by Matthew Holloway | Jun 12, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona’s embattled Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs is facing new scorn and a veto override threat from Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives Steve Montenegro after what Rep. Michael Way (R-LD15) called her “most disgraceful veto yet,” of the Antisemitism in Education Act. The act, known also as HB 2867, was passed by the legislature on June 4th. If enacted, it would have “prohibit(ed) teachers, administrators, and university faculty from promoting antisemitism or forcing students to support antisemitic viewpoints in exchange for credit or advancement.” It also would have prohibited the use of public funds for “antisemitic instruction, training, or programming.”
The seemingly straightforward bill, sponsored by Way, was expected to meet with Hobbs’ approval with the Republican saying Wednesday, “This should be an easy decision for the governor. The Legislature has done its job. The public supports this. Now it’s up to the governor to do hers and show that Arizona won’t tolerate antisemitism in public education.”
But this wasn’t to be. Hobbs panned the bill, armed with a letter from Lori Shepherd of The Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center in which she emphasized inviting students “to ask tough questions about the legacy of the Holocaust today… that often touch on the history of Zionism, the founding of the State of Israel, and the persistence of global antisemitism.”
Hobbs claimed, “This bill is not about antisemitism; it’s about attacking our teachers.” She added, “It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits.”
She contended the bill, “sets a dangerous precedent that unfairly targets public school teachers while shielding private school staff,” and characterized it as an attempt by the legislature to “single out and attack our public education system.”
Rep. Way quickly took to X to express his outrage writing, “In her most disgraceful veto yet, Governor Hobbs struck down a bipartisan bill to stop antisemitism in Arizona schools. I am deeply disappointed by her decision—paying lip service to opposing antisemitism while backing away from a law with real teeth. Instead of standing with Jewish students and faculty, she sided with those who promote hate and hostility on campus. This bill was aimed at prohibiting the teaching of egregious and blatant antisemitic content. To suggest that it threatened the speech of most Arizona teachers is disingenuous at best. House Republicans acted to confront antisemitism—Hobbs’ veto protects it. I will continue to stand with the Jewish community in Arizona and in my district to ensure taxpayer dollars are never used to fund violent political indoctrination.”
Speaker Steve Montenegro addressed the veto as well just over an hour later in a statement posted to X, vowing to move to a veto override before the end of the legislative session. He wrote, “Katie Hobbs has issued hundreds of misguided vetoes to date, but THIS one bolstering the hateful teachings of antisemitism in public school classrooms takes the cake. Every child deserves a quality education free of the abhorrent rhetoric that promotes hostility toward our Jewish communities. This veto is beyond the pale, and the House WILL proceed with a veto override before this session adjourns.”
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.
by Jonathan Eberle | Jun 8, 2025 | Education, News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona lawmakers have approved legislation aimed at combating antisemitism in public schools and colleges, marking a bipartisan push to establish new standards for addressing hate-based conduct in the state’s education system.
The bill, House Bill 2867, also known as the Antisemitism in Education Act, received final approval from the Arizona House and now awaits the signature of Governor Katie Hobbs. Sponsored by Representative Michael Way (R-LD15), the measure bars the promotion of antisemitic views in classrooms and on public college campuses, while outlining a formal process for investigating and disciplining violations.
“Arizona’s students and teachers deserve to learn and work in an environment free from antisemitic hate,” said Rep. Way following the bill’s passage. “This bill ensures schools are places of learning, not battlegrounds for political indoctrination.”
The legislation applies to public K–12 schools, community colleges, and state universities. It prohibits educators and administrators from promoting antisemitic conduct or language, coercing students to support antisemitic viewpoints for grades or academic advancement, and using public funds for programs that include antisemitic instruction or training.
Violations are first to be reported to a school or college official, who must investigate and take corrective action within 30 days. Appeals can be escalated to a local school board or the Arizona Board of Regents. Legal action in court is permitted only after all administrative avenues have been exhausted.
HB 2867 is based on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, a standard also recognized by the U.S. Department of State. The bill includes explicit protections for teaching about Jewish history, the Holocaust, and the State of Israel. Supporters say the measure does not interfere with First Amendment rights.
The legislation aligns with the House Republican Majority’s broader efforts to confront hate and promote public safety within state institutions.“The Legislature has done its job. The public supports this,” said Rep. Way. “Now it’s up to the governor to do hers and show that Arizona won’t tolerate antisemitism in public education.”
Representative Way, who represents Mesa, Queen Creek, and San Tan Valley, has made combating antisemitic threats in education a legislative priority. The bill’s bipartisan support suggests growing consensus among lawmakers that additional safeguards are needed in light of recent national and international events that have sparked increased concerns over antisemitism on college campuses and in school settings.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Michael Way | Jun 5, 2025 | Opinion
By Representative Michael Way |
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has signaled again and again that she is so committed to the dogma of the most extreme elements of her party that she’s willing to ignore wide swaths of the Arizona public and veto the most commonsense bills. The most recent is her veto of my bill, HB2868, that would have ended taxpayer-funded DEI in K-12 schools and public universities. She claims (disingenuously, of course) that such a commonsense prohibition will “jeopardize the continued stability” of Arizona’s universities and community colleges. How exactly, is intentionally left unclear. This adherence to extreme ideology by a blue governor in a red state is not unique to Arizona. Kentucky’s Governor, Andy Beshear, just did the same.
DEI—or “diversity, equity, and inclusion”—is the slick marketing name for what is a dangerous, bigoted, and divisive ideology. It’s actually about ideological sameness, inequity of opportunity, and exclusion. Today, it flavors the instruction in our K-12 schools, exerts total control over places of higher learning, and is used as a corporate bludgeon (or “re-education” tool) for employees who espouse ideas the ruling Left deems “out of line.” Not very American.
I’m a Constitution-loving, free-speech believer. Anyone is free to like or discuss bad ideas. If you want to think individuals should be elevated because of immutable characteristics like race or gender, and not by merit, go right ahead. But taxpayers shouldn’t be funding the totalitarian use of DEI in public classrooms. Students shouldn’t have to bend the knee to ideas they don’t agree with or face social shunning or worse.
How does totalitarian DEI look in practice? Think publicly-funded DEI offices charged with implementing this thinking across departments, curricula, and in hiring, selecting employees based on their race, sex, color or ethnicity (is this not a blatant violation of the Civil Rights Act?), requiring the signing of what amounts to a DEI-statement of faith, mandating “re-education classes,” and more.
President Trump signaled nationally that the federal government was done funding this circus and states’ funding was in jeopardy if they didn’t take action to eliminate it. The President is smart and understands—beyond the constitutional ramifications—that Americans are tired of being controlled by a woke, DEI thought-police funded by their own hard-earned dollars. I’ve sensed the same frustration from my own constituents. So, while I’m a first-term legislator, this was one of my top priorities. And we got it done. I held out hope, perhaps naively, that the Governor would sign at the very least out of political self-interest. She presumably hopes to be re-elected. But she once again signaled that she either doesn’t know the state she governs (her ban on tamale trucks, anyone?) or doesn’t care. She has been vetoing with immunity until now with the only consequence being that she is universally disliked on both sides of the aisle.
My fellow Republican legislators and I are holding the line against all the really dangerous stuff she’d like to do. But we’d like to do more than stop the bad. We’d like to make some real, positive, America-first change for our constituents. And that will require a governor who knows (and actually likes) the state he or she represents.
As a father of four, I’d like my children to grow up in a world where they can think and believe what they choose, disagree openly in institutions of higher learning, and rise in their careers based on merit, not race or gender. The extreme Left is clearly intent on taking us back. Next year, Arizona voters will have a chance to let them know exactly how they feel about that, starting at the top.
Representative Michael Way serves Legislative District 15 in the Arizona State House. He makes his home in Queen Creek with his wife Raimee and their four children.
by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 24, 2025 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The Arizona Legislature is taking a stand against antisemitism.
Last, the Arizona House Education Committee approved HB 2867, the Antisemitism in Education Act, which would “prohibit Arizona’s public schools and state agencies from promoting antisemitic conduct or rhetoric and establish strict penalties for violations.” HB 2867 was sponsored by State Representative Michael Way.
The legislation was approved with a bipartisan vote of 8-4. One Democrat joined seven Republicans to support the bill.
According to information shared by the Arizona House Republicans, the proposal would “enforce clear prohibitions on using taxpayer dollars to fund antisemitic curricula or activities, ensure accountability for individuals and institutions that violate these protections, and empower students, parents, and educators to report violations.” The bill additionally “aligns with the internationally recognized IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, which the U.S. State Department has adopted as the standard for identifying and addressing antisemitic conduct.”
In a statement that accompanied the announcement of the bill’s progress, Representative Way said, “Our schools should be places of learning, not breeding grounds for hatred and discrimination. Arizona has zero tolerance for antisemitism, and this bill ensures that our classrooms are free from the toxic ideology that fuels division and hostility. No teacher, administrator, or student should be forced to endorse or participate in any form of antisemitic conduct. This legislation sends a clear message – there will be consequences for those who violate these fundamental principles.”
Way added, “House Republicans are leading with action, not lip service. We’re committed to protecting students and teachers from the kind of coercion and discrimination that have no place in Arizona’s classrooms. We will uphold American values – freedom, fairness, and safety. I’m proud to see this bill advance and look forward to its passage in the full House.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the Arizona Education Association, American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona, Save Our Schools Arizona, Arizona National Organization for Women (NOW), and CHISPA ARIZONA – A Program of League of Conservation Voters, signed in to oppose the bill.
HB 2867 will now be considered by the full Arizona House of Representatives in the near future.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Sep 10, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Maricopa County Superior Court declined to weigh in on whether Republican House candidate Michael Way is qualified to run, instead opting to dismiss the complaint.
Way is running in Legislative District 15.
In the Friday ruling, the court declared that the challenge to Way’s candidacy was inadmissible because it was filed after the statutory deadline and, more significantly, the authority to determine qualified candidates resides with the Arizona legislature.
“Because the duties of judging elections of members of the State Legislature and determining the qualification of those who are elected to be legislators are expressly delegated to the Arizona legislature, dismissal of the complaint is warranted,” stated the court. “If Way is elected, it will be up to the Arizona legislature to judge his qualifications.”
Deborah Kirkland, a resident of the district, challenged Way’s candidacy on allegations that he hasn’t been a resident of the state for at least three years. In one part of the lawsuit, Kirkland alleged that Way indicated to district voters that he’d moved to Arizona from North Carolina in the past year.
Kirkland’s lawsuit alleged that Way was still registered to vote in North Carolina, per the North Carolina State Board of Elections. Additionally, those election records indicated that Way voted in person in North Carolina’s 2022 general election as well as the 2021 municipal election for the town of Wake Forest.
Her lawsuit further questioned the validity of Way’s claim of residing in or even owning his declared Arizona property, noting that the property was owned by another individual with the same last name. Their lawsuit further alleged that Way didn’t sell his North Carolina property until January 2024.
The Maricopa County Superior Court declined to address the merits of Kirkland’s claims regarding Way’s eligibility for election to the legislature, and also declined to issue an advisory opinion as requested. The court also declined Way’s request for an award of attorney’s fees.
In a press release, the Arizona GOP celebrated the court’s dismissal and dismissed the lawsuit claims as “baseless attacks from Democrats and their allies.” Party Chair Gina Swoboda defended Way as an invaluable advocate of GOP values.
“Michael has proven time and time again that he is a dedicated advocate for our shared values,” said Swoboda. “We are thrilled that the court has upheld his qualifications, and we look forward to his continued leadership in the fight to keep Arizona red.”
Earlier this month, Republican State Representative David Cook asked Attorney General Kris Mayes in a letter to investigate Way’s residency and his claim of having resided in Arizona for at least six years prior to this election, which he made when he signed his nomination paper.
Cook’s letter also echoed allegations of illegal voting made by Kirkland, claiming that Way had voted not only in the North Carolina but also the Arizona primary election in 2022. Cook alleged that Way’s wife did the same.
“A number of politicians beat the drums regarding election integrity frequently,” said Cook. “This seems to be the poster child for laws ensuring election integrity — we cannot have individuals simply picking and choosing which state they want to vote in depending on the election. Election integrity cannot be a partisan issue, which is why I am coming forward with this complaint.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
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