by Matthew Holloway | Feb 17, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona Senate Majority Whip Sen. Frank Carroll (R-LD28) is advancing legislation to restrict unauthorized individuals from operating commercial vehicles in the state, giving law enforcement officials the authority to demand proof of lawful presence and to impound trucks when drivers cannot demonstrate legal status. The move responds to high-profile, deadly crashes involving commercial drivers who were illegally in the U.S.
The bill received a “Do Pass” recommendation from the Military Affairs & Border Security (MABS) Committee on February 9 by a 4–3 vote, with only Republican support, moving the proposal forward in the legislative process.
Senate Bill 1511, sponsored by Carroll, would require anyone operating a commercial vehicle in Arizona to provide evidence of lawful presence in the United States. Under the proposal, licenses issued by other states or foreign countries would not qualify as proof of lawful presence for commercial operation in Arizona.
SB 1511 would empower law enforcement officers to impound commercial vehicles when a driver cannot provide the required proof of authorization to be in the country. Vehicle owners, not the state, would be responsible for all costs associated with impoundment under the bill’s provisions.
According to Carroll, the legislation is intended to mitigate the risk of deadly crashes involving drivers who are not legally present in the U.S. The Senate press release cited recent incidents, including a February crash in Indiana involving a driver who was an unauthorized immigrant and holder of a commercial driver’s license issued in Pennsylvania that resulted in the deaths of four people, as well as a case involving Rajinder Kumar, who was issued a CDL in California and later killed two newlyweds returning from their honeymoon.
In a statement issued last week, Carroll said: “Arizona cannot afford to wait for another preventable tragedy. This bill is about saving lives and holding everyone on our roads accountable. Americans are dying because illegal drivers are being licensed to operate massive commercial trucks. Rajinder Kumar, an Indian national who illegally entered the US from Mexico, was issued a CDL license in California and later killed two newlyweds returning from their honeymoon. This could happen here if we don’t act. With this bill, Arizona will not allow unqualified or illegal drivers on the road. Law enforcement will have the tools to act immediately, families will be safer, and our roads will be protected. This legislation turns tragedy into action. Arizona is drawing a line: the safety of our citizens comes first, and we will not wait for another senseless death to take action.”
Carroll’s press release stated the goal is to “prevent tragedies before they happen and to protect Arizonans on our roads.”
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 Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 10, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Arizona State Senator Janae Shamp is sponsoring a bill that would require insurers and providers of gender-altering drugs and surgeries to also provide and cover detransition procedures.
Shamp, a Republican, is inspired by 19-year-old Chloe Cole, a de-transitioner who was diagnosed with gender dysphoria and put on puberty blockers and testosterone therapy starting at age 13.
At age 15, Cole underwent a double mastectomy. Now, she says her “childhood was ruined” by the medical interventions. She regrets the permanent changes transitioning made to her body and the unknown harm to her fertility.
Cole said in a video with Shamp that she was “butchered by the institutions that we all thought we could trust.”
“The drugs and surgeries changed my body, but did not and could not change the undeniable reality that I am, and forever will be, a female,” Cole said.
Introduced Feb. 2, Senate Bill 1511 had its second Senate reading on Tuesday.
“My heart goes out to the growing number of people, especially children, like Chloe was, struggling with their identity, who were pushed toward physically altering their bodies as a solution, rather than receiving the mental health care they deserve,” Shamp said.
The state senator worked as an operating room nurse before running for office. She earned a B.S. in molecular biosciences and biotechnology from Arizona State University in 2002 and a B.S. in nursing from Grand Canyon University in 2012.
Shamp has fought for medical freedom and the right to informed healthcare decisions throughout her term as a state senator. Last year, she introduced a bill that would have required employers to allow employees that complete a religious exemption form to opt out of vaccination requirements.
The bill, which Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed, would have allowed those fired over vaccine mandates to file complaints with the attorney general if their employer didn’t offer or denied a religious exemption.
“I spent my entire career as a nurse, being an advocate for my patients and ensuring that their beliefs are respected and protected,” Shamp said in a news release after the veto. “The reason I’m here at the Senate is because I was fired from my job as a nurse after refusing to get the experimental COVID-19 vaccine.”
Shamp said her top priority as a senator was the vaccine bill because “Americans’ medical freedoms were taken from them, myself included,” during the pandemic.
After the veto, which Shamp said was “personal,” she pledged to continue to fight for Arizonans’ medical freedom.
The registered nurse turned politician also pledged to protect residents of the Grand Canyon state from mask mandates. She said wearing a mask should be a personal choice.
“As a registered nurse who has been detrimentally impacted by government infringement not based on scientific evidence, I want you to rest assured that I will fight tooth and nail to make sure you’re protected from this gross overreach,” Shamp said in a news release. “If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask. If you don’t want to wear a mask, don’t wear one.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
