As Arizona’s state legislature convened this month, our hearts were heavy with the events of the past couple of weeks in California, where thousands of individuals lost their homes or businesses and dozens were killed. We are saddened by the loss of life and property.
With this genuine sympathy toward innocent victims, we must work to ensure our state does not fall prey to the leaders and policies that have contributed to the escalating calamities California has experienced over the decades, especially under the reign of Gov. Gavin Newsom and his band of liberal prosecutors, state legislators, and municipal leaders. It is clear these leaders have done more than fail their constituents; they have contributed to — and in some cases have incentivized, encouraged, and fueled — the disasters in their state, counties, and cities. There are a number of areas where these failures have occurred, including (but certainly not limited to) fire prevention and management policies, “smash and grab,” and illegal immigration.
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While the cause of the recent fires in Los Angeles remains unknown, the policies of state and local leaders that preceded this tragic event undeniably contributed to the ferocity of the blazes and the inability to save communities from rampant devastation. California’s forest management and water conservation efforts proved to be an unmitigated disaster, failing longtime residents when they needed their government most. Many of us have warned for years about the lack of preparation, adherence to liberal ideologies, and excessive regulations that have continually placed California on the brink of crisis with its wildfires.
Perhaps at the top of the list of concerns is the state’s propensity to cut funding for firefighting and to promote harmful diversity, equity, and inclusion criteria in making hiring decisions at a local level. Instead of taking responsibility and working exclusively on solutions to the fires, Newsom and many of his allies were far more concerned with pointing fingers at President-elect Donald Trump and starting a new website to respond falsely to factual assertions about California’s radical policies that contributed to the historic spread of these fires.
Another issue that has long plagued California is that of smash and grab, the organized efforts of gangs and criminals to loot and plunder brick-and-mortar stores and homes. Again, the nation watched in horror earlier this month as reports came in about these activities that were ongoing in the aftermath of evacuations due to the fires. Although California officials assured their constituents that these crimes would be severely dealt with, onlookers couldn’t help but wonder if the relaxed policies and environment that previously favored criminals over law-abiding citizens gave way to these horrific offenses against home and business owners on the verge of losing everything they own.
California has a plethora of issues on its hands, but one of the primary ones is its handling of illegal immigration. For years, this state has opposed many efforts to secure our borders and enforce laws against those intent on entering this nation illegally, acting as a sanctuary state to protect this lawlessness. Several counties and cities within the state have also boasted of sanctuary status to encourage illegal aliens to come and stay within those jurisdictions.
Even if many of those illegal immigrants do not commit any crimes against law-abiding citizens, they contribute to increasing costs for hard-working taxpayers. There was at least one reported illegal alien arrested in the days following the Los Angeles fires. This individual had a blowtorch and was confronted by concerned citizens due to his suspicious behavior. It’s important to note that this illegal immigrant has not been charged with any crime connected to the fires, but his actions and presence in an extremely vulnerable region are troubling, to say the least.
These three issues, and others, are why Republicans at the Arizona legislature will continue to work hard this year to prevent our state from turning into California 2.0. Over the decades, we have been fortunate to welcome many men, women, and children from around the country into our state, including a number from California. However, we have been concerned with the movement of our policies in a direction that mirrors our neighboring state. As we consider the issues that have arisen and become more evident due to the fires this month, we must not allow Arizona to travel down that road.
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This reticence to become like California is not born out of political animus but love for our state and the people we are sworn to serve. Simply put, California’s policies have significantly failed people who have called that state home for years. Some of these policies may sound good until the application is tested with a crisis such as the Los Angeles fires. Then, in a natural disaster, we can clearly see California’s path should not become ours. The fires have given people inside and outside this state an opportunity to see the truth without the need to filter through political debates about the pros and cons of those policies.
So, Republicans are committed to protecting Arizona, this year and in the future, from becoming another version of California. We will work toward better fire prevention and management policies and commonsense water conservation strategies. We will empower our local communities to ensure that smash-and-grab efforts receive immediate and just penalties. And we will support Trump’s plans to secure our border and protect our counties, cities, and towns from the crimes and costs associated with illegal immigration. Our citizens deserve nothing less from their elected officials. We refuse to allow our state to become California 2.0.
Warren Petersen is president of the Arizona Senate.