Homeless crisis Archives

Gress’s Drug-Free Homeless Zone Bill Vetoed by Gov. Hobbs

May 21, 2025 11:31 amMay 22, 2025 3:05 pm

Governor Katie Hobbs rejected a bill on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, that would have created drug-free zones around homeless shelters in Arizona. House Bill HB2437, sponsored by Rep. Matt Gress (R-4), would have also raised the penalties for drug dealing...

Petersen Reacts to SCOTUS Ruling on Tent Cities

July 1, 2024 5:00 amJuly 12, 2024 11:47 am

On June 28, 2024, the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) overturned a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling blocking Oregon and its cities from enforcing laws prohibiting camping in public spaces. Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, who submitted an amicus (friend...

State Senator Justine Wadsack speaking on the floor of the Arizona State Senate at the Arizona State Capitol building in Phoenix, Arizona.

Wadsack Demands Investigation of Child’s Death

June 17, 2024 5:00 amJuly 3, 2024 8:12 am

James Zoccoli, a 16-year-old boy with a mental disorder under the care of the state’s Department of Child Safety (DCS), was found dead in a homeless encampment in Mesa, Arizona. The young man left a group home and was discovered...

Gress Authors Bill Preventing Homeless Hotels in Mesa

February 22, 2024 5:00 amFebruary 21, 2024 3:25 pm

Scottsdale Rep. Matt Gress (R-4) is sponsoring controversial House Bill HB2782 that, among other things, strengthens regulations around the use of hotels and motels as homeless shelters. At the heart of the bill are increased penalties for illegal drug usage,...