by Daniel Stefanski | May 28, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Days after an Arizona legislative attempt to prohibit photo radar was sent to her desk, Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the proposal.
On Friday, Governor Hobbs sent a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, informing the legislature of her veto of SB 1234, which was sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers.
In her letter to the Legislature, Hobbs wrote, “I’ve heard from local leaders and the law enforcement officers across the state about the impact this bill will have on the safety of Arizonans. Research indicates that photo radar cameras demonstrate effectiveness in changing driver behavior and decreasing fatal accidents, especially in vulnerable areas like school zones. This bill’s ban of photo radar would eliminate an important tool for law enforcement that allows for a more efficient allocation of limited police resources.”
Hobbs expressed a desire to find solutions for safety issues on the streets, stating that she looks “forward to continuing the work with the Arizona legislature, law enforcement, and local municipalities to solve traffic issues and enhance public safety.”
Rogers, the bill’s champion, was deeply disappointed by Hobbs’ action on the bill. In a statement released after the news of the veto, Rogers responded: “Cities and towns use the photo radar scheme to collect millions of dollars from unwitting statewide drivers, each year. This traffic citation scam enables third-party companies to exploit Arizona drivers, a scheme never contemplated under state law. These surveillance systems ignore the root causes of safety concerns on our roads. They do little to eliminate immediate threats like drunk drivers, reckless drivers or speeders. Instead, photo radar cameras provide quick cash for the coffers of unelected municipal bureaucrats.”
She went on to say, “Furthermore, photo radar incentivizes politicians to penalize our citizens with unfair fines because 10% of each citation goes directly to fund campaigns through the AZ Clean Elections program. To add insult to injury, every single motor vehicle driver who passes by a camera, whether they’ve violated the law or not, are being photographed and documented. This is an egregious invasion of our privacy. Hobbs’ veto fails Arizonans. She will ultimately answer to our fleeced drivers who don’t support this years-long cash grab cloaked in the name of ‘traffic enforcement.'”
Arizona Representative Joseph Chaplik also weighed in on Twitter about the legislation’s demise, posting, “Disappointed but not surprised that Katie Hobbs vetoed the ban on photo radar and red light cameras. It is a money making scheme and corrupts law enforcement. I will continue fighting with Wendy Rogers until it’s finally gone from our streets.”
Stopping photo radar has long been a focus of Senator Rogers, who forecasted her plans to introduce this legislation last summer. In a statement before this legislative session, Rogers said, “The photo radar industry made its home base in Arizona. And that ends next year. We’re no longer going to allow government to spy on Arizonans for profit and trample due process rights.”
Last week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed the bill with a vote of 32-26 (with one member not voting and one seat vacant). Before passing the House last this month, this legislation had languished in the legislative process. The House Military Affairs & Public Safety Committee had considered the bill back on March 6, passing it with an 8-7 vote. Earlier in the session, the Senate Government Committee had cleared the measure with a 5-3 vote; and then the full Senate giving the green light with a 16-13 tally (with one member not voting).
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 26, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs experienced yet another high-profile staff exit with a negative headline that couldn’t even wait for a Friday afternoon news dump.
On Thursday, the Arizona political world received shocking news that the governor’s Chief of Staff, Allie Bones, had resigned.
Hobbs issued the following statement in conjunction with the news: “Allie Bones exemplifies the true meaning of a public servant, and I am incredibly grateful for her leadership throughout the transition and this first legislative session of my Administration. Her goal was to build a team that could work across the aisle to navigate divided government, and she accomplished that. With a successful bipartisan budget behind us, she’s ready for her next endeavor, and I wish her nothing but the best.”
The statement released by the Governor’s Office noted that Bones’ resignation was “effective immediately.”
AZ Free News reached out to Senator T.J. Shope, who relayed his reaction upon hearing the news about the major shakeup in Hobbs’ administration, stating, “I can’t say how Allie performed on the 9th Floor, but I appreciated her service to the state and feel that her exit speaks more about the working environment that the Governor allows to exist than anything else. As Harry Truman said, ‘the buck stops here…’ and we’ve seen considerable turnover on the 9th Floor.”
Dennis Welch, a veteran Phoenix journalist shared a perspective of how long the last three Arizona governors employed their chiefs of staff, highlighting that Bones checked out of the Ninth Floor of the Executive Tower considerably sooner than did the chiefs for Republicans Ducey and Brewer.
The Republican runner-up to Hobbs in the November General Election, Kari Lake, also tweeted her thoughts about the news, writing, “Everyone close to Katie Hobbs is fleeing as fast as they can. Hobbs is a disaster. She’s a sinking ship. I just hope she doesn’t take our state down with her.”
Other Republican lawmakers also opined after the news broke about Bones’ departure. Freshman Representative Austin Smith posted, “I’d quit too after that humiliating 1st session as the 9th floor COS.”
And Senator Anthony Kern wrote, “Just way too many vetoes for anyone to handle….”
Bones’ surprising exit comes after weeks of unfavorable headlines and a perpetual loss of political capital for the first-year governor. Hobbs garnered a significant amount of criticism from members of her own party and the Arizona media after she vetoed a wildly bipartisan “Tamale Bill.” She then proceeded to alienate many in her own party (and acquire several more negative headlines) after the Republican-led Legislature achieved most of their priorities in the latest budget for the state, leaving Democrats with countless gripes against the governor’s handling of the negotiations. The budget negotiation process also exposed a growing divide between Hobbs and her other same-party counterparts in state government: Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Hobbs’ short tenure as Arizona’s Chief Executive has been marred by questionable decisions of political judgment that lead many around the state to wonder if she or others around her are mostly to blame. Shortly after taking office, Hobbs supported Steve Gallardo for Chair of the Arizona Democrat Party – even though Gallardo’s opponent, Yolanda Bejarano, received endorsements from U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, Mayes, Fontes, and many other notable officials. Bejarano received 70.2% of the vote in that contest, handing Hobbs an embarrassing loss to commence her time as governor. Less than three months after the transfer of power, the governor’s press secretary, who had already created online controversy before taking the job with Hobbs, resigned after tweeting a GIF showing a woman with two firearms and the caption: “Us when we see transphobes.”
Though she promised to be a transparent governor, Hobbs’ administration has proven to be anything but “open.” Earlier in the year, Hobbs refused to give answers about her Inauguration Fund, giving Republican lawmakers legitimate opportunities to honestly undermine her credibility. The Governor’s Office also slow-walked nominees to the Arizona Senate to begin the confirmation process, allowing a further erosion of the public’s perception of her willingness to follow the Constitution in a divided government. Toward the start of the budget negotiation debate, Hobbs and her administration conceded the high ground to Republican legislators by permitting them to repeatedly highlight her ”closed door” when they desired good-faith conversations. Just weeks ago, too, Hobbs didn’t help matters by running away from reporters who were attempting to obtain long-awaited answers to many outstanding questions.
Hobbs and members of her administration haven’t made it easy on themselves in the first six months of operations, but the fallout chasing the governor hasn’t solely been created by internal missteps. Arizona Democrats have run up against a very disciplined and unified Republican caucus at the Legislature, led by Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma (and their generals, Josh Kredit and Michael Hunter). These Republicans have been resolved to remain consistent in their messaging and united against Hobbs’ policies, constraining her and her allies’ pursuit of a more progressive agenda.
Righting the ship and setting a more stable course will be the monumental task in front of the next Chief of Staff for Arizona’s Governor. In the release announcing Bones’ resignation, the Governor’s Office promised that a new chief of staff would be named by next week.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | May 26, 2023 | Education, News
By Corinne Murdock |
Gov. Katie Hobbs revoked $50 million in school choice funding awarded by her predecessor, Doug Ducey, calling it “illegal and invalid.”
The funds were used for day-long Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program kindergarten. Hobbs said that this represented unequal treatment of ESA versus non-ESA students, since the state only funds half-day kindergarten for public school students.
“Illegally giving $50 million to private schools while failing to properly invest in public education is just one egregious example of the previous administration’s blatant disregard for public school students,” said Hobbs. “I will always fight to protect our public schools and work to give every Arizona student the education they deserve. Today, we averted a violation of federal law and the State Constitution. In my administration, we are committed to deploying federal funds lawfully and equitably.”
Hobbs claimed the $50 million grant violated multiple provisions of the Arizona Constitution concerning equal protection, the gift clause, and the maintenance of public schools. The governor also claimed that the grant conflicted with terms set by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in its COVID-19 emergency funding because the grant didn’t address educational disparities it purported to address.
Hobbs said her office plans to reallocate the $50 million elsewhere, though the governor hasn’t publicly announced where. She said she delivered notice to the treasurer’s office for next steps.
In response, Treasurer Kimberly Yee criticized Hobbs’ move as “politically driven and belligerent,” and noted that she had no prior notice of Hobbs’ intent to withdraw the funding until she, like the rest of the public, learned of Wednesday’s press release. Yee also disclosed that her legal team was looking into the legality of Hobbs’ actions.
“As has become the norm for this governor, my office first learned of her action through a press release prior to receiving the letter, and we have yet to receive any communication from the Governor or her team on this matter other than the letter. Our legal team is currently reviewing the lawfulness of the governor’s move and determining next steps,” said Yee.
Yee also claimed that Hobbs’ actions reflected a disregard for educational freedom.
“It is clear Governor Hobbs does not care about what is best for Arizona kids or respect the rights of parents to determine the best environment to educate their child,” said Yee. “Instead, she is using these children as pawns in a desperate and transparent attempt to win back support from union bosses and her ultra-progressive base. Educational choice is the civil rights issue of our time, and unfortunately, Governor Hobbs thinks she knows better than parents. I fundamentally disagree, and so do Arizona families.”
Daniel Scarpinato, former chief of staff to Ducey and former national press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), claimed that Hobbs’ true motive was to improve her publicity over other statewide Democratic officials.
“The real story: Katie Hobbs is kowtowing to her far-left base because other statewide Dems are getting way more publicity than her,” stated Scarpinato. “First she canceled summer school. Now she’s against kindergarten. Hobbs’ record is stacking up, and it’s one that hurts real kids. That’s on her.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Jeff DeWit | May 24, 2023 | Opinion
By Jeff DeWit |
Election integrity is crucial for our Constitutional Republic and is rooted in the understanding that all legal votes will be counted. Our American elections should be secure, transparent, and honest.
Arizona voters are currently in a situation where Democrats are fighting against efforts to allow lawful votes from being counted in what has turned out to be the closest statewide race in Arizona history, the Attorney General race between Republican Abe Hamadeh and Democrat Kris Mayes.
Sometimes when voters go to the polls, they are required to use a “provisional” ballot but are promised by law that their vote will still count. Shockingly, there are currently over 9,000 provisional ballots that were never counted in the Attorney General race. This race is separated by just 280 votes out of 2.5 million votes, and Arizonans deserve to have every vote counted. Many of these voters are high-propensity voters that have voted in previous elections, but their votes are being erroneously disenfranchised from the voting process. Provisional ballots have been ordered by the courts to be opened and counted in the past and should be in this case as well. In some cases, these voters were strangely registered in a county other than their county of residence without their knowledge or intent.
To make matters worse, back in late December, the legal team for Hamadeh discovered that Gov. Katie Hobbs, (then Secretary of State) withheld valuable evidence regarding vote totals being incorrectly tabulated in Pinal County. There is good reason to believe that had this been known to the judge overseeing Hamadeh’s December trial, he would have ruled for a proper inspection of the ballots to ensure every legal vote was being counted, including the provisional ballots.
Why they weren’t counted in the first place remains a mystery. Some say it was purposeful. There are claims that since the election was down to a 280-vote margin for Democrat Mayes and falling fast, the Democrat Secretary of State and Democrat Recorder just decided to stop counting before the results flipped.
The same individuals who argued to have ALL votes counted (not just legal votes) prior to the election taking place are the same individuals who now refuse to count the outstanding provisional ballots.
Since the provisional ballots were breaking 70% Republican on Election Day, the race was within moments of flipping to a Republican victory had they not stopped counting. Whatever the reason that the counting stopped, what is undoubtedly true is that ALL the ballots need to be counted.
When this is added to the latest news last week from Pinal County (see stories regarding the Pinal County elections director knowingly seeing glaring errors and inaccuracies in the votes, cashing out and fleeing the state), this appears to at least be a case of gross negligence. Clearly, the uncounted provisional ballots should be counted.
Understanding precedent is also important here. This would not be the first time in Arizona’s history that an election was overturned after an election lawsuit. In 1916, the race for governor was ultimately overturned and the legitimate winner rightfully took office 13 months after the election. Similarly, in the 1996 race for Yuma County Board of Supervisors, the election was eventually overturned after nearly a year of litigation.
The future of our Constitutional Republic depends on it, and the Arizona Republican Party will continue to fight for ELECTION INTEGRITY. The best course of action is undoubtedly to clean up the voter rolls. However, in the interim, it is imperative that we count all provisional ballots. Everyone should be demanding the same from our government: Let ALL of the voters be heard by letting ALL of the votes be counted.
Jeff DeWit is the Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer for NASA and the elected State Treasurer of Arizona, as well as C.O.O. & C.F.O. of the Trump Campaign in 2016, and C.O.O. again in 2020.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 24, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
An Arizona legislative attempt to prohibit photo radar has been sent to the Governor’s Office.
Last week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed SB 1234, sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers, with a vote of 32-26 (with one member not voting and one seat vacant). The bill would “forbid the use of photo radar systems to enforce traffic law.”
Stopping photo radar has long been a focus of Senator Rogers, who forecasted her plans to introduce this legislation last summer. Rogers said, “The photo radar industry made its home base in Arizona. And that ends next year. We’re no longer going to allow government to spy on Arizonans for profit and trample due process rights.”
After the House approved the proposal, Republican lawmakers cheered its success on social media. Representative Rachel Jones tweeted, “This week, we passed SB 1234 to ban photo radar. These cameras are the biggest scam of all time, and completely unconstitutional. This was a huge win for freedom!!!”
Representative Joseph Chaplik wrote, “Photo radar is a corrupting scheme in our state and it needs to end now. I proudly voted yes for SB 1234 yesterday to ban it completely, just like 16 other states did.”
And Representative Austin Smith posted, “Photo radar is a racket and abuse of our 4th, 5th and 6th amendment rights. How politicians before approved this is shameful. I proudly voted yes to ban photo radar in Arizona. Good bill, Wendy Rogers!
Before passing the House last this month, this legislation had languished in the legislative process. The House Military Affairs & Public Safety Committee had considered the bill back on March 6, passing it with an 8-7 vote. Earlier in the session, the Senate Government Committee had cleared the measure with a 5-3 vote; and then the full Senate giving the green light with a 16-13 tally (with one member not voting).
Rogers had a dozen co-sponsors for the bill – all Republicans. Senators Ken Bennett, Sonny Borrelli, David Farnsworth, David Gowan, Jake Hoffman, Steve Kaiser, John Kavanagh, Anthony Kern, Sine Kerr, JD Mesnard, (President) Warren Petersen, and Janae Wadsack were the co-sponsors.
Representatives from the City of Chandler, the City of Avondale, the Town of Paradise Valley, the City of Mesa, the Arizona Chapter National Safety Council, the Arizona Public Health Association, and the League of Arizona Cities & Towns noted their opposition to the bill as it moved through the two legislative chambers.
Governor Hobbs is expected to veto this piece of legislation.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
