Latest news with #StateArmorAction
American Military News
4 days ago
- Business
- American Military News
Democrat governor vetoes bill limiting Chinese land near US bases
Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) is facing backlash after vetoing a bill on Monday that was intended to prevent China from purchasing land located near military bases and other strategic assets. In a Monday letter to Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, Hobbs wrote, 'Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1109. Improvements to systems that protect our infrastructure are important. However, this legislation is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets. Additionally, it lacks clear implementation and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.' The legislation vetoed by the Democrat governor, S.B 1109, would have prevented China from obtaining a 30% stake in the Arizona property. Fox News reported that the Arizona state legislature could still implement the bill if it votes to override the governor's veto. In a statement obtained by Arizona Daily Independent, Arizona Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp, a Republican, slammed Hobbs for blocking the bill with a 'politically motivated veto,' which she said was 'utterly insane.' Shamp added that Hobbs was acting as 'an obstructionist against safeguarding our citizens from threats.' READ MORE: Red state orders Chinese company to sell US farmland According to Fox News, Shamp previously warned that China had attempted to lease buildings located near Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. State Armor Action CEO Michael Lucci also criticized the Democrat governor, saying, 'Governor Hobbs's veto of SB 1109 hangs an 'Open for the CCP' sign on Arizona's front door, allowing Communist China to buy up American land near critical assets like Luke Air Force Base, Palo Verde nuclear power plant, and Taiwan Semiconductor's growing fabrication footprint.' Lucci argued that Hobbs was 'substantively and completely wrong' for suggesting that S.B. 1109 was not effective at 'counter-espionage' and would not directly protect U.S. military assets in Arizona. The State Armor Action CEO added that letting China purchase land near 'critical assets' in Arizona presents a 'national security risk.' According to Committee of 100, a nonprofit organization of Chinese Americans, 27 states were considering 84 bills to place restrictions on foreign property ownership as of March 17. The nonprofit organization's website shows that 22 states have already approved bills that place restrictions on foreign property ownership, with 17 of the bills being passed into law in 2024.
Fox News
5 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Dem governor ripped as 'total disgrace' after vetoing bill limiting Chinese land ownership near military bases
Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is up for reelection this year, garnered backlash Tuesday after vetoing a bill aimed at preventing China from buying up land next to strategic assets, such as military bases. Arizona state Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp said the "politically motivated veto" was "utterly insane," blaming Hobbs for being "an obstructionist against safeguarding our citizens from threats." However, Hobbs said the bill, S.B. 1109, was "ineffective at counter-espionage" and did not "directly protect" American military assets in the state. Chinese investment in land near military bases has become an increasing concern for national security hawks. Shamp, in her efforts to get the now-vetoed bill passed, cited recent Chinese attempts to lease buildings alongside Arizona's Luke Air Force Base, where the military trains fighter pilots. "Governor Hobbs's veto of SB 1109 hangs an 'Open for the CCP' sign on Arizona's front door, allowing Communist China to buy up American land near critical assets like Luke Air Force Base, Palo Verde nuclear power plant, and Taiwan Semiconductor's growing fabrication footprint," said Michael Lucci, the CEO and founder of State Armor Action, a conservative group with a mission to develop and enact state-level solutions to global security threats. "Allowing Communist China to buy up land near our critical assets is a national security risk, plain and simple, and Governor Hobbs is substantively and completely wrong when she says that SB 1109 'is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets,'" Lucci added. Lucci pointed to Ukraine's recent drone attacks that destroyed significant numbers of Russian military aircraft, noting that "proximity produces peril in asymmetric warfare." S.B. 1109, which can still pass if the Arizona legislature overrides Hobbs' veto, would have prohibited the People's Republic of China from having a 30%, or more, stake in Arizona property. Hobbs, in her defense of the veto, added that in addition to being ineffective at countering Chinese espionage efforts, the bill lacked "clear implementation criteria," which opened the door for "arbitrary enforcement." However, the bill went through a bipartisan amendment process in an effort to assuage those concerns that the legislation might lead to discrimination in land sales, according to local outlet the AZ Mirror. The initial version of the bill banned certain people and entities deemed to be national security threats from buying up land in Arizona, but following subsequent amendments the bill only sought to ban Chinese government-linked entities and its subsidiaries. In addition to Arizona, other states have proposed or passed legislation aimed at curtailing Chinese land grabs in the United States. Congress has also taken steps in an effort to effectuate change through national policy. As of March 17, according to the China-focused nonprofit Committee of 100, 27 states are currently considering 84 bills aimed at restricting foreign property ownership in some way, while Congress is currently considering seven separate bills addressing the issue. So far, the committee indicated, 22 states have passed bills restricting foreign property ownership, 17 of which were passed into law in 2024.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scoop: Anti-Chinese government group launches plan to track anti-CCP legislation in statehouses
EXCLUSIVE: State Armor Action is releasing a new tool that will allow people to track anti-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) legislation across the country. "China's communist government targets American state governments in order to undermine our homeland security. Protecting the United States from the Chinese Communist Party requires working on the front lines in statehouses across the country to combat CCP aggression and oppression," Michael Lucci, the founder and CEO of State Armor Action, told Fox News Digital. The comment comes as Lucci's organization, which aims to help U.S. states confront emerging global security threats, releases a new tracker that allows users to see all the legislation regarding China currently making its way through state legislatures. Trump: China Calling 'A Lot' Since Last Week's Tariff Increase, Deal Could Happen As Soon As 3 Weeks According to the tracker, their organization is currently keeping tabs on 461 bills across the country aimed at addressing the threat posed by the CCP. The tracker also keeps tabs on where those bills stand, with a graphic showing that 11 of the bills have been killed, 43 have been adopted, 25 have passed both chambers, 43 have crossed over from one chamber to another, and 339 have been introduced. Read On The Fox News App "State Armor Action's legislation tracker will serve as a crucial tool in the fight against Communist China and its nefarious partners," Lucci said. "The tracker will help educate policy leaders and inform the American public about the legislation that will stop the CCP across the country, and it will help spread legislative concepts between states." Gordon Chang: Trump Tariffing China At The Worst Possible Time For Xi Jinping The tracker contains graphics that track the party in control of each state government where bills have been introduced or enacted, while also displaying a U.S. map showing which states have the highest concentration of anti-CCP bills. While the threat posed by China may traditionally be seen as in the sphere of the federal government's control, Alex Gray, deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, told Fox News Digital that it is critical that states also set themselves up to combat China. "The Chinese Communist Party has its sights set on the states," Gray said. "Now more than ever, we need state leaders to step up and harden themselves against Communist China. State Armor Action's new China legislation tracker will help inform and educate leaders on legislation across the country, allow them to monitor progress, and make it easier to join the fight against the CCP's encroachment in our homeland. State and local leaders can use the tracker to model their legislation based on other successful counter-CCP bills around the country. I urge all leaders to use this tool and help counter China's malign influence."Original article source: Scoop: Anti-Chinese government group launches plan to track anti-CCP legislation in statehouses
Fox News
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Scoop: Anti-Chinese government group launches plan to track CCP-backed legislation in statehouses
EXCLUSIVE: State Armor Action is releasing a new tool that will allow people to track anti-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) legislation across the country. "China's communist government targets American state governments in order to undermine our homeland security. Protecting the United States from the Chinese Communist Party requires working on the front lines in statehouses across the country to combat CCP aggression and oppression," Michael Lucci, the founder and CEO of State Armor Action, told Fox News Digital. The comment comes as Lucci's organization, which aims to help U.S. states confront emerging global security threats, releases a new tracker that allows users to see all the legislation regarding China currently making its way through state legislatures. According to the tracker, their organization is currently keeping tabs on 461 bills across the country aimed at addressing the threat posed by the CCP. The tracker also keeps tabs on where those bills stand, with a graphic showing that 11 of the bills have been killed, 43 have been adopted, 25 have passed both chambers, 43 have crossed over from one chamber to another, and 339 have been introduced. "State Armor Action's legislation tracker will serve as a crucial tool in the fight against Communist China and its nefarious partners," Lucci said. "The tracker will help educate policy leaders and inform the American public about the legislation that will stop the CCP across the country, and it will help spread legislative concepts between states." The tracker contains graphics that track the party in control of each state government where bills have been introduced or enacted, while also displaying a U.S. map showing which states have the highest concentration of anti-CCP bills. While the threat posed by China may traditionally be seen as in the sphere of the federal government's control, Alex Gray, deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff of the White House National Security Council, told Fox News Digital that it is critical that states also set themselves up to combat China. "The Chinese Communist Party has its sights set on the states," Gray said. "Now more than ever, we need state leaders to step up and harden themselves against Communist China. State Armor Action's new China legislation tracker will help inform and educate leaders on legislation across the country, allow them to monitor progress, and make it easier to join the fight against the CCP's encroachment in our homeland. State and local leaders can use the tracker to model their legislation based on other successful counter-CCP bills around the country. I urge all leaders to use this tool and help counter China's malign influence."
