Journalists’ Roundtable: Protestors target Arizona Senators

It’s Friday, which means it was time for another edition of Journalists’ Roundtable. This week, host Ted Simons was joined by Jeremy Duda of Axios Phoenix, Howie Fischer of Capitol Media Services, and Jim Small of Arizona Mirror.

This week’s Journalists’ roundtable covered the protests outside the offices of Senators Kelly and Gallego, the Birthright suit, Guns in school, Finchem’s speeding ticket, and the New nuclear plant.

Protestors gathered at the offices of both Arizona’s Democratic U.S. Senators Kelly and Gallego as they complained about the silence from the senators over the Trump administration. The protestors said they viewed Kelly and Gallego as too timid to speak against the Trump administration.

‘I mean, obviously, folks on the left are not super happy about what they have been seeing for the past few weeks of the new Trump administration. They want, Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly to keep stronger stands, do more fight against the administration,’ Jeremy Duda said.

Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a multistate federal lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive order to end Birthright Citizenship across the United States.

In response the DOJ said, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has no legal right to overturn President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship.

‘Birthright Citizenship was passed after the Civil War with the intent to give citizenship to the freed slaves and freed back men,’ Howie Fischer said.

The Lawmakers are considering a bill that would set requirements for school staff who carry guns on campus. Some districts already allow armed employees under existing law.

“Title 15, the state education code, says it’s up to school officials to decide who can carry a gun,” said Jim Small, stating that districts like Bullhead City, have already implemented such policies.

The legislative immunity is under scrutiny after another lawmaker used it to avoid a speeding ticket. Sen. Mark Finchem claimed immunity after being pulled over IN Gila County, similar to the incident last year involving Sen. Justin Wozak.

“I’m a legislator. We are in session. You are not allowed to give this to me,” Finchem wrote.

Arizona’s three major utility providers—APS, SRP, and TEP are exploring the possibility of a new nuclear plant. While nuclear energy is gaining attention as a low-carbon alternative, concerns remain about its feasibility.

‘Nuclear has been a movement upward largely by the utilities to push for adding nuclear as one of those arrows of the quiver for how do we solve our energy moving forward in a way that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels,” said Jim Small.