What Is Going on in Katie Hobbs’ Office?

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What is going on with Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs? Key staffers are leaving, including her chief of staff, whose resignation was effective immediately. Our friends at RedState had it first, but the Democratic Arizona governor who narrowly beat Republican Kari Lake in 2022 seems to be sharing something with Vice President Kamala Harris: staff turnover. Some departures were admittedly warranted, like her press secretary who tweeted a violent image regarding fighting ‘transphobia’ on the day of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, where a transgender shot and killed six people. Yet, the core of her office is now gone. Brittany Sheehan had more:….

“On Thursday, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs announced that Allie Bones, her Chief of Staff and decades-long friend, had resigned. Hobbs expressed her well wishes for Bones’ future endeavors. The resignation is effective immediately, and the Governor’s Office plans to announce a new Chief of Staff next week. Prior to becoming Chief of Staff to Gov. Hobbs, Bones served as Assistant Secretary of State for four years. 

This comes as a wave of other departures pile up, including the resignations of Hobbs’ Communications Director, Deputy Communications Director, and Legislative Affairs Director. Insiders in the state capitol suggest that Bones’ exit represents a loss of confidence in the governor’s leadership…..

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Arizona News: June 2,2023

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The Prickly Pear will provide current, linked articles about Arizona consistent with our Mission Statement to ‘inform, educate and advocate’. We are an Arizona based website and believe this information should be available to all of our statewide readers.

 

BREAKING: Corrupt Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates Says He Will NOT Run For Re-Election in 2024 – Will Oversee 2024 Election

Rep. Andy Biggs And Freedom Caucus Oppose Debt Ceiling Raise

Schweikert, Ciscomani Join Democrats To Pass McCarthy-Biden Budget Deal

Federal agents seize a ton of fentanyl in Arizona, enough to kill 453 million people

AZ Legislature Week In Review – Week Ending May 26, 2023

Ranchers Hail, Environmentalists Fear Supreme Court Clean Water Ruling

NEW: Democrat Katie Hobbs Hangs LGBTQ Flags Above American Flag at Arizona Capitol

Mixed Reaction Swift To News Of Hobbs’ Chief Of Staff Pick Chad Campbell

Hobbs Sued By Election Integrity Group For Hiding Election-Related Emails

Senate Panel Recommends Rejection Of Hobbs’ “Unqualified Extremist With Racist Past” Appointee To ROC

Former progressive lawmaker denied recommendation for Hobbs cabinet position

ESA Enrollment Expected To Serve 100,000 Arizona Students By 2024

NAU President Intentionally Admitted More Hispanic Students For More Federal Money

Twitter’s Community Notes Crush Cano For ESA Crop Job

Republicans Continue Fight For Women’s Sports

Kern And Payne Set To Return To Legislature

Arizona Secretary of State Says Resolution Banning the Use of Voting Machines Will Not Be Enforced

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Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is saying that the state will not enforce a resolution that has been passed in the state legislature banning electronic voting machines.

Arizona Sen. Anthony Kern introduced the resolution to ensure that “no voting system or component or subcomponent of a voting system or component… may be used or purchased as the primary method for casting, recording and tabulating ballots used in any election held in this state for federal office” unless certain transparency measures were introduced.

The measure was approved by the Arizona House and Senate, much to the approval of patriotic Arizona Sen. Wendy Rogers, who touted the resolution on many different conservative radio shows and podcasts on Monday.

However, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes issued a statement claiming that the government would not enforce the resolution and continue business as usual for elections in years to come.

“Senate Concurrent Resolution 1037, which expresses a desire to restrict the use of certain electronic voting machines, is non-binding and does not have the force of law. Election equipment must be certified by the federal and state government by specific requirements outlined in federal and state law,” Fontes said in his statement.

“That certification process is being followed in Arizona and all applicable election equipment being used in Arizona is certified. If those requirements or certification process were to be changed, it would require a regular bill to be passed by the legislature and signed by the governor—which is not the case for this non-binding resolution. We defer to the Attorney General’s office on all other legal questions,” he added.

Big League Politics has reported on how a majority of Arizona voters believe that fraud occurred affected the results of the 2022 midterm elections:…..

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Arizona News: May 30, 2023

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AZ Legislature Week In Review – Week Ending May 26, 2023

Pro-Life Group Petitions Arizona Supreme Court To Reinstate Abortion Ban

Republican Legislators Demand Mayes Retract False Statements About ESAs

Hobbs Vetoes Bill To Ban Photo Radar

Hobbs nixes full-day kindergarten funding for ESA students

Hobbs vetoes bill banning elected officials from lobbying

Hobbs Chief Of Staff Out, Resignation Tendered

U.S.S. Hobbs: Sunday’s Comic

Chomsky, Epstein, Wilbur? What UA Gets Away With Continues to Baffle & Amaze

More than 100 Arizona schools add armed safety officers

Why Are There Still Uncounted Ballots From The 2022 Election?

The Defeat Of Prop 412 Is An Important Win For Freedom, But The Battle Is Not Over Yet

 

 

Arizona News: May 26, 2023

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Hobbs Vetoes Parental Rights Pronoun Bill

Hobbs Vetoes Fontes Supported Bipartisan Ballot Image Bill

Attorney General Mayes Announces Investigation Into Parents Using School Choice

Mayes Called Out For Threatening To Investigate Families In ESA Program

Photo Radar Bill Sent To Governor Hobbs

Hobbs Signs HOA Accountability Bill

Why The ESA Program Will Help Improve Public Schools

Abe Hamadeh: Last Man Standing

Kari Lake’s Election Challenge Dismissed; Lake Launches Voter Registration Initiative

WATCH LIVE: Kari Lake Set to Make “BIG Announcement” During First Press Conference After Sham Court Ruling

JUST-IN: Kari Lake Announces She Will Continue Fighting Stolen Election Case “to The US SUPREME COURT” – Will Launch “The Largest, Most Extensive Ballot Chasing Operation in Our State’s History” (VIDEO)

EXCLUSIVE: TGP’s Jordan Conradson COMPLETELY DESTROYS Leftist Reporters Trashing Kari Lake Before Press Conference – Audio Exposes AZ Reporters Trashing Kari, Crude Jokes, and Bragging About Taking Money from County Officials (VIDEO)

Horne’s School Safety Recommendations Approved By State Board

Hysteria Fueled Lawsuit About Ballot Drop Box Watch Groups Is Settled

Arizona GOP Calls for More Aggressive Response to Border Crisis

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Arizona Republicans are asking for more aggressive action on the southern border at the state and federal level, as the end of Title 42 is raising more questions than answers.

On the state level, a group of state House Republicans, Reps. Lupe Diaz, Michael Carbone, and Michele Pena, Gail Griffin, and Tim Dunn, urged Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs to make use of all the resources currently available to mitigate the crisis.

“The State of Emergency in Arizona’s border counties that former Governor Ducey declared on April 20, 2021, is still in effect and continues as long as these conditions exist,” the lawmakers wrote. “And over $240 million remains in the Border Security Fund, which the Legislature established to prevent illegal entry into the country, solidify infrastructure, and combat other harms at the border. 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.”

Hobbs held a news conference earlier this week where she criticized the Biden administration but stopped short of declaring an executive order sending National Guard troops down to the border, yet said it may be on the table.

Meanwhile, Maricopa County Supervisor Thomas Galvin wrote a letter to Biden directly, calling for “additional emergency resources” to help the county deal with humanitarian concerns.

“Your administration has procrastinated and failed to deliver a policy that streamlines due process, addresses security concerns, and preserves human dignity,” Galvin wrote.

“Unfortunately, for Arizona generally, and Maricopa County specifically, the federal government is needlessly creating a humanitarian issue with very real consequences for the economy and security on our communities which are still reeling from the social impact of the pandemic,” he later added.

Maricopa County does not touch the southern border, but it is the most populated county in the state. According to Fox 10 Phoenix, some NGOs will use Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport as a sendoff point to get migrants to where they hope to end up.

When it comes to resources being granted, Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls asked the president to declare a national state of emergency to have more resources brought to smaller border communities like his, The Center Square reported Thursday.

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This article was published by The Center Square – Arizona and is reproduced with permission.

Arizona News: May 22, 2023

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Governor Hobbs Thumbs Nose At Election Integrity And American Manufacturing

Fontes Fumed Over Budget, Stormed Through State House

Protecting ESAs In The Budget Is Good News For Education And The State’s Surplus

Riley Gaines Urges Congress To Pass Rep. Lesko’s ‘What Is A Woman’ Law

Arizona lawmakers send Hobbs school ‘restroom accommodation’ bill

Mesa Public Schools Leaves Out Parents

Legislature Focused On Future Of Water

Phoenix, Prescott high performers in new economic growth index

Tempe votes down $2.1B Coyotes’ arena, entertainment complex proposal

Ben Avery Shooting Facility Switches To Summer Hours

Over 100 Behavioral Treatment Centers, Sober Living Homes Accused of Medicaid Fraud

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Arizona State officials say dozens of behavioral health and sober living homes have perpetrated a years-long Medicaid fraud scheme.

Gov. Katie Hobbs, Attorney General Kris Mayes, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System Director Carmen Heredia, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community President Martin Harvier, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Stone announced the findings Tuesday morning in Phoenix.

Hobbs said the alleged crimes amount to “hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Patients primarily from reservations, she said, were enticed with food and shelter only to be encouraged into continuing their addictions while the facilities billed Medicaid for care that never happened.

“For years, these providers have allegedly defrauded the state of millions of dollars while creating a large-scale humanitarian crisis that disproportionately affects Arizona’s tribal communities,” Hobbs said Monday. “People have had to escape out of windows and jump over fences in the middle of the night just to access a phone to reach the outside world.”

Hobbs said payments to these facilities saw state payments stopped Monday and that she directed AHCCCS to implement additional safeguards.

The alleged fraud took place largely on tribal land to deceive state officials.

“Generally, they began with fraudulent treatment facilities recruiting Native Americans, typically those residing on a reservation or part of the urban homeless population,” Mayes said. “These vulnerable individuals were incentivized to participate in ‘treatment’ at an outpatient clinic with offers of things like free food, cash incentives or free rent.”

Mayes said the facilities would convince AHCCCS that the patient was eligible for benefits, even if they weren’t via a tribal health program.

Officials expect the charges to result in facility closures.

The Arizona Council of Human Service Providers, a provider association representing more than 125 of the type of facilities in question, said in a statement that they’d work with law enforcement and state officials.

“As an association, we are also acutely aware of the impact that this may have on clients who rely on these services for their mental health needs,” the council said. “We understand the importance of continuity of care and are committed to working with our members, as well as government agencies and MCOs, to ensure that all affected clients are able to receive the care they need during this transition.”

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The article was published by The Center Square and is reproduced with permission.

Arizona News: May 18, 2023

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AZ Legislature Week In Review – Week Ending May 12, 2023

Bill Protecting First Amendment Rights On Arizona College Campuses Wins Bipartisan Support

Protecting ESAs In The Budget Is Good News For Education And The State’s Surplus

Arizona Republicans Want To Draft DeSantis Into 2024 Race

Arizona House Leaders Demand Action On Border

Tucson Voters Reject Proposition 412 Climate Action Plan

New Budget Includes Tax Relief For Arizona Families

Arizona lawmakers pass red-light camera ban

2022 Arizona Election

“They Dragged Us to Hell and We Are Standing and Fighting Back” – Kari Lake Has THREE Whistleblowers Who Will Testify that 130,000 Did Not Pass Signature Verification — But Election Officials Counted Them Anyway!

WATCH: Shocking Video Shows Maricopa County’s Fraudulent Signature Verification – Worker “Verifies” Signatures in LESS THAN 2 Seconds Per Signature

Attorney General Challenger Hamadeh Argues For New Trial

Arizonans Must Now Wait For Mohave Judge To Rule On Hamadeh New Trial Motion

WATCH LIVE NOW: Mohave County Superior Court Oral Argument in Abe Hamadeh’s Stolen Election Lawsuit – 1:30PM PST

 

 

 

Washington Elementary School District Settles With ACU After Discriminating Against Christians

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A Christian university in Arizona scored a win for justice this week, ending a two-month legal battle with a local school district.

On Thursday, the Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) announced a settlement between Arizona Christian University (ACU) and the Washington Elementary School District. The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona, originated when the District “decided to terminate its (eleven-year) relationship with Arizona Christian and its students solely because of their religious status and beliefs on biblical marriage and sexuality.”

ACU President Len Munsil claimed victory with the settlement, saying, “This is a complete vindication of the rights of our students to be able to participate as student-teachers in a public school district without fear of religious discrimination. We obtained everything we wanted in this new agreement, without any sacrifice or compromise to our beliefs and our university’s religious purpose. We look forward to a continued beneficial partnership that serves ACU student-teachers and the students, faculty, and staff of the WESD. And we are so grateful for the team at Alliance Defending Freedom for their excellent advocacy for our religious freedoms.”

According to ADF, the “district’s board voted Wednesday night to enter a new agreement allowing ACU students to teach in the district once again.” The district also paid $25,000 in attorneys’ fees. The motion to approve the settlement passed the Washington Elementary School District’s Governing Board 4-1. Members Jenni Abbott-Bayardi, Kyle Clayton, Lindsey M Peterson, and Nikkie Gomez-Whaley voted to approve, while Tamillia Valenzuela opposed this resolution.

ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman also weighed in on the settlement, stating, “By discriminating against Arizona Christian University and denying it an opportunity to participate in the student-teacher program because of its religious status and beliefs, the school district was in blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution, not to mention state law that protects ACU’s religious freedom. At a time when a critical shortage of qualified, caring teachers exists, the Washington Elementary School District board did the right thing by prioritizing the needs of elementary school children and agreeing to partner once again with ACU’s student-teachers.”

West Valley lawmaker Anthony Kern, who had been closely following this situation from the beginning, opined on the good news for ACU, tweeting, “Good news for the Constitution and religious freedom; bad news for “Cat Ears” and the rest of the Democrats on the Washington Elementary School Board. BTW – how much do the taxpayers have to pay??”

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This article was published by AZ Free News and is reproduced with permission.