Accused criminal gives money to current and former legislators. Wonder if they'll return the money?

Can you say "ill gotten gains"?

From AZFamily -

Former Arizona Dept. of Education employee indicted on fraud, computer tampering

A former Arizona Department of Education employee has been indicted on six felony counts of tampering and fraud after allegedly funneling nearly $2 million over four years.

According to the state auditor, Tyler Grandil, the former Future Farmers of America executive secretary, opened a secret checking account back in 2011 and through 2015, deposited $1.7 million that should have been deposited into a department checking account. The report says that Grandil altered accounting records to hide his alleged crime. “Without the Department’s or AZFFA’s knowledge, Mr. Grandil spent this money for AZFFA and personal purposes,” the news release said.

State auditors say it is difficult to determine what amount was used for his personal use compared to the department since the accounting was comingled. However, a total of 28 checks worth $40,950 were determined to be issued to himself, his family members, or their companies.

Case information system is here.  His arraignment is scheduled for 6/27; the trial is scheduled (for now) for 11/22.

His LinkedIn profile does not list any direct employment with the AZ Department of Education.

The contributions?

From a report filed with the Arizona Secretary of State (AZSOS) -

Townsend was a state legislator who lost in the primary in 2022 (I blacked out the names and addresses of donors who aren't relevant to this story).  While she lost in 2022, my guess is that we haven't heard the last of her in AZ politics.

The contribution to a sitting legislator?

Well, from another report filed with the AZSOS - 

Kerr is the current Majority Whip in the State Senate.

My guess is that neither of them will return the money.  EVER.

Know what the two election-denying counties in AZ have in common? Republican former legislators in significant elected offices.

Not that there are any insignificant ones...though Katie Hobbs might argue that some are more significant than others. :)

Two Arizona counties, Cochise and Mohave, have proclaimed that they won't certify their election results until the last minute, if even then.

The two counties are located in diametrically opposite parts of the state, with Cochise being in the southeast corner of the state while Mohave is in the northwest corner. 

From the University of Arizona -

While the counties are in opposite parts of the state, they do share something in common....aside from being dusty and rural Republican strongholds.

In Cochise County, the elected Recorder is David Stevens, a former state representative.  He was in the lege from 2009 thru 2016.  He regularly earned failing grades from organizations like the Sierra Club and laudatory grades from organizations like the Goldwater Institute and the Arizona Small Business Association when there.  He also regularly sponsored or cosponsored a litany of anti-voter and anti-choice bills.

In Mohave County, one member of the board of supervisors there is Ron Gould, a former state senator, one who makes Attila the Hun look like a bleeding heart liberal.

To be sure, the election-denying extremism in Arizona isn't limited to *former* legislators:

Outgoing state senator Kelly Townsend has issued a baseless subpoena to Maricopa County over the 2022 election.

Returning state senator Ken Bennett was the face of the "fraudit."

Newby state representative Alexander Kolodin is an attorney who has not only represented Anthony Kern in a January 6th-related lawsuit, he's repping Cochise County in this matter.

While I expect the two counties to certify their election results (else the votes wouldn't count and a number of races would flip and become Democratic wins), I also expect that there will be a lot of self-righteous pearl clutching and foot stamping before that happens.

The ADL has a list of members of the far-right fringe group the Oath Keepers. Surprisingly, it doesn't include the entire R caucus of the legislature.

It should, though.

From the ADL -

The Oath Keepers Data Leak: Unmasking Extremism in Public Life

In the wake of the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, significant public and legal scrutiny was focused on the Oath Keepers, a large anti-government extremist group associated with the militia movement. Despite the group’s national profile, few specifics were known about its membership.

That changed in September 2021, when the non-profit journalist collective Distributed Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets) published – among other data – more than 38,000 names on the Oath Keepers’ membership list. The membership data provides unique insight into the people who signed up and paid dues to the organization over the years and helps illuminate the extent to which the group’s anti-government ideology has permeated mainstream society.

[snip]

There are some notable exceptions. While COE did not find anyone currently holding office at the federal level, there were several individuals on the membership list who hold state positions, including:

• Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers, a self-proclaimed member of the Oath Keepers, who has remained a supporter despite the group’s alleged participation in the January 6 attack. In March 2021 – just two months after the insurrection – Rogers met with the Cottonwood Oath Keepers and praised the group for their “dedication to our Constitution and to our country.” According to the database, she signed up for an annual membership.

[snip]

• Major Eben Bratcher, who works for the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, wrote, “I am currently the Patrol Bureau Commander for the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona. We have 85 sworn officers and Border Mexico on the South and California on the West. I’ve already introduced your web site to dozens of my Deputies.” Bratcher claims he left the organization several years ago because of the number of emails it sent.

[snip]

While the open-source resources used by COE to identify individuals typically provide accurate information, there are some limitations to this methodology, particularly in verifying names within the database that matched the names of law enforcement and military personnel.

First, multiple people in an area may have the same name. To the best of its abilities, COE worked to verify the individuals in question, and common names in high-density population areas were excluded from the final count. In addition, where applicable, COE has informed law enforcement agencies (with appropriate caveats) across the country that a person with a name matching one of their employees was found in the Oath Keepers database. Some agencies have been responsive, but others have not responded, or have responded without confirmation. Every elected official or 2022 candidate included in the final total has been confirmed based on public reporting, public statements made by the individual in question, or by comparing the information provided to the Oath Keepers with the official’s public filings, public records, or online posts containing phone numbers, email addresses, or physical addresses.

Second, it is possible that these numbers do not fully account for individuals who may have moved a significant distance, those who do not have an online presence, and those who do not self-identify their profession on their social media pages. As such, it is possible that the true number could be higher than what is documented in this report.

Third, this report does not include people who only joined local Oath Keepers chapters, or who are Oath Keepers but never officially signed up for the group. Rhodes allowed members currently serving in law enforcement and the military to participate in the organization without formally signing up, knowing that formal association with the organization could endanger their employment.

Finally, it is important to note once more that an individual’s inclusion in the Oath Keeper database is not proof that they were or are still an Oath Keeper, that they hold or held all or some of Oath Keeper ideology or viewpoints, or that they ever actively participated in Oath Keeper activities. When reviewing this information, you should bear in mind the possibility that the individual misunderstood the nature of the Oath Keepers. Before taking any action based on this information, an individualized assessment of the individual must take place.

Let me sum up the caveats in a briefer fashion:

1. Inclusion in the DB is NOT definitive evidence that someone is extremist.

2. Not being in the DB is NOT definitive evidence that someone is NOT an extremist.

The AZ tally from the ADL report -

While the ADL report doesn't contain all of the specific names of the elected officials who are members of the Oath Keepers look to be Rogers, State Sen. Kelly Townsend, State Rep. Mark Finchem, and State Rep. Quang Nguyen.  How did I come up with that list?  This article from The Copper Courier, dated June 13, 2022 -

These 4 Arizona Lawmakers Have Ties to the Oath Keepers, a Far-Right, Anti-Government Group

The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers—two far-right, anti-government extremist groups—were at the center of Thursday’s first public congressional committee hearing regarding the attack on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

[snip]

Several Arizona lawmakers have expressed support or admiration for the Oath Keepers during or before their time in office. Stewart Rhodes, the group’s leader and founder, is set to face trial for seditious conspiracy in September.

Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Tucson/Casa Grande, assumed office in 2015. Less than one year earlier, he posted about an Oath Keepers meetup in Tucson. 

[snip]

Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, known to cozy up to white nationalists who praise Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler like Nicholas Fuentes, is a self-proclaimed member of the Oath Keepers. She met with the Cottonwood chapter two months after the Jan. 6 insurrection. 

[snip]

Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, had “Oathkeeper” in her Twitter bio for months after the Jan. 6 insurrection. 

[snip]

Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, flatly said on Twitter, “I’m an Oath Keeper. Do not ever forget it. Now what?”

More on Finchem from Time Magazine, dated August 3, 2022 -

An Oath Keeper Could End Up in Charge of Arizona's Elections

Two Donald Trump loyalists who spun baseless conspiracy theories about the last presidential election moved one step closer Tuesday night to overseeing the next one in a key battleground state.

Mark Finchem, who has identified himself as a member of the Oath Keepers, marched to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, pushed for a fruitless partisan review of the presidential ballots in Arizona’s Maricopa County, and has vowed to radically reshape voting rights in the state, won Arizona’s Republican primary for Secretary of State, a position which serves as the state’s chief election officer.

Geez, I wonder if Cheeto's PAC is going a fork over dough for Fann's and Townsend's legal fees

Probably not - as of now, they're not going before the January 6th committee..plus they're women that he isn't boinking.

I was going to ask if witness tampering is a Cheeto thing, but I wanted to fit a Fann/Townsend reference into the title.

First, AZBlueMeanie at Blog for Arizona has a post up that references an AZ Mirror article written by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy.

From the article -

The FBI subpoenaed Karen Fann and Kelly Townsend for information on the January 6 insurrection

Arizona Senate President Karen Fann and Mesa Republican Senator Kelly Townsend were subpoenaed by the FBI for an on-going investigation into President Donald Trump’s alleged pressure campaign on state officials to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. 

“President Fann received a FOIA in the form of a subpoena by the FBI as part of the Biden Administration’s political theatrics as they look into ‘January 6,’” Kim Quintero, Director of Communications for Arizona Senate Republicans said in a statement to the Arizona Mirror. “Nonetheless, President Fann is fully cooperating in releasing whatever emails and text messages they are requesting.” 

Then, on the money/witness tampering thing:

From ABC -

Trump PAC paid nearly half a million to law firms representing allies subpoenaed by Jan. 6 committee

Former President Donald Trump's political action committee has paid nearly half a million dollars to multiple law firms that employ attorneys representing close allies of Trump who have been targeted by the Jan. 6 committee investigating the Capitol attack, according to a review of financial records by ABC News -- an arrangement that committee members say raises concerns about the possible coercion of witnesses.

Trump's Save America PAC began paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to multiple law firms and lawyers connected to his allies in the committee's crosshairs after the panel was first formed last summer, and continued the payments as the committee's investigation began issuing subpoenas throughout the year, according to multiple sources and a review of Federal Election Commission filings.

ABC News has identified payments to at least five law firms that are connected to lawyers representing Trump allies subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee, totaling $471,000. None of the firms were paid by the PAC prior to the committee's formation last summer, according to FEC reports. The payments continued until as recently as May of this year.

At least Sen. Kelly Townsend can dance...if the 'hypocritical two-step' counts as a dance

Pointed at this by AZBlueMeanie at Blog for Arizona.

From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, published by KJZZ -

Townsend encourages 'vigilantes' to monitor ballot drop boxes, denies it's intimidation

One of the leading proponents of the claim that there is fraud in Arizona elections wants "vigilantes" to monitor ballot drop boxes in the upcoming election.

Sen. Kelly Townsend (R-Apache Junction) complained during an informal legislative hearing Tuesday about the failure of the Senate to either outlaw drop boxes entirely or require that they be monitored 24 hours a day. In fact, Townsend wants to deal with the issue of possible fraudulent ballots by eliminating early voting entirely.

[snip]

"We're going to have people out there watching you," Townsend said. "And they're going to follow you to your car and get your license plate."

That was Tuesday; on Wednesday, she voted to greatly expand the definition of "harassment".

From the minority report on the conference committee results for SB1633, signed by Rep. Melody Hernandez and Sen. Victoria Steele -

"Under this language, a single instance of surveilling or contacting a person "in a manner that harasses" (the definition of which is murky) could expose someone to a Class 6 felony. The amendment fails to address any of these concerns, and in fact broadens the application of the statute by making it aggravated harassment to commit an act of harassment, as specified above, in violation of an order of protection. For those reasons oppose SB1633 as amended by the conference committee."

SB1633 *does* have a specific carve out, one that seems so specific that Townsend's vigilantes don't seem to fall within it -

Townsend vs. Rogers, two far-right Rs, to face off in the LD7 State Senate primary [Updated]

From KPNX (Channel 12 in Phoenix) -

Kelly Townsend reelection bid sets up battle with Wendy Rogers

Two high-profile Republican state senators appear ready to go head-to-head in the August primary election after Kelly Townsend filed for reelection in the same district she and Wendy Rogers ended up in after new district maps were adopted.

Townsend's filing for the District 7 seat with the Arizona Secretary of State's Office on Monday night puts the Apache Junction Republican in the race against Rogers, who lives in Flagstaff.

In 2000 in MLB, the New York Yankees and the New York Mets faced off in the World Series.

This Red Sox fan hoped both would lose.

In 2022 in Arizona, crazy and crazier will face off in the Republican primary in LD7.

This Democrat hopes both lose.

Because if whoever emerges victorious from the R primary wins the general election, the people of that district and the people of Arizona will lose.

In the end, the Yankees won that WS but the folks in LD7 will have another option in the general - voting for the Democratic candidate.

I don't, as yet, know who that will be, but am willing to say here THAT PERSON WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY SANER THAN EITHER OF THOSE TWO.

On the face of things, that seems unlikely, but it may be necessary if the voters of LD7 wish to avoid being laughed at by the rest of the state.

From the AZ Independent Redistricting Commission -

[Edit on 3/9 to add -

From the AZ Daily Sun -

Kyle Nitschke announces Clean Elections campaign for Arizona Senate

Kyle Nitschke -- an active member of the Coconino Democratic Party, a state committee member with the Arizona Democratic Party and co-chair for the Progressive Counsel of the Arizona Democratic Party -- announced over the weekend that he would run as a Clean Elections candidate for Legislative District 7.

As per the 1998 Citizens Clean Elections Act, Nitschke will work with the Citizens Clean Elections Commission and receive a limited amount of funding from the Commission after he has generated at least 200 $5 contributions and agrees to forgo high-dollar and special-interest contributions.

/end edit]

Townsend, spurned by Cheeto, quits race for Congress

From KJZZ -

Townsend, not endorsed by Trump, quits House race in Arizona

Arizona state Sen. Kelly Townsend announced Friday she is withdrawing from the race for the Republican nomination for Arizona's new 6th Congressional District because former President Donald Trump hasn't endorsed her.

Despite encouragement and repeated assurances, “the promised formal endorsement has still not materialized," leaving her unable to unify the conservative vote in the August primary, Townsend said in a statement.

[snip]

Redistricting put (state senator Wendy) Rogers and Townsend in the same legislative district and they avoided a head-to-head matchup when Townsend decided to seek the congressional seat.

Townsend's statement said she would “happily” focus on the state Capitol rather than the nation's Capitol, which left open a race against Rogers for the Senate.

Responding to an inquiry from the Associated Press, Townsend said that was indeed a possibility. She also said she could return to the private sector or return to college to get a doctorate. She is a doula, a trained professional who assists mothers giving birth.

What "possibility"?

She's running.  The only question remaining is if it will be against Rogers.

From Twitter -

Hey, Arizona may not be perfect, but at least it isn't Texas

Of course - we're a LONG way from perfect.  

We elect people like Doug Ducey, Wendy Rogers, Kelly Townsend, Paul Gosar, and many others, but Texas elects people like Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, Sid Miller, Louie Gohmert (and others).

And then there's this.

From Business Insider -

A Texas parent demanded a Michelle Obama biography be pulled from schools because they said it would make white girls feel 'ashamed'

A parent in Texas called for a children's biography about former first lady Michelle Obama to be pulled from school libraries because they viewed it as unfair to former President Donald Trump.

The Katy, Texas, parent took issue with a book titled "Michelle Obama: Political Icon" by Heather E. Schwartz, saying it "unfairly" depicted Trump "as a bully," according to NBC News, which on Wednesday published a list of 50 books that parents in Texas have asked schools to remove.

The request came as books depicting race, sexuality, and gender have faced heightened scrutiny from conservatives in the US, with many demanding certain titles be pulled from school libraries.

Nope, AZ isn't perfect, and maybe we shouldn't be talking smack about anyone, but TX could give us lessons in nuttiness, and that's saying something.

Townsend makes it official; she's running for Congress

As has been rumored/known for a while....

If she wins, she'll be the next Congress' version of Lauren Boebert - a GQP nut who exhibits no redeeming value as a public servant.

She's running in the new CD6, which takes in a big chunk of eastern AZ, according to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.

It's time for speculation on the horse races season

Apparently, there's a lot of crazy in rural Arizona and voters there either try to get rid of some of it by sending it to the Capitol or they feel truly represented by it.

From the Payson Roundup -

State House District 7 race may turn into Republican civil war

Redistricting has handed Republicans a safe seat that includes all of Rim Country and the White Mountains.

So get ready for a civil war.

The redrawn State Legislative District 7 seat may pit two incumbent state senators and three incumbent state representatives against one another in the upcoming Republican primary.

[snip]

Currently, both state Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) and state Sen. Kelly Townsend (R-Apache Junction) could seek the seat in the redrawn District 7.

Sen. Rogers’ office did not respond to an email message asking whether she planned to run for re-election in the redrawn district. Her current official address is actually in the redrawn District 6, which is solidly Democratic and includes the Navajo, Hopi, White Mountain Apache and San Carlos Apache reservations. However, shifting her address by about half a mile would put her in the Republican District 7.

Sen. Townsend’s office responded to a message by saying she had not yet decided whether to seek re-election or what district she would run in. She lives in the new District 7, but her address is just half a mile from a Mesa-based district, so she could easily move into another district.

[snip]

Walt Blackman (R-Snowflake) has said he will not seek another term so he can challenge Democratic Congressman Tom O’Halleran (R-Oak Creek) in the redrawn Congressional District 2 — where Republicans have a registration and vote history advantage.

Brenda Barton (R-Payson) did not respond to an email asking about her future plans. She’s a conservative Republican who represented the old District 6 for several terms, before sitting out two election cycles due to term limits — before her re-election in 2020.

Rep. David Cook (R-Globe) says he will run in the redrawn District 7, which now includes all of Gila County except for the San Carlos Apache Reservation. 

Blackman is anti-choice; supports taxation without representation; is anti-consumer and is an anti-vaxxer.

Barton wants to pay high schoolers less than the minimum wage; is anti-democracy; and is a less than ethical gun nut.

From her 2014 legislative bio -

Cook is pro-developer/anti-water; wants non-LEOs/correction officers (and related types) and anyone else who works for society to rot in their retirements; and is a fave of wingnut religious group The Center for Arizona Policy.

From Cook's legislative bio -

As for Townsend and Rogers?

They're just nuts.

David Gordon of Blog for Arizona has a piece up wherein he, and Kirsten Engel (a Democratic candidate for Congress), state a belief that Townsend will run for Congress in AZ6.

Note: As of this writing, there's no "Townsend" committee listed on the website of the FEC.

Wherever she runs, she may find that winning a general election in Pima County (or part of it) to be "problematical."

She demanded an AG investigation into Pima County's vaccine mandate for its employees.

She's since dropped it, but not because she suddenly started liking vaccines.  Because the AG ran out of time.

If she does run for Congress, one good thing will come out of it.  With her (possibly) running for Congress, and state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita running for Secretary of State, two of the most anti-voter members of this year's legislature won't be in next year's legislature.  They may famously dislike each other, but they share a hatred of society.

My guess is that this won't be the last time that Pima County hears from Townsend.

Sen. Kelly Townsend makes her case for the Legislative Loon Award

Senator Townsend is already a full-on trumpkin (displaying the lack of sanity that goes with it) but she's definitely looking to enhance her "nutty" street cred with a Legislative Loon Award.

She's prolific in her insanity, proposing 16 bills for 2022 even before the end of 2021.

Already, this session she has proposed -

SB1052, a broadly-written measure that would bar all requirements for a medical procedure with possible negative complications, including vaccinations.

SB1011, barring school districts from using tax money to pay for membership in a state or national school board association

SB1012, giving access to the state's voter registration database to both the legislature and any entity designated by it; also creating a requirement that county recorders report on voters in their respective counties who can vote only in federal elections

SCR1005, a measure to ask the voters of Arizona to impose a proof of immigration status requirement on federal-only voters

SB1054, a measure to give the legislature the authority to inspect "election equipment security" in counties with more than 500,000 people in them (only Maricopa and Pima counties meet that standard)

SB1056,  invalidating ballots (early and provisional) that are "misplaced" at counting centers and/or polling places.

The R disdain for society is not new; Cheeto just made it fashionable for his adherents

Matt Gaetz, Devin Nunes, Ted Cruz, and even Cheeto himself (and others) didn't invent Republican hatred of society; others did it before them.

In June of 2013, in a special session, the Arizona legislature voted to expand eligibility for AHCCCS, what Arizona calls Medicaid.  The vote was not unanimous (not hardly).

The special session bills were HB2010 and SB1009.  HB2010 was later substituted for SB1009 and the AZSenate ended up voting on HB2010.

Every member who voted against it didn't even pretend to represent their constituents (because it helped them) or even Arizonans as a whole (because the expansion benefited them, too), they just argued that "good Republicans" wouldn't vote for it.

In other words, the people opposed to the measure favored their party and ideology over the folks they (allegedly) worked for.

Some of the people are out of the legislature/politics; some are still there; others have moved on to other political positions - Kimberly Yee was the a state senator but is now the state's treasurer and is running for governor, Nancy Barto and Judy Burges are still in the legislature, Michele Reagan was a state senator but then be Arizona Secretary of State and now a Justice of the Peace in north Scottsdale; Kelli Ward was then a state senator and is now chairwoman of the Arizona Republican Party; Andy Biggs was then president of the AZSenate and is now a (presumed) treasonous member of Congress; Brenda Barton and Paul Boyer are still in the legislature; Karen Fann is now president of the AZSenate; David Gowan, David Livingston, and Rick Gray are still in the legislature; J.D. Mesnard and Warren Petersen are still in the legislature; Justin Olson was then a state representative and is now a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission; and Kelly Townsend and Michelle Ugenti (now Ugenti-Rita) are also still in the legislature.  Ugenti-Rita is now running for AZ Secretary of State.

Townsend and Ugenti-Rita famously dislike each other, but they are united in their dislike for Arizonans.

In case someone doesn't believe me, or are simply gluttons for punishment, video recordings of previous legislative meeting can be found here.

To watch these meetings, set the dropdown menu to 2013, 51st Legislature, 1st Special Session.

The highlighted vids are the relevant ones.

Brnovich (mis)uses his position as AZAG to have the public pay for those who wish to threaten the public

From Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, published by the Arizona Capitol Times -

AG: Parents can take schools to court over quarantine

If your child is sent home to quarantine when school resumes because of possible exposure to Covid, you have the right to challenge that in court. 

And the state will even pay for your lawyer. 

That bit of information comes because state Sen. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, decided to ask Attorney General Mark Brnovich about a section of the state Health Code that gives state and county health officials various powers during a state of emergency. And one of them specifically allows those agencies to “require isolation or quarantine of any person.” 

The opinion is here.

Not sure who is more craven here - Townsend, in her quest to use her position to ignore the science and endanger others or Brnovich, in his quest to win the R primary for US Senate by siphoning money from society in order to pay those who wish to threaten it.

OK - it's Brnovich.  

Townsend is simply a lousy human being, which hardly makes her unique at the state legislature; it just makes her eligible for the Legislative Loon Award.

Brnovich is a public employee who is looking to sacrifice the public on the altar of his lust for high office.

1. Wear a damn mask.

2. Get vaccinated.  

Legislative pre-filing of bills has started. Expect the 2022 session to be a lot like 2021.

As in, filled with contempt for democracy, Arizonans, science, school boards, and medical professionals.

The targets of their venom may change, but the attitude of the Rs in the lege doesn't.

Unless otherwise specified, all legislators introducing bills are Republicans.

State Sen. Vince Leach and State Rep. Regina Cobb (somebody running for state treasurer) have introduced "technical correction" bills, which often become shells for strikers, or strike-everything amendment bills, filled with language so extreme that the original measures couldn't pass the lege the first time through.

State Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita (somebody running for secretary of state) has already introduced bills to lower the threshold for mandatory recounts of elections, limiting the powers of the governor to declare a public health emergency, and barring school districts and boards from ejecting or otherwise penalizing "peaceful" protesters in a measure that seems to protect threats against lives, as long as the lives of specific people aren't threatened, and mandating that school board elections are partisan.

State Sen. Kelly Townsend has introduced bills to prevent school boards from using tax money to pay for membership in a state or national school board association, mandating the creation of a database of "federal-only" voters and giving access to it by an entity designated by the AZlege (in short, legalizing last year's fraudit), requiring the secretary of state to ask the federal election assistance commission to add a citizenship requirement to its registration requirements, removing a requirement that fire departments in counties with fewer than 500K folks have a "certificate of necessity" before supplying ambulance services, loosening any restrictions regarding a parent accessing the medical records of their minor child ("unless otherwise prohibited by law  THE PARENT IS PROHIBITED FROM HAVING ANY CONTACT WITH THE MINOR CHILD BY 21 AN ORDER OF A COURT"), and requiring pharmacies to fill prescriptions for the off-label use of meds (the hydroxychloroquine bill).

A couple of bills were filed by Democratic State Rep. Diego Rodriguez, who has since resigned his position in the lege to run for attorney general.

State Rep. Quang Nguyen has introduced a bill to add to the requirements for Arizona's propaganda civics course.

State Rep. Steve Kaiser introduced an anti-mask/vaccine bill that would penalize school districts for any violation of state law by withholding 10% of site classroom fund monies for the district.

State Rep. John Kavanagh has introduced a bill to require condo associations to add first responder flags to the list of flags they must allow to be flown.

It also specifies that flags supporting law enforcement are protected.

Here's a thought: maybe they should stop killing unarmed civilians.  Maybe then flags supporting them wouldn't need protection.