Category: Local

Grassroots Conservative Group EZAZ Plans Eight-Stop Tour to Register Arizona Voters Featuring Activist Scott Presler

Tom Pappert
Scott Presler

Conservative grassroots organization EZAZ’s Merissa Hamilton announced on Tuesday an eight-stop tour to register Arizonans for the 2024 election featuring voter registration activist Scott Presler from January 23 through January 25. Presler told The Arizona Sun Times he is “excited” to return to Arizona, which he called a “must-win” for Republicans in November.

Hamilton shared news about the event to X, formerly Twitter, and included details about events in Phoenix, Sun City, Tempe, Maricopa, Tucson, Payson, Prescott Value, and Lake Havasu City.

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Anti-Sinema PAC Releases Ad Bashing Senator One Day After Kari Lake Ad Calls Gallego, Sinema Biden’s ‘Enablers’

Tom Pappert
Replace Sinema PAC

A political action committee that endorses Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) released a new advertisement targeting Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) on Tuesday, with its release timed one day after Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake released her own commercial labeling Gallego and Sinema as “enablers” of President Joe Biden.

“When Republicans take back the U.S. Senate, we will fix the problems caused by [Biden] and his enablers [Sinema] and [Gallego],” wrote Lake in a Monday post to X, formerly Twitter, containing her campaign’s new ad.

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Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Appointed by Sec. Pete Buttigieg to Advise Department of Transportation

Tom Pappert
Kate Gallego

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego (D) was selected by Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg to participate in a new advisory committee on December 29.

Gallego was among the 27 members of the agency’s new Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee (TTAC) for a two-year term named by Buttigieg last week. Explaining the need for the committee, Buttigieg noted the United States faces both “unprecedented opportunity and unprecedented challenges in transportation.”

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Convicted Arizona Ballot Harvester Appointed San Luis Vice Mayor Despite Sentence Keeping Her from Public Office

Tom Pappert
Gloria Torres

San Luis City appointed city Council Member Gloria Torres as the city’s new vice mayor on December 14, 2023, representing her first promotion since her conviction for a misdemeanor ballot harvesting scheme in June of last year. Her colleague and longtime critic, Council Member Gary Garcia Snyder, told The Arizona Sun Times his constituents “are at a loss” following Torres’ appointment.

Torres (pictured above) pleaded guilty to her role in a ballot harvesting scheme after she was indicted following the release of camera footage obtained by Garcia Snyder and David Lara, a San Luis Republican who was elected to a school board seat in 2016, as the result of a “sting” operation.

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Tucson Claims It’s ‘Immune from Liability’ from City Policy in Lawsuit Demanding Homeless Camp Cleanup

Tom Pappert

The City of Tucson claimed it is legally immune to consequences of its public policy as part of its defense in a lawsuit claiming the city’s decision to allow a homeless camp is causing damages to local residents and businesses.

Bernardo Velasco, an attorney representing the city in the lawsuit, reportedly argued on Friday that Tucson “is immune from liability for its policy determinations, according to The Arizona Daily Star. That policy determination, the outlet explained, was to allow homeless individuals to camp in a “pocket park” known as the Navajo Wash.

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Arizona Poll Finds Abe Hamadeh Has 23-Point Lead in House Race, Buoyed by Endorsements from Trump, Lake

Tom Pappert
Abe Hamadeh

Abe Hamadeh holds a commanding, 23-point lead in the Republican primary race for the election for the House seat being vacated by Representative Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08) according to an internal poll published on Wednesday. The pollsters suggest Hamadeh’s early endorsements from former President Donald Trump and U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake may prove instrumental in securing the support of Arizona Republicans.

The National Public Affairs poll, published by German-owned Politico, found Hamadeh, who last ran to become Arizona Attorney General, has the support of 37 percent of Republicans in the district. Former Senate candidate Blake Masters was the only other candidate to reach double digits, polling in second with 14 percent.

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TSMC Agrees to Use Arizona Workers to Build Phoenix Semiconductor Plant After Previously Claiming State Lacks Skilled Labor

Tom Pappert

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reached an agreement with the Arizona Building and Construction Trades Council (AZBTC) on Wednesday, resolving a labor dispute that began when TSMC brought Taiwanese workers to complete the facility after claiming Arizona lacked the necessary skilled workforce.

An agreement struck between the parties after months of negotiations will see the number of Taiwanese professionals involved in building the TSMC semiconductor facility in Phoenix severely limited, with the union acceding that “circumstances may require” Taiwanese officials with “specialized experience,” according to a Bloomberg report citing a joint statement.

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Arizona House Republicans Urge Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Against ‘Relinquishing Local Control’ of Police With Federal Consent Decree

Tom Pappert
Mayor Kate Gallego

Arizona State Representative David Marshall (R-Snowflake) led a group of 20 Republican lawmakers in a letter urging Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego not to enter into a consent decree with the Department of Justice (DOJ), warning it would “turn control” of the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) “over to the federal government.”

Reports indicate Gallego is considering whether to sign a potential consent decree, even as Phoenix City Council signals its potential opposition, and the move is opposed by Phoenix law enforcement groups.

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Phoenix Woman Sentenced After Recruiting Arizonans to Smuggle Illegal Immigrants Using Social Media

Tom Pappert

A Phoenix woman became the latest Arizonan to be convicted and sentenced to prison for using social media to entice American citizens to participate in human smuggling of illegal immigrants, the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Wednesday.

In a press release, the DOJ revealed Destiney Rae Montoya, a 22-year-old, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison by United States District Judge Raner Collins. The prosecutors explained that Montoya’s sentence was enhanced due to her status as the “coordinator” of the human smuggling operation.

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Phoenix Clears Final Blocks of ‘The Zone’ Homeless Camp as Maricopa County Posts Record Evictions

Tom Pappert

Phoenix cleared the final blocks of “The Zone” last Wednesday, marking the end of the largest homeless encampment in Arizona, after the majority of homeless were relocated. On the following day, city officials revealed more evictions were filed in October 2023 than in any other month since 2005.

The City of Phoenix cleared the final blocks of “The Zone” last week following a deadline set in court after the city lost a lawsuit from local businesses who successfully obtained a court ruling that determined the city was negligent and ordered the camp cleared. Photos posted to social media appear to confirm “The Zone” was completely cleared on November 2.

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Turning Point Action Executive Received Extra Maricopa County Ballots for Former Residents

Tom Pappert

Tyler Bowyer, an executive for conservative activist group Turning Point Action, revealed on Monday that he received two Maricopa County ballots for former residents of his home. He told The Arizona Sun Times the episode represented “horrible public policy” and “administration of our elections.”

Bowyer posted an image of four ballots to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday night, revealing that only two registered voters live at his address. Voters in Maricopa County, and much of Arizona, are required to use mail-in ballots for the November 7, 2023 elections.

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Arizona Republicans Sound Alarm After Flagstaff Considers Firearm Ad Ban on City Property, Including Airport

Tom Pappert

Three Republicans in the Arizona House of Representatives signed a letter questioning Flagstaff’s plan to see firearm advertisements banned from public buildings and facilities. The letter came after Flagstaff city leaders received a draft of new advertising guidelines that explicitly ban any mention of firearms or ammunition, even though the previous policy focused on banning “violence” and “antisocial behavior” in the advertisements.

Arizona State Representatives David Marshall (R-Snowflake), Leo Biasiucci (R-Lake Havasu), and Quang Nguyen (R-Prescott) warned the draft policy “raises a host of constitutional concerns, including viewpoint discrimination, and very likely violates state law,” urging the city leaders to “postpone your consideration” until the new policy adheres Arizona law and the U.S. Constitution.

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Phoenix Approves Backyard Casitas, or Accessory Dwelling Units, Inside City Limits

Tom Pappert
Kate Galleo

On Wednesday the City of Phoenix approved casitas, or accessory dwelling units (ADUs), to be built in back yards of existing homes, in a move aimed at shoring up the amount of affordable housing in the city.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and city council members approved the change to the city’s zoning to help address the 270,000 housing unit shortage in Arizona, reported ABC 15.

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Moms for Liberty to Hold Arizona Town Hall Next Week with Four State Legislators, Superintendent Tom Horne

Tom Pappert

Parental rights advocacy group Moms for Liberty announced a public town hall event in Mesa, Arizona, on September 14, with confirmed attendees including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, four Republican state legislators, Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich, and award-winning musician and actress Mary Millben.

Described as an “honest discussion on the state of education and parental rights in Arizona,” Moms for Liberty revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson), State Representative Justin Heap (R-Mesa), and State Representative Barbara Parker (R-Mesa) are also scheduled to attend as members of a panel.

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Audit Finds Unqualified Arizonans Received Driver Licenses, Including at Least One Foreign National

Tom Pappert

A new report from the Arizona Auditor General reveals that private companies authorized by the state’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) have issued credentials or documents to people who were unqualified, including at least one foreign national.

The Auditor General warned that “consistently” allowing vehicle titles, driver licenses, and identification cards to unauthorized individuals or entities will increase numbers of “unsafe drivers, vehicle and identity theft, fraud, and terrorism.”

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Authorities Seize Nearly 100,000 Fentanyl Pills, Enough Powder to Kill More than 5 Million People in Two Arizona Busts

Tom Pappert

Federal and local authorities in the Phoenix area have seized nearly 100,000 fentanyl pills and more than 20 pounds of fentanyl powder in just two law enforcement actions. This quantity of the Schedule II drug could potentially cause more than 5 million fatal overdoses.

On August 10, agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), working with local Arizona police, reportedly apprehended three men attempting to sell 50,000 fentanyl pills in the Phoenix area, according to Border Report. Only days later, on August 17, Gila County law enforcement reported seizing 49,500 fentanyl pills and 22.88 pounds of fentanyl powder during a traffic stop in Payson on the previous day. Payson is about 90 minutes away of Phoenix.

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Phoenix Crime Down in 2023, but Car Thefts, Rapes, and Officer Involved Shootings Rise

Tom Pappert

The City of Phoenix and Phoenix Police Department released crime statistics for the first six months of 2023, revealing that overall crime is down 2 percent, even as auto thefts, rape, and police shootings rise in the city.

Numbers released by the city show violent crime is down 2 percent in Arizona’s capital, and property crimes are down 19 percent, when the first six months of 2023 are compared with the same period in 2022. Still, the city reported an increase in rapes, increase in auto thefts, and officer-involved shootings.

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State Senator Justine Wadsack Warns Governor Hobbs ‘Unwilling’ to Address Homeless as ‘The Zone’ Persists

Tom Pappert

State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson) blamed Arizona Democrats, namely Governor Katie Hobbs, for the continuing Arizona homeless crisis, even as Phoenix’s “The Zone” continues to persist months after court ordered the city to clear the camp.

In a statement to The Arizona Sun Times, Wadsack warned Democrats are “unwilling to work across the aisle” to address the homeless crisis. “I have personally witnessed the human tragedies that occur in ‘The Zone,’ every day when I’m leaving the Capitol. We have the same issues in Southern Arizona.” Wadsack added, “I’ve personally spoken to those affected by homelessness and creating real solutions that start immediately will be a top priority for me in 2024.”

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Phoenix Asks Judge for More Time to Clear ‘The Zone’ as Most Residents Remain

Tom Pappert

City officials asked a Maricopa County judge for more time to finish clearing “The Zone,” and revealed that its plan to clear the homeless camp will conclude in another 9 months, even as the majority of the camp’s residents remain.

Phoenix officials were in court again this week as attorneys representing local business owners and residents claimed the city was taking too long to clear the homeless encampment, which has reportedly decreased in population by about 300 residents since the city was ordered to clear it in March. About 1,000 people were reported to reside in “The Zone” at its peak, and so far about 300 people have been relocated.

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Kirk Cameron Invites Governor Katie Hobbs to Christian Story Hour in Tempe

Tom Pappert

Actor and writer Kirk Cameron invited Governor Katie Hobbs to attend a reading of his new children’s book Pride Comes Before the Fall at the Tempe Public Library on July 22.

Cameron first invited Arizonans to join him at the event at 10 a.m. on Saturday, then asked Hobbs to represent Arizona during his “wholesome story hour” in Tempe.

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Pima County Republicans Join Parents Protesting Tucson Drag Queen Story Hour

Tom Pappert

Members of the Pima County Republican Party joined a local church’s protest against a drag queen story hour held at a Tucson book store, receiving public support from an Arizona state senator who passed a bill to restrict children’s access to adult entertainment venues only to have it vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs.

Tucson parents and members of The Bridge Church were joined by members of the Pima County Republican Party on Sunday to protest a drag queen story hour held at Bookmans, who called the event one of its “most popular childhood literacy events” in its promotional materials. This drag queen story hour appears to have been postponed since March, when the store blamed a “harassment campaign” that was “spearheaded by The Bridge Church” and controversial conservative men’s group the Proud Boys for sparking security concerns.

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Former Federal Prosecutor Sues Johnson City over Botched Serial Rapist Case

Neil W. McCabe

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, reports attorney Kateri L. Dahl’s lawsuit against the Johnson City, Tennessee, police department and its Police Chief Karl Turner, in which the former special federal prosecutor claims Turner and his officers mishandled her investigation and attempt to bring to trial a serial rapist.

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The Star News Network’s Neil W. McCabe Interviews Visibly Nervous Attendees at Morgan Ortagus Ash Wednesday Fundraiser

Julie Carr
Morgan Ortagus

Reporter Neil W. McCabe of The Star News Network visits Republican candidate for Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District, Morgan Ortagus’s fundraiser on the evening of Ash Wednesday with a few questions for notable attendees.

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School District in Washington State Holding Racially Segregated Superintendent Search Meetings for Parents

Susan Berry, PhD

A Washington school district plans to hold racially segregated meetings for parents and guardians who wish to participate in the search for a new superintendent.

As afternoon radio host Jason Rantz reported at MYNorthwest Wednesday, the Issaquah School District’s (ISD) weekly bulletin for February 7 listed its “upcoming events,” including separate meetings for “Parents/Guardians of Color.”

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