by Matthew Holloway | Feb 23, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
U.S. Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ02) issued a statement Wednesday praising the Trump administration for what he described as action to protect veterans’ Second Amendment rights.
According to a press release from Crane’s office, the administration clarified federal policy to ensure veterans who have a fiduciary appointed to manage their VA benefits are not automatically reported to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) as “prohibited persons.”
Under prior policy, veterans assigned a fiduciary to manage benefits could be reported to NICS, potentially preventing them from purchasing or possessing firearms under federal law. The change announced by the administration reverses that reporting practice, according to Crane’s statement.
“For nearly three decades, unelected bureaucrats violated the constitutional rights of hundreds of thousands of our nation’s heroes. If the federal government is willing to strip fundamental liberties from those who served in uniform, there’s no telling where they will draw the line,” Crane said. “I’m grateful to President Trump and Secretary Collins for correcting this injustice and protecting the freedoms that our veterans fought to defend. Congress must now codify this directive so no future administration can reimplement this disgraceful protocol.”
The press release states that the policy clarification impacts enforcement of federal firearm restrictions under the Gun Control Act of 1968, which prohibits firearm possession by individuals adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution.
In a statement posted to X, VA Secretary Doug Collins wrote:
“Effective immediately, VA is halting enforcement of the interim final rule, Evaluative Rating: Impact of Medication. VA issued the rule to clarify existing policy and protect Veterans’ benefits in the wake of an ongoing court action. But many interpreted the rule as something that could result in adverse consequences.
While VA does not agree with the way this rule has been characterized, the department always takes Veterans’ concerns seriously. To alleviate these concerns, VA will continue to collect public comments regarding the rule, but it will not be enforced at any time in the future.”
Crane has previously pursued legislative efforts addressing the issue. In the 118th Congress, he introduced H.R. 9053 and H.R. 9054, which would have nullified prior VA submissions to NICS and prohibited the VA from participating in certain state-level firearm confiscation proceedings. He reintroduced similar legislation in the current Congress as H.R. 496 on January 16.
The bill has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs under the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Arizona Representatives Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ06) serve on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which, along with the Judiciary Committee, will consider the bill before it goes to the floor.
During the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations process, Crane also sponsored an amendment to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill stating that veterans reported to NICS by a VA fiduciary were unlawfully submitted and directing the VA Secretary to instruct the Attorney General to remove those names from the system. The amendment passed the House, but the underlying appropriations measure did not advance in the U.S. Senate.
The Trump administration has not yet released detailed regulatory language publicly outlining the changes referenced in Crane’s statement.
Crane has called on Congress to pursue legislative action to codify protections for veterans’ firearm rights in federal statute.
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 | Dec 17, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Senate Republicans released their 2026 Majority Plan on Monday, outlining policy priorities aimed at reducing the cost of living, strengthening public safety, supporting economic growth, and increasing oversight of state government.
The plan follows several years of divided government at the Capitol and builds on what Republicans describe as recent legislative accomplishments, including balanced budgets and multiple tax cuts passed without raising overall taxes. Caucus leaders say the 2026 agenda is intended to address challenges facing Arizona families, particularly rising housing costs, inflation, and concerns about government accountability.
“Arizonans want affordable living, safe neighborhoods, and a government that strengthens — not weakens — our economy,” Senate President Warren Petersen said in a statement. “While the Governor’s vetoes stall progress, Senate Republicans remain focused on protecting taxpayers, upholding Arizona’s freedoms, and preventing the radical left from turning our state into California.”
A central component of the plan is a proposed tax and budget framework aimed at providing relief from rising prices. Senate Republicans say they are pursuing reductions in state taxes on tips and overtime, expanded deductions for seniors, and policies to support small businesses. Caucus leaders estimate the proposals would return more than $1 billion to taxpayers over three years while pairing tax relief with restrained government spending.
Housing affordability is another major focus. The plan cites regulatory barriers, slow permitting processes, and executive-level actions as factors contributing to Arizona’s housing shortage. Republicans say they support reforms to speed up construction, reduce fees, and limit local restrictions on new housing, while aligning development decisions with water availability data.
“Arizonans can’t afford policies that stall development, inflate housing prices, or jeopardize our water security,” Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope said. “Senate Republicans are advancing practical, data-driven solutions that support responsible growth and keep Arizona livable for the next generation.”
Water policy is addressed alongside housing, particularly as negotiations over the Colorado River continue. The plan emphasizes the Legislature’s statutory role in those talks and calls for shared conservation efforts among basin states to avoid placing disproportionate burdens on Arizona.
Public safety proposals include addressing staffing shortages in correctional facilities, increasing oversight of state agencies, and strengthening accountability for violent offenders and probation violators. The plan also reiterates support for Second Amendment protections and public safety pension stability.
Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh criticized the current administration’s record, saying, “Arizonans deserve leadership that solves problems, not a wolf in sheep’s clothing who blocks solutions and hopes voters won’t notice.”
Additional priorities outlined in the plan include border security enforcement, election integrity measures, education policy, transportation and infrastructure investment, emergency preparedness, artificial intelligence safeguards, family court reform, veterans’ services, and oversight of agencies such as AHCCCS and the Department of Child Safety. Opening day of the second regular session of the 57th Legislature is scheduled for January 12, when many of the proposals are expected to be introduced.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Warren Petersen | Dec 16, 2025 | Opinion
By Sen. Warren Petersen |
For years, Arizona has been an emerging bastion of conservative leadership. Recently the AZ Republic called the Legislature the “most conservative” ever. Over the last decade it has passed landmark policies and defended critical laws around the country, setting an example for the rest of the nation to emulate.
This conservative advantage was threatened a few short years ago, when Katie Hobbs and Kris Mayes assumed their positions as Arizona governor and attorney general, respectively, after an extremely volatile election cycle. These two have stopped at nothing to insert their radical agenda as they seek to transform our state into a liberal utopia to please their friends in California and New York.
While Hobbs has sought to remake Arizona’s policies from her perch as the state’s chief executive, Mayes has been busy on the legal side. Throughout her tenure in office, Mayes has either done the bare minimum or nothing at all to defend key Arizona or national laws. Instead, she has spearheaded the left’s efforts to undermine President Trump’s work to make America great again.
Thankfully, however, the Arizona Legislature, under my leadership as Senate President, has stepped in the gap to uphold laws of great importance to our citizens. Despite our state’s top prosecutor missing in action as she seeks affirmation from her colleagues in New York and California, we have led or joined dozens of lawsuits and legal briefs to preserve conservative laws across our state and nation. These efforts have largely been unprecedented, as legislatures typically defer to their state attorneys general or other government prosecutors on the legal fronts. From early on, though, in Arizona’s divided government, I determined that our state could not afford to sit on the sidelines as Mayes hijacked our legal apparatus for her extremist ways. As a result, Arizona has again asserted itself as a national example, showing other states how to maintain the rule of law in the face of divided governments.
Here are some of the highlights of the cases:
Protecting Election Integrity
In the absence of the state’s attorney general taking action, the Arizona Legislature has been engaged in a prolonged legal battle to protect the integrity of our state’s elections, defending two laws that restrict voters who do not provide documentation that confirm their American citizenship. After I filed an emergency stay application at the U.S. Supreme Court, the Justices affirmed Arizona’s right to reject state form registrations that do not include proof of citizenship. This case is ongoing because of activist judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals who are attempting to circumvent the Supreme Court’s ruling. Arizona will continue to defend our own law, and we will come to the aid of any state working to require proof of citizenship.
Protecting the Integrity of Women’s Sports
Over half the states in America have enacted legislation to preserve fairness in sports, including Arizona, which passed the Save Women’s Sports Act, to ensure that girls’ athletic events at public schools are reserved for biological females. Arizona’s law, like most other states, remains tied up in federal litigation, with the Legislature itself stepping in to defend the statute after Mayes declined to do so. We defended Arizona’s law up to the U.S. Supreme Court, in addition to filing briefs of support for other states’ fights. We cannot allow activist judges and radical groups to erase protections that women and girls have fought for generations to secure.
Protecting Children
The Arizona Legislature defended the state’s lifetime registration and reporting requirements for convicted sex offenders, giving families and law enforcement greater abilities to track high-risk offenders. Despite the importance of the protections, Mayes failed to defend the law, abandoning the state’s responsibility to safeguard communities. However, we refused to allow the safety of our children to be jeopardized, and we recently won in federal court. The judge’s ruling in this case was a victory for every parent in Arizona.
Protecting the Second Amendment
The Arizona Legislature joined a national coalition to urge the U.S. Supreme Court to end Mexico’s frivolous lawsuit against U.S. firearm manufacturers for crimes committed by Mexican cartels in that country. Earlier this year, the Court agreed with our position, ruling that the lawsuit infringes on U.S. sovereignty by trying to impose restrictions on Second Amendment rights and to control how the American firearms industry is regulated. We were proud to work with other states to uphold our nation’s sovereignty, protect Americans’ right to bear arms, and safeguard lawful gun manufacturers from those attempting to destroy this industry. I will always engage in legal battles to protect our Second Amendment rights when Mayes refuses to do so.
Protecting Against Federal Land Grabs
Two years ago, the Biden-Harris administration confiscated nearly a million acres of land in northern Arizona, designating this space as a “national monument.” This unlawful designation will result in fewer jobs, diminished state trust land values, and billions in lost tax revenues. I sought to overturn this action in federal court to free our state from the grasp radical environmentalists had over the previous administration. As we argued throughout this case, Biden’s maneuver had nothing to do with protecting actual artifacts, but halting all mining, ranching, and other local uses of federal lands that are critical to our independence from adversary foreign nations, our food supply, and the strength of our economy.
Protecting America’s Energy
After the Arizona Legislature joined a national coalition to challenge a radical and costly rule imposed by California requiring trucking companies to retire their diesel-fueled models, the state agreed to repeal its ‘Advanced Clean Fleets’ mandate. This rule would have created dire impacts to the supply chain, raising costs for local trucking companies and their customers. For years, California has operated with near impunity as its leaders passed unconstitutional regulations that brought great harms to Arizona consumers. In the absence of our attorney general holding California accountable to the rule of law, the state Legislature gladly stepped up to protect our citizens from this egregious abuse of power and emerged victorious.
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14.
by Warren Petersen | Nov 26, 2025 | Opinion
By Sen. Warren Petersen |
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, there’s a lot we have to be thankful for as Americans – family, provisions, jobs, faith, and so much more.
This year, I’m thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in this country. All Americans should be the most grateful people in the world because we live in the freest nation in the history of humanity.
There are so many freedoms we have as Americans. Today, these inspired notations enshrined in the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution are easily taken for granted. One historian said about the first ten amendments to the Constitution, “The Bill of Rights is the United States. The United States is the Bill of Rights. Compromise the Bill of Rights and you dissolve the very foundation upon which the Union stands… Nowhere in the Bill of Rights are the words ‘unless inconvenient’ to be found.”
Truer words have rarely been spoken. As Patrick Henry exclaimed, “Show me that age and country where the rights and liberties of the people were placed on the sole chance of their rulers being good men, without a consequent loss of liberty?” Henry’s question hits home to students of history. We have seen all too often throughout the annals of world—and even American—history, that rulers are not to be trusted without absolute power—no matter how trustworthy or ‘good’ they might be deemed by their citizens. Our founders were extremely wise to amend the Constitution to protect against abuse by future governments.
And what are these rights?
The first is that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Many regard this amendment as the most important, and it packs several different—yet similar—rights together. As we observed during the COVID-19 era just a handful of years ago, tyrannical government officials attempted to dictate, in the name of health safety, what churches and people of faith could or could not do in the expression of their religion(s). Thanks to this amendment, though, these out-of-control local governments were ultimately stopped. However, other people of faith in countries around the world did not enjoy the same fate, as their governments were not harnessed by anything in their charters to prevent such violations.
The other two provisions of this amendment are just as important, starting with the freedom of the press. Despite how some complain about the biases of the press (much like sports fans gripe about calls of officials), any journalist in America can work without fear of retribution from the government. There are other countries around the world where such employees do not have this luxury, essentially acting as agents of the state. The amendment concludes with protections for citizens to peaceably assemble and petition their governments. Most Americans probably can’t comprehend the antithesis of this stipulation. The fact that anyone can wake up on any given day to gather with others for any lawful purpose, or to contact their government official to criticize some action being taken, is absolutely unheard of in much of the world. And yet these rights are our American birthrights. This reality gives us much to be thankful for as Americans.
The second amendment is that “a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
This amendment is also critical to our nation’s future and has received significant backing in recent years from the Supreme Court of the United States. The Second Amendment gives people necessary protections to defend their personal liberties and functions as a check against a future government that could threaten to overwhelm the freedoms of law-abiding citizens. George Mason said in 1788, “To disarm the people…[i]s the most effectual way to enslave them.” James Madison added, “A well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the best and most effective defense of a free country.”
Each year, we hear of how governments in other parts of the world—especially in, but not limited to, underdeveloped countries—exploiting, harming, or killing people simply because they can. These terrors, in large part, are due to the population being devoid of personal protections to deter against government aggression. However, the benefits of an armed populace extend beyond protections against a tyrannical government to defense of private property or personal rights. Government officials can’t be everywhere, and armed citizens are necessary to stop those who are intent on depriving innocent people of their God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Without good people carrying weapons—and using them in lawful ways—dangerous criminals would rule the streets, causing chaos and fear in our communities. So, the Second Amendment gives us much to be thankful for as Americans.
There are many other freedoms in the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Those freedoms include a prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures, protection of due process, guarantee of public trials, equal protection, privacy, voting, and more. These amendments have been tried and tested for generations, ensuring that American freedoms are passed down from our fathers to our children.
So, this Thanksgiving season, I’m thankful I have the opportunity of living in the United States of America to enjoy these God-given freedoms. They are ours to enjoy as long as we remain true to the Constitution. Happy Thanksgiving—and may God bless America!
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14.
by Jonathan Eberle | Oct 4, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona State Representative Quang Nguyen (R-LD1), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, was recognized as Legislator of the Year on Saturday at the 40th annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC) in Salt Lake City. The award highlights Nguyen’s role in advocating for Second Amendment protections at both the state and national levels. The GRPC, founded by Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), brings together legal scholars, public officials, authors, and activists to address firearms policy and constitutional rights. Each year, SAF honors individuals who have made significant contributions to defending the right to keep and bear arms.
Gottlieb praised Nguyen during the ceremony, saying, “I have rarely encountered a public servant as principled and tireless as Representative Quang Nguyen of Arizona. Since his first day in office, Representative Nguyen has stood as a stalwart voice for your rights and mine, not just voting the right way, but leading from the front, shaping the debate, and holding the line against those who would erode our freedoms incrementally.”
Nguyen was joined at the conference by Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro and Representative Nick Kupper. Montenegro participated in a “Fireside Chat” moderated by Armed America Radio host Mark Walters, highlighting Arizona House Republicans’ record on gun rights.
In accepting the award, Nguyen emphasized his commitment to constitutional protections: “It is an incredible honor to be recognized by the Second Amendment Foundation as Legislator of the Year. I will always defend the Constitution as written and protect Arizonans’ right to self-defense. I am grateful to Speaker Montenegro and Representative Kupper for standing with me in defense of the Second Amendment. House Republicans will continue to lead Arizona in the fight to preserve our rights.”
The 2025 conference featured dozens of speakers addressing issues surrounding firearms law, policy, and the future of the Second Amendment.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
