Tag: arizona

Arizona Ballot Measure Seeks To Roll Back Marijuana Legalization

A newly filed ballot initiative in Arizona would repeal of key provisions of the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law by eliminating commercial sales, while still permitting possession and personal cultivation.

The “Sensible Marijuana Policy Act for Arizona” is being spearheaded by Sean Noble, president of the political strategy firm American Encore. Paperwork to register the initiative was filed with the secretary of state’s office this month.

This year has seen a series of attempts to roll back adult-use legalization laws, with anti-cannabis activists in Maine recently approved for signature gathering for a similar ballot initiative and a Massachusetts campaign clearing an initial signature threshold for their version that will first put the issue to lawmakers before it potentially heads to the ballot.

The Arizona measure is distinct from those proposals in at least one significant policy area: It would not take away the rights of adults to grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use.

Also, it explicitly preserves components of the law aimed at expunging prior marijuana records.

Like the anti-cannabis proposals in other states, possession would remain lawful if voters chose to enact the initiative—and Arizona’s medical marijuana program would remain intact—but the commercial market for recreational cannabis that’s evolved since voters approved an adult-use legalization measure in 2020 would be quashed.

“For adults that want to consume cannabis, they will be able to do that,” Noble told the Arizona Daily Star.

But the GOP operative—who has worked with Republican legislators on efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and played a role opposing a failed attempt to legalize for adult use in 2016—said declining revenue and advertising rules he perceives as insufficient to deterring youth use puts the campaign at an advantage among voters.

A findings section on the latest initiative states that “the proliferation of marijuana establishments and recreational marijuana sales in this state have produced unintended consequences and negative effects relating to the public health, safety, and welfare of Arizonans, including increased marijuana use among children, environmental concerns, increased demands for water resources, public nuisances, market instability, and illicit market activities.”

“Arizona’s legal marijuana sales have declined for two consecutive years, resulting in less tax revenue for this state, while some patients have relied on recreational use of marijuana instead of utilizing the benefits of this state’s medical marijuana program,” it says.

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U. Arizona professor alleges retaliation for opposing DEI hiring practices

A tenured University of Arizona professor recently filed a lawsuit against the school, alleging retaliation for opposing what he believed were race-based hiring practices tied to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” initiatives.

Professor Matthew Abraham claims the university sanctioned and excluded him from key faculty committees after he raised concerns about DEI hiring policies and sought more information through public records requests.

“This case is not about opposing diversity,” the professor’s attorney with the Liberty Justice Center told The College Fix in a recent email.

“It’s about ensuring that diversity initiatives comply with federal law and that faculty members are not punished for asking hard questions about whether race is being used unlawfully,” attorney Ángel Valencia said. 

Abraham argues in the lawsuit that he made “good-faith complaints” to university officials between 2017 and 2022 about hiring and selection practices that unlawfully favored candidates based on race and other protected characteristics.

As a result, Abraham was removed from the university’s Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure and the English Department Academic Program Review Committee, according to the lawsuit. He had previously chaired the academic freedom committee.

Abraham told The Fix in a phone interview that through a public records request, he uncovered staff communications that labeled him and two other professors as “problematic” and having “difficult personalities” in discussions about the academic freedom committee.

“We were trouble for the administration, and we were kind of red lined from being on probably the most important committee in the University, because it deals with tenure denials and dismissals like the one I’m dealing with right now,” Abraham said.

He said that since filing the lawsuit, the university has tried to argue that he misused computer networks, had an affair with a student, and sent harassing emails. 

“It’s my sense that they’re just throwing various things at me to see what might stick,” Abraham told The Fix. “None of this is born out of actual facts.”

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Gilbert, Arizona Police Accused of Falsifying Crime Statistics Through Underreporting Revealing Possible Nationwide Trend After 2024 FBI Crime Stats Find Massive Plunge in Violent Crime and DC Police Caught Rigging Data

The town of Gilbert, Arizona, has come under fire and calls for an investigation after a former town councilman alleged during a town council meeting last month that police leadership had “fudged numbers” and underreported crime for more than a decade.

Gilbert is the largest town in the United States and the fourth municipality in Arizona, with nearly 300,000 residents.

In December 2023, the town boasted its ranking as “the second-safest city in America among the 100 largest in the nation,” according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting data. However, according to former councilman Bill Spence, based on conversations with current Council Member and former Gilbert Police Department leader Kenny Buckland, Gilbert Police Chiefs have been “manipulating the numbers” to lower reported response times and make the city appear safer.

Spence said during the “communication from citizens” portion of the November 18 town council meeting that Buckland had made “several concerning statements about Gilbert Police Department policies implemented by former police chief Tim Dorn.” Dorn “fudged numbers” and “changed how we do our calls for service” by creating a “Priority Zero” crime category, which cut reported police response times by about 40%, Spence told the Council.

The changes to crime reporting, allegedly made under Tim Dorn, had been “codified by” Chief Mike Soelberg when he succeeded Dorn in June 2017. “And the practice continued until 2023, when the reporting systems no longer allowed for this type of data manipulation,” Spence stated.

Chief Mike Soelberg and Patrick Banger, Gilbert’s outgoing Town Manager, first appointed in August 2011, Spence said, “were made aware of the trouble caused by these policies, yet they continued to report manipulated information.” He continued, “They betrayed our police officers, misled numerous councils, and jeopardized the safety of our residents.”

In closing his speech, Spence demanded “immediate investigation of the town from an outside law enforcement agency.”

“Failure to do so would make this entire council complicit in the conspiracy to cover up misconduct in what may be the biggest scandal in the history of our town.“

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Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego Lied on VA Mortgage Application, Claimed DC as Primary Residence – Kari Lake Calls for Investigation: “Is His Main Residence in DC or Arizona? That is a Crime.”

Kari Lake is calling for accountability for her 2024 Senate opponent, Ruben Gallego, over a $940,000 VA-guaranteed loan for a DC home that he fraudulently secured in 2022 by listing the address as his primary residence.

Kari Lake faced Gallego in the 2024 general election for Arizona’s US Senate seat but lost under mysterious circumstances. Lake also said in a recent interview with The Gateway Pundit, “When we start to dig further into the election fraud that’s been happening for a long time in Arizona, I think there’s gonna be some hell to pay.”

Despite being a Congressman from Arizona at the time, he listed his Washington, DC home and his Phoenix, Arizona Home as primary residences to secure a more favorable interest rate. Gallego abused the Department of Veterans Affairs home loan program, which is designed to make it easier for veterans to buy a home with a lower down payment and a lower interest rate, for use as a primary residence. The loan can only be used for a second home if the home is occupied as a primary residence.

As Politico reported in 2023,

When Arizona Senate candidate Ruben Gallego bought a house near Capitol Hill last year, he claimed the Washington property as his primary residence as part of a special mortgage rate afforded to military veterans.

But Gallego and his wife also say a home they own in Phoenix is their primary residence.

The loan documents for the Washington property, obtained by POLITICO, confirmed he counts D.C. as his primary home even though his campaign maintains he resides in Arizona. Politically, it means the Democratic congressman aiming to take out Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) in a hotly contested race next year may have to explain why he declared he was primarily a resident of the nation’s capital.

Gallego signed terms for a Veterans Affairs-backed loan in which he agreed to “occupy, establish, and use the Property as [the] Borrower’s principal residence within 60 days,” according to the loan document.

In September 2024, Lake highlighted this scandal, while condemning Gallego’s horrendous record, including his involvement in opening a bank for illegal aliens that defaulted and robbed its clients, working for a company that settled for $2.8 million in a medicare fraud investigation, and walking out on his wife when she was nine months pregnant to shack up with a DC lobbyist with whom he had a secret wedding.

Notably, his marriage license with wife Sydney Gallego is also from Washington, DC.

“I actually live in this state. And on federal forms, he said he lives in Washington, DC; that’s his main residence,” Lake said.

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Turning Point leader pleads guilty to attempted election fraud

Former Republican state legislator Austin Smith pleaded guilty Monday to what he previously called “ludicrous” charges that he personally forged more than 100 signatures on his petitions for reelection last year. 

The Republican from Surprise was a member of the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus, which has a history of spreading false claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election and pushed for election law changes in the state legislature. 

“As a part of his guilty plea today, Smith admitted signing the name of a deceased woman on one of his candidate nomination petitions in March of 2024,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a statement. “He also admitted that he attempted to deceive the Secretary of State’s Office by knowingly filing petitions containing forged signatures of purported supporters of his nomination for the Republican primary for State Representative from LD 29.”

Smith pleaded guilty to one count of attempted fraudulent schemes and practices, an undesignated offense, and to one count of illegal signing of an election petition, a misdemeanor. 

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WILD BODY CAM VIDEO: Arizona Judge Busted Drunk and Urinating in Public, Cops Drag Away Husband — She Resigns in Disgrace

Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore Kristyne Schaaf-Olson has resigned in disgrace after being caught urinating in public while heavily intoxicated in Prescott, Arizona.

The incident unfolded in the early hours of October 4, around 1:30 a.m., when witnesses alerted police to the 42-year-old judge squatting in shrubbery with her pants down.

Body camera footage obtained by Fox 10 captured the grotesque scene, with an officer confronting Schaaf-Olson, declaring, “This is disgusting,” and “This is unacceptable.”

The judge was so inebriated she couldn’t even spell her own name, leading the officer to describe her as “useless.”

“She’s useless. She can’t even spell her name,” the officer says.

The drama escalated when her husband, Jason Olson, the parks and recreation manager for the Town of Chino Valley, tried to intervene. He repeatedly ignored officers’ commands to back off and attempted to pull his wife away from questioning.

An officer warned him, “I’m going to f—king throw you on the ground if you resist,” before hauling him into a police cruiser.

Jason Olson was cited for resisting arrest, interfering with a crime scene investigation, and obstruction of government operations.

Schaaf-Olson was cited for urinating or defecating in public.

Just two days after the incident, Schaaf-Olson submitted her resignation to Presiding Judge John Napper, citing “current physical, medical, and family circumstances.”

In her statement, she said, “The Yavapai community deserves and has judges who are steadfast in their commitment to serving Yavapai County, considering current events in my life, I believe it would be difficult to honor this commitment. I have therefore decided to resign.”

Presiding Judge Napper responded, “I respect and appreciate Ms. Schaaf-Olson’s decision to resign. On behalf of the Yavapai County Superior Court, I appreciate the time that Ms. Schaaf-Olson has served our community and her willingness to remain in her position while the Court selects a new Pro Tempore.”

The disgraced judge’s final day on the bench was October 31.

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Unhinged Radical Teacher in Scottsdale USD Reportedly Labels Innocent 3rd-Grader ‘Extremist’ and Had Neighbor SPY on Him

A Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) teacher is under fire after shocking allegations surfaced that she labeled a third-grade student an “extremist” and coordinated with a neighbor to spy on him outside of school.

Even more disturbing, this is the same teacher who reportedly celebrated the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on social media.

In a heartbreaking video testimony shared by Libs of TikTok, a third grader shared his disturbing experience with Donna Javinett, a 3rd-grade teacher at Anasazi Elementary School:

“I was a third grader at Anasazi, but in a different class than Mrs. Donna Javinett. This teacher created a hostile school environment for kids like me when she didn’t like their parents. She would yell at me in the hallway and hurry me along.

I also caught her filming me one day. She claimed she was filming Field Day, but the event was already over — and her phone was pointing right at me. At the same time, a neighbor on my street was also filming me while I was outside my home. It was creepy, and I felt unsafe.

It became so bad that my family had to get a restraining order against my neighbor. In court, the neighbor revealed a personal email from Mrs. Javanett thanking her for “protecting teachers against extremists.”

That’s when I found out Mrs. Javanett and my neighbor were working together.

Now, Mrs. Javanett has been caught celebrating gun violence and the assassination of local hero Charlie Kirk in her social media posts.

How do you allow her to teach third graders? How do parents leave their kids in her class? She’s the reason why we — and others — left Anasazi.”

Now, I hear more students are leaving after her recent hateful posts. Thank you.

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Man Arrested with Knife, Gun, and Inactive Police Credentials at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, Ahead of Charlie Kirk Memorial Service

Authorities detained a man at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Friday evening after he attempted to enter the venue while armed with a tactical knife, at least one firearm, and inactive law enforcement credentials.

The stadium is scheduled to host the memorial service for assassinated conservative icon Charlie Kirk on Sunday morning.

The massive memorial service is expected to draw over 100,000 attendees, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other members of the cabinet.

The suspect, whose identity has not been released at this time, reportedly claimed affiliation with law enforcement and exhibited suspicious behavior that prompted action from security personnel.

“The individual is not a member of authorized law enforcement working the event and is currently in custody,” the Secret Service said in a statement to the Washington Post. “The U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement are investigating the circumstances as to why he was at the location.”

The Washington Post reports:

The apparent unauthorized entry raised security concerns around the memorial, which is at capacity and is expected to include President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and many other administration officials and top aides.

The man had at least one gun and one knife when he was stopped, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the matter, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. He also presented “inactive law enforcement credentials” and told Secret Service agents he was at the site to provide private security, the official said.

A spokesperson for the Glendale Police Department referred questions to the Secret Service.

The man is in custody, but has not been arrested or charged as of early Saturday morning.

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Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy Accused of Posting Threats, Calls for Violence

A Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy, identified as Ramon Hernández, is facing calls for immediate suspension and investigation after a series of public social media posts surfaced containing violent threats, anti-government rhetoric, and explicit calls for assassination of public officials and U.S. allies.

Screenshots of Hernández’s Facebook posts, compiled into a formal report, document repeated calls for the death of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the President of the United States, and derogatory remarks directed at federal agencies including ICE, FBI, and DHS. Several posts explicitly advocate revolution and violent insurrection.

Given Hernández’s role as a sworn deputy with arrest powers and access to law enforcement resources, these public statements raise grave concerns about public safety, potential bias in law enforcement actions, and possible insider-threat risks.

Public Safety & Legal Implications

These statements may violate federal law, including 18 U.S.C. § 871 (threats against officials) and 18 U.S.C. § 2339A/B (incitement or material support for terrorism), as well as Arizona statutes criminalizing threats against public officials. The report calls on the FBI, DHS, and Pima County Sheriff’s Department Internal Affairs to take immediate action.

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SEND IN THE US MARSHALS: After Locking New County Recorder Out of System, Maricopa County is Attempting to Illegally Delete Records Ahead of Potential DOJ Investigations

Maricopa County officials are attempting to delete emails that potentially relate to the 2020 and 2022 elections, as well as irregularities in the 2024 elections, amid potential investigations by Trump Administration officials into the election fraud. 

In a letter to Maricopa County Manager Jen Pokorski, newly elected Republican County Recorder Justin Heap sounded the alarm on the Maricopa County Enterprise Technology and Innovation (ETI) department’s plans to delete archived emails from previous administrations. These documents are the subject of outstanding public records requests and may be of value in an official investigation.

Heap argues that the destruction of these emails would violate Arizona law, relating to record retention, and county policies. He further asks that the records be maintained due to their historical significance and in order to fulfill public records requests.

Local activist Merissa Hamilton says the move by Maricopa County is “suspect,” as “Trump Administration officials signal fresh probes into 2020 concerns and beyond.”

Elections in Maricopa County have come under intense scrutiny following the 2020 election, which was stolen from Trump, and the 2022 election, where 60% of the voting machines miraculously failed on election day and robbed then-gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, then-Attorney General candidate Abe Hamadeh, and others of a win.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced last month that the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is investigating violations of federal voting laws and cracking down on state voter rolls. This likely includes a deeper dive into Arizona, a hotbed for election irregularities, especially in 2020 and 2022.

Previously, US Rep. Abe Hamadeh, whose 2022 election was stolen by just 280 votes, also told The Gateway Pundit that he met with FBI Director Kash Patel and signaled that the FBI is looking at what happened in Arizona. “I’m still seeking justice. I’m just going to say, stay tuned to see what happens. We haven’t forgotten,” Hamadeh said.

Hamadeh later alerted the Department of Justice to potential illegal activity in Arizona and several western states after a whistleblower came forward with “credible claims” of election security violations involving the Arizona-based ballot printing firm, Runbeck Election Services. Runbeck, which surely has email correspondence with County officials, allegedly commingled blank ballots with voted mail-in ballots in a warehouse during the 2024 vote-counting process. The shady private entity, founded by leftists, transports and scans Maricopa County mail-in ballots with no chain of custody and little oversight before they are processed and counted by the County.

Additionally, just last week, it was revealed by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that documents related to corruption in the 2020 election were found “tucked away in the back of safes in random offices” in “burn bags.” The evidence of election fraud is expected to be made public shortly.

The emails could also include collusion between Maricopa County officials and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to censor so-called “election deniers” and The Gateway Pundit’s reporting on Maricopa County elections.

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