Phoenix, AZ – Today, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club announced their final slate of General Election endorsements for 2022, including judicial retention races.
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 government overreach at the state and at the local level. This slate of candidates can and will. Additionally, it is imperative we have strong members of the judiciary who understand their role in interpreting law, not writing it from the bench, and we urge voters to retain these individuals who have a solid record of doing just that.”
Legislative
LD 5 House Jennifer Treadwell
LD 8 Senate Roxana Hozepfel
LD 21 House Deborah McEwen
School Board
EVIT – District 5 Cien Hyatt Luke
Dysart Jennifer Drake Dawn Densmore
Fountain Hills Madicyn Reid
Peoria Heather Rooks Devon Updegraff-Day
Prescott Linda Conn (2-year term) Michele Hamer (4-year term)
Judicial Retention
Arizona Supreme Court Hon. James P. Beene Hon. William G. Montgomery
Court of Appeals Division I Hon. Cynthia J. Bailey
Maricopa County Superior Court Hon. Bradley Astrowsky Hon. Alison S. Bachus Hon. Robert I. Brooks Hon. Rusty D. Crandell Hon. Jennifer Green Hon. Michael J. Herrod Hon. Joseph S. Kiefer Hon. Susanna C. Pineda Hon. Michael Z. Rassas Hon. Tracey Westerhausen Hon. Cassie Woo
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.
This November, Arizonans will decide on 10 ballot measures. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club is endorsing four of these measures: Propositions 128, 129, 132, and 309. Each of these are necessary and critical to make common sense election integrity reforms and protect Arizonans from the influence of out-of-state special interests that exploit the initiative process to put bad policy on our ballots. We encourage Arizonans to vote YES.
On the other hand, Propositions 209, 211, 308, and 310 include tax hikes, programs for government to dox and harass private individuals for donating to causes they believe in, exacerbating the invasion at our border, and increasing inflation. These measures will harm Arizona families and businesses, and we encourage voters to vote NO.
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club endorses and asks Arizonans to vote YES on the following measures:
Prop 128 (VOTE YES) allows the legislature to amend ballot measures that the Arizona or U.S. Supreme Court determine contain unconstitutional or illegal language. Out-of-state special interests flood Arizona with millions of dollars to knowingly put unconstitutional measures on our ballots. Prop 128 ensures we aren’t stuck with their broken laws. Learn more here.
Prop 129 (VOTE YES) requires ballot initiatives to pertain to a single subject, the same requirement for bills passed in the legislature to protect our ballots against radical, sprawling initiatives imported from other states to confuse and logroll voters. Learn more here.
Prop 132 (VOTE YES) requires any new tax or tax increase on the ballot to receive at least 60% of the vote to pass. Currently, a tax increase at the legislature requires support from a 2/3 majority of members to be enacted, but only a simple majority of the electorate on the ballot. Prop 132 protects taxpayers from a small majority raising taxes on the rest, crushing our economy. Learn more here.
Prop 309 (VOTE YES) creates universal Voter ID requirements ensuring no matter when, where, or how we vote, ID is required. It requires all in-person voters to show valid, government-issued photo ID, creates ID requirements for voting by mail, and waives the fee for a government ID for those who need it for voting. Learn more here.
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club opposes and asks Arizonans to vote NO on the following measures:
Prop 308 (VOTE NO) allows individuals residing in Arizona illegally to receive taxpayer subsidized tuition at our universities. Sold as providing in-state tuition to “DREAMERs” who have been here since they were young children, the actual language of the measure is much broader and far reaching, only requiring the person to have been in Arizona illegally for two years and graduate from an Arizona high school to receive taxpayer subsidized tuition.
Prop 310 (VOTE NO) increases the statewide sales tax by 0.1%, resulting in a nearly $200 million tax hike to fund fire districts statewide. Many of these fire districts have mismanaged their budgets, and wastefully and recklessly spent tax money in the past. Prop 310 is not the solution, as it increases taxes on all Arizonans to subsidize a few and does not include reforms to ensure responsible and accountable use of taxpayer money in the future. Learn more here.
Prop 209 (VOTE NO) excuses people from having to pay their debt, which will increase inflation, make it harder to access credit, and shift the burden to taxpayers who do pay their bills. Funded entirely by California unions, it is sold as impacting only medical debt, but the language of the initiative actually shields all kinds of debt, not just medical. Learn more here.
Prop 211 (VOTE NO) requires private organizations to disclose donors to the government if they spend more than a certain amount in any given election, violating the constitutional right to privacy and association so that government can target, harass, and dox their political opponents. Unsurprisingly, the measure exempts Big Tech, the media, and labor unions from these same disclosure regulations. Learn more here.
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.
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 PACand 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!
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.
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.
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
Treasurer
Kimberly Yee
Federal
CD 3
CD 7
Jeff Zink
Luis Pozzolo
Legislative
LD 1 House
LD 2 Senate
LD 3 Senate
Selina Bliss
Steve Kaiser
John Kavanagh
Quang Nguyen
LD 3 House
LD 4 House
LD 11 House
Alex Kolodin
Matt Gress
Tatiana Peña
LD 12 House
LD 13 House
LD 17 Senate
Terry Roe
Liz Harris
Justine Wadsack
Jim Chaston
LD 27 House
LD 30 House
Kevin Payne
John Gillette
County
Maricopa County Attorney
Rachel Mitchell
Maricopa County Community College Board – Member at Large
Randy Kaufman
School Board
Cave Creek
Chandler
Deer Valley
Fountain Hills
Jackie Ulmer
Kurt Rohrs
Paul Carver
Libby Settle
Charlotte Golla
Tony Bouie
Gilbert
Higley
Kyrene
Mesa
Chad Thompson
Anna Van Hoek
Kristi Ohman
Rachel Walden
Roy Morales
Ed Steele
Paradise Valley
Roosevelt
Scottsdale
Vail
Sandra Christensen
Joseph Dailey
Amy Carney
Anastasia Tsatsakis
Lisa Farr
Carine Werner
Leroy Smith
Eddy Jackson
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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