by Staff Reporter | Feb 23, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Republican-led Senate is poised to vote on multiple bills that would impose greater restrictions on gender transition procedures in Arizona.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed four bills targeting different aspects of gender transition procedures: Senate Bills 1014, 1177, 1094, and 1095. All with the exception of SB 1095 were heard in committee last week. All were passed without the support of Democratic lawmakers.
Progressive activists lined up to testify against the bills during the several committee hearings.
SB1095, which would ban gender transition procedures for minors, provoked testimony from several activist adults who identify as transgender.
Former Liberty Elementary School District governing board member, Paul Bixler, said SB1095 would harm, not help, children. Bixler, a man, identifies as a transgender woman.
Ruth Carter, an attorney, said SB1095 amounted to discrimination. Carter, a woman, identifies as a nonbinary individual.
Marilyn Rodriguez, Creosote Partners founder and lobbyist representing the ACLU, said SB1095 was impermissibly broad as written.
Sen. Lauren Kuby (D-LD8) called the bill discriminatory, and argued that lawmakers shouldn’t ban gender transition procedures since certain healthcare experts support those procedures as treatments for gender dysphoria.
“These are private, personal decisions, healthcare decisions, we shouldn’t be discriminating against transgendered youth or those who have gender dysphoria as is described,” said Kuby.
Sen. Analise Ortiz (D-LD24) said the legislature would be better focusing on making healthcare more affordable. Ortiz said the legislation was not only discriminatory but violative of parental rights laws.
“It bans healthcare for a specific group of people solely based on gender identity; that is discrimination no matter how you want to paint it,” said Ortiz.
Sen. Mark Finchem (R-LD1), the bill sponsor, disputed the narratives of his Democratic colleagues that healthcare experts were to be trusted fully and that gender transition procedures were appropriate for minors.
“To those who worship the grounds that doctors walk on: they also said cigarettes were good for you,” said Finchem. “[Permanently altering treatments like mastectomies] are decisions that kids are being talked into, in some cases. I didn’t just dream this bill up myself. This came from kids and parents. More kids than parents.”
Majority Leader John Kavanagh (R-LD3) questioned the logic of his Democratic colleagues that parents had a right to submit children to irreversible medical treatments, but not the right to decide whether their children should be called by certain pronouns or alternative names in school.
SB 1014 would require health insurers to offer coverage for detransition procedures should those insurers provide coverage for gender transition procedures. It would also issue reporting requirements on insurance claims for gender detransitions.
“Detransitioners are people too; they deserve the same care as those who are manipulated into believing they have gender dysphoria, which leads them to undergo gender transition surgery that they later regret,” said the bill sponsor, Sen. Janae Shamp (R-LD29), in a press release. “This legislative package puts their long-term well-being above politics and ideology.”
Jeanne Woodbury, a lobbyist for the ACLU, argued the reporting requirements within the bill would result in discriminatory outcomes.
Bixler, the transgender-identifying former school board member, claimed the bill would result in providers refusing to provide gender transition procedures.
SB 1177 would ban public funding for gender transition procedures.
Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-LD7), the bill sponsor, explained during Wednesday’s HHS hearing that she discovered taxpayers were funding gender transition treatments for prisoners. Rogers also discovered that individuals were being arrested on purpose in order to receive free gender transition treatments.
“Taxpayer dollars should never be used to bankroll irreversible procedures on children,” said Rogers in a later press release. “This legislation draws a hard line and makes clear that public funds will not subsidize experimental or life-altering interventions on minors.”
Ashton Allen expressed support on behalf of Center for Arizona Policy. Allen said subsidies should be tied to valid medical treatments, which he said gender transition procedures weren’t.
Woodbury, the transgender-identifying ACLU lobbyist, argued against Rogers’ claims and said the treatments were affordable. Woodbury also said an end to subsidization would lead to excessive medical risks associated with forced detransitions.
Minority Whip Rosanna Gabaldon (D-LD21) said ending subsidies was “extreme and punitive,” as well as “unfair and dangerous.”
Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales (D-LD20) accused Rogers of faking a story that individuals were getting themselves arrested in order to receive free gender transition treatments. Gonzales called the bill discriminatory.
Sen. Shamp questioned why drugs historically considered to be dangerous were suddenly ethical in the context of gender reassignment.
“Lupron was deemed cruel and unusual punishment being utilized in the prison system for sex offenders, rapists. But now we want Arizona taxpayers to pay for that drug to be utilized for gender reassignment? How the heck did we get here?” said Shamp.
SB 1094 would allow individuals to seek damages in court against physicians who performed gender reassignment surgeries on them as minors. Kavanagh sponsored the bill.
“When permanent procedures are performed on minors who suffer harm, there must be consequences,” said Kavanagh in a press release. “These reforms restore transparency and provide a pathway to just compensation for those harmed.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Feb 12, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Arizona House of Representatives passed a bill unanimously on Monday to intensify prison sentences for fentanyl traffickers. Supporters say it will strengthen law enforcement’s tools against the opioid crisis.
House Bill 2132, sponsored by Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-LD1), lowers the amount of fentanyl that triggers enhanced prison terms in state law. Under current law, mandatory enhanced sentences apply at the 200-gram threshold; the measure approved by the House would apply those penalties at 100 grams.
The bill passed the chamber with unanimous support and now advances to the Arizona Senate for further consideration.
“Fentanyl is killing Arizonans, destroying families, and driving crime across our state,” Nguyen said in a statement following the Monday vote. “HB 2132 targets the dealers who profit from death and puts serious prison time on the table. This bill backs law enforcement, protects our communities, and makes clear that Arizona will not tolerate fentanyl trafficking.”
According to the Arizona House GOP leadership, enhanced sentence ranges under existing law carry mandatory terms of five to 15 years, with longer terms for repeat offenders. Nguyen’s office says applying those penalties at a lower fentanyl threshold better reflects how the drug is moved and sold in real-world trafficking cases.
Critics of stricter sentencing, such as Rep. Alma Hernandez (D-LD20), have argued that enhanced penalties alone may not significantly deter addiction or drug distribution. She told the Judicial Committee in January, “I am just concerned that we continue to move the goal posts,” as reported by the AZ Mirror.
Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeff Newnum described fentanyl as “a drug of mass destruction,” speaking to the committee. He explained that 100 grams amounts to approximately 1,000 pills, adding that an average sale in his county involves about 30 grams.
“I would love an amendment that lowers it to 30 grams, but I’ll take 100 grams today,” Newnum said per the Mirror. “These are not people, in my opinion, that need to be placed on probation. They need to be put in prison.”
“Public safety is non-negotiable,” Nguyen said in his statement. “House Republicans are taking direct action against fentanyl dealers because Arizona families deserve safe streets, strong laws, and accountability for those who profit from destruction.”
The next stop for HB 2132 is the state Senate, where it will be assigned to a committee before a potential floor vote. A similar measure from Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-LD7), Senate Bill 1061, would lower the enhanced sentencing threshold to nine grams. The bill passed the Senate Judicial Committee in January and is pending a floor vote.
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 Staff Reporter | Feb 11, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The state’s elections portal for candidates experienced another outage, prompting leaders of both political parties to cast blame at the other.
The E-Qual system experienced an outage that lasted from Friday through Sunday. This portal allows voters to sign candidate nominating petitions and give qualifying contributions. It also houses some sensitive candidate data.
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes blamed the outage on the accelerated primary election schedule. Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a Republican-led bill into law on Friday that moved the primary election to the second to last Tuesday in July, a bipartisan decision to accommodate military voters.
Fontes said a “typo” caused the outage, which he promised was “temporary” on Friday. However, he said his team wasn’t to blame. Fontes said he was dealing with insufficient staffing and outdated systems caused by the GOP-controlled legislature.
The secretary of state put a price on his problems: $17 million to overhaul the election and candidate-facing systems. A one-time funding boost that occurred in 2024 wasn’t enough, Fontes said.
In a premature announcement on Friday that would quickly be proven false, Fontes claimed the system was fixed. Fontes again stressed that the outages his team was experiencing were preventable — the fault that caused the outage had less to do with a “typo” but inadequate funding from the legislature.
“System interruptions are preventable and my office will continue requesting the necessary funding to mitigate issues in the future,” said Fontes.
In a longer video statement from the comfort of his Super Bowl setup on Sunday, Fontes said E-Qual was “fragile,” “old,” and “outdated” due to the legislature’s refusal to provide fiscal support for updates. Fontes further promised that important data relating to tabulation and voter information weren’t impacted.
“Some people wanted to politicize this,” said Fontes. “The failure is the legislature that has been exploiting this longtime issue that I’ve been trying to get fixed for years and they’re not funding it. It’s as if they broke it and they want to blame someone else for breaking it.”
Fontes later disclosed to reporters that one single person was in charge of maintaining the main election management systems for their office. Fontes said he pays a lot to keep that individual on staff as a contractor.
Republican lawmakers rejected Fontes’ attempt to push the blame onto them.
State Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R-LD3), who is campaigning to unseat Fontes this November, said more money couldn’t fix incompetence.
“Even with millions in additional funding, voters are still being disenfranchised by his incompetence,” said Kolodin. “Waste of money!”
In a similar vein, State Rep. David Livingston (R-LD28) questioned how Fontes’ office caused such a major outage over a typo — and how another tens of millions of dollars could have prevented such an error.
“I think the other information, changing July 21, should just be standard operating procedure, and they shouldn’t need any money to do that,” said Livingston. “And if they can’t handle doing that, they probably shouldn’t be running the secretary of state’s office at all.”
Livingston is vice chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, which Fontes called out when identifying those who were to blame.
Some lawmakers had a little less to say on the subject.
The new chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, Sergio Arellano, said Fontes was again proving his inability to own his mistakes.
“Arizonans expect elections to be administered with competence and seriousness, and when preventable failures occur, they demand accountability — not silence, not excuses, and not business as usual,” said Arellano.
Last summer, Iranian hackers breached the E-Qual system under Fontes’ watch.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Feb 7, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
On Friday, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed a Republican bill passed on a bipartisan vote by the Arizona Legislature to change the date of the 2026 primary and permanently move Arizona primaries to the second to last Tuesday in July.
The legislation permanently shifts the primary election date earlier, ensures timely ballot access for military voters overseas, and mandates clearer guidelines for political party observers at polling sites, marking a significant step toward greater election integrity and consistency ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
HB 2022 addresses longstanding issues with Arizona’s election calendar by moving the primary from August 4 to the second-to-last Tuesday in July – specifically July 21 for 2026.
This two-week adjustment resolves conflicts with federal requirements under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), which mandates that ballots be sent to military and overseas voters at least 45 days before an election. Previously, Arizona’s timeline risked delays, potentially disenfranchising service members.
By advancing the date, the bill ensures that ballots are mailed on time, giving voters abroad ample time to receive, complete, and return them.
The measure also enhances transparency and oversight by explicitly requiring authorized political party observers to be permitted at all voting locations, including early voting centers and emergency voting sites.
The bill was sponosored by Rep. Alexander Kolodin (R-LD3) with a mirrored bill (SB 1425) sponsored in the Arizona Senate by Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-LD7).
“Arizona law has always intended to protect the integrity of our elections, including for military voters and at ALL voting locations,” said Rep. Kolodin. “I am delighted that Governor Hobbs agreed with me that this commonsense reform and legislation is necessary.”
“This was a unified Republican effort leading the way from start to finish,” Senator Rogers added. “By working together across chambers, we delivered a commonsense election bill that protects military voters, brings clarity to our election calendar, and strengthens transparency for Arizona voters. This is how the process should work.”
New voter deadlines are as follows:
- Voter Registration Deadline: June 22, 2026
- Ballots are mailed to voters on the Active Early Voter List and In-Person Early Voting Begins: June 24, 2026
- Primary Election Day: July 21, 2026
The Primary date change also impacts filing deadlines for candidates running for office.
Filing Dates:
- Partisan Primary Candidate Filing: Feb. 21, 2026 – March 23, 2026
- Precinct Committeemen Write-In Deadline: April 6, 2026
- Write-In Candidate Filing Deadline: May 22, 2026
The measure had the full support of the Arizona Freedom Caucus (AFC). In a statement, AFC Chairman Senator Jake Hoffman (R-LD15) said, “Governor Hobbs signing Representative Kolodin’s HB 2022 is a huge win for election integirty in Arizona. While Adrian Fontes is making radical and unserious legislative proposals, like expanding unaccountable, sprawling voting centers and reinstating a permanent early voter list, Representative Kolodin is leading with bipartisan supermajorities.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Jan 31, 2026 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A bill requiring local law enforcement agencies to notify federal immigration authorities when arresting illegal immigrants advanced out of committee Monday in the Arizona Legislature.
Senate Bill 1055, sponsored by Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-LD7), cleared the Military Affairs and Border Security Committee with Republican support on Monday. The bill would require local law enforcement to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) “immediately when a law enforcement official or agency arrests an individual who is unlawfully present in the United States.”
“When someone is under arrest and in the country illegally, local officers should be able to notify federal authorities without hesitation,” Rogers said in a statement. “Clear laws enhance public safety and honor those who serve, including our veterans who defend the rule of law. Arizona should prioritize clarity over confusion. If an individual is unlawfully present and under arrest, local officers must be able to inform federal authorities immediately to prevent dangerous individuals from being released back into our neighborhoods. This legislation promotes cooperation, upholds the rule of law, and respects our public safety personnel.”
The legislation is intended to clarify existing federal and state statutes governing the sharing of immigration status information among agencies and to establish specific circumstances in which notification is mandatory.
During the committee hearing, the bill drew Republican support and Democratic opposition. Rural Arizona Action, which OpenSecrets identifies as a Democrat-aligned advocacy group, argued that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is “out of control” during the hearing, according to AZCentral. The outlet reported that disruptive protesters interrupted the hearing on January 26 using whistles and chanting “Shame! Shame!”
SB 1055 passed out of the committee by a 4-3 vote, advancing in the legislative process with Arizona Senate GOP leadership stating, “SB 1055 is set for a full Senate vote after passing the Military Affairs and Border Security Committee with Republican support, despite Democratic opposition and hostile rhetoric during yesterday’s hearing.”
However, according to Legiscan, the bill is set to be heard first by the Senate Rules Committee before being considered on the floor, per standard legislative procedure. As of this report, the bill does not yet appear on the Committee’s agenda.
Senate Republican leaders said in the press release that the measure was designed to reduce confusion for officers on the front lines and “ensure that communities can trust that the law is applied consistently.”
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.
