by Matthew Holloway | Feb 8, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A bill to construct a new Veterans Center on 232 acres of land in Young, Arizona, the first of its kind to support rural veterans and their families, was introduced by Congressman Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) and has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The facility would be operated by Gila County and provide family housing, meeting and activity spaces, resource rooms, Veteran Ceremonial Grounds, and outdoor recreation.
“This veterans center is so crucial for rural veterans in northern Arizona who selflessly served our nation. I’m grateful to see my colleagues in the House recognize the significance of this land transfer,” said Crane. “This was the first piece of legislation I introduced and is a testament to the significance of northern Arizona’s veterans. Anytime Congress can vote on legislation that returns power to the states is a good thing. I’m grateful to House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman for his leadership and look forward to the advancement of this bill in the Senate.”
According to Crane’s office, the effort to get the new Veterans Center on its feet found unusual allies joined in a common cause with Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and former Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) getting the bipartisan ball rolling during the 117th Congress with Democrat Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) leading corresponding efforts in the Senate.
“America’s veterans and their families have sacrificed so much to defend our freedom, and Congress must do everything in its power to provide our servicemembers with proper care and opportunities. The commonsense, bipartisan land transfer provided by H.R.837 will do just that by opening up new experiences to veterans in the area for recreation and recovery.” House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman explained, “A veteran himself, Representative Crane has led on these issues this Congress, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to get this bill through the Senate and signed into law.”
Gila County Supervisor Woody Cline, who testified before the House Natural Resources Committee, told Congress of the significant impacts and extensive resources the center would provide for veterans and their families in the region.
During his testimony, Rep. Crane said, “One of the things I love so much about this project, is that you’re not coming here, Mr. Cline, and asking the federal government for any money. You’re actually trying to take something that’s a beautiful piece of land that’s not being used anymore and revitalize it into something amazing for some of our nation’s finest individuals.”
“This site will only be one of two sites in Arizona. There’s one in the southern part of Arizona and one in the northern part […] It’s huge for our local community as well. We have a local veteran community of about 100 people right there in that small town. And then right there between us and Payson, there’s roughly another 5,000-7,000 more right there. Having this accessible, not only to the local members, the state members, the national members, but also, we’re adjacent to the White Mountain Apache Tribe that is not very far away that has a number of veterans in that reservation as well that have been big supporters of this project. It means everything to these folks,” said Cline.
Data from the Veterans Administration shows that by population density, as of 2019, veterans are most represented in Yavapai and Cochise Counties, the northern and southernmost counties respectively with between 11.78-14.45% of the population and between 14.46-16.74% of the population.
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 Daniel Stefanski | Oct 26, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A northern Arizona lawmaker won a major recognition from a Second Amendment organization.
On Monday, the Arizona House announced that State Representative Selina Bliss, a freshman Republican, earned the “Legislator of the Year” Award from the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL).
“I am immensely honored to be recognized by the Arizona Citizens Defense League,” said Representative Bliss. “They are a terrific organization, dedicated to legislative action in support of the Second Amendment. Like them, I believe fervently in safeguarding our citizens’ right to bear arms – a cornerstone of our Constitution. As a state legislator, it is my privilege to work alongside fellow Arizonans in safeguarding and preserving the freedoms that define our great state, and to stand against any attempts to undermine those cherished liberties.”
Representative Bliss wasted no time in coming to the legislature and working to achieve results for her constituents and Arizonans. Bliss introduced HB 2617, which would have “allowed a constable or deputy constable to carry a firearm, both on and off duty and in the same manner as other certified peace officers, if the constable or deputy constable is in compliance with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) firearms requirements and has fulfilled all other requirements as prescribed.” The first-term legislator told AZ Free News that she had introduced the bill after learning from her own Yavapai County Constable Ron Williams ““that constables and deputy constables are not part of the list in ARS 38-1113, which covers off-duty carry of firearms by peace officers.”
Even though the legislation passed out of the State House with broad bipartisan support on May 15, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the bill four days later. In the governor’s veto letter to House Speaker Ben Toma, Hobbs said, “I am concerned that this bill would have expanded the authority of constables to carry a gun while off-duty whereby some constables may choose to view themselves as having a ‘duty to respond’ when they are off duty.”
Bliss also scored a recent Second Amendment victory over the City of Phoenix’s donation of hundreds of unclaimed firearms to Ukraine’s national police force, working with Arizona House Judiciary Chairman Quang Nguyen to force the municipality’s leaders to end their efforts and to seek sanctions against its leaders. Both Bliss and Nguyen sent a 1487 complaint to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes over the issue, who issued a subsequent report which concurred that the City’s ordinance had violated multiple state laws. The two lawmakers were then joined by Representative Travis Grantham in sending a letter to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, calling on the prosecutor to “immediately undertake a criminal and civil investigation of City of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and City Councilmembers for their intentional and flagrant violation of state law in connection with their actions surrounding the City’s Ordinance S-50010.”
According to its website, AzCDL “is a non-profit 501(c)(4), all volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to the principles contained in Article II, Section 2 of the Arizona Constitution that ‘All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.’”
The organization’s goals for Arizona are as follows:
- Freedom to Carry – Restore and protect the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm openly or discreetly anywhere they have a right to be.
- Fewer restrictions on the lawful carrying of firearms on public property (state and local government buildings, parks, etc.).
- Restaurant Carry – The ability of law-abiding citizens to dine out while carrying a firearm.
- Continued strengthening and preservation of the right of presumed innocence in self-defense situations.
- Strong State Preemption – Firearms laws should be consistent throughout the State.
- Liability responsibility for property owners who ban firearms.
- Continued improvements to CCW laws.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
