Guests - Elijah Norton, Tom Horne, Gina Swoboda
Arizona Insurance Nominee Rejected: A Victory for Consumers
In a rare move, Arizona's Senate Director Nominations Committee voted unanimously to reject Barbara Richardson as the permanent head of the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI). The decision marks the culmination of weeks of scrutiny over Richardson's regulatory approach and past performance.
Elijah Norton, who owns multiple insurance companies in Arizona, called the rejection "a victory for the entire state of Arizona and all of the insurance companies here, the insurance market, and most importantly, the Arizona consumers."
The Hearing That Sealed Richardson's Fate
The final confirmation hearing began with what Norton described as Richardson's "lackluster" opening statement that failed to address concerns previously raised by committee chairman Senator Jake Hoffman and other Republican senators.
"She admitted that she abused a certified filing system, and she essentially admitted that there were customer service time issues," Norton explained. The nominee's preparation appeared questionable, with Norton reporting that he overheard Richardson discussing how she had been "watching Game of Thrones" that morning before her hearing.
What truly influenced the committee's decision, however, was the overwhelming public testimony against Richardson. Between 15-17 speakers requested to address the committee, with five industry professionals, including Norton, providing testimony about concerns with Richardson's regulatory approach.
One particularly compelling testimony came from a woman who had relocated to Arizona from California to escape the deteriorating insurance climate under Ricardo Lara, California's insurance commissioner. "She testified about how she had seen the insurance industry and climate in California just go to absolute hell under Ricardo Lara, their far left socialist insurance commission," Norton recounted.
Multiple Arizona citizens also expressed fears about potential premium increases should Richardson be confirmed, with one woman giving "very moving testimony about how her personal premiums had already been going up and she didn't want her confirmed."
Richardson's Problematic Past
Norton's opposition to Richardson stemmed from his direct experience with her while she served as Nevada Insurance Commissioner. He described an incident where, after challenging a bureaucrat in her department over arbitrary form requirements, he was banned from contacting the Nevada Department of Insurance.
"The mere fact that this insurance commissioner was allowing bureaucrats to essentially make laws on the fly, and then banning someone from calling in just because they were not capitulating to what the bureaucrat wants, is extremely alarming," Norton stated.
In Arizona, Richardson continued this pattern, implementing rules through the System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing (SERF) without going through Arizona's required Governor's Regulatory Review Council (GRRC) process. Under her leadership, insurance licensing processing times increased from 2-5 days to approximately 30 days.
Perhaps most concerning was Richardson's involvement with committees of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners focused on "diversity, equity and inclusion" in insurance, which Norton claimed were studying the implementation of race-based premium rates—"totally contrary to the spirit of insurance, which is a colorblind business."
Governor Hobbs' Reaction
Following the committee's decision, Governor Katie Hobbs issued a scathing press release, calling Senator Hoffman "a liar and a clown" engaged in "a partisan witch hunt." Hobbs claimed Hoffman had brought "Republican precinct committeemen who don't even know what DIFI stands for, let alone what it does, to engage in a hit job on a career nonpartisan public servant."
Norton strongly disputed this characterization, noting that the hearing included testimony from insurance professionals with extensive expertise. "For her to insult her own citizens... it just made my blood boil when I saw that. Katie Hobbs is here to serve the people of Arizona. She's an elected person and she should not be talking negatively about any Arizona citizen, regardless of their party affiliation."
What Happens Next
With the committee's rejection, Richardson's nomination now moves to the full state Senate for consideration. Norton explained that Richardson has two options: withdraw her nomination "if she has any dignity," or proceed to a full Senate vote where, based on the committee's unanimous Republican rejection, she would likely face another defeat.
According to Norton, this represents the first time in approximately 50 years that an insurance nominee has failed in committee in Arizona or any other state—"an absolute humiliation" for Governor Hobbs, who "made a huge mistake by nominating Barbara Richardson."
Defending Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account Program
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is facing criticism from State Senator Jake Kaufman over his administration of the state's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which provides families with funds to pursue educational options outside the traditional public school system.
Ensuring Fiscal Responsibility in the ESA Program
Horne explained that the conflict centers on his office's review of ESA expenditures: "I am making sure that all of our expenditures are a valid educational purpose and a reasonable cost compared to market prices. His point is there's nothing in the legislation that authorizes me to do that."
The superintendent defended his approach, arguing that as the manager of the program, he has a responsibility to ensure taxpayer funds are used appropriately. Without such oversight, Horne said his office would have approved questionable purchases like "a $5,000 Rolex watch," "a $24,000 golf simulator," and even "a vasectomy testing kit."
"We have a list of 35 things like that that we've turned down because they're outlandish," Horne noted. "If I did grant those things, it would be big news, the public would react, and it would question the sustainability of the program."
ESA Program Growth and Success
Despite the criticism, Horne highlighted the program's tremendous growth under his administration, now serving 87,000 students. "Just as we were first in the country in charter schools, we're now first in the country in ESAs," Horne said. He cited a Heritage Foundation survey showing that "99% of the families using the ESA program said they support the ESA program."
While two-thirds of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the program's administration, Horne attributed much of this to a now-resolved delay in reimbursement processing. These delays stemmed from three factors:
An Attorney General requirement to tie educational expenses to curriculum
A legislative change allowing parents to bypass the class wallet payment system
A substantial growth in program participation without corresponding staffing increases
Horne implemented a risk-based auditing approach to address these delays, where expenses under $2,000 are paid immediately and audited later if necessary. "That was able to solve the problem and the delays are no longer there," he said.
A Longstanding Champion of School Choice
Horne emphasized his decades-long commitment to educational choice, dating back to his work in the legislature in the 1990s when charter schools were new. As chair of a conference committee, Horne "killed the restriction on the growth of charter schools" because he believed "the market should prevail" and "parents should have as many charter schools, as many or as few, as they want."
He defended the ESA program as empowering families to meet the unique needs of their children: "We have families with, say, three children. Two are doing just fine in the neighborhood public school. But even a good public school doesn't necessarily meet everyone's needs. The third child's needs are not being met. They can now find a school that meets that child's needs."
Department of Education Reform
Regarding recent news about efforts to shut down the U.S. Department of Education, Horne expressed enthusiasm, saying his first reaction would be to "throw a party." He hopes that federal education responsibilities would be reassigned to state superintendents.
"I have 600 people working for me that know everything about Arizona schools," Horne explained. "The people at the federal department are in an ivory tower in Washington. They don't know what they're doing. They often make irrational requirements on us."
SAVE Act: Securing Citizen-Only Federal Elections
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act), legislation requiring documented proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections. Arizona GOP Chair Gina Swoboda, who has long championed election integrity measures, explained the significance of this development.
The Need for Citizenship Verification
"It's always been unlawful for noncitizens to vote in federal elections," Swoboda emphasized. "However, when Congress created the National Voter Registration Act, motor voter, the NVRA, some states and some lefty groups like the Brennan Legal Center started arguing that the NVRA precludes us from requiring proof of citizenship."
This interpretation created a dual registration system in Arizona. After Proposition 200 passed, those using the state voter registration form had to provide documented proof of citizenship, while those using the federal form could simply check a box affirming citizenship.
The SAVE Act would amend the NVRA to explicitly require documented proof of citizenship for all federal election registrations, resolving this discrepancy and potentially ending Arizona's ongoing litigation on the issue.
Key Provisions and Protections
Swoboda addressed common criticisms of the legislation, calling them "ridiculous tropes that the left and the media, but I repeat myself, are using to argue against this very common sense piece of legislation."
Regarding concerns about married women facing difficulties due to name changes, Swoboda explained that "the SAVE Act explicitly states that the states are required to set up a process to assist people with name changes." She noted that women routinely handle name changes for social security, taxes, and other purposes without issue.
The legislation also protects military voters. "The SAVE Act explicitly protects UOCAVA voters. So the military voters will not be impacted at all," Swoboda said.
As for ID requirements, Swoboda clarified that "everyone will have to have a passport to vote" is false. The act "mirrors what we already have in Arizona in the statute 16-579. You have to have a federal, state or local government issued ID or tribal ID."
Tribal ID and Reservation Voting
For Native American voters, tribal identification cards provide an accepted form of ID. "The Navajo Nation tribal ID has a photo and an address and identifies your residency and your identity," Swoboda explained. "The fact that you are holding a tribal ID gives you citizenship in the United States."
For tribes spanning multiple states, voters can only register in one location based on residency. "When you register to vote and when you appear to vote, especially here in Arizona, when I go to vote in person in Arizona, I have to show my government-issued photo ID," Swaboda noted.
Criminal Penalties for Violations
A significant feature of the SAVE Act is the establishment of criminal penalties for election officials who knowingly register individuals without proper citizenship documentation. "If you knowingly register someone who is not eligible, you're going to go down with them and let everybody be warned," Swoboda emphasized.
Arizona's Ongoing Voter List Issues
Swoboda also addressed recent developments in Arizona's voter rolls, where approximately 218,000 voters registered before October 1996 were identified as potentially lacking documented proof of citizenship in the state's database.
This arose because prior to October 1996, Arizona didn't require proof of citizenship for driver's licenses. When these individuals registered to vote after Proposition 200 passed in 2003, the motor vehicle system failed to flag them as needing to provide citizenship documentation.
"The legislature, myself as a party, what are we going to do? Are we going to disenfranchise people who have been here prior to '96? Do you trust the government to get you a notice in time to fix it? And by the way, the majority of them are Republicans," Swoboda explained.
She criticized Secretary of State Adrian Fontes for failing "to issue guidance to the 15 county recorders telling them to do this in a consistent way," resulting in each county handling the situation differently. Swaboda proposed a solution: "You have 90 days from the day of this notice, we, the state, will pay for you to get a copy of your birth certificate."
Tucson's Budget Priorities: A Call for Public Input
As the deadline approaches for public feedback on Tucson's fiscal year 2026 budget, citizens are urged to prioritize core services over non-essential projects. The recent defeat of Proposition 414, which would have raised the city's sales tax to 9.2%, underscored public dissatisfaction with the city's spending priorities.
Despite the measure's failure, critical needs remain unfunded, particularly in public safety and infrastructure. The city is still grappling with a significant crime rate, deteriorating roads, and a growing homelessness crisis.
Core Services First
The public is encouraged to demand that the city focus on essential services:
Public Safety: Hire more personnel, offer competitive compensation, and upgrade equipment to enhance efficiency and safety.
Infrastructure Improvements: Repair Tucson's notoriously poor roads, which have become a safety hazard.
Community Spaces: Clean parks and public areas that have become neglected and, in some cases, unusable.
Fiscal Responsibility
Citizens are also urged to demand that the city terminate ineffective initiatives, such as the Free Bus Fair program, which many argue has become "a mobile homeless shelter" rather than serving its intended purpose.
With over $41 million in unmet needs this year alone, the city must prioritize funding for critical services before considering non-essential projects. And given the decisive rejection of Proposition 414, there should be no new taxes.
Upcoming City Council Election
The upcoming city council election presents an opportunity to change the city's direction by electing representatives who will manage tax dollars responsibly and improve Tucson's quality of life.
Public input is being accepted through the city's online survey, with the deadline approaching quickly. All Pima County residents, not just city of Tucson residents, are eligible to participate and make their voices heard.