2, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Among many issues, the past two elections have been a referendum on the public school system throughout our country. And that’s especially true here in Arizona. The people have shown that they are tired of the leftist indoctrination, wasted taxpayer dollars on declining test scores, attacks on parental rights, and more.
Immediately after his inauguration, President Trump proved that cleaning up our schools wasn’t just a campaign talking point. He issued an executive order (EO) ending radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling, and the U.S. Department of Education took action to eliminate harmful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. It’s been a breath of fresh air, frankly, but the woke crazies in our state are not going down without a fight.
Back in February, a teacher at Marana High School was suspended after he challenged President Trump’s denial of the existence of more than two genders during a classroom lecture. Then, in May, an advocacy group released audio from inside a Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) ninth grade health classroom where an alleged teacher gave a “lesson” on LGBTQ issues and criticized religious texts. What any of this has to do with “health” is beyond us, but it certainly shows the lengths these crazies are willing to go in order to push their radical message.
Not wanting to be outdone, Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) also decided to get into the mix…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Jonathan Eberle | Jun 29, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
After weeks of political brinkmanship and competing proposals, Arizona lawmakers have approved a bipartisan state budget that combines Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs’ “Arizona Promise” priorities with over $100 million in conservative-driven spending cuts secured by House Republicans. The compromise averted a potential government shutdown.
The $16 billion spending package reflects a rare show of collaboration in a divided government, incorporating elements from both the governor’s agenda—focused on opportunity, affordability, and social services—and Republican demands for fiscal restraint, public safety funding, and government accountability.
“I am thrilled that the legislature passed the bipartisan and balanced Arizona Promise budget to expand opportunity, security, and freedom in our state,” Hobbs said in a statement. “We showed Arizonans what is possible when we are willing to reach across the aisle and deliver common sense solutions for the people of our state.”
House Republicans, meanwhile, emphasized that the final deal bears the mark of tough negotiations, resulting in meaningful structural reforms and a $100 million reduction in planned spending compared to earlier drafts.
“This revised budget isn’t the one we would have written,” said House Speaker Steve Montenegro. “But with time running out and the risk of a shutdown increasing, we fought for and secured serious improvements. We cut spending, added strong transparency requirements, and locked in public safety pay raises. Those changes matter.”
The final package maintains many of Hobbs’ original proposals while adopting Republican-backed amendments. “This was not a blank check,” said House Majority Leader Michael Carbone. “We held the line on conservative principles, cut unnecessary spending, and demanded accountability. This budget is better because of our efforts.”
While the Arizona Promise budget may carry the governor’s name, its final version reflects the realities of a politically split state government. The result is a package that funds long-term priorities across education, health care, infrastructure, and public safety, while also maintaining fiscal discipline and Republican values like limited government and transparency.
“We’ve led responsibly in a divided government,” Speaker Montenegro said. “We held the line, improved the bill, and protected the priorities of our voters.”
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Jun 29, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Senate Republicans are sounding the alarm after the reported murder of another inmate last week at the Lewis Prison Complex, pushing the number of inmate homicides in the state’s prison system to 11 in the current fiscal year — a dramatic rise compared to an average of two per year over the previous four years.
The lawmakers are calling on Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR) Director Ryan Thornell and Governor Katie Hobbs to address what they describe as a growing public safety crisis behind prison walls.
“This troubling news comes on the very day Director Thornell was expected to respond to my request for records concerning the department’s internal operations,” said Senate Public Safety Committee Chairman Kevin Payne. “We’re running out of time to identify and fix the security failures within our correctional system. We’re not just talking about inmates — our officers are increasingly at risk, too.”
According to Payne, in addition to the suspected homicide at Lewis Prison, there was also a recent incident at a Florence facility in which several correctional officers were assaulted.
Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp placed blame on a mix of staffing shortages and what she characterized as overly lenient inmate policies. “Our corrections officers face the very real threat of violence every day. ADCRR’s current policies have given inmates more freedom than is appropriate for safety and order. Governor Hobbs must step up and reassert control over our correctional institutions,” she said.
Majority Whip Frank Carroll added, “A core responsibility of the government is to protect its citizens — that includes ensuring state prisons are secure and functional. Eleven inmate homicides in one year is unacceptable. Arizona is clearly failing on this front.”
Senate Military Affairs and Border Security Committee Chairman David Gowan echoed similar concerns and criticized what he called a lack of support from the executive branch. “Our prisons are underfunded, understaffed, and overrun by criminal activity,” he said. “We’ve put forward common-sense solutions, but the Governor continues to resist Republican efforts to fix these systemic problems.”
Republican lawmakers have previously introduced proposals to boost staffing, increase officer pay, and improve security infrastructure, but say those initiatives have been stymied by the administration.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jun 27, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
After 28 years, the sound of passenger trains arriving in Phoenix could return as soon as 2030. The Federal Railroad Administration has approved the essential scoping documents that will allow the Arizona Department of Transportation to create a Service Development Plan, completing the first stage of the Phoenix-Tucson Intercity Passenger Rail Corridor Study.
The effort will propose passenger rail service along a 158-mile corridor between the greater Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas and will include re-routing the Amtrak Sunset Limited back through Phoenix according to ADOT.
According to Federal Railroad Administration’s FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections, “The proposed corridor would reconnect Phoenix (Buckeye) to Tucson, AZ, with multiple daily frequencies. The proposed corridor would reinstate service on an existing alignment over which Amtrak discontinued service in 1997, rerouting the long-distance Sunset Limited to a more southerly alignment through Maricopa, AZ (the corridor would use the same route as the existing Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle between Picacho and Tucson, AZ). The corridor sponsor would enter Step 1 of the program to develop a scope, schedule, and cost estimate for preparing, completing, or documenting its service development plan.”
Step 1, as described by the 2022 document, has now been completed.
The Sunset Limited Route, and Amtrak service overall, was diverted from Phoenix following the attack that resulted in the derailment of the train at 1:35 a.m. on October 9, 1995, near Palo Verde, Arizona, 70-miles southwest of Phoenix.
The infamous derailment caused the death of an Amtrak employee and serious injuries to 12 others, along with minor injuries to 100 of the 258 passengers aboard. It remains one of the most famous cold cases in FBI history with no suspects despite a $310,000 reward still offered by several agencies for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the attacker.
Since 1997, Phoenix has remained disconnected from the Amtrak Intercity Rail system with riders required to use buses or drive to the Amtrak depot in Maricopa, Arizona, 38-miles to the south, or about an hour’s drive in traffic.
Democrat Congressman and former Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton hailed the announcement in a post to X writing, “I’ve been fighting to restore Amtrak service to Phoenix for a long time, and today it’s one step closer to becoming a reality.”
In a written statement, current Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs commented, “This is a big step forward for Arizona. I am committed to creating a bright transportation future for our state that fosters economic growth, creates jobs and expands transit opportunities for working people and families.”
The second stage of the process, the creation of a Service Development Plan, is expected to take two to three years after a crucial federal grant is approved, which is anticipated in the weeks to come per ADOT. The study, already funded with a $10.6 million budget, will include technical analysis of “capital and service requirements for passenger rail service; preliminary engineering and costs for capital improvements, such as stations, parking lots and trains; station locations; [and] service scenarios based on ridership potential.”
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.
