Caitlin Sievers

Arizona House approves resolution ending Election Day ballot drop-offs, Arizona House passes early voting restrictions as Kolodin attacks Senate Republicans over ballot drop-off resolution

“Kari Lake ran twice on this, and she was humiliated at the ballot box twice. So, it is not true that the people of Arizona support these kinds of measures. That is empirically false, as we have seen.”

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

GOP lawmakers propose SNAP penalties while food aid backlogs leave families in distress Arizona Republicans push stricter SNAP requirements as families wait for benefits amid federal cuts and application backlogs

“What bills are we actually moving to help people like those residents in our communities that do qualify and have not been given the help?”

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

GOP lawmakers condemn Kris Mayes for warning about masked agents and stand your ground Arizona House censures Attorney General Kris Mayes over ICE comments as Democrats call it campaign stunt by Warren Petersen

“They know Attorney General Mayes speaks for the people of this state in rejecting the tactics used by the Trump administration. That is why they want to silence her.”

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

Rural Arizona becomes new front for immigration activism with detention center vigil Dozens gather at Eloy detention center vigil as immigration activism expands into rural Arizona communities

“This is not happening somewhere else. This is happening in our backyards, in our country, in our communities, to our people.”

GOP blocks resolution to sue Trump administration over incomplete Epstein files release | Arizona Mirror Senate Republicans block resolution to sue Trump administration over incomplete Epstein files release 50 days past deadline

“This is a mockery of the truth and an insult to the survivors. In over 1,000 instances, the Justice Department leaked the identities of over 100 victims. But do you know who the Justice Department did seem to protect? Epstein’s co-conspirators.”

Mark Kelly argues Pentagon demotion threat violates his First Amendment rights | Arizona Mirror Judge expects to rule by Feb. 11 on Mark Kelly lawsuit challenging Pentagon attempt to demote his military rank over speech

“This isn’t happening in isolation. Since taking office, this administration has repeatedly gone after First Amendment rights of many Americans. That’s not how we do things here in the United States.”

Arizona has lost more top election officials than any western state since 2020 Report shows all 15 Arizona counties experienced election official turnover since 2020 amid threats and fraud claims

Threats, harassment and pressure to break election law drove turnover in all 15 counties

story via @jerodmacevoy.com

GOP senator wants to dissolve appeals court covering seven southern counties A Republican state senator wants to dissolve the branch of the Arizona Court of Appeals that covers southern Arizona.

Sen. Mark Finchem didn’t provide any specifics about what it is, exactly, that he thinks the court has done wrong.

Trump escalates authoritarian agenda with unconstitutional call to nationalize elections | Arizona Mirror Trump calls for Congress to nationalize elections administration, undermining the constitutional structure empowering states

“The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over.’ We should take over the voting... The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” Trump said

Lawmakers prepare for Colorado River water fight with unanimous vote boosting legal fund Arizona House unanimously votes to add $1 million to Colorado River lawsuit fund as Feb. 14 deadline approaches

“Arizona will not give up the fight for our water. We will not surrender, and we will not be bullied. We will continue to fight for our Colorado River water.”

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

'We won't put up with ICE': Thousands march against Trump's violent deportation campaign Thousands joined a protest at the Arizona Capitol against ICE after Minneapolis killings as Trump immigration approval plummets

“It’s not making us feel safe,” one protester said. “The color of our skin isn’t safe.”

story via @glorihuh.bsky.social

Colorado River governors express cautious optimism after 'historic' DC meeting Colorado River governors express cautious optimism after historic DC meeting as Feb. 14 deadline to reach water deal approaches

The seven states have two weeks to reach deal or face litigation over federal proposals

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

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Colorado River states meet Friday in DC with federal deadline looming, litigation threat growing Six Colorado River Basin governors meeting Friday in DC as Arizona demands Upper Basin share water cut burden

Lower Basin states argue they've done the "heavy lifting" for the past decade while Upper Basin states refuse mandatory cuts, despite full reservoirs

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

Student protesters shut down Arizona Senate with anti-ICE demonstration at Capitol | Arizona Mirror Phoenix high school students walked out and marched to Arizona Capitol to protest ICE, briefly locking down Senate

“I'm here today to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves to be the voice for the people who can't speak for themselves.”

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

Arizona Republicans advance bill forcing schools to excuse students for Bible classes Arizona Republicans advance bill forcing schools to excuse students for Bible classes backed by LifeWise Academy

“I'm worried that our faith is under assault, and if we can use the government to snuff out our religious freedoms, some people seem gleefully supportive of doing that.”

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

Arizona Democrats rail against ICE violence: ‘What the hell is wrong with us?’ 22 Arizona Democratic lawmakers condemned ICE violence for an hour as Republicans walked off House floor during speeches

"What we are seeing here, and in cities around the country, on video and with our own eyes, are lawless ICE thugs, hiding behind face covers, flak jackets, guns and tear gas. They are violating the U.S. Constitution and state laws every day."

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

"The man, who officials have not identified yet, was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry."

Another person in Minneapolis shot and killed by feds | Arizona Mirror Over 10 shots can be heard in the video, but it’s unclear if more than one agent fired a weapon.

Federal immigration officers shot and killed another person in Minneapolis on Saturday. Video from bystanders show he was wrestled to the ground by six federal officers before 10 shots rang out.

Gay asylum-seekers set for deportation to Iran fear execution in their home country Two gay men from Iran who sought asylum in the U.S. are set to be deported out of Mesa and fear they will be executed in their home country.

The two men came to the United States in 2025 on asylum claims, after they were arrested by the Iranian “morality police” for being gay years prior. In their home country, same-sex acts are crimes, punishable by death.

Story by @jerodmacevoy.com

Despite a finding from the board that the agreement was illegal and void, Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller doubles down, saying his office will continue helping ICE

Several agents hold a person down and sprays them with pepper spray.

An observer arrested in Suth Minneapolis. Photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune

GOP lawmaker calls concerns about election overhaul 'silly' as Democrats unveil rival plan GOP lawmaker calls concerns 'silly' as Arizona Republicans advance election overhaul ending automatic ballot mailing

Republicans and Democrats in the Arizona Legislature both say their opposing plans to revise the state’s election laws will make voting more convenient and secure

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

Republican who called Muslims 'f***ing savages' wants an advocacy group declared a terrorist outfit Arizona GOP lawmaker advances bill urging Congress to label Muslim advocacy group CAIR as terrorists despite no U.S. designation

“I do find that kind of advocacy repugnant to the spirit of the First Amendment. Please be familiar with the country you are trying to protect and its constitution.”

story via @jerodmacevoy.com

Republicans challenge Hobbs budget as 'based on fantasy revenue' in contentious hearing Arizona Republicans challenged Gov. Hobbs' budget over uncertain federal border funding and AI tax changes in contentious hearing

“I appreciate your excitement and optimism, but this budget is based on fantasy revenue.”

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

ICE is using Medicaid data to find out where immigrants live | Arizona Mirror In a win for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, a recent court ruling has cleared the way for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to resume using states’ Medicaid data to find people...

Several months into Trump’s second term, ICE gained access to the personal data of 79 million Medicaid enrollees to implement the president's mass deportation agenda

story via @acvollers.bsky.social

Arizona affordability crisis worsens under Trump, DNC analysis claims | Arizona Mirror DNC analysis says Arizona families paid $944 more under Trump as ACA premiums surged 154% and food assistance was cut

“Trump’s first year back in office has been a complete disaster for Arizona families. He broke his promise to lower costs on Day One and instead has made life far more expensive.”

story via @jimsmall.bsky.social

Before heading to Davos, Trump heckles European leaders over Greenland and threatens retaliatory tariffs | Arizona Mirror President Donald Trump doubled down over the weekend on threats to acquire Greenland, saying he would place a 10% tariff on eight European countries that object to his plans

Trump told Norway's prime minister he may resort to attacking NATO allies to seize Greenland since he didn't win a Nobel Peace Prize

Hobbs gambles on federal border money and sports betting taxes for budget balance Gov. Hobbs' $17.7B budget relies on $800M in uncertain federal border funds and new sports betting taxes to offset cuts

“We're going to show the federal government how to do it right. We're not going to slash and burn indiscriminately. We're not going to slash vital programs that are going to end up impacting Arizonans in a negative way.”

story via @caitlinsievers.bsky.social

Arizona tax conformity battle pits GOP's full cuts against Hobbs' partial plan Arizona Republicans rush $441M tax cut bill to Gov. Hobbs despite likely veto, blaming her for potential taxpayer confusion

GOP lawmakers blame Hobbs for 'chaos to come' as a typically boring tax conformity bill becomes an election-year flashpoint

story via @jerodmacevoy.com