by Carson Carpenter | Nov 30, 2023 | Opinion
By Carson Carpenter |
Throughout history, wars have been fought over who can control land and what can be done upon the land that is seized. Nowadays, valuable land is often given to foreign adversary powers at the cost of Homeland Security and the good ole American dollar. Arizona is currently one of these battlefields, where foreign powers are trying to seize control within the United States and take away opportunities from domestic businesses.
In 2022, Arizona passed a law stating that China or Communist party officials cannot directly buy land in our state. However, SB 1342 failed to address that anyone who is not a Communist Party member from China can still buy land. While well-intentioned, this bill left a major loophole that can and will be exploited for years to come, especially with heightening tensions across the globe.
China currently has access to 26.2 million acres of Arizona farmland, some of it being close to major infrastructure and military installations. To be clear, all foreign investors from anywhere in China are under the complete and total control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Even if they don’t claim to be members of the CCP, they have access to buy up this land.
In 2021, China owned 30,119 acres within the state of Arizona. This land is held by Walton Industries Group, a company that denied access to NPR about what they are doing with their land. The company also gives access to many other foreign nations to use this land right here in Arizona.
This is a glaring national security risk. These foreign investors’ tactics toward Arizona are not normal business operations. That’s why Arizona needs legislation put forth that will cut off foreign investor access to the farmland mentioned above.
Arizona can be on the cutting edge to put its people first through such legislation. It would be the first of its kind in the country. State Senator Wendy Rogers even advocated for this type of restriction within SB 1342, but unfortunately, it didn’t pass. Since then, the world and state of foreign affairs have changed, allowing for a perfect opportunity to pass this game-changing legislation.
A new bill could be introduced at the legislature, pass both the Arizona House and Senate, and put lots of political pressure on Governor Hobbs to sign. If she did, this legislation would give access to farmland across southern Arizona that would most certainly boost the state economy, especially for the lower and middle classes.
Arizona could be a breadbasket of growth based on a simple release of farmland that right now is open access for foreign investors. There has not been enough economic pressure put upon the Governor in the legislature. Now is the time for the state government to enact legislation before the next election to ensure that Arizona will be playing offense, rather than playing the “bend but don’t break” game that limits enacting effective legislation that helps everyday Arizonans.
Carson Carpenter is a student at Arizona State University, majoring in Political Science. He is the Vice President of ASU College Republicans and has interned for Reps. Gosar and Crane. You can follow him on Twitter here.
by Daniel Stefanski | Oct 25, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As a pivotal election year approaches, Arizona Republican legislators are still working to strengthen election integrity and security across the state.
Last week, Arizona State Representative Jacqueline Parker and State Senator Wendy Rogers sent a joint press release to “announce their firm commitment to rectify issues arising from conflicting federal and state deadlines in the forthcoming elections.”
The legislators shared that the genesis of their concerns lies with a 2022 law, SB 1008, which “elevated the automatic recount threshold from an arbitrary, below national average margin of 200 votes, to a standard of less than one-half of 1-percent (0.5 percent),” adding that “this change brought Arizona in alignment with several states, including Florida, Colorado, and Pennsylvania.”
SB 1008 may have passed out of both legislative chambers with broad bipartisan support, as Parker and Rogers noted in their release, but it does not appear to be a perfect fix to the issues that lawmakers were attempting to resolve, hence the reason for the push to provide a patch for this bill. In commentary with their release, the two legislators wrote, “As the state approaches the next election cycle, an increased incidence of automatic recounts, expected as a result from the change in law, poses a potential challenge to counties in meeting certain deadlines.”
Both legislators issued statements to accompany their announcement. Parker said, “This challenge presents us with a unique opportunity to correct the underlying problems that have plagued Arizona elections, rather than approach it as a temporary band-aid fix that fails to move us forward.” Rogers said, “A true legislative fix will provide clarity, promote transparency, and will save taxpayer dollars.”
In a follow-up release later that day, Parker revealed that the legislators had met with stakeholders, wasting no time in starting the process of fixing the holes from the bill. Parker stated, “We hosted the first of many stakeholder meetings today to hear from the boots on the ground who are in the thick of administering our elections, as well as legal experts. We want to make sure we have in-depth conversations with these stakeholders, so that we can identify the proper fix needed to strengthen the integrity of our elections and the confidence voters have when they cast their ballots.”
Senator Rogers also weighed in, saying, “In order to remedy the unintended consequences of this law, we must first draft proposed legislation, and that certainly won’t happen overnight. This is a painstaking process that will require feedback from everyone involved with our elections procedures. We plan to resolve this conflict before the 2024 election, but we must first thoroughly and methodically work with all parties involved. This could very well take several months, but as Republicans, we are committed to coming up with a solution that is transparent, organized, accurate, secures our elections, and saves taxpayer dollars.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 29, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As Americans around the country honored the fallen men and women who have worn our country’s uniform on Memorial Day, Arizona Legislators paid their own homage to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation’s freedoms and Constitution.
May we never forget and always be appreciative of the great debt we owe to all the individuals who have laid down their lives to protect American freedom. We live in the greatest country in the world and have so much to be thankful for – because of the service and sacrifice of these men and women who are no longer with us.
God bless and keep the United States of America.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 28, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Days after an Arizona legislative attempt to prohibit photo radar was sent to her desk, Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the proposal.
On Friday, Governor Hobbs sent a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, informing the legislature of her veto of SB 1234, which was sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers.
In her letter to the Legislature, Hobbs wrote, “I’ve heard from local leaders and the law enforcement officers across the state about the impact this bill will have on the safety of Arizonans. Research indicates that photo radar cameras demonstrate effectiveness in changing driver behavior and decreasing fatal accidents, especially in vulnerable areas like school zones. This bill’s ban of photo radar would eliminate an important tool for law enforcement that allows for a more efficient allocation of limited police resources.”
Hobbs expressed a desire to find solutions for safety issues on the streets, stating that she looks “forward to continuing the work with the Arizona legislature, law enforcement, and local municipalities to solve traffic issues and enhance public safety.”
Rogers, the bill’s champion, was deeply disappointed by Hobbs’ action on the bill. In a statement released after the news of the veto, Rogers responded: “Cities and towns use the photo radar scheme to collect millions of dollars from unwitting statewide drivers, each year. This traffic citation scam enables third-party companies to exploit Arizona drivers, a scheme never contemplated under state law. These surveillance systems ignore the root causes of safety concerns on our roads. They do little to eliminate immediate threats like drunk drivers, reckless drivers or speeders. Instead, photo radar cameras provide quick cash for the coffers of unelected municipal bureaucrats.”
She went on to say, “Furthermore, photo radar incentivizes politicians to penalize our citizens with unfair fines because 10% of each citation goes directly to fund campaigns through the AZ Clean Elections program. To add insult to injury, every single motor vehicle driver who passes by a camera, whether they’ve violated the law or not, are being photographed and documented. This is an egregious invasion of our privacy. Hobbs’ veto fails Arizonans. She will ultimately answer to our fleeced drivers who don’t support this years-long cash grab cloaked in the name of ‘traffic enforcement.'”
Arizona Representative Joseph Chaplik also weighed in on Twitter about the legislation’s demise, posting, “Disappointed but not surprised that Katie Hobbs vetoed the ban on photo radar and red light cameras. It is a money making scheme and corrupts law enforcement. I will continue fighting with Wendy Rogers until it’s finally gone from our streets.”
Stopping photo radar has long been a focus of Senator Rogers, who forecasted her plans to introduce this legislation last summer. In a statement before this legislative session, Rogers said, “The photo radar industry made its home base in Arizona. And that ends next year. We’re no longer going to allow government to spy on Arizonans for profit and trample due process rights.”
Last week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed the bill with a vote of 32-26 (with one member not voting and one seat vacant). Before passing the House last this month, this legislation had languished in the legislative process. The House Military Affairs & Public Safety Committee had considered the bill back on March 6, passing it with an 8-7 vote. Earlier in the session, the Senate Government Committee had cleared the measure with a 5-3 vote; and then the full Senate giving the green light with a 16-13 tally (with one member not voting).
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | May 24, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
An Arizona legislative attempt to prohibit photo radar has been sent to the Governor’s Office.
Last week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed SB 1234, sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers, with a vote of 32-26 (with one member not voting and one seat vacant). The bill would “forbid the use of photo radar systems to enforce traffic law.”
Stopping photo radar has long been a focus of Senator Rogers, who forecasted her plans to introduce this legislation last summer. Rogers said, “The photo radar industry made its home base in Arizona. And that ends next year. We’re no longer going to allow government to spy on Arizonans for profit and trample due process rights.”
After the House approved the proposal, Republican lawmakers cheered its success on social media. Representative Rachel Jones tweeted, “This week, we passed SB 1234 to ban photo radar. These cameras are the biggest scam of all time, and completely unconstitutional. This was a huge win for freedom!!!”
Representative Joseph Chaplik wrote, “Photo radar is a corrupting scheme in our state and it needs to end now. I proudly voted yes for SB 1234 yesterday to ban it completely, just like 16 other states did.”
And Representative Austin Smith posted, “Photo radar is a racket and abuse of our 4th, 5th and 6th amendment rights. How politicians before approved this is shameful. I proudly voted yes to ban photo radar in Arizona. Good bill, Wendy Rogers!
Before passing the House last this month, this legislation had languished in the legislative process. The House Military Affairs & Public Safety Committee had considered the bill back on March 6, passing it with an 8-7 vote. Earlier in the session, the Senate Government Committee had cleared the measure with a 5-3 vote; and then the full Senate giving the green light with a 16-13 tally (with one member not voting).
Rogers had a dozen co-sponsors for the bill – all Republicans. Senators Ken Bennett, Sonny Borrelli, David Farnsworth, David Gowan, Jake Hoffman, Steve Kaiser, John Kavanagh, Anthony Kern, Sine Kerr, JD Mesnard, (President) Warren Petersen, and Janae Wadsack were the co-sponsors.
Representatives from the City of Chandler, the City of Avondale, the Town of Paradise Valley, the City of Mesa, the Arizona Chapter National Safety Council, the Arizona Public Health Association, and the League of Arizona Cities & Towns noted their opposition to the bill as it moved through the two legislative chambers.
Governor Hobbs is expected to veto this piece of legislation.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
