A top Arizona Republican said he had productive meetings with federal officials but that President Donald Trump’s administration made no promises to help advance his agenda.
Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) traveled to Washington, D.C., last week and met with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Attorney General Pam Bondi to talk about his priorities for Arizona.
That includes having the Department of Justice rethink their position in several ongoing court cases, like a dispute over requirements for showing proof of citizenship to vote, and another over a law intended to ban transgender girls from girls sports.
Petersen also asked for an overall reversal of some of the former administration’s actions. For example, he wants the federal government to do away with the recently created Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.
“These are things we’re confident that they will take action on already, or if we raise it you know enough awareness that it’s something they’ll take action on if we can make sure that we put it onto their radars,” Petersen told KJZZ following his trip.
Going forward, Petersen said he’s hoping to have more meetings with federal officials, including Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
Petersen also held meetings with Zeldin in Arizona this week.
“Administrator Zeldin told us he was going to look into these things but he also said, you know, you're going to be amazed at the number of regulations that we’re going to be able to repeal,” Petersen said.
One of the things Petersen said he brought up has already changed in his favor: the Trump administration clarified definitions under the “Waters of the United States” program under the EPA. Shortly after a meeting with Petersen, Zeldin announced the EPA’s overhaul of the program and new definitions, which Petersen said was encouraging, although he clarified that the decision had been made before his meeting with Zeldin.
Other issues Petersen said he raised are Biden-era environmental regulations he’d like lifted. He said he wants the EPA to determine that Arizona is doing enough to meet air quality standards.
The Biden administration announced a planned transition away from coal-fired power plants like the SRP Coronado Generating Station. Petersen said he talked to Zeldin about ensuring that plant stays open.
Under Biden, the Department of Justice found that the Phoenix Police Department committed civil rights violations and installed some federal oversight. Petersen said he’s asked the DOJ to step back and let the city run the police department on its own again.
