The wannabe gun-grabbers on the Pima County, Ariz., Board of Supervisors have been looking to pick a fight over the state’s firearm statutes.
They picked the wrong one. Now, the Goldwater Institute is suing the county on behalf of Air Force veteran Chris King over an illegal mandate that slaps $1,000 fines on residents who fail to report a lost or stolen firearm to the government within two days.
Arizona law prohibits cities, counties, and other local government entities from passing almost any type of firearm-related regulation. But public records obtained by the Institute reveal the board has been gearing up for this fight for years, coordinating with left-wing activist groups, attorneys, and other elected officials to undermine Arizona’s broad protections for the rights to keep and bear arms.
They’ve bitten off more than they can chew—and now, they’ll have to defend their illegal ordinance in state court.
“We’re a nation of laws,” Chris says. “Why do Pima County officials think they’re above the law?”
The Goldwater Institute will always defend constitutional rights and keep rogue government entities in check when they thumb their nose at the law.
Read more here.
Idaho? ✅
Utah? ✅
Alabama? ✅
Kansas? ✅
Indiana? ✅
Less than halfway through 2024, the Goldwater Institute has struck a death blow against political litmus tests in public higher education in five states, enacting our reform to prohibit the use of mandatory “diversity statements” in admissions and hiring decisions.
Universities often require so-called “diversity statements” on employment and admissions applications so they can screen out candidates who do not adhere to specific progressive ideologies. These requirements are part of the sprawling “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) apparatus spreading racial discrimination under the guise of “inclusivity” on college campuses nationwide.
But Goldwater is spearheading the fight to dismantle DEI and defend the principles of free expression and intellectual diversity. In addition to the five states above, Goldwater has successfully worked to prohibit mandatory “diversity statements” in Arizona, Florida, Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina—not to mention our campaign to enact the nation’s most powerful reform to completely dismantle DEI in Texas.
Each victory represents enormous wins for academic freedom, the First Amendment, and the preservation of intellectual diversity on campuses, as Goldwater continues to show the nation how to defeat the destructive ideologies that are crippling colleges and universities.
Read more here.
Violent crime rose 75% last year in Pima County, but officials are too busy planning to release lawbreakers onto the streets to actually do anything about it, Goldwater Municipal Affairs Liaison Austin VanDerHeyden writes in the Tucson-based Arizona Daily Star.
The Board of Supervisors wants to reduce the county jail’s population by up to half—i.e. by setting criminals free—even as the latest statistics show Tucson’s violent crime rates are 95% higher than the national average. With Pima County Attorney Laura Conover already refusing to enforce the laws voters entrusted her with upholding, things are only about to get worse.
Why are elected officials siding with criminals over their law-abiding constituents? Consider that Pima County has raked in nearly $4 million from the left-leaning MacArthur Foundation, contingent on the county working to reduce its jail population. “Officials want to reduce the incarcerated population by simply ignoring crimes and letting those culpable back on the street, no matter the consequences,” VanDerHeyden explains.
Pima County is selling out to left-wing special interests—trading its citizens’ safety for money, and leaving residents to wonder who their public servants really work for.
Read more at the Arizona Daily Star.
