Arizona Politics

SNAKEBITE— 2.16.26— Military Police Bill Passes AZ Senate— Epstein in AZ Library Bill Hearing— AstralisAI, Gallego, DHS, Kelly, Homan, Much More...

Military Police Bill Passes AZ Senate

Arizona lawmakers are trying a new approach to solve the state's police officer shortage by recruiting from the military, through Senate Bill 1107.

The Arizona Senate approved legislation this week with bipartisan backing that would allow former military police to become certified peace officers more quickly... READ MORE

Senator Mark Kelly: You wouldn’t notice it, but this month the world entered a new and dangerous era. With the expiration of the New START treaty, we lost the last remaining nuclear arms control agreement between Washington and Moscow. Read my op-ed on why we owe it to our kids and grandkids to reduce the risk of nuclear conflict:

Senator Ruben Gallego: If we don’t reorient our capital markets, we may be the first country in the history of the world that ends up arming and financing our opponent. If we want to counter China, we need to invest in Latin America — just like we did in Europe post WWII.

Representative Juan Ciscomani: Proud to lead the effort for Arizona’s next National Park and see it pass the House Natural Resources Committee last week.

Representative Abe Hamadeh: Voter ID is an 80-20 issue, hugely popular across the board. Republicans would be well served to listen to the voters, and @ScottPresler advocates eloquently on their behalf for this common-sense reform. The SAVE America Act delivers a critically important (and broadly supported) fix to our elections. Congressman Hamadeh joins Scott in urging @SenateGOP to prioritize its passage.

Representative Greg Stanton: Grateful to share some adorable Valentine’s Day cards from local #AZ04 students with Veterans Affinity in Mesa this weekend. Smiles all around — and a whole lot of love for the women and men who’ve served our country in uniform.

Representative Yassamin Ansari: At this year’s @MunSecConf, I witnessed firsthand the courage and intellect @NazaninBoniadi brings to the cause of a free Iran. The ad hominem attacks against her for asking a respectful, principled question are unacceptable and must be unequivocally condemned by all who believe in liberty. When women who have devoted decades to human rights are targeted for speaking truthfully, it exposes the very culture of intimidation that enables tyranny to endure. I stand with Nazanin against such intolerance and misogyny, and with those risking everything for freedom.

Arizona Senate Passes Bill to Fast-Track Military Police into Law Enforcement— By Cactus Politics' Ericka Pinon—

Why Was Jeffrey Epstein Mentioned During Arizona's Library Bill Hearing?— By Cactus Politics' Ericka Pinon— Senator Jake Hoffman (R-AZ) is criticizing Democrats who voted against his proposal to limit minors' access to sexually explicit library materials, especially after one activist made a shocking comparison during testimony.

New AstralisAI Software Busts Campaign Data Cheaters— By Cactus Politics' Ericka Pinon— WASHINGTON, D.C.—A political consulting firm has created software that could change how campaigns verify information collected by door-to-door canvassers.

Ruben Gallego Introduces Bipartisan Bill Improving Multi-Class Share Transparency— By Cactus Politics' Grayson Bakich— Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) has introduced a bipartisan bill to improve the transparency of corporate multi-class share structures.

DHS Shutdown is Imminent After Funding Stalemate— By Cactus Politics' Joseph Quesada— As of Feb. 12, a shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appears imminent as federal officials in the House and Senate appeared ready to leave Capitol Hill for a 10-day recess, with talks between Democrats and the White House reaching a stalemate over Democrats’ demands for immigration enforcement reforms.

Judge Blocks Pentagon from Punishing Mark Kelly— By Cactus Politics' Joseph Quesada— A federal judge in Washington, D.C. agreed to prevent the Pentagon from punishing Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for his participation in a video where he urged troops to disobey unlawful demands. The judge granted the senator’s request for a preliminary injunction against Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a suit filed by Kelly accusing Hegseth of trying to penalize him for his political discourse.

Tom Homan Announces End of ICE Operation in Minnesota— By Cactus Politics' Joseph Quesada— On Feb. 12, White House Border czar Tom Homan announced the end of the Trump administration’s immigration operation in Minnesota. The two-month-long immigration crackdown has resulted in thousands of arrests, mass demonstrations, and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizen activists.

Karrin Taylor Robson Drops Out of Arizona Governor's Race— By Cactus Politics' Ericka Pinon— Businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson (R-AZ) announced today she is ending her campaign for Arizona governor, citing a drawn-out Republican primary fight

David Schweikert Scores Win with Less-Than-Lethal Weapons Bill— By Cactus Politics' Grayson Bakich— Representative David Schweikert (R-AZ) is celebrating the House of Representatives' passage of the Innovate to De-Escalate Act.

House Bill Mandate Prison for Gang Weapons Suppliers— By Cactus Politics' Ericka Pinon— The Arizona House of Representatives approved legislation this week that would impose mandatory prison sentences on individuals who supply firearms and explosives to criminal organizations.

The Snakebite is written by Grayson Bakich and Javier Manjarres

Grayson Bakich

Grayson Bakich is a Florida and Arizona legislative correspondent for The Floridian and Cactus Politics, specializing in national and state-level politics. With three years' experience covering federal Florida, and Arizona politics, they have been cited by NewsBreak, SGT Report, Lucianne.com, and Cause Action. Email: grayson@dnm.news

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