by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 27, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Thanks to a veto from the governor, Arizona’s attempt to find solutions for the future of its groundwater supply was marked ‘incomplete’ following the conclusion of the state’s legislative session.
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed multiple pieces of legislation pertaining to the vital issue of water in the state of Arizona, while signing a series of those bills.
The most contentious of the latest round of vetoes appeared to be SB 1172, which would have “allow[ed] a person who owns land with an irrigation grandfathered right within an active management area to permanently retire the land from irrigation use and to retain a physical availability credit” – among other things, according to the purpose from the Arizona State Senate. The bill was sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope.
Senate President Warren Petersen was extremely disappointed in the governor’s veto of the proposal. He issued a statement over the past weekend, saying, “It’s incredibly disappointing the Governor did not sign SB 1172. Although we engaged her office on this proposal in January, they waited until May to do their due diligence and reneged last minute on an agreement. Her administration dropped the ball, and homebuyers will be the ones losing out because of her inaction.”
Petersen did note that Hobbs had signed three other groundwater-related bills, though he said that those proposals were meant to align with SB 1172 to have the maximum impact for the state. He added, “Three bills to increase housing supply while reducing groundwater pumping in Arizona, sponsored by Senate Leadership, were signed into law. All three measures transition higher-water-use land to lower-water- use housing developments through voluntary programs. While it was important for the state to look for new supplies, we get an equal benefit from reducing the demand on our aquafers. This legislation will allow Arizona to both conserve and grow. However, these bills were part of a package of four that would have made a far greater impact had they all been signed.”
In explaining why she had vetoed SB 1172, Hobbs wrote, “The concept at the core of this bill – conversion of agricultural lands to lower water use development – is a policy that has broad potential benefits and is one that my Administration supports. However, it is critical that the legislation be carefully crafted to ensure that the water conservation savings and consumer protections are guaranteed. It is clear that the unique data among Arizona’s Active Management Areas (AMAs) does not support universal adoption of this program across all four of the state’s initial AMAs (Phoenix, Pinal, Prescott, and Tucson), and that more time is needed to develop this concept in collaboration with stakeholders and lawmakers to ensure the legislation is crafted appropriately.”
The governor said that she “remain[s] committed to these discussions and finding a path forward to responsibly enact this concept.”
At the end of her veto letter to Arizona Legislative leadership, Hobbs highlighted that she had signed three water-related bills. She said, “While more work needs to be done on the ‘ag-to-urban’ legislation, I have signed several key pieces of legislation that promote responsible development and continued sustainable growth, including SB 1081, SB 1181, and SB 1242.”
Those bills were sponsored by Senators Sine Kerr, Petersen, and Shope.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 15, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona officials recently took time to recognize the state’s correctional officers.
Last week, the Arizona Legislature celebrated Arizona Correctional Professionals Day.
The Arizona Senate Republicans Caucus “X” account posted, “Senate Republicans unequivocally support our men and women in public safety, and we are proud to celebrate Arizona Correctional Professionals Day at the Capitol. These dedicated men and women are a crucial community within our public safety sector and play an important role in protecting our citizens, as well as the rehabilitation of those who are incarcerated.”
Senator T.J. Shope also issued a statement to highlight Arizona’s correctional officers. He wrote, “We celebrated Arizona Correctional Professionals Day at the Capitol this week, and I had the honor of welcoming these public servants at a BBQ lunch by presenting them with a legislative proclamation recognizing their work. Arizona is dedicated to providing reentry and rehabilitation services for incarcerated individuals so that they may become productive citizens contributing to our society after release.”
Shope added, “Our state’s nearly 8,000 correctional officers and security staff are crucial to this mission. Their unwavering dedication, professionalism, and bravery in the face of challenging circumstances is to be commended. They truly demonstrate exceptional commitment to upholding the rule of law, ensuring humane treatment of the incarcerated, and fostering an environment for positive behavioral change. For the past 12 years, l’ve been honored to represent the men and women working in our private and public correctional facilities in Pinal County. Thank you for your service!”
Governor Katie Hobbs joined Shope and others to thank the men and women who serve in this specific line of work, declaring the week as “Correctional Officers and Employee Week.”
At the end of the week, the “X” account for the Arizona Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation posted, “THANK YOU to the entire ADCRR family for your ongoing effort and service as we reimagine corrections across Arizona. We hope you had a great Correctional Officers and Employees Week.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 12, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Two Arizona legislators are united in their disappointment with President Biden’s latest action with America’s ally Israel.
Last week, President Joe Biden told a national television anchor that he “made it clear [to Israel], if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem.” Biden added that his administration was “walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas.”
The president’s comments were roundly condemned in the aftermath. As was repeatedly highlighted by many around the country, Israel has only taken military action in Gaza due to a horrific terrorist attack from Hamas that murdered and brutalized hundreds of innocent men, women, and children.
Arizona State Senate Pro Tempore T.J. Shope, a Republican, reacted to the news from the White House, writing, “This news is 100% complete and utter bullshit. You have Israeli and American blood on your hands President Biden”
Arizona State Representative Alma Hernandez added, “We cannot say we support Israel and then pull back when it comes to supply what is needed to fight this war. I’m not only concerned but very disappointed in this decision. What happened to unequivocally standing with our strongest ally? Do not forget that we still have American citizens being held by terrorist organizations in tunnels. This must be fixed immediately, or we are putting the strong US and Israel relationship in Jeopardy.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 11, 2024 | Economy, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
One Arizona Republican lawmaker is speaking out against Democrats’ economic policies.
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope recently addressed the economic pains being felt by his constituents – as well as many Arizonans around the state. He singled out President Joe Biden and attributed the support of Democrat state legislators for aiding in the economic ailments of everyday Americans.
Shope wrote, “Reckless policies implemented by Joe Biden and supported by Democrat lawmakers have caused the inflation nightmare currently costing you more of your hard earned dollars. Americans are now paying nearly $1,100 more each month compared with just three years ago. If you were hoping to buy a house soon, don’t expect relief in the near future, as 30- year mortgage rates are sitting above 7%, the highest level in 20 years, and the feds indicated this week they may not cut rates in 2024 while inflation remains high.”
The state senator added, “Gas prices are surpassing $4 per gallon in Arizona, when they were just $2.50 at this time four years ago. Our citizens are spending 11% of their disposable income on food, which is the highest level in more than three decades. More and more working class citizens are relying on credit cards to cope with rising costs, as one in three consumers are currently maxing them out. Senate Republicans remain focused on easing these financial burdens, despite the out of touch priorities Biden, Hobbs, and Democrat lawmakers are pushing.”
A recent Gallup Economy and Personal Finance Poll showed that only 38% of respondents had “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of President Biden “to do or recommend the right thing for the economy.” This approval rating (or lack thereof) for Biden has plummeted since the start of his presidency in 2021, when he began his term at 57% for this specific question. Just 34% of independents have confidence in the 46th President’s ability to turn the economy around, according to the poll.
During a recent campaign appearance, former President Donald J. Trump again reiterated that he would reignite the American economy if voters entrusted him with the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. He said, “Upon taking office, I will impose an immediate moratorium on all new spending, grants, and giveaways under Joe Biden’s mammoth socialist bills like the so-called Inflation Reduction Act. We are going to stop the Biden spending spree. We are going to halt his inflation death spiral. We are going to terminate his Green New Scam. We are going to end his war on American energy. And we are going to drill, baby, drill.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 4, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A Republican proposal to help mental health needs of Arizonans was signed into law by the state’s governor.
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs signed SB 1062 into law. The legislation will “expand the practice of substance abuse counseling to include treatment for all forms of addiction that are a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance, [and] reduce, from three to one, the number of years in which a behavioral health professional seeking licensure by endorsement through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners must be licensed or certified in at least one other state or federal jurisdiction.”
Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope, the bill’s sponsor, took a victory lap after the governor’s positive action. He said, “According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, Arizona only meets 40% of the mental health care needs of our citizens. This is an alarming statistic that I’ve set out to improve on behalf of all Arizonans who can’t get appointments for treatment in a timely fashion. I sponsored SB 1062, which was signed into law this week, to replace the practice of substance abuse counseling with addition counseling to include treatment for all forms of addiction that are a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance.”
Shope added, “The bill also reduces the number of years out-of-state behavioral health professionals need to be licensed and certified in order to seek licensure from the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. It’s my belief that these small changes will have a tremendous impact in helping to meet Arizona’s growing mental health workforce needs, as well as increase access for individuals seeking treatment for all types of addiction.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Arizona LeadingAge, National Association of Social Workers Arizona Chapter, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona had signed in to support the bill. A representative from the Arizona Council of Human Service Providers signed in as neutral.
Back in February, the legislation overwhelmingly passed the Arizona Senate with a 25-5 vote. Last month, the Arizona House of Representatives approved an amended version of the bill with a 41-12 vote (with six members not voting and one seat vacant at the time). The Senate concurred with the changes, sending the bill to the Governor’s Office after a 24-5 vote (with one member not voting).
SB 1062 will go into effect 90 days after the Arizona Legislature adjourns for the 2024 session.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
