Arizona Free Enterprise Club Files Criminal Complaint Over Prop 140 Fraudulent Signatures

Arizona Free Enterprise Club Files Criminal Complaint Over Prop 140 Fraudulent Signatures

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Today, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club filed a criminal complaint with Attorney General Kris Mayes and Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell over the nearly 40,000 duplicate signatures that were discovered during the petition review on Proposition 140, which had taken place last year before the November General Election. Proposition 140 sought to enact a California-style election scheme built around ranked choice voting and jungle primaries. It was soundly defeated by Arizona voters at the ballot box.

Of the nearly 40,000 duplicates that were included when the Prop 140 Committee submitted their signatures to the Arizona Secretary of State, it was uncovered that 253 people had signed petitions five or more times. One individual had signed 15 times.

“Double or even triple-signing the same initiative petition over the span of several months may well evince merely carelessness or forgetfulness. Signing one’s name five, ten, or even fifteen times, however, is not susceptible to that excuse,” said Scot Mussi, president of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. “There is certainly, at the very least, ample reason to believe that the individuals identified in Exhibit A knowingly violated Arizona law. I accordingly request that your respective offices open an investigation and pursue all appropriate criminal charges.”

Read the complaint here. See the exhibit of duplicate signatures here.

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Trump’s EOs to Unleash American Energy and End the Climate Cult Fantasy Are a Big Win for Americans

Trump’s EOs to Unleash American Energy and End the Climate Cult Fantasy Are a Big Win for Americans

President Trump’s historic victory in the November election gave him a clear mandate from the American people. And so far, he hasn’t wasted any time getting to work. In his first month back in office, Trump signed 45 Executive Orders (EO) in an effort to put America first and undo much of the damage created by the Biden administration. And that’s especially true with his executive actions to unleash American energy.

Ending the Net Zero Climate Cult Fantasy

For four years under President Biden, the American people were forced to endure an administration that was hellbent on pursuing a net zero agenda. Across the country, they pushed these radical and costly climate action plans to fundamentally transform and restrict the energy options available to consumers. Along with this came calls from the Left to ban gas stoves, gas cars, gas-powered lawn equipment, and hundreds of other draconian ideas to limit the freedom of the American people.

If the high cost of these plans wasn’t enough, they have also proven to be unreliable. States and countries that have committed to energy sources like solar and wind as part of this net zero fantasy have experienced rolling blackouts, continually demand that their customers use less, and eventually have to make haste to open reliable sources of generation they had closed down. Isn’t that right, California?

But Trump’s Executive Order 14154 unleashes fossil fuel production and use in America while unwinding much of the damage caused by the Biden administration. Under Trump, the government will promote the production, distribution, and use of reliable domestic energy supplies, including oil, natural gas, and biofuels. And it will also eliminate the electric vehicle (EV) mandate in order to promote consumer choice across the country.

On top of this, a recent memo directs federal agencies to eliminate anything approved under the Biden administration that references climate change; greenhouse gas emissions; racial equity; gender identity; “diversity, equity, and inclusion” goals; environmental justice; and the Justice 40 Initiative. This is a big win for America, but there is still more work to do.

Next Step: Rolling Back the Administrative State

Trump’s executive actions were the critical first step in freeing the country from this net zero madness, but the pushback can’t stop there. The Trump administration must begin the difficult work of stripping the administrative state of their ability to coerce states into adopting Green New deal policies through brute bureaucratic enforcement.

Just look at how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been weaponizing their ozone rules to force states into adopting California’s net zero agenda. We’ve seen it right here in Arizona.

According to the EPA, Maricopa County is an ozone nonattainment area under the Clean Air Act. As a result of this determination, they are threatening heavy sanctions against the state unless we adopt “control measures” to deal with the problem. And it just so happens that those control measures align perfectly with the goals of the radical climate cult lobby—banning gas cars, stoves, leaf blowers, and all gas-powered industrial equipment that make our economy function.

But here’s the thing. Arizona and, more specifically, Maricopa County, doesn’t even have an ozone problem. Current levels of ozone in the region are lower today than they were 20 years ago.  And it turns out that most of the ozone we do have in the atmosphere doesn’t even come from anyone in the county—it is either naturally occurring or comes from international sources, primarily China and Mexico.

Other states across the country have the exact same problem, yet the EPA doesn’t care because it’s not really concerned about where the ozone comes from. They just want to use it as a cudgel to beat states into submission.

This sort of bullying from the administrative state must be stopped by the Trump administration. It is critical for the federal government to curb and repeal any agency rules designed to force states to adopt Green New Deal policies like banning gas cars and gas stoves. And we certainly should not be allowing any federal agency to punish U.S. citizens and businesses for pollution coming from China and Mexico. In his second term, our 47th President has shown a knack for fixing some significant problems in the government. Now, the Club is excited to get to work with his administration to fix this problem—and take the next step in unleashing American energy.

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Arizona Free Enterprise Club Statement on SB 1013 Senate Passage

Arizona Free Enterprise Club Statement on SB 1013 Senate Passage

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Yesterday, the Arizona Senate passed SB 1013, which protects hardworking taxpayers in counties, cities, and towns from those jurisdictions raising taxes and fees that a supermajority of the relevant local officials did not approve. The proposal was sponsored by Senate President Warren Petersen.

“For over three decades, Arizona voters and their elected officials in the state legislature have expressed their strong preference to keep taxes and fees as low as possible,” said Greg Blackie, the Director of Policy for the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. “With Proposition 108 and Proposition 132, voters have time and again voted to prevent the state and themselves from raising taxes or fees without a supermajority in support. Despite this, many counties, cities, and towns continue to extract taxes and fees from citizens through edicts by faceless bureaucrats. Thankfully, legislators realize the importance of protecting the financial interests of the men, women, and children they represent by applying to the same standard to all jurisdictions.”

Despite counties, cities and towns protesting these proposals, complaining that the legislature is cutting local funding, these jurisdictions are flush with increasing financial revenues. Just this past year, cities alone have benefited from $315 million of new revenue from the collection of online sales tax.

In 1992, Arizona voters passed Proposition 108 to prevent the legislature from increasing taxes without a two-thirds majority.

In 2022, Arizona voters passed Proposition 132 to require a sixty percent threshold on voter initiatives to approve any tax increase on the ballot.

There is also a referral – SCR 1008 – moving through the Arizona Legislature at this time. SCR 1008 sends the policy of SB 1013 to Arizona voters for an up-or-down vote in the November 2026 General Election in the event that Governor Hobbs vetoes a bill sent to her Office. This ballot measure will be considered by the Senate Government Committee this week.

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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!

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The Arizona Free Enterprise Club Is Committed to Stopping the Hobbs Agenda

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club Is Committed to Stopping the Hobbs Agenda

In the last two years, Katie Hobbs has failed to make good on any of her top priorities, and after spending millions to flip the legislature, she was only left with more Republicans in both chambers and being called the “biggest loser” of this last election. Back this year with new goals outlined in her State of the State address and budget proposal, the legislative majority must ensure that, once again, the Hobbs agenda is stopped dead in its tracks. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club is committed to helping lead the fight to block all of Hobbs’ priorities.

Reckless Spending & A Broken Budget Proposal

First and foremost is Hobbs’ budget proposal. Last year, the legislature crafted a budget that finally slowed the spending growth in the state, but now Hobbs is proposing a $1 billion+ spending increase, representing 7.5% growth in spending over last year. If that wasn’t bad on its own, Hobbs’ proposal is a broken deficit budget. Hobbs failed to account for any formula growth in the Medicaid program, which is completely unheard of. Once included, the Hobbs budget proposal results in a $192 million deficit in 2027, growing to a staggering $390 million deficit in 2028.

Housing Costs

Included in her broken budget is one of Hobbs’ top priorities: extending and expanding the state level low-income housing tax credit, a program that is rife with fraud and abuse and comes with a $600 million price tag. Hobbs is the one who unilaterally shut down single family house development last year because of a manufactured water crisis and took illegal actions late last year to further limit homebuilding in the state, for which she is being sued. Hobbs has only added to the rise in housing costs, and her “solutions” will only continue to drive them up further. They should receive no consideration by the legislature.

Attacking School Choice

Hobbs, unsurprisingly and predictably, is back again attacking the widely popular universal ESA program, continuing to spread the lie that the program is “bankrupting the state.” The ESA program has resulted in savings for taxpayers as more and more students benefit from the program, evidenced by the fact that the state once again has a surplus. Last year she tried (and failed) to regulate the program out of existence, and this year her plan is to place income caps to kick more than 12,000 students currently benefiting from ESAs off and force them back into government schools. Hobbs calling for “accountability” in the program is especially hypocritical considering that, just a week after her State of the State address, a public school district went into state receivership for a $12 million budget shortfall after running up a debt of $28.5 million. Hobbs should start with cleaning up fraud in the public school system before taking shots at the ESA program.

Border

Though Hobbs talked tough on the border in her State of the State address, just days later she vowed not to assist the federal government in deporting illegals. This is not shocking considering that last year she vetoed the Border Security Act, which would have empowered local law enforcement to apprehend and deport individuals who enter our country illegally outside of a lawful port of entry. But the voters spoke. After being vetoed, the legislature placed it on the ballot, where it was overwhelmingly approved in November.

Hobbs’ priorities should be a nonstarter for the legislature. Her number one enemy, the ESA program, is not bankrupting the state, but her broken budget proposal certainly would. Her handout to developers by extending the low-income housing tax credit program won’t lower housing costs, but abandoning her manufactured water crisis would. And her border proposals won’t protect Arizona, but working with the Trump administration would.

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Democrats Want Arizona to Remain National Laughingstock on Election Night

Democrats Want Arizona to Remain National Laughingstock on Election Night

Another election has come and gone, and once again Arizona showed the nation that it doesn’t know how to count votes. Like a bad movie we are forced to watch every two years, rampant delays in processing early ballots left voters waiting over a week to find out who won key races in the state.

Virtually everyone around the country watching our slow-motion election train wreck, from major media outlets to national pundits, agreed that fixing Arizona’s tabulation process is long overdue.

Everyone, that is, except Governor Katie Hobbs and her partisan Democrat allies in the legislature.

This shouldn’t be a total shock to those who have followed previous attempts to reform our election system. Over the last couple of years, Democrats have opposed popular election reforms like requiring basic proof of citizenship to vote, all while millions were pouring in illegally through the southern border. They argued against commonsense voter ID laws, claiming our elections are safe and secure without them (and California democrats even banned voter ID outright).

And now, after Arizona was again one of the last states to finish ballot processing, the Democrats remain opposed to ensuring we have election night results.

So, what’s the Democrats’ excuse? Curiously, Governor Katie Hobbs omitted any mention of fixing our broken election system in her state of the state address. Her allies in the legislature, when pressed on the issue, have resorted to calling demands for election night results a “manufactured crisis.”  

Arizona has become the laughingstock of the country, and Arizona Democrats seemingly want to keep it that way.

It’s their choice if they want to represent a fringe minority that doesn’t care how badly our elections operate. But the rest of us want reform, and that is what our organization is fighting for at the state legislature.

At the top of the list is moving the current deadline for returning early ballots. Currently, every voter in Arizona is eligible to receive a mail-in ballot, and that ballot may be returned at any time until 7PM on election day. The problem with this system is that ballots returned within the last couple days cannot be processed and tabulated by election night. This past election several hundred thousand ballots were dropped off on election day, causing a weeklong delay in processing the results.

Simply setting a deadline – Friday before the election – would immediately eliminate this delay.  Voters would still have more than three weeks to fill out their ballots and either return them by mail or drop them off with the county. And voters can still vote in person – early and on election day.

And if we want to add even more ease, access, and security to our process, the silver bullet is on-site tabulation of ballots at the polling location. Want accessible elections? Allow for on-site tabulation. Want secure elections? Allow for on-site tabulation. Want efficient election results? Allow for on-site tabulation. It is a win-win-win, for the voters, and for the state.

Voters that enjoy the convenience of filling out their ballot on their own time in their own home, can continue to do so. But if they do not want to leave it to the post office to deliver their ballot, and they don’t want to drop it off, or they do not drop it off by the Friday cutoff, then they can show up at a polling place and tabulate their ballot themselves. This means more voters showing ID before casting their ballot, and it means their ballots are tabulated immediately.

These reforms have proven to work in other states like Florida. And they shouldn’t be new ideas to lawmakers or Katie Hobbs, since these are ideas our organization has promoted for years.

We have the opportunity to increase access, increase security, and increase the efficiency of our elections. In other words, we could finally no longer be the laughingstock of the country in the next election and all to come. The question is, will Arizona Democrats and Katie Hobbs stand in the way?

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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!

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The Hobbs’ Agenda for Arizona Must Be Defeated

The Hobbs’ Agenda for Arizona Must Be Defeated

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – The Arizona Free Enterprise Club has again emerged as one of the prolific defenders of the state’s values and principles against the onslaught of the radical agenda proposed by Governor Katie Hobbs in her latest budget for Fiscal Year 2026. Scot Mussi, President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, issued the following statement:

“In the first month of this new year, Governor Hobbs and her regime on the Ninth Floor have continued to push one of the most radical agendas in our state’s storied history. We have seen another nonsensical budget proposal from this incompetent administration that certainly does not reflect the will of the Arizona people. For example, the governor’s budget draft results in a staggering $390 million deficit in 2028, extends and expands a state level low-income tax credit program that is rife with fraud and abuse, attacks Arizona’s historic school choice opportunities for thousands of children, and purposefully neglects to support President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to secure our border and enforce our immigration laws. One might think, when reading Hobbs’ proposals, that she was the chief executive of California or Illinois – not Arizona.”

Mussi added, “These priorities – and others – from the governor should be a non-starter for the Arizona Legislature. Thankfully, we have majorities in both the state House of Representatives and Senate that understand the importance of rejecting this budget proposal and the rest of the Hobbs’ agenda. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club has been proud to stand against this agenda since the beginning of the Hobbs administration, and we will continue to oppose the radical policies that are being championed by the Governor’s Office. We look forward to seeing a budget from state legislators that better reflects the desires of Arizonans.”

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.