by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 30, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona elected officials continue to react to Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs’ recent Executive Orders.
Earlier this week, Governor Hobbs signed two Executive Orders to “restore rights and protect LGBTQ+ Arizonans.” According to Hobbs’ Office, the Orders “ensure the state employee health care plan covers medically-necessary gender-affirming surgery” and bar “state agencies from funding, promoting, or supporting conversion therapy against LGBTQ+ Arizonans.”
Hobbs’ most-recent Executive Orders came just days after she signed another Order that would “centralize all abortion-related prosecutions under the Attorney General to ensure differences in applications of the law by county attorneys do not restrict access to legal abortions.”
On Wednesday, Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope issued the following statement regarding the governor’s latest Orders: “Instead of helping families struggling to keep a roof over their heads, fill their tanks with gas and put food on the table, Governor Hobbs is making sure taxpayer dollars are instead going towards elective, sex change surgeries. The Governor continues to show just how tone deaf and out of touch she is with the majority of hard-working Arizonans. Director nominations hearings were suspended on Monday, and yet the Governor is already doubling down with another unilateral overreach. The Arizona Senate Majority Caucus is committed to checks and balances and will be reviewing all legal options to ensure appropriate constitutional separation of powers.”
Representative John Gillette took to Twitter to pose several questions to the state’s chief executive, writing, “Hobbs Signs EO to Allow State Employees to Have Sex Change procedures paid by State Health Insurance. 1. What happens to premiums? 2. Was the contract renegotiated? 3. What other elected surgery will get covered? Will BC/BS just cancel the contract as terms changed?
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell also responded to the governor’s order on abortion prosecutions, saying, “Our current governor took an entire category of potential offenses and is attempting to prevent locally elected county attorneys from reviewing and making charging decisions on those matters. But what happens next? What happens in three-and-a-half years? What happens when another person occupies the governor’s seat and attempts this kind of power grab? What other set of offenses might a governor in the future not like and remove from local prosecutors?”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Nov 14, 2022 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
On Monday, the Democratic candidate in the Maricopa County Attorney’s race, Julie Gunnigle, conceded.
Gunnigle’s opponent, incumbent Republican Rachel Mitchell, earned 52 percent of the vote to Gunnigle’s 48 percent. In a statement, Gunnigle said that Maricopa County deserved better than Mitchell.
“This isn’t the result we were hoping for because what it means is a continuation of the legacy of corruption within the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office,” wrote Gunnigle. “The change we need won’t happen this year, but we aren’t deterred. We vow to keep our eye on this office and, along with the community, continue to demand better for all of Maricopa County.”
Mitchell’s victory statement focused on thanking the voters and the staff of her office.
“Public safety isn’t partisan. All Arizonans demand safe communities in which to live, work, and raise their children,” stated Mitchell. “I will continue working with law enforcement and community leaders to hold criminals accountable, increase the use of treatment to rehabilitate where appropriate, deliver justice for victims, and put the safety of Maricopa County residents first.”
National attention was fixed on the race, mainly for the fact that the county is the fourth-largest in the nation and had the potential to be led by another George Soros-backed prosecutor.
As AZ Free News reported in August, Gunnigle received over $6,500 from Way to Lead Arizona — a political action committee (PAC) funded primarily by its national counterpart, Way to Lead PAC. That PAC received millions from Soros, his family, or the organizations he’s either founded or funded. Gunnigle denied benefiting from Soros funding in May.
This marks Gunnigle’s third campaign loss: she lost in the 2020 general election for Maricopa County Attorney and lost in the 2018 general election for the State House. Gunnigle first began running for office as her former employer, Arizona Summit Law School, faced accreditation troubles.
Although Gunnigle no longer serves as the shuttered law school’s Dean of Students, she continues to receive support from them.
Gunnigle received thousands in funding from an attorney for Arizona Summit Law School. The donor, Donalyn Mikles, listed her employment as the law school’s attorney. Mikles was one of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs’ top ten donors, after Jennifer Allan-Soros and Planned Parenthood. In all, Mikles has donated over $476,000 to Democratic candidates and political organizations in Arizona and $450,000 to Democratic candidates nationwide
Gunnigle’s loss comes after indications that Democrats appeared to be distancing themselves from her. As AZ Free News reported earlier this month, former minority leader for the state legislature and Democratic consultant Chad Campbell said that Gunnigle’s campaign resembled that of failed 2018 gubernatorial candidate David Garcia. Campbell called Garcia’s campaign the “worst campaign” to have occurred over the last 30 years.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Corinne Murdock | Oct 11, 2022 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) endorsed Republican incumbent Rachel Mitchell for Maricopa County Attorney, decrying her Democratic opponent Julie Gunnigle as a “Soros prosecutor.”
The Monday endorsement came just two days before early voting begins and mail-in ballots are sent out.
The Maricopa County attorney race has attracted national attention, in part over the connection between Gunnigle and George Soros, the kingpin of Democratic dark money. Soros has a reputation for establishing progressive prosecutors into districts and counties across the country successfully.
Some of Gunnigle’s latest PAC donations included over $6,500 from Way to Lead Arizona. That PAC received at least $100,000 from Soros’ Democracy PAC last year, and more in funds from its national counterpart, the Way to Lead PAC, which received millions combined from Soros, his family, or the organizations he either funded or founded.
Gunnigle denies that she benefits from Soros funding.
Multiple times a week, an elected official or pundit will weigh in or offer an endorsement in the race.
A week ago, Gila Bend Mayor Chris Riggs expressed worry that Gunnigle would worsen crime rates in the county. He cited Gunnigle’s support for slashing police funding and not enforcing deportations.
National attention has also been drawn to this race since questions remain over the nature of Arizona’s abortion law. Last month, Mitchell clarified that she would uphold the law but wouldn’t prosecute women who obtain an abortion. Neither the total abortion ban or the 15-week restriction allow for the arrest of the mother — only those who perform the abortion. The total abortion ban makes one allowance: to save the mother’s life.
Gunnigle has stated that she doesn’t support restrictions on abortion. In March, long before the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Gunnigle pledged to disregard Arizona abortion law.
Last month, the Pima County Superior Court lifted the 1973 injunction on Arizona’s total abortion ban corresponding with the Roe v. Wade decision. That court also rejected an injunction request from Planned Parenthood. However, the Arizona Court of Appeals issued an injunction on the total ban on Friday.
Judge Peter Eckerstrom cited the apparent disharmony between the total ban and the 15-week restriction. He noted that both sides, those for the abortion laws and against them, expressed a desire for clarity on the ruling law.
“Arizona courts have a responsibility to attempt to harmonize all of this state’s relevant statutes,” stated Eckerstrom. “The court further concludes the balance of hardships weigh strongly in favor of granting the stay, given the acute need of healthcare providers, prosecuting agencies, and the public for legal clarity as to the application of our criminal laws.”
Eckerstrom will engage in a scheduling conference with Planned Parenthood of Arizona and the attorney general’s office on Tuesday to advance the case.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
