by admin | Dec 28, 2021 | Elections, News and Updates
For a long time, school board elections have been one of the easiest to ignore. Maybe it’s because the names on the ballot don’t stand out as much as the candidates for President, Governor, or U.S. Senate. Maybe it’s because people are too busy to research the candidates. Or maybe it’s because voters who don’t have kids—or whose kids are not in public school—don’t see how school board elections can affect them.
But if 2021 has taught us anything, it’s that even the smallest election has consequences. And nowhere has that been more obvious than with the leftist agendas that have taken over Arizona’s school districts this past year.
By now, you’ve probably already heard about attempts from various school districts throughout the state to adopt Marxist Critical Race Theory programs in their schools. But this effort to indoctrinate our children by teaching them that their moral character is determined by their race is only one of the many issues.
In Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD), students are allowed and even encouraged to replace their “deadname”—the birth name that individuals reject upon transitioning genders—with their preferred name on their school ID. Behind this effort to sexualize children is a group named the Gender & Sexualities Alliance. And parents are right to be alarmed. But when they raised their concerns about such clubs being on campuses as young as middle school, SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel labeled their criticism as “targeted attacks” and bullying.
And yes, this is the same school district where the now-former Governing Board President Jann-Michael Greenburg was connected to a secret dossier on parents and other political opposition.
But Scottsdale isn’t the only school district that appears to be ok with sexualizing children. In Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVUSD), two English teachers assigned a book containing porn and sexually explicit material as part of an AP 11th grade summer reading list. And the book was also available for any student to read in the school’s library.
Then, there’s Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) where some teachers have been pushing for a program called “Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors.” This curriculum is just a rebranded version of social-emotional learning, which is just a guise for other controversial curriculums like Critical Race Theory and Comprehensive Sex Education.
It’s amazing—but not surprising—to see the efforts they’ll go through to hide this stuff.
But this isn’t the only controversy CUSD has faced this year. The school district also appeared to coordinate with police to spy on and arrest unmasked parents.
Sadly, we’re still not done. Back in July, Higley Unified School District’s former superintendent Dr. Denise Birdwell was indicted on 18 felony counts related to procurement fraud, misuse of public monies, fraudulent schemes and practices, and more.
And finally let’s not forget about all the hypocrisy surrounding COVID. In September, Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) members were seen maskless at a conference while suing for K-12 mask mandates. And they followed that up with another conference earlier this month where multiple attendees did not wear masks despite the conference having a mask mandate.
This is just a small sampling of what’s been going on in our school district’s this past year. Are you tired of it yet?
Thankfully, there is hope. More and more parents have been speaking up, despite being labeled as “domestic terrorists.” And some school districts are starting to respond.
CUSD voted to leave the National School Boards Association back in October, and Dysart Unified School District voted to leave the ASBA earlier this month.
Perhaps most telling was this past November’s elections. Most of the bonds and overrides affecting Arizona school districts in suburban areas failed. (In many cases, they weren’t even close.) And in Virginia, Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin won the race for Governor with many believing that education was the central issue.
We can’t allow this momentum to subside.
With the close of this year just days away, we’re about to head into 2022 where there will be plenty of contentious elections across our state. And while we should focus on the important races for Governor, U.S. Senate, and more, we can’t afford to ignore what’s happening in our schools.
Start doing your research as soon as possible to see who’s running for school boards in your area—and what they stand for. Students and parents need school board members who will put them first. And remember, whether or not you have kids, what happens in our schools not only affects our state today, but it can impact your future.
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by admin | Dec 21, 2021 | News and Updates, Tax
If you have been listening to the left and their friends in the media over the last several years, you might be under the impression that conservatives in the legislature have chronically underfunded K-12 education. But this couldn’t be further from the truth, and the truly historic levels of education funding actually threatens their soak the rich tax hike (Prop 208).
The reason we know K-12 is funded at historic levels is because there is a constitutional expenditure limit. Next year, we’re on track to blast above it. By billions.
Their pivot has been to attack the expenditure limit, as opposed to acknowledging how much the state is spending. But taxpayers should be thankful for this constitutional protection. It isn’t outdated, and it isn’t holding our schools back.
In 1980, Arizona voters approved the limit. It isn’t some subjective cap that legislators can manipulate to cover up how much or how little is being spent. It’s an objective formula that bean counters at the Department of Revenue use to calculate the limit every year. Funding levels are calculated annually to include student population, plus inflation, plus an additional 10% is added on top. For this year, that amounts to just over $6 billion.
Oh, and did we mention that this funding cap doesn’t include certain revenue streams, as many sources of funding are exempt from the K-12 spending limitation? For example, all of the Covid $$ received from the federal government is exempt from the constitutional cap. The result is that the actual amount spent on K-12 in FY 2022 is $16.2 billion, or $3.4 billion more than the entire state budget.
Even adjusted for inflation, this amounts to the highest per pupil spending in state history.
The constitutional spending cap does allow for a one-time override, but that requires a vote of two thirds of the members of the legislature. That means we can expect early next year to see the education spending lobby, democrats, and the media beating the same K-12 drum that $14,326 per student is not enough.
They will tell the public that conservatives have chronically underfunded education and that they must override the expenditure limit or schools will be broke. But conservative lawmakers should stand firm, push back on the misinformation, and tell voters that the only reason we are having this debate is because the legislature has continued to pump record amounts of money into schools.
The expenditure limit ensures K-12 funding grows at a contained and reasonable rate, provides an objective measure on how much we spend, and, importantly, protects the pockets of taxpayers from being robbed to flood schools with cash. Arizona taxpayers should be grateful that this constitutional protection exists and should tell lawmakers to say no to any reckless expenditure override.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
by admin | Dec 16, 2021 | News and Updates
The final push on Arizona’s redistricting maps is upon us. And for the most part, things are getting better. The maps are reflecting the community input that the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission has received over the past three months, and that’s important. After all, this process only takes place every 10 years, so whatever maps are drawn will determine your district for the next decade.
On top of that, the maps are also close to fitting the criteria that the commission must follow in the Arizona Constitution. This is good. And this is the direction the maps should be headed.
So, naturally, the Democrats are trying everything they can to game the system. And this time they are doing it through a group called the Arizona Latino Coalition for Fair Redistricting.
At first glance, that name sounds harmless enough, right? Fair redistricting is certainly something we all want. But let’s take a quick look at some of the leaders and advisors that make up this group that’s so concerned with fairness:
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- Martin Quezada, Democrat State Senator
- Pete Rios, retired Democrat State Senator and County Supervisor
- DJ Quinlan, past Chairman of the State Democrat Party
- Adelita Grijalva, Democrat County Supervisor and daughter of Democrat Congressman Raul Grijalva
- Mary Rose Wilcox, retired Democrat County Supervisor
- Steve Gallardo, Democrat County Supervisor
Did you notice a common theme? They’re all Democrats! How’s that for fairness?
DJ Quinlan, who worked closely with the commission’s Democratic members in 2011, appears to be giving strategic advice to the Latino Coalition while Steve Gallardo and Adelita Grijalva serve as the group’s statewide co-chairs. In addition, the group’s five regional co-chairs are…you guessed it…Democrats!
If the goal of the Latino Coalition were to represent the greater Latino community, you would think that this group would reach across the political and ideological spectrum. After all, last time we checked, not every Latino was a Democrat.
But that’s not the goal of the Latino Coalition. Instead, they are 100% focused on protecting their party’s interests, and in particular, that includes manipulating the redistricting maps.
Just look at what happened early on in the process. The Latino Coalition had initially advocated for creating an eighth legislative district with a population made up of mainly Hispanics. And yet they dropped the proposal—mostly because they feared that spreading Hispanic population centers among eight districts would have benefited conservative candidates.
And then there’s the group’s involvement in the Congressional district maps. Under the Voting Rights Act, these maps must have at least two majority Latino districts.
Some of the maps submitted to the commission were able to do this while splitting up some predominantly Hispanic population centers or aligning smaller Hispanic communities with areas that were in closer proximity and traditionally Republican.
But it didn’t take long before those maps were discarded. Why? Because the Democrats didn’t want to end up in a more competitive race.
As the redistricting commission heads into the final stretch of determining our state’s Congressional and Legislative maps for the next 10 years, they must put aside partisan politics. And they must not only keep in mind the interests all Latinos, but they must keep in mind what’s best for our entire state.
That’s the kind of fairness the people of Arizona deserve, and if the Latino Coalition were true to its name, that’s the kind of fairness they would be standing for.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
by admin | Dec 10, 2021 | News and Updates, Regulatory
If you don’t typically pay attention to the Arizona Corporation Commission, now is a good time to start.
The role of this government agency is to set rates and policies for utilities. That sounds simple enough, right? But for over a year now, the commission has been in the process of developing a “clean energy” plan that looks to ban all fossil fuels in our state. Next week, this renewable energy mandate will be brought up for a vote again. And the consequences could be a disaster.
Green New Deal mandates would cost ratepayers over $6 billion
In July 2020, the commission quietly released its plan to impose California-style energy mandates in our state. But it wasn’t until August of this year that an independent cost analysis had been completed. And the results were eye-opening.
In order to achieve the 100% clean energy mandate by 2050, utilities would need to phase out all fossil fuels, purchase more solar and wind generation, expand lithium-ion battery storage, and convert natural gas generation to green hydrogen. The cost for all this would be over $6 billion, which comes out to an estimated $60 per month or $720 per year for the average ratepayer.
Remember when the green energy lobby said that these mandates would actually save you money? It turns out that was just another lie. But the cost isn’t the only issue.
Following California’s lead on just about anything sounds like a bad idea. But that’s especially true when it comes to energy policies. It was just last year that our neighbors to the west implemented rolling blackouts during a significant heatwave. (Imagine how that would go on a 110-degree day in Phoenix.) And then this year, to protect their own grids during the summer, California actually bought up power around the West. What does that say about the reliability of “green energy”?
Despite having a front row seat to California’s grid meltdown, our own commission is still looking to go all-in on the Green New Deal. But that’s not all. The Arizona Corporation Commission is considering something else that could have a huge impact on the reliability of your service.
Utility workers could face a vaccine mandate
Along with the vote on renewable energy, the commission will also be taking a vote to decide if they are going to implement a vaccine mandate for all utility employees.
We already know that vaccine mandates are dangerous. And no employee should ever be forced to get the jab to keep their job—including utility workers. But if these highly experienced and trained people quit or get fired due to a vaccine mandate, we would lose valuable employees with the skills needed to keep our energy safe and reliable. And while a federal judge’s decision to stop President Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors earlier this week could help, it’s only temporary for now.
Thankfully, Commissioners Justin Olson and Jim O’Connor have called on their fellow commissioners to prohibit the agency from forcing employees to get vaccinated to keep their jobs. But it will take a majority to make sure this happens. That’s why it’s critical that the Arizona Corporation Commission hear directly from you on both these issues.
Will you email Leah Márquez Peterson, Chairwoman of the Corporation Commission, and ask her to do 2 things?
- Vote NO on the proposed renewable energy mandates. (Please include the following Docket: RU-00000A-18-0284.)
- Vote YES to stopping this unconstitutional vaccine mandate. (Please include the following Dockets: AU-00000A-20-0050 and RU-00000A-21-0373.)
You can email her directly at LMarquezPeterson-Web@azcc.gov.
By doing so, you can help protect freedom for utility workers and ensure that the reliability of your service is not impacted by Green New Deal mandates or a vaccine mandate.
by admin | Dec 2, 2021 | News and Updates
Vaccines should always be voluntary and never be forced. But apparently, the City of Phoenix doesn’t care about freedom.
Last month, the city announced that its employees will have until January 18, 2022 to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. And it doesn’t even matter if they work from home. The new policy lacks any sort of exemption for that because, of course, these mandates aren’t based on commonsense.
But don’t worry. Employees will receive $75 as a “thanks” for their compliance. And with rampant inflation and rising oil prices, that should cover at least one tank of gas. Maybe.
The city claims that its simply following President Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors. But this just further shows how comfortable Phoenix is with such a blatant abuse of power.
And it ignores another significant issue. Both Phoenix police and fire are pushing back against the mandate. The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association and the United Phoenix Firefighters Association Local 493 have even joined Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s lawsuit against it.
With the City of Phoenix already dealing with a dwindling police force, they can’t afford to lose any more officers. Violent crime has been surging ahead, especially in recent years. Now, the city could further risk public safety if the number of police officers and firefighters goes into an even deeper decline due to this overreaching vaccine mandate.
But this is just one part of a bigger issue.
The reality is that President Biden and his administration are trying to maneuver their way around the U.S. Constitution with these outrageous vaccine mandates. Thankfully, last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit temporarily stopped OSHA from taking any further steps to enforce the vaccine mandate on employers with 100 or more employees, calling it a “one-size fits all sledgehammer.” And OSHA has announced it will not implement the mandate.
Unfortunately, the 5th Circuit’s ruling does not impact the vaccine mandate for federal contractors. Perhaps that’s why the City of Phoenix feels so emboldened. But that could soon change.
Earlier this week, a federal judge put a temporary stop to Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. And this comes just one day after the White House directed federal agencies to halt suspending or firing federal employees for not getting vaccinated.
That’s why we can’t give up fighting back against this unprecedented government overreach. With multiple lawsuits and other decisions still to be made regarding the mandate around the country, we must continue speaking up. And now you have an opportunity to do so.
On Tuesday, December 7th, EZAZ is holding an Arizona Heroes and Workers Freedom March down at the Capitol during the Phoenix City Council Meeting, and you can RSVP right here. There’s a lot at stake. A vote on the mandate is expected to be completed that day, and this is a great way to make your voice heard. Because no free people should ever be compelled by force of government into certain medical decisions they disagree with. Now, you can do your part to make sure the City of Phoenix is listening.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
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