Arizona House Republicans have chosen their new leadership team for the upcoming term of office.
Last week, Arizona House Republicans met to elect their new team of leaders for the next two years. Representative Steve Montenegro received enough votes to become the next Speaker of the House, replacing outgoing leader Ben Toma. Representative Michael Carbone was elected as Majority Leader, and Representative Julie Willoughby as Majority Whip.
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE🚨 House Republican Majority Caucus Elects New Leadership Team for 57th Legislature:@SteveMontenegro Speaker-Elect of the Arizona House of Representatives, @MichaelCarbone Majority Leader-Elect, & @JWilloughbyAZ Majority Whip-Elect.
In a statement to accompany the announcement of his victory for Speaker, Montenegro said, “I am deeply honored by the trust my colleagues have placed in me to serve as Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives. Together, we have a strong mandate from Arizonans to advance policies that uphold our principles, promote economic growth, and protect the freedoms and values that define our great state. This opportunity to lead is one I take with great respect for the role and with determination to address the challenges ahead. Our commitment to conservative principles will guide us as we work to secure a bright, prosperous future for every Arizonan.”
Representative Matt Gress posted a picture with the incoming leadership team, writing, “Congratulations to the next Speaker of the Arizona House, Steve Montenegro, along with our new party leaders, Republican Majority Leader, Michael Carbone, and Republican Majority Whip, Julie Willoughby. Under their leadership, the House will deliver common sense solutions for Arizonans. Let’s GOOOO!!”
Congratulations to the next Speaker of the Arizona House, Steve Montenegro, along with our new party leaders, Republican Majority Leader, Michael Carbone, and Republican Majority Whip, Julie Willoughby.
Unlike the largely unified process and result in the Arizona Senate for Republicans this time around, their legislative allies in the state House of Representatives will have to heal from a speaker’s election that was divided and extremely competitive. To illustrate that point, at least one Arizona House Republican took to X in the aftermath of the speaker’s election to publicly decry the consequences of the result. A unified caucus will be critical to joining with Senate Republicans to stand against Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs’ continued attempts to advance her left-wing priorities in the state over the final two years of her first term in office.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Two Arizona Republican bills to tackle the state’s deepening housing crisis were recently signed into law.
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed HB 2720 and HB 2721. HB 2720 “establishes requirements relating to accessory dwelling units” – according to the overview from the Arizona House of Representatives. HB 2721 “adopts requirements for middle housing development” – also according to the overview from the state House.
In a statement that followed the governor’s signature of his bills, State Representative Michael Carbone, a Republican, wrote, “It’s the goal of Republicans in the Legislature to make life more affordable for everyday Arizonans by addressing the urgent need for more diverse housing options. I’m pleased to have the Governor sign my two bills into law, which will help mitigate the effects of rising housing costs and ensure that our teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers, and families can live in the communities they serve and love.”
Carbone added, “Importantly, the legislation reinforces a homeowner’s right to use their property as they see fit which, for some, may include adding accommodations for multigenerational housing or to generate additional income. The enactment of this legislation is a significant step toward solving the state’s housing crisis, and I am proud of the bipartisan effort that made it possible.”
Hobbs also released a statement to mark her signature on these two proposals, saying, “I’m glad the legislature heard my calls to come to the table to pass common sense, bipartisan legislation that will expand housing options and help mitigate the effects of rising costs to make life more affordable for everyday Arizonans. And today, I’m proud to sign bills into law that will expand access to ADUs and missing middle housing.”
The governor continued, “I was born and raised in an Arizona where a middle-class family could buy their own home. In the past year alone we have made dramatic strides towards making that the reality again for the next generation. …Moving forward, I hope we can work together to address short term rentals that displace long-term community residents, and crack down on speculation by out-of-state real estate investors that drives up the cost of housing for Arizonans.”
Both bills will go into effect 90 days after the conclusion of the 2024 Arizona Legislative Session.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
A joint Arizona legislative committee hearing made some discoveries about the state governor’s water policies in juxtaposition with the reality of housing affordability and supply.
Last week, both the House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee (NREW) and the House Commerce Committee held a joint hearing “to hear testimony from experts on the current state of water policy and its impact on housing supply and affordability in Arizona.”
🚨FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE🚨 Joint House Hearing Finds Governor’s Water Policy Directly Conflicts with Housing Affordability and Supply
“Good news! Updated groundwater modeling conducted in 2024 shows Arizona has water.” -NREW Chairwoman Gail Griffin
— Arizona House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) April 3, 2024
State Representative Gail Griffin, the Chairwoman of the House NREW Committee issued a statement following the hearing, saying, “Good news! Updated groundwater modeling conducted in 2024 shows Arizona has water. According to independent hydrologists at Matrix New World, the comprehensive groundwater model that was released in June 2023 does not actually describe the amount of groundwater that is available in the basin. The Arizona Department of Water Resources decided unilaterally to model certain wells under the assumption that they would be placed on the side of a mountain rather than in the heart of the aquifer. In addition, the June 2023 model substantially over-estimated groundwater demand while substantially under-estimating future supply to reflect current best practices in water management or the fact that it is currently illegal to build residential subdivisions in the Phoenix metropolitan area without replenishing groundwater.”
“Clearly, this administration is targeting single-family homes and the American way of life,” said NREW Vice Chairman Austin Smith. “Some members of the Governor’s Water Policy Council have an issue with single-family homes and want to see future suburban development come to an end across the state. Governor Hobbs’s water policy and moratorium on new housing development has effectively put urban growth boundaries around the largest cities in our state. These policies didn’t work in states like Oregon and Washington and have only made housing affordability worse. What we’re seeing is a rogue administration that is attempting to use the power of the executive branch to circumvent the legislature and implement illegal housing and population control in Arizona.”
“Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the nation and relies on new home construction to maintain an affordable housing supply and low-cost standard of living for millions of people,” added Commerce Committee Chairman Justin Wilmeth. “Home ownership is also one of the most effective ways to build generational wealth and lift future generations out of poverty. Bad water policies that prevent the development of new homes directly conflicts with our ability to ensure that first-time homebuyers can purchase at a price that they can afford. If the Department doesn’t change course, millions of people will be excluded from the opportunity to experience home ownership and be forced to pay rent forever.”
“Arizona’s regulatory environment is premised on the foundation that a person who submits an application for a regulatory approval under one set of rules will be entitled to have their application reviewed under that same set of rules,” said Commerce Committee Vice Chairman Michael Carbone. “Arizona water policy under the current administration, however, is the only place where the government has said that the rules can change at any time without notice, even if a developer has already submitted an application under the old set of rules. This is simply irresponsible – no matter how laudable the cause – and has impacted several major housing developers in Arizona who had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in capital improvements to bring thousands of new single-family homes online. These developers played by the rules and did everything they were supposed to do, yet they were denied due process of law in the handling of their applications. The Department must update the June 2023 groundwater model with the latest science and well placement data and lift the moratorium on new housing development without further delay.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
A bill to help young entrepreneurs throughout Arizona is advancing through the state legislature.
Last week, the Arizona Senate approved SB 1370, which was sponsored by Senator Shawnna Bolick. According to the purpose provided by the chamber, the proposal would “prohibit a municipality or county from requiring a license or permit for a business that operates occasionally by a minor or a person who has not graduated from high school, [and] creates a transaction privilege tax (TPT) exemption.”
It was an honor to sponsor SB1370.
We need to let kids flourish and soak up the entrepreneurial spirit, not regulate their imagination and grit before they can even launch their idea.
Please support youth entrepreneurs like Aiden so we can free the lemons here in Arizona! https://t.co/nywqzudHMl
In a statement, Bolick said, “Asking kids to obtain a food handlers card to set up a lemonade stand is absurd, yet cities across Arizona are requiring this. I don’t agree with saddling our budding innovators with red tape, so I’ve sponsored SB 1370, which would prohibit a municipality or county from requiring a license or permit for a business that operates occasionally by a minor or a person who has not graduated from high school.”
Bolick encouraged Arizonans to listen to the testimony of Aiden, a young entrepreneur who appeared before the Senate Government Committee when the bill was being heard earlier this month. She revealed that “despite his impressive request for support from legislators, all Democrats voted no to helping him and other child entrepreneurs like him.”
The bill passed the Senate with a 16-10 tally, with four members not voting. Senator Brian Fernandez, the lone Democrat co-sponsor of the legislation, did not vote on the measure.
Young man makes impressive request for support for child entrepreneurs. ⬇️
Continuing with her supportive comments for her legislation, Bolick stated, “It’s important that we allow kids to learn how to succeed in life, instead of creating unnecessary barriers against them. Several other states, including liberal Colorado, have passed similar laws.”
Republican State Representatives Michael Carbone and Justin Wilmeth are also co-sponsors of the bill.
On the Request to Speak system for the Arizona Legislature, representatives from the Chandler Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity Arizona indicated their support for the proposal. A representative from Save Our Schools Arizona signed in opposition to the bill.
SB 1370 now awaits action in the Arizona House of Representatives.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona Republican Legislators continue to share their concerns about the progression of the latest Election Procedure Manual (EPM).
On Friday, Arizona State Representatives Michael Carbone and Steve Montenegro issued a press release, “criticizing an extremely short public comment period set by Secretary of State Adrian Fontes for his 2023 EPM.” They demanded that Fontes “extend the deadline for public comment” after the state’s election chief set the deadline for August 15.
✅FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE✅ State Representatives @SteveMontenegro & @MichaelCarbone Urge Secretary Fontes to Extend Public Comment Period for 2023 Elections Procedures Manual.
— Arizona House Republicans (@AZHouseGOP) August 4, 2023
In a statement, Carbone said, “Requiring public comments to be submitted by August 15th is simply too restrictive and does not provide adequate time for interested stakeholders to review the draft 2023 EPM for compliance with state law. It is our understanding that several provisions have already been identified that appear to run afoul of state law. We urge Secretary Fontes to extend the public comment deadline to at least September 1, 2023, to give the public an adequate opportunity to review and provide input on the most important elections manual that will guide county officials in administering their duties in the 2024 elections.”
Montenegro added, “The Elections Procedures Manual is of paramount importance to ensuring the integrity and security of election administration in Arizona. Secretary Fontes should have given the public more than 15 days to review his extensive 259-page draft of the EPM and submit comments. A longer comment period is particularly necessary and reasonable this year because Arizona has not had a legally compliant EPM since 2019.”
Carbone and Montenegro encouraged “Arizona voters to participate in the process to keep both elected and unelected election officers transparent and accountable” by submitting public comments to the draft EPM.
On Tuesday, August 1, Secretary Fontes commenced the 15-day public comment period for the 2023 EPM. Fontes wrote, “As a former County Recorder, I understand how important this manual is for the dedicated Arizonans who are entrusted with one of the toughest and most important jobs in our democracy. In an atmosphere of heightened scrutiny of our elections, local and county officials need clear guidance based on law. Now that we are at the start of our public comment period, I look forward to continuing this important conversation about a document that is essential to the running of safe, secure, and accurate elections in every corner of our state.”
For public comment, please use the web form at the same link before Aug 15. Happy reading!https://t.co/Td57qaHjD3
Fontes emphasized the input that had already gone into the drafting of the EPM, assuring readers “It is important that the people who administer Arizona’s elections – the statutorily required stakeholders – be given the first opportunity to suggest changes. He revealed that his office had initiated “a series of monthly meetings with local and county election officials to suggest changes and garner feedback.”
The warning from Carbone and Montenegro follows a recent letter that was transmitted to Secretary Fontes by Representatives Jacqueline Parker and Alexander Kolodin, who highlighted certain issues with the initial copy of the EPM that they had seen from his office. That letter from the two legislators, written just days before Fontes allowed the public to view the document, identified eight possible violations of Arizona statutes in four chapters of the draft EPM. The legislators commented that they “are looking forward to seeing these provisions addressed prior to the EPM’s submittal to the Governor and the Attorney General on October 1, 2023.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
