Arizona’s top Republican legislators are coming to the aid of Abraham Hamadeh’s legal bid at the state Supreme Court.
Last week, Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma filed an amicus brief in support of Hamadeh’s latest endeavor to have the top court in Arizona’s judicial branch adjudicate the aftermath of his 2022 election for Arizona Attorney General. Hamadeh, the Republican nominee, ran against Democrat Kris Mayes, who won the contest by 280 votes after a mandatory recount.
In their brief, Petersen and Toma made three arguments for the state’s high court to consider. First, that “the Legislature has designed a robust process to uncover and correct material mistakes in election administration.” Second, that “the trial court abused its discretion by denying the contestants sufficient time to inspect all ballots and conduct discovery.” Finally, that “the petition presents questions of statewide importance requiring an expeditious resolution.”
Hamadeh issued a statement after the filing, thanking the lawmakers for their brief, saying, “I want to thank…the Arizona Legislature with the leadership of House Speaker Ben Toma and Senate President Warren Petersen for filing amicus briefs in support of our efforts to ensure the will of the people is honored. I made a promise to the people of Arizona to ensure that every legal vote is counted – I intend to keep it.”
The lawmakers’ brief answers Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ opposition to the contestants’ efforts, accusing the Democrat election chief of “escalating rhetorical histrionics to fevered heights.” The outlined “histrionics” were “traducing the Contestants with charges of ‘weaponiz[ing] our Courts, sow[ing] unfounded distrust in our election processes, malign[ing] our public servants, and undermin[ing] our democracy – all for the purpose of trying to overturn the People’s will and topple an election.”
Petersen and Toma present two reasons why the Court should be bothered in their attempt to dissect Fontes’ “ad hominem incentive.”
The first reason given is that the Secretary’s attack is “unfounded.” The second is that “the Secretary’s rhetorical assault is gratuitous and abusive.” The brief highlights that “the churlish imperiousness with which the Secretary reflexively greets even responsible and narrow questions surrounding the administration of the 2022 general election suggests he has forgotten that he serves all Arizona electors, including Mr. Hamadeh and his supporters.”
Hamadeh’s efforts to bring transparency to his razor-thin election result have continued long after his Democrat opponent, Kris Mayes, took office in January. Mayes has continued to show little public interest in the case, allowing her attorneys to handle matters in the courtroom while she continues to revamp the Arizona Attorney General’s Office from the policies of her predecessor, Republican Mark Brnovich.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
One of the final pieces of the 2023 Arizona Legislative Session has been put into place.
On Tuesday, Governor Katie Hobbs signed SB 1131, which eliminates the rental tax for Arizona tenants.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Senate Republicans Deliver Inflation Relief to Struggling Arizonans by Prohibiting Sales Tax on Rent ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8tGzEhrJxj
According to Arizona Senate Republicans, “there are approximately 70 municipalities within our state charging this tax, while cities and towns continue to collect record revenues. From fiscal years 2019 to 2023, state-shared revenues from both sales and income taxes combined grew $733 million, or 59%. This increase is on top of any sales taxes or property taxes individually levied by each city. Between FY 2024 and FY 2025, those shared revenues are expected to grow by an additional $389 million.”
The Senate’s President, Warren Petersen, issued the following statement in conjunction with the announcement: “Charging a rental tax is bad tax policy. In fact, Arizona is one of only two states in the nation currently allowing this. While our first attempt at eliminating the tax passed out of the Legislature with solely Republican support and was eventually vetoed by the Governor, we’re grateful our Democrat colleagues came to the table with us and realized the real tangible relief this reform will provide.”
Senate Majority Whip Sine Kerr also released a statement explaining the need for the bill.
“Rental prices aren’t going down anytime soon, and Arizona tenants are agonizing over just how much more expensive it is now to rent an apartment or house than ever before. For Metro Phoenix, June of this year saw the second-highest monthly total of evictions since the 2008 Great Recession. According to Maricopa County records, landlords filed to evict nearly 7000 times last month,” said Senator Kerr. “We needed to act promptly. This bill will provide some help, and I’m proud the Majority Caucus spearheaded this change in tax policy.”
The Republicans’ press release noted that the new policy will “take effect on January 1, 2025…at the request of Democrats (to) allow cities and towns the leeway they desire to adapt to this tax reform.”
As Petersen referenced, the governor vetoed an earlier version of the rental tax prohibition back in February. Hobbs gave two reasons for her action, stating, “First this bill lacks any enforceable mechanism to ensure relief will be provided to renters. As noted by the legislature’s own attorney, provisions in the bill that purport to require that tax savings be passed on to renters face challenges under both the state and federal constitutions. If we are going to promise relief to renters, it’s important that we are able to ensure they actually receive it.”
The League of Arizona Cities & Towns – as well as several cities and towns across the state – opposed the updated bill, which was eventually signed by Hobbs, as it progressed through the state legislature. The Senate first passed the bill on March 2, then the House on May 15. The Senate then concurred with the amended proposal on June 13. SB 1131 was not transmitted to Governor Hobbs until July 31 – the same day that the Legislature approved the negotiated Prop 400 plan.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
It’s a record – we finished the 2023 Fifty-Sixth Legislature – First Regular Session at 204 days (should have been 100). What an honor to be on the Sine Die Committee that got to announce in the Senate Chambers the House has adjourned. pic.twitter.com/wsS3wthwOW
And the 2023 Legislative session is officially Sine Done! Moments ago we adjourned Sine Die, completing the People’s business. It was an amazing session and it’s an honor to serve y’all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. pic.twitter.com/vsxV1RuAA9
— AZ State Rep. Justin Wilmeth (@JustinWilmethAZ) August 1, 2023
Maybe there were bills you liked; maybe there were bills you didn't like. Now that we've FINALLY adjourned, they will become law Oct 30th if they were signed by the governor. https://t.co/13zEBxFuLQ
— Rep. Jennifer Pawlik (@Jennifer_Pawlik) August 1, 2023
And, just like that we wrapped up my first legislative session 👯♀️✨🌟with my sister @repahernandez as the first sister duo! Bringing wins for both LD20 & LD21 💪🏼✨#PoliticalSisters#SquadGoalspic.twitter.com/fK5tbbsje8
— Arizona Senate Democrats (@AZSenateDems) August 1, 2023
As my first year in office comes to a close, I'm reflecting on how grateful I am to have shared the experience with my House @AZFreedomCaucus colleagues and what I admire most about each one of them:@CoryMcGarr – you are true north. Whenever the politics of the capitol has me…
— Rep. Alexander Kolodin (@realAlexKolodin) August 1, 2023
Honored to work for @RepBenToma with this talented team of professionals. Congrats to all of the @AZHouseGOP members on your accomplishments in the 2023 legislative session. And see you in less than 6 months to continue the momentum into 2024! pic.twitter.com/uqvC3soge8
It was an eventful session for the Arizona Legislature as the state experienced a divided government for the first time in over a decade. Though it appeared, at times, that the Republican-led Legislature and the Democrat Governor would not accomplish their required business (for example, the new budget or Prop 400), both sides made concessions and reached accords.
Republicans in the Legislature were led by Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma. Petersen and Toma, along with their chiefs of staff Josh Kredit and Michael Hunter, ensured that their respective Republican caucuses were mostly united and on the offensive against Hobbs’ desired progressive agenda. One of the most significant victories of the year was the Legislature’s defense of the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program, which has been under tremendous political assault since it was expanded in 2022.
While Governor Hobbs had a turbulent time in her first seven months in office (just in the staff turnover alone on the Ninth Floor of the Executive Tower), she claims to have managed to maneuver past a severe learning curve to work with Republican legislative leaders on key issues affecting the state.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
As the Arizona Legislative session may be nearing its final stretch, the state’s premier business organization is highlighting bills that would have had grave consequences for jobs.
On Wednesday, the Arizona Chamber Foundation and the Common Sense Institute released a report, showing that “67 failed bills from the 2023 legislative session in Arizona” would have cost the state’s economy $9.5 billion and deprived individuals of 113,500 jobs. According to the report, those bills would also have “imposed over $25 billion in annual new costs on Arizona’s businesses, including $15 billion in new taxes and fees.”
The two organizations compared Arizona’s path to our neighboring state of Colorado – if the Grand Canyon State would have passed any or all of the 67 bills of note. They reveal that 13 bills that failed this year in Arizona, “have actually passed in Colorado.”
TALE OF TWO STATES: according to our newest report, @CSInstituteAZ finds if Arizona had followed a similar policy path as our neighbor #Colorado, Arizona would have 113,500 fewer workers and an economy that was $9.5B smaller.
— Common Sense Institute Arizona (@CSInstituteAZ) July 12, 2023
Danny Seiden, the President and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued a statement in conjunction with the report, writing, “At the Arizona Chamber, we are committed to protecting the job gains we have seen in Arizona in recent years. This analysis provides important data points for legislators to consider as these failed bills will likely resurface in future sessions.”
Katie Ratlief, the Executive Director of Common Sense Institute Arizona, also weighed in on the announcement, saying, “This study shows that policy matters when it comes to jobs and economic impacts. Policymakers and the public should be informed about the short and long term impacts these pieces of legislation have so they can weigh pros and cons and make informed decisions.”
AZ Free News reached out to Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, one of the key forces behind killing these bills throughout the still-ongoing session, to respond to the report. Petersen said, “This is a great example of why policy matters. Arizona has built on years of sound policy under Republican leadership that has helped grow our state’s economy. We’ll continue to do everything we can to protect Arizona citizens and our economy from the type of policies that have negatively impacted Colorado.”
House Speaker Ben Toma, another stalwart defender of conservative principles in the Legislature, added, “The far left has tightened its grip on the Democrats in Arizona and it shows in the bills they introduced this session in the State Legislature. They propose business and environmental regulations that would stymie growth, kill jobs, and make energy costs higher. In my term as Speaker of the House, I will continue to work to stop these policy proposals so we can continue to be a state on a positive trajectory with low taxation, high growth, and maximum freedom.”
Freshman Republican Representative Matt Gress shared his thoughts on the report in a tweet, stating, “POLICY MATTERS. Arizona succeeds when leaders trust people over government. @CSInstituteAZ’s report reveals that some politicians think they know better than you with terrible ideas like, tax hikes, higher energy costs to fund more ‘green’ regulations, greater compliance with the ‘Mother, may I?’ administrative state. That’s everything Arizona is not.”
POLICY MATTERS. Arizona succeeds when leaders trust people over government.@CSInstituteAZ’s report reveals that some politicians think they know better than you with terrible ideas like:
❌ tax hikes ❌ higher energy costs to fund more “green” regulations ❌ greater compliance… https://t.co/PzSmQohdDD
One of Arizona’s leading Republicans is seeking a meeting with the state’s chief executive over her recent actions over abortion.
Senate President Warren Petersen sent a letter to Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs, hoping to broker a meeting and a solution to the standoff the state finds itself in over consideration of her remaining nominations.
Petersen wrote, “I’m troubled by your recent administrative actions. My constituents and Senate colleagues are concerned by the slew of Executive Orders you have recently issued while we are in recess. These questionable actions and the role of your agency Directors, many of whom the Senate has yet to confirm, is worth discussion.”
The Senate President continued with his letter, requesting a meeting with the governor, stating, “While I believe it would have been productive for you to meet with my colleagues on the nominations committee who requested a meeting, I think a conversation between the two of us would be productive. Let’s see if we can find a way to move forward in a bipartisan manner that benefits all of Arizona.”
This plea from the east valley lawmaker follows a volley of reactions from both Republicans and Democrats after the governor’s Executive Order to “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.” Senator Jake Hoffman, the Chairman of the Committee on Director Nominations, announced that he was canceling the next hearing “with support of the Republican Majority serving on the committee to determine Hobbs’ future intentions to further act beyond her authority.”
The three Republican members of the committee – Hoffman, Sine Kerr, and T.J. Shope – requested a meeting with the Hobbs’ administration “to discuss any additional unlawful overreach (her) office intends to take requiring complicity from Executive Directors,” telling the governor that they have “grave concern that the direction (she) intends to provide to (her) nominees will not allow them to fulfill this obligation (of thoroughly and objectively evaluating nominees for their commitment to execute Arizona laws, rather than create new public policies that conflict with the constitutionally established separation of powers).”
Arizona Senate Democrats quickly pushed back on Hoffman’s revelation. Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Lela Alston issued a statement, writing, “Senator Jake Hoffman has once again shown his disregard for government and everyday Arizonans. By failing to schedule the confirmation hearings for the Governor’s nominees, he shows how ineffective and partisan the Republican party in Arizona truly is. I am disgusted by this move of extremism and call on his leadership to rectify his foolish actions.”
— Arizona Senate Democrats (@AZSenateDems) June 26, 2023
After a report circulated that this meeting was “not likely” to occur, Senator T.J. Shope tweeted, “Oh…so much for that Open Door Policy we’ve heard about over and over again. I guess Governor Hobbs would rather fight it out in an adversarial court setting as opposed to an adult conversation in an office setting.”
A Senate Republican Caucus spokesperson previously told AZ Free News that the chamber has received 21 director nominations from Hobbs, with 12 awaiting their confirmation hearings.
Just a day before the Senate President’s Letter to Governor Hobbs, his caucus tweeted, “Hobbs is setting a dangerous precedent by issuing illegal executive orders and attempting to seize power from county attorneys and the Legislature. Our Caucus is reviewing all legal remedies to ensure appropriate constitutional separation of powers.”
Hobbs is setting a dangerous precedent by issuing illegal executive orders and attempting to seize power from county attorneys and the Legislature. Our Caucus is reviewing all legal remedies to ensure appropriate constitutional separation of powers. https://t.co/hubtdDchTk
