Arizona Senate president wants Trump to support uranium mining, challenge DOJ’s Phoenix PD report

PHOENIX — Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said his recent trip to Washington, D.C. to speak with key members of the Trump administration about local issues was a success.

His top priorities include a push for election security, protecting water resources and a push for uranium mining in land set aside by President Joe Biden two years ago, according to a Thursday news release from Petersen’s office.

Petersen also pushed authorities to examine whether or not the report the Department of Justice (DOJ) released on the Phoenix Police Department last year was legitimate.

Arizona Senate president talks to Pam Bondi about DOJ report

One of the top Cabinet members Petersen spoke to was Attorney General Pam Bondi. The two discussed the DOJ’s report on Phoenix Police, which accused the department of a pattern of civil rights violations, along with other human rights abuses.

Under the leadership of former Attorney General Merrick Garland, the DOJ pressured the department to enter into a consent decree, claiming this agreement could help prevent future abuses. However, police leaders said such a decree would be burdensome, expensive and damaging to retention rates.

During their meeting, Petersen and Bondi discussed whether or not the report’s findings could be revisited.

“Progressive Democrat activists have launched an assault against Arizona’s laws and our law enforcement,” Petersen said in the release. “I’m relieved Arizona has A.G. Bondi as an ally to help rectify wrongs committed against Arizona, and to defend against a weaponized government.”

What else did the Arizona Senate president discuss with Trump admin?

Another high-ranking official Petersen spoke to was Lee Zeldin, the 17th administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This week, the agency launched what it called the biggest deregulatory action in U.S history.

Petersen is happy with the deregulations. He sees it as cutting bureaucratic red tape and paving the way for businesses to move forward with new projects.

“Administrator Zeldin is delivering on President Trump’s promises to lead America into a golden era,” Petersen said in the release. “I appreciate him taking the time to listen to and act on our concerns, as well as for his foresight in developing a commonsense plan to protect the future of Arizona and our great nation.”

Congressman @repandybiggsaz and I had a great meeting with EPA administrator @epaleezeldin this morning. He is creating certainty on what the rules are and making common sense changes that will protect the environment while cutting red tape that holds back prosperity. pic.twitter.com/Z5lr5vetmm

— Warren Petersen (@votewarren) March 12, 2025

Petersen’s been a vocal opponent of Biden’s decision to proclaim the Ancestral Footprints national monument, which protects almost 1 million acres of land from uranium mining. He hopes the Trump administration can overturn that decision and mine the land for million pounds of uranium ore.

“Radical environmental regulations imposed by the Biden administration have hurt hardworking Arizonans, impeded our state’s economic growth and have contributed to the inflation nightmare that President Trump is diligently working to solve,” Petersen said.

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