It Is Critical to Drain the School Board Swamp This November

by admin | Sep 1, 2022 | Elections, News and Updates

Public schools are out of control. And it’s going to get worse if we don’t do something about it. Unfortunately, for far too long, school board elections have been some of the most ignored around our state. But whether you have kids in public school, private school, or homeschool—whether your kids are out of school or you don’t have kids at all—this year’s school board election will affect you.

How? Take a look at some of the worst abuses in public school districts in the past year.

A Financial Mess

As a taxpaying citizen, you probably care a lot about where your dollars go. But most school districts don’t share your same concerns. Mesa Public Schools (MPS) is one of them. Back in March, MPS failed to explain where over $32.3 million of their federal emergency funds slated for COVID-related expenditures went—which should’ve resulted in an audit by the State of Arizona.

But Mesa isn’t the only problem. Earlier this year, the Arizona Auditor General discovered that Buckeye Elementary School District may have grossly overpaid Superintendent Kristi Wilson. She received 100 percent more in compensation than the superintendents of Arizona’s three largest districts made on average.

Then, there’s teacher pay. Stop us if you’ve heard campaign after campaign that promises higher teacher pay. It’s been the calling card of teachers’ unions forever. So, how’s the follow through? A report from the Goldwater Institute in July revealed that despite the fact that state lawmakers provided nearly 28 percent more funding to increase the salaries of Arizona’s public school teachers between 2018 and 2021, teacher pay only went up 16.5 percent. But don’t worry. Your dollars were used somehow, as public school districts still continued their long-running pattern of increasing overall spending.

Now, you may be wondering what exactly our state’s public school districts are spending your money on. We’re glad you asked.

Radical Gender Theory Is Spreading Like Wildfire

Over the past year, many of Arizona’s public schools appear to be playing a game of “Who Can Be More Woke” in their attempt to indoctrinate children with gender identity ideology. One of the worst offenders is Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD), 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.

SUSD allows and even encourages students to replace their “deadname”—the birth name that individuals reject upon transitioning genders—with their preferred name on their school ID. When the district was criticized for such a policy, SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel doubled down, calling the critics “bullies.”

But that wasn’t all for SUSD, which appears to be highly interested in the sexualization of children. One Scottsdale principal required middle school teachers to attend grooming training without facing any accountability from the school board. Another Scottsdale teacher pushed radical sex theories that were not approved by the district. And the district also went on to promote a “Drag Queen Story Hour.”

Unfortunately, this increased interest in the sexualization of minors isn’t isolated to Scottsdale. In the Peoria Unified School District (PUSD), one teacher may have coordinated with elementary students to wear trans pride colors for the International Transgender Day of Visibility. In Phoenix, a sixth grade teacher was recorded teaching her students about gender identity and not trusting their parents on the subject. And a Tucson High School held its first annual drag show in early May, weeks before one of the counselors who organized the event was arrested for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl.

It’s overwhelming, isn’t it? And yet, there’s more…

The Rise of Public School Social Justice Warriors

In May, 24 K-12 schools in Arizona were recognized as “No Place For Hate” participants, which sounds nice in theory until you realize that they’re not trying to stop actual hate. They simply want to crush any sort of dissent that pushes back against the Left’s woke narrative. That’s why many of Arizona’s counselors are being trained in social-emotional learning (SEL) and other social justice topics at national conferences. And a group of Chandler teachers pushed a rebranded version of SEL late last year.

This is all an attempt to indoctrinate children with gender ideology mentioned earlier and Critical Race Theory. And school boards, as they are currently constructed, are doing it on your dime. In fact, back in February, a whole host of Arizona educators publicly pledged to teach Critical Race Theory regardless of the law or parental consent. Then, in June, anti-racism was the focus for an Arizona teacher conference. But anytime someone pushes back on this agenda, it’s met with a meltdown like that of Chandler Unified School Board member Lindsay Love. Or, in the case of Scottsdale, the district decides to intimidate anyone submitting records requests by making their names public.

Thankfully, we have a golden opportunity before us this year—and we can’t afford to let it go to waste.

Help Us Build a School Board Red Wave in Arizona

While there are many important offices up for election this November, defeating the Left isn’t just about winning statewide races. We must take our local school board elections seriously if we are going to stop their radical woke agenda.

And you can help us take our School Boards back by supporting our AZ Red Wave Program through our Freedom Club PAC!

By Supporting our Freedom Club PAC and helping us reach MEGA PAC status, we will be able to double our support for ALL of the Conservative School Board Candidates running for office. All we need is 500 freedom loving individuals to invest $10 or more in our Freedom Club PAC so that we can fight back against the big money being spent by the left. With a one-time or recurring donation, your support will go directly to electing conservatives running for the legislature, school board, or city council races throughout the state.

Help STOP teachers’ unions and the woke liberals who are currently controlling our public school districts and school boards. Donate to the AZ Red Wave Program through our Freedom Club PAC now!

Stopping the Liberal Election Initiative Was a Major Victory for Secure Elections and the Rule of Law

by admin | Aug 30, 2022 | Elections, News and Updates

Arizona voters can breathe a sigh of relief. On Friday, the Supreme Court handed down its decision on our Free Enterprise Club lawsuit that concluded the radical “Free and Fair” election initiative lacked enough lawful signatures to qualify for the ballot. Securing this legal victory was not an easy feat, and the final days of litigation were far more suspenseful than they should have been.

In fact, the trial court came very close to letting the other side steal victory by initially adopting their lawyer’s rigged methodology to calculate the final number of valid signatures that would have snuck the measure back onto the ballot. Their dubious formula cherry picked data that boosted their numbers, even including signatures that were disqualified by the counties. Their formula wasn’t rooted in statute or historical precedent, but it was a Hail-Mary attempt to resuscitate thousands of signatures that simply should not have counted.

Thankfully, after additional review by the courts, their social justice common core math was discarded, and the correct statutory calculation was used to determine that they lacked the minimum number of signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The final decision disqualifying the measure vindicated over two months of intense work and review by our Club staff and legal team at Statecraft. It was a painstaking process that included analyzing 47,000 petition sheets and 420,000 signatures and researching 1,500 different paid circulators to root out every illegal signature. We were also assisted by a fantastic coalition that backed our effort, including our friends at Honest Elections Project Action, Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE), Heritage Action for America, Center for Arizona Policy Action, the Goldwater Institute, and America First Works. Our success would not have been possible without their help.

But by far the biggest winner is every Arizona voter who wants an election system where it is easy to vote and hard to cheat. After the radical left failed to pass HR1 in Congress (a plan that would have nationalized our elections), they brought their radical scheme to Arizona, spending over $7.5 million in an attempt to buy their way onto the ballot. Most of the funding for “Free and Fair” came from LUCHA and the liberal funding networks Democracy Alliance and Arabella Advisors.

The initiative would have cemented fraud in our system, with over 60 different provisions imported from Washington, D.C. that would have rolled back voter ID requirements, legalized ballot trafficking, eliminated proof of citizenship requirements, allowed same day registration, brought back ZuckBucks and made it impossible for groups like ours to review and challenge ballot initiatives in the future.

It included everything the Left wanted, which is why they were desperate to get it on the ballot—so desperate in fact that they submitted hundreds of thousands of unlawful and invalid signatures to the Secretary of State, hoping that no one would take the time to check their work. We are very glad that we did.

Now that “Free and Fair” has been stopped, it’s time for us to get back to work on passing other much needed election integrity and initiative reforms on the ballot in November. At the top of the list is Proposition 309, which would require that no matter when you vote, where you vote, or how you vote, ID is required. We also need to pass Propositions 128, 129 and 132. These are critical initiative reforms that will deter future efforts by out-of-state special interests seeking to buy their way onto to the ballot.

So for today, feel free to enjoy the social media temper tantrums and liberal tears being shed by the Left. Starting tomorrow, it will be time to go back on the attack and focus on winning big in November.

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.

Supreme Court Correctly Determines That Radical Election Initiative Lacked Enough Signatures to Qualify for Ballot

by admin | Aug 26, 2022 | Elections, News and Updates

Arizona Free Enterprise Club President Scot Mussi issued the following statement regarding today’s Supreme Court decision that correctly determined that Free and Fair lacked enough signatures to qualify for the ballot:

“The ruling today vindicates what we knew all along: the radical Free and Fair election initiative lacked enough lawful signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The other side knew it too, and that is why their lawyers tried to get the court to adopt a rigged methodology to calculate the final number of valid signatures that would sneak their disqualified measure onto the ballot.  Their dubious formula cherry picked data that boosted their numbers, even including signatures that were disqualified by the counties in the random sample. None of their formula was rooted in statute or historical precedent and was a Hail-Mary attempt to resuscitate thousands of signatures that simply should not have counted.

Thankfully, after additional review by the courts, their rigged formula was discarded, and the correct statutory calculation was used to determine that they lacked the minimum number of signatures to qualify for the ballot. Arizona voters, the rule of law, and basic math were victorious today.”

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.

Arizona Free Enterprise Club Releases Another Round of Endorsements

by admin | Aug 25, 2022 | Elections, News and Updates

Phoenix, AZ – Today, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club announced another slate of General Election endorsements for 2022.     

The endorsed individuals align with the organization’s principles and key policy goals. Club President Scot Mussi stated, “It is critical Arizona has leaders and policy makers who are able to articulate and stand up for individual liberties, free market principles, conservative values, and protect against federal overreach here in Arizona and in Washington, D.C. This slate of candidates has proven they can and will.”

Statewide

Federal

Legislative

County

School Board

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.

Arizona Supreme Court Upholds Lower Court Ruling against Radical Election Initiative

by admin | Aug 25, 2022 | Elections, News and Updates

Phoenix, AZ – The Arizona Supreme Court issued a ruling today against Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections, affirming a lower court ruling that the group failed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The radical initiative seeks to:

• • Upend Arizona’s election administration and voter registration laws.
  • Sharply reduce candidate contribution limits while channeling more taxpayer subsidies to so-called “Clean Elections” candidates.
  • Curtail safeguards governing the initiative and referendum process.
  • Impose new taxes.

In July, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club filed a lawsuit contending that well over half of the signatures on the election initiative were gathered illegally.

“We are very pleased that the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court ruling that Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections failed to gather enough lawful signatures to qualify for the ballot,” said Club President Scot Mussi. “This radical initiative imported 60 different provisions from Washington, D.C. that would have increased fraud, harmed small business, and empowered special interests. They spent over $7 million trying to buy their way onto the ballot, and they failed.”

The Supreme Court has remanded the case back to trial court for a final review of all stipulations and invalidated signatures, which should be completed Thursday.

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.

Prop 128 and 129 Are Necessary Reforms to Arizona’s Ballot Measure Process

by admin | Aug 23, 2022 | Elections, News and Updates

Among the potential eleven ballot measures voters will see on their ballot this November, two make critically important reforms to the ballot measure process itself: Proposition 128 and Proposition 129.

Proposition 128: Fixing Unconstitutional Initiatives

Arizona is a target for out-of-state special interest groups that spend millions of dollars to put their radical ideas on the ballot. They take an issue that is unpopular with the electorate, like tax hikes, spend a few million dollars to park circulators in Phoenix and Tucson for a couple months, and throw bad policy on our ballots.

Take, for example, Prop 208, which narrowly passed in 2020. The out-of-state teachers unions in Oregon and DC spent more than $30 million over four years in their effort to buy the largest tax hike in state history. They lied to Arizona voters to get signatures, and they lied to get the slimmest of majorities to approve it.

There was one problem, though. It was unconstitutional, and they knew it! The nonpartisan Legislative Council told them so, but they went ahead with it anyway. After months in litigation, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that it is, in fact, unconstitutional and was struck down in its entirety.

This is an example of a measure that, having part of it struck down by the court, invalidated the entire measure. However, there could come a time when a measure is not struck down in its entirety, leaving just fragments of the law that was approved by voters.  

Currently, that means a broken measure stays in statute with no simple mechanism to fix it except to go back to the voters—which is confusing and costly.

Voters expect when they are presented with a proposition that the language before them is thoughtful and has been legally scrutinized. When that isn’t the case, Prop 128 provides a solution, with a narrow modification to our constitution to allow the legislature to amend the measure, only after the Arizona or U.S. Supreme Court have found it to contain unconstitutional or illegal language.

Proposition 129: Limiting Initiatives to a Single Subject

Another exploited aspect of the initiative process is that, unlike the legislature, there is a lack of a single subject rule. Lawmakers are bound by the Arizona constitution to craft bills that pertain to only one subject, and the provisions of the bill must be properly reflected in the title.

This requirement became very relevant just last summer, when the Arizona Supreme Court struck down many of the provisions in the state budget for violating it.

These two requirements serve a purpose, as the court noted in its decision. The single subject rule prevents “‘logrolling,’ or combining different measures into one bill so that a legislator must approve a disfavored proposition to secure passage of a favored proposition.” And the title requirement ensures that “a reasonable person should be expected to know what an act deals with based on its title.”

But these requirements do not exist for statutory initiatives. Initiatives can contain however many provisions that out-of-state special interests want to shove into them, on as many different subjects as they want. Take, for example, the so-called “Arizona Fair Elections Act.” It contains more than 60 different provisions ranging from radical Washington, D.C. style election changes to campaign finance law and even tax hikes all crammed into 26 pages in 9-point font.

Just as lawmakers shouldn’t be compelled to hold their nose on bad provisions in exchange for good ones, ballot initiatives should include only provisions logically and naturally connected to one another to limit confusion of the voters, obfuscation by proponents, and a “Sophie’s Choice” for the electorate.

Prop 129 would place the same requirement lawmakers have for the bills they craft on initiative measures, protecting our ballots from sprawling measures with various unrelated provisions.

Both Proposition 128 and 129 are measured, thoughtful, and necessary reforms to our constitution to ensure voters aren’t presented with confusing measures, and to provide a mechanism to fix broken language. VOTE YES on Prop 128 and 129.

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.