Tag: Governor Katie Hobbs

Arizona Rep. Kolodin Lauds Bill Defunding Anti-Semitic University Groups Calling for Genocide ‘Across the Finish Line’

Debra McClure
Alex Kolodin

Arizona State Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale) told The Arizona Sun Times that he was “gratified” Governor Katie Hobbs signed his bill, HB 2178, into law Wednesday, enabling students to defund university clubs and organizations calling for genocide.

On Thursday, Kolodin told The Sun Times, “This is something that conservative organizations like Turning Point and my good friend Austin Smith have been working on for a number of years and it is a privilege to be the one to finally get it across the finish line. And it is especially meaningful to me, as a Jew, that we could finally address the grave injustice of Jewish students being forced to fund calls for their own genocide.”

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Arizona State Senate Sues Gov. Katie Hobbs over Refusal to Nominate Agency Directors

Tom Pappert
Peterson Hobbs Courtroom

The Arizona State Senate and Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) took legal action against Governor Katie Hobbs (D) on Tuesday. The governor faces legal action for her attempt to bypass the normal Senate confirmation process for the directors of Arizona’s state agencies, which she started after one of her nominees was rejected for alleged plagiarism.

A summary of the Senate lawsuit was posted to X, formerly Twitter, by State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff). Rogers noted that Arizona law requires “agencies be led by Senate-confirmed directors,” and wrote that she is “proud” the Arizona Senate GOP “is committed to upholding the law to protect Arizonans’ liberty.”

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Arizona’s Top Democrats Were in Washington, D.C. for ‘Meetings,’ Leaving Republican in Charge Ahead of Biden Visit

Tom Pappert

Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee (R) acted as the acting governor of the state for an unclear period of time between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon, as three of Arizona’s top Democrats happened to be in Washington, D.C. for meetings. Yee’s tenure was ended when Governor Katie Hobbs (D) returned to appear alongside President Joe Biden at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to honor the legacy of John McCain.

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Arizona Senate Republicans Blast ‘Petulant Temper Tantrum’ from Gov. Hobbs over Confirmation Hearings

Tom Pappert

Arizona Senate Republicans fired back after Governor Katie Hobbs (D) withdrew her nominations for Arizona’s state agencies and declared she would deny oversight from the Arizona Legislature by appointing permanent “executive deputy directors” instead.

In a statement released Monday afternoon, Hobbs called Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), who heads the Arizona State Senate panel to vet and interview Hobbs’ nominees, a “fake elector” guilty of creating a “political circus” in the Senate.

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Arizona State Senator TJ Shope to Probe If Gov. Hobbs’ Dark Money Security Funding Violated Campaign Finance Laws

Tom Pappert

Arizona Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-Florence) intends to probe how Governor Katie Hobbs (D) had a private security guard during the 2022 elections without disclosing how he was paid. Hobbs, who was serving as Arizona’s secretary of state in 2022, did not disclose how the security guard was paid in her campaign finance reports.

Though it remains unclear exactly how former security guard J.M. “Jesse” Torrez was employed to protect Hobbs, The Arizona Republic notes the governor appointed Torrez to head the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, where he will earn $115,000 per year, after taking office.

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Arizona Senate Committee Rejects Gov. Hobbs’ Nominee for Housing Department, Cites ‘Systemic’ Plagiarism

Tom Pappert

An Arizona State Senate panel rejected the nomination of Joan Serviss to run the Arizona Department of Housing in a 3-2 vote on Thursday, with Republican senators highlighting alleged “systemic” plagiarism by Serviss in letters she wrote to the federal government while working in advocacy. Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) provided three examples in which Serviss, nominated by Governor Katie Hobbs (D) to run the Arizona Department of Housing, appeared to blatantly plagiarize advocacy groups and the media while running the Arizona Housing Coalition. After Serviss offered opening remarks and received questioning from State Senators Lela Alston (D-Phoenix), Flavio Bravo (D-Phoenix), Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson), and T.J. Shope (R-Florence), Hoffman referenced a letter sent by Serviss in her former position at the Arizona Housing Coalition, a group she boasted of shepherding from one to 10 employees. That letter contained six paragraphs, five of which Hoffman claimed were directly plagiarized from two other advocacy groups, one being non-profit supporting food banks in Washington state. “It appears you copied and pasted without attribution,” said Hoffman, adding that “the only changes were minimal at best, and stylistic.” He questioned if Serviss considered her letter to be an example of plagiarism. Rather than…

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Feds to Drop Shipping Container Border Wall Lawsuit After $2.1 Million Payment from Arizona Taxpayers

Tom Pappert

A lawsuit launched by the Department of Justice against Arizona over a makeshift border wall made of shipping containers is set to be dismissed following a final payment of $2.1 million from the state to the U.S. Forest Service, even after Governor Katie Hobbs (D) dismantled the barrier and put the containers up for sale.

The shipping container wall was constructed under former Governor Doug Ducey (R), whose administration argued the hastily constructed barrier was necessary until the Biden administration resumed construction on the southern border wall started by former President Donald Trump. A lawsuit was launched by the federal government just weeks before Hobbs took office.

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Arizona House Republicans Call on Governor and Attorney General to Protect the State’s Southern Border

Hannah Poling

All 31 members of the Arizona House Republican Majority Caucus signed a letter calling on Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes to take executive action to protect Arizona from the crisis occurring at the state’s southern border.

This follows reports from last week where officials from the Biden administration inexplicably welded open 114 massive gates along the Arizona border allowing tens of thousands of illegal immigrants to flood into the U.S.

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Arizona State Senator Says Governor Hobbs and Attorney General Mayes Should Stay Out of Kroger and Albertson Merger

Hannah Poling

An Arizona Republican senator said this week that Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes should stay out of a proposed merger of the state’s two largest grocery chains as they “know very little” about the grocery industry.

Hobbs said on Wednesday that the proposed merger of Kroger Co., the parent company of Smith’s and Fry’s Foods, and Albertsons Companies, which not only runs stores under its name but also acquired Safeway and all of the stores that the company owned in 2015, may have some negative effects on Arizona.

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State Senator Reminds Arizonans of Safeguards Enacted to Protect Against Mask Mandates

Hannah Poling

Arizona State senator and registered nurse Janae Shamp (R-Suprise) reminded Arizonans this week of safeguards put in place by Republicans at the legislature to protect against any effort by the federal government to reinstate COVID-19 mask mandates.

This follows movie studio Lionsgate in Santa Monica, Rutgers University in New Jersey, Georgetown University in Washington DC, and Morris Brown College in Atlanta announcing they are reinstating mask mandates due to reported COVID-19 cases.

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Arizona State Senator Criticizes Governor Hobbs for Declaring Heat Emergency ‘Too Late’

Hannah Poling

An Arizona Republican Senator criticized Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs over the weekend for her lack of making a real difference for Arizona citizens as Governor by making a “too late” declaration of an extreme heat state of emergency.

State Senator Anthony Kern (R-Glendale) says that Hobbs’ emergency heat declaration is nothing more than a too-late publicity stunt.

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Arizona Secretary of State Fontes Will Publish Public Comments on 2023 Elections Procedures Manual

Hannah Poling

A spokesperson for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told The Arizona Sun Times that the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office will publish all public comments on the 2023 Election Procedure Manual on the website after a review of comments has been completed.

“The comments will be made public after staff has a chance to review. Once that review is complete, it will be posted on the Secretary of State’s website,” the spokesperson told The Sun Times.

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Arizona Education Superintendent Tom Horne Advises Schools to Not Permit Biological Males in Biological Females Restrooms

Hannah Poling

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne (R) released a statement on Thursday “strongly advising” all schools statewide not to enact policies that permit biological males from using biological females’ restrooms, locker rooms, and showers.

According to Horne (pictured above), his statement was prompted by recent questions and concerns from outraged parents about school policies permitting biological males to use biological females’ restroom facilities, saying they may remove their children from schools that allow this in Arizona.

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New Arizona Law to Help Reporting Missing Foster Care Child Cases to Take Effect This Fall

Hannah Poling

A new Arizona law requiring mandatory 24-hour reporting with detailed deliverables and protocols for each situation of missing, abducted, or runaway children within foster care is to take effect this fall.

House Bill (HB) 2651 sponsored by State Representative Barbara Parker (R-Mesa) received bipartisan support in both the State House and Senate when it passed the legislature. Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs signed the bill into law on June 19th, 2023.

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Governor Hobbs Says She ‘Absolutely’ Wants Arizona to Charge Trump over 2020 Election Contest; Her Office Later Claimed She ‘Misunderstood’ the Question

Tom Pappert

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said she “absolutely” hopes former President Donald Trump will be criminally charged for his actions while contesting the 2020 election results in Arizona.

Hobbs said she would “absolutely” like to see Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes bring new charges against Trump that mirror those in Georgia, telling local media that such charges would hold those who contested the election “accountable” for their actions.

Hobbs said she would “absolutely” like to see Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes bring new charges against Trump that mirror those in Georgia, telling local media that such charges would hold those who contested the election “accountable” for their actions.

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Arizona Republican Lawmakers Want Transparency and Publication of Public Comments on 2023 Elections Procedures Manual

Hannah Poling

Arizona Republican lawmakers demanded that Secretary of State Adrian Fontes publish all public comments on the 2023 Election Procedure Manual on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website to demonstrate his commitment to transparency.

This follows State Representatives Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear) and Michael Carbone (R-Buckeye) requesting that Fontes extend the “extremely short” deadline for public comment on the 259-page manual, which he refused.

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Arizona State Senator Calls Out Governor Hobbs for Joining the U.S. Climate Alliance

Hannah Poling

An Arizona Republican Senator is calling out Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs for her recent “publicity stunt aimed at appealing to her radical environmental base” in joining the radical U.S. Climate Alliance.

Last month Hobbs announced that Arizona joined the U.S. Climate Alliance a coalition of 25 governors all committed to “to securing America’s net-zero future by advancing state-led, high-impact climate action.”

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Arizona House Launches Censorship Probe after Hobbs’ Big Tech Emails Go Public

Tom Pappert

The Arizona House has launched an investigation into the censorship requests by Governor Katie Hobbs, including those revealed by Arizona Capitol Oversight, and those made by other state government officials.

House Speaker Ben Toma (R-Peoria) created the panel late last week, enlisting Representative Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale) to serve as its chair. In what Kolodin called “an interesting coincidence,” the panel was created the same day Arizona Capitol Oversight released an 8 page report revealing several of Hobbs’ censorship requests to Facebook and Twitter, including one against a member of the Arizona Legislature.

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Arizona Republican Party Names State Senator Justine Wadsack as Freshman Senator of the Year

Hannah Poling

The Arizona Republican Party named Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tuscon) as their Freshman Senator of the Year for making history by seeing an unprecedented number of her proposed bills pass through the State Senate.

In a single year, Wadsack was successful in promoting a number of significant legislation that attracted national notice and addressed important issues for Arizonans, including water supply, education, and child protection.

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Republican Lawmakers Urge Secretary Fontes to Extend Public Comment Period for 2023 Arizona Elections Procedures Manual

Hannah Poling

Arizona Republican lawmakers are urging Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to extend the deadline for public comment on the 2023 Election Procedure Manual.

State Representatives Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear) and Michael Carbone (R-Buckeye) are calling on Fontes to extend the “extremely short” public comment period he set for the 2023 Elections Procedure Manual. Fontes released the manual draft on August 1st and set the deadline for August 15th, even though he is not required to produce it to Governor Katie Hobbs or Attorney General Kris Mayes until October 1st.

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State Senate President Warren Petersen Calls Prop 400 Plan Most Conservative in Arizona History

Hannah Poling

Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) said that the Prop. 400 plan passed by the legislature on Monday is the most conservative one passed in Arizona History.

The Arizona Legislature periodically extends the Prop. 400 public transportation tax every few years. The half-cent tax, which was first implemented in 1985 to finance roads is now also used to fund Maricopa County’s public transportation and light rail.

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Mohave County Republicans Criticize Maricopa County Recorder for Calling Plan to Hand Count Arizona Election Ballots ‘Dumb’

Hannah Poling
Stephen Richer

The Mohave County Republican Central Committee criticized Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer for calling a plan to count election ballots by hand rather than using voting machines in 2024 “One of the dumbest ideas in politics.”

On June 5th, the Mohave County Board of Supervisors directed staff to review and develop a plan for tabulating the 2024 elections by hand. Between June 22nd, 2023, and June 26th, 2023, the Mohave County Elections Department conducted a study to test the feasibility and best practices of carrying out a full-hand tabulation of the 2024 elections.

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Gov. Hobbs’ Closed Door Task Force Recommends 20 Changes to Arizona Elections

Tom Pappert

The Elections Task Force (ETF) created via executive order by Governor Katie Hobbs has recommended 20 changes to Arizona elections, including moves to prevent ballot drop boxes from being observed by citizen groups and restore the voting rights of felons.

Hobbs’ ETF agreed to advance 20 of 22 total proposals it generated to consider during a Thursday meeting that was closed to the public, including members of the media. It was the second full meeting of the group, which Hobbs chairs, since she created it via executive order in January.

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Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Second Least Popular Governor in America, Poll Says

Hannah Poling

Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs came in as the second least popular governor in America, according to a new Morning Consult poll.

The poll detailed that among samples of registered voters in each state surveyed, Hobbs had the second-lowest favorable rating in the country at a mere 40 percent, barely avoiding last place by beating out Democratic Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, who garnered a 39 percent favorable rating.

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Republican Lawmakers Call on Arizona AG Mayes and Gov. Hobbs to Address Public Safety Threat After Accused Murder Released

Hannah Poling

Two Arizona Republican Senators are calling on Attorney General Kris Mayes and Governor Katie Hobbs to protect the citizens of Arizona by immediately rescinding the release of a “seriously mentally-ill patient” who was housed at the Arizona State Hospital after being found incompetent to stand trial in the murder of his own mother and seven-year-old niece.

Last week, Arizona State Hospital released Rodney Aviles after they held him at their facility for over twenty years. However, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell wrote to Mayes back in February of this year to express her grave worries about community safety and her conviction that Aviles continues to pose a threat to his family and the larger community.

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Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack Outlines Her Priorities for Next Session

Hannah Poling

Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tuscon) is preparing for the next legislative session by outlining her priorities and beginning to craft legislation for introduction in the State Senate.

Arizona’s regular legislative sessions begin on the second Monday in January and typically conclude after 100 days. However, the House and Senate can mutually vote to extend the regular session beyond 100 days. This happens regularly. It will run as long as lawmakers need it to.

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State Senator Wadsack Says Arizona Families Tax Rebate Coming This Fall

Hannah Poling

Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson) is encouraging families that the “Arizona Families Tax Rebate,” a part of the $17.8 billion state budget approved by Governor Katie Hobbs on May 15th, is expected to be sent out sometime this fall.

The Arizona Families Tax Rebate, championed by Arizona Senate Republicans and the Arizona Freedom Caucus will allow Arizona families to receive up to $750 in rebates based on 2021 tax returns.

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Arizona State Representatives Declare Frustration Towards Democrats Lack of Support Requiring Students to Say the Pledge of Allegiance

Hannah Poling

Arizona state representatives are declaring frustration towards Arizona Democrats’ lack of support in requiring publicly funded schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Earlier this year, State Representative Barbara Parker (R-Mesa) introduced House Bill (HB) 2523, which attempted to require that the state’s public primary and secondary schools “set aside a specific time each day for students who wish to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag,” adding that “each student shall recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States at this time.” The bill allowed students to refuse only when they are over 18 or have parental permission to refuse to recite the pledge.

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Arizona State Representative Speaks Out in Support of New Pro-Life Baby Brand

Hannah Poling

Arizona State Representative and Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee David Cook (R-Globe) is speaking out in support of a new Pro-Life Baby Brand and the release of their new anti-woke advertisement.

The new California-based company Everylife launched its brand on Thursday, with a powerful unapologetically pro-life advertisement saying that every baby is a miracle from God who deserves love, protection, and support.

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Arizona Senate Republican Caucus Says Meeting with Governor Hobbs on Recent Administrative Actions ‘Went Well’

Hannah Poling

The Arizona Senate Republican Caucus said a meeting last week between Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Mesa) and Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs to discuss her recent abortion-related crimes executive order “went well.”

According to a session, update e-mailed to reporters by the caucus, after the meeting, Petersen (pictured above, right) was optimistic that the discussion between him and the Arizona Governor benefited the state.

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Arizona Senator Calls Out Governor over ‘Harmful’ Veto of Sex Offender Registry Bill

Hannah Poling

An Arizona Republican state senator called out Governor Katie Hobbs for her “harmful” veto of a bill mandating those found guilty of dangerous crimes against children to register on the state’s sex offender website.

Senate Bill (SB) 1583, sponsored by State Senator Sine Kerr (R-Buckeye), aimed to close a gap in state legislation that now only compels those offenders found guilty of committing sex crimes against children to list their names on the website for sex offenders if they pose a significant danger of doing so again. Level one offenders, who are the least likely to re-offend, may not have to list their names on this website.

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Senate President Pro Tempore Says Governor Hobbs Is ‘Out of Touch’ with Arizonans on LGBTQ Executive Orders

Hannah Poling

Arizona Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-Florance) said that Governor Katie Hobbs’ recent executive orders to provide insurance-covered sex change procedures and ban so-called “conversion therapy” are “out of touch” with the desires of the majority of Arizonans.

Last week, Governor Hobbs signed two executive orders one to require state employee health care plans to cover sex change surgeries and another to ban state agencies from funding, promoting, or supporting so-called “conversion therapy” for minors.

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Arizona State Republicans Celebrate Large Investments in Water Security and Projects

Neil Jones

Arizona will be investing over $360 million in state water security and new projects, according to a Thursday statement from the Arizona House Majority Caucus.

State Representative Gail Griffin (R-Hereford), Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Energy, & Water, shared that these investments come from the state general fund through the new state budget. Some of the funded projects include $20 million to reconstruct the Winslow levee, $25 million for groundwater delivery infrastructure, $15 million in on-farm irrigation efficiency grants, nearly $40 million for well projects in Peoria and Gilbert, and $810,000 for irrigation systems projects in Glendale. Additionally, funding will also go to studying water supply demands, rural water needs, and brackish groundwater.

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State Senate Committee Turns Down Another Director Nomination from Katie Hobbs After Troubling Meeting

Neil Jones

The Senate Committee on Director Nominations (DINO) met again on Wednesday to vet Governor Katie Hobbs’s (D) choice to be the director of Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC), Martín Quezada.

According to his testimony before the committee, Quezada graduated from law school, served under the Arizona Court of Appeals, started a solo law practice, and then, most notably, served as a Democrat legislator in both the House and the Senate until this year. After leaving the Legislature, he applied for the director position, and Hobbs offered him the job, which he said has thus far been an enjoyable experience.

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Bill Sent to Katie Hobbs’ Desk to Prevent Lewd Videos from Being Created on Government Property

Neil Jones

Senate Bill (SB) 1696, sponsored by state Representative Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), has arrived at Governor Katie Hobbs’s (D) desk and is awaiting a final decision.

Should this bill become law, it would prohibit any state entity, including any agencies, political subdivisions, cities and towns, or any state contractors, from exposing minors to sexually explicit materials. Furthermore, it prohibits the use of state facilities or property from being used to film explicit acts, such as filming pornography. Any violation of this bill would result in a class 5 felony.

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Governor Katie Hobbs Vetoes Bipartisan ATV Bill that Would Have Paved the Way for More Electric Vehicle Use in Arizona

Neil Jones

Amongst the latest batch of vetoes handed out by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) Friday was Senate Bill (SB) 1100, from Senator Frank Carroll (R-Sun City), which aimed to update the legal definition of recreational off-highway vehicles (OHV).

Specifically, this bill would have updated the maximum unladen weight of an OHV from 2,500 pounds to 3,500. Under Arizona law, a person cannot operate an OHV unless it is under the weight limit and they receive a user indicia from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) via an application and fee. Additionally, OHVs are subject to a vehicle license tax, in this case, three dollars.

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New Arizona Law Gives More Power to Property Owners

Neil Jones

While Governor Katie Hobbs has been busy vetoing bills this legislative session, some Republican-backed measures have been able to become law. Most recently, the House Majority Caucus announced Tuesday that one of those bills was HB 2607, sponsored by Representative Barbara Parker (R-Mesa), which aims to give more power to property owners.

Under the law, members of a condominium owner’s or planned community association can call for removing a board member if they feel that member is not serving them well. Community members must submit a petition that contains a certain percentage of members. An association of 1,000 requires 25 percent of members to approve, while larger associations only require ten percent.

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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Vetoes Ballot Image Bill

Neil Jones

Among the vetoes recently handed out by Governor Katie Hobbs (D) was one for House Bill (HB) 2560, sponsored by House Speaker Ben Toma (R-Peoria), relating to ballot images.

Had this bill become law, it would have created a database of who in the state is registered to vote, who actually voted in the election, the ballot images from the election, and the cast vote record. This database would show if anyone voted who should not have and if any ballots were incorrectly approved by showing voters precisely what was certified. However, the record and images would not disclose who cast the vote.

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Governor Katie Hobbs to Have Final Say on Bill Aiming to Provide Water to Rio Verde Foothills Area

Neil Jones

As the residents of the unincorporated Rio Verde Foothills (RVF) area have gone over five months without steady access to water, House Bill (HB) 2441 could provide a solution and arrived at Governor Katie Hobbs’s (D) desk Tuesday and is awaiting a final decision.

This bill, sponsored by State Representative Gail Griffin (R-Hereford), is an emergency measure that states if a city provides water service within a county with a population greater than 1.5 million that city must execute an agreement with “one or more third parties for at least three years, treat and transport water to a standpipe and allow use of the standpipe for water to be hauled to residences that are outside the city’s or town’s water service area[.]”

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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Has a Chance to Sign Bill Expanding Judge Retainment Elections

Neil Jones

Among the nearly 100 bills delivered to Governor Katie Hobbs (D) by the Arizona State House on Monday is one relating to judge retainment elections. 

House Bill (HB) 2757, sponsored by House Speaker Ben Toma (R-Peoria), addresses judges from the Arizona Court of Appeals (ACOA), which has two divisions, one in Phoenix and the other in Tucson. The ACOA comprises 28 judges, with 19 in Division 1 and nine in Division 2. Under current law, these judges are first appointed by the governor for an initial term of two years, but after that point, judges can only retain their position if approved by the public in an election. However, the only citizens who can vote to keep an ACOA judge are those within the court’s division. So, when a Division 2 judge is up for election, only Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Greenlee, Graham, and Gila County residents can make that decision.

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State Senator Lauds Passage of Upcoming Tax Rebates Coming to Arizonans

Neil Jones

Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman released a statement Friday celebrating the upcoming tax rebates Arizonans will receive based on the State Budget passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Katie Hobbs (D).

“Gas, groceries, housing, and energy prices have surged over the past three years since Democrats took control of the federal government,” Hoffman said. “This is the first time in at least 30 years our state lawmakers have been able to step up to the plate to provide a tax rebate of this magnitude for our citizens. I’m proud of the leadership of the Arizona Freedom Caucus, and for the support of our Republican colleagues, to dedicate $260 million to helping struggling Arizona families.”

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Republican Representatives Call on Governor to Activate State Resources to Protect Southern Border

Neil Jones

A group of Republican lawmakers sent Governor Katie Hobbs a letter Thursday, asking her to use all available resources to enforce the southern border and protect Arizona.

“Arizona’s law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed with this endless flood of illegal activity, and those threats have been magnified with President Biden’s reckless decision to abandon Title 42,” the lawmakers wrote. “We call upon you to take immediate action and activate all available state resources to keep our communities safe from these dangerous and unprecedented threats.”

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New Report Finds That Arizona’s Highest Performing Schools May Start Missing Out on Funding

Neil Jones

Research group Common Sense Institute Arizona (CSIAZ) released a new report Monday that found Arizona’s highest-performing schools may start receiving less state funding moving forward as the new state budget is set to repeal a program that funded schools based on results.

“We hope the report sparks a conversation about the benefits of funding outcomes in K-12. We believe the report lays out a case for focusing future investment on achievements. And, policymakers will need to consider the impact that the cut to results based funding will have on high performing schools, especially those low-income, high-performing schools, after the one-time money in this year’s budget expires next year,” said CSIAZ Executive Director Katie Ratlief in an email to The Arizona Sun Times.

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