{"id":233427,"date":"2025-09-17T08:52:19","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T08:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/233427\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T08:52:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T08:52:19","slug":"arizona-gop-lawmaker-to-propose-renaming-loop-202-after-charlie-kirk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/233427\/","title":{"rendered":"Arizona GOP lawmaker to propose renaming Loop 202 after Charlie Kirk"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX (AZFamily\/AP)<\/b> \u2014 Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen has announced plans to introduce legislation that would rename State Route 202 the \u201cCharlie Kirk Memorial Loop 202,\u201d to honor the late conservative activist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a press release<\/a>, Petersen commended Kirk on his efforts to influence youth while championing his devotion to \u201cGod, family and country.\u201d He says the Loop 202 serves as a transportation link for millions of Arizonans and wants Kirk\u2019s contributions remembered daily by travelers.<\/p>\n

Kirk had strong ties to the Valley. He was the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA<\/a>, which is headquartered in downtown Phoenix. Kirk and his family also had a home in Scottsdale, where his wife Erika went to high school.<\/p>\n

Additionally, he was known for having close ties with leading Arizona GOP figures, including state Sen. Jake Hoffman and Tyler Bowyer.<\/p>\n

Kirk was killed by a single shot while speaking at a Utah university in what police said was a targeted attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cWednesday, September 10, 2025, will forever be noted in history as a dark day where evil in its truest form was on full display,\u201d said Petersen. \u201cCharlie Kirk was assassinated in cold blood by a cowardly terrorist and was targeted for his influence. But we must press forward. While Charlie Kirk cannot be replaced, this effort can make sure his legacy lives on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thousands gathered at Arizona State University\u2019s Desert Financial Arena<\/a> Monday night for a candlelight vigil honoring Kirk. It was one of several events taking place ahead of the public memorial service set for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have a role to play in carrying on Charlie\u2019s legacy,\u201d said Petersen. \u201cThrough God\u2019s grace, by renaming this highway we can ensure that his name, his mission, and his witness to the gospel will endure for generations to come. Even in the midst of sorrow, God\u2019s Word reminds us that hope endures. Renaming this highway is a small step toward honoring Charlie\u2019s immense contribution, but it is also a call for each of us to press on in faith, to live courageously for Jesus, and to stand firm in the principles Charlie so boldly championed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirk was a polarizing figure<\/a> in a divisive time in American politics. <\/p>\n

He argued for a new conservatism that advocated for freedom of speech, challenging Big Tech and the media, and centering working-class Americans beyond the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n

Kirk frequently repeated Trump\u2019s false claims that former Vice President Kamala Harris was directly responsible for all immigrants who were in the U.S. illegally. He called George Floyd, a Black man whose death by a Minneapolis police officer sparked a national debate over racial injustice, a \u201cscumbag.\u201d<\/p>\n

State Route 202 goes through major Phoenix-area cities, including Tempe, Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert. The bill is set to be introduced during the next legislative session, which begins on Jan. 12, 2026. <\/p>\n

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here<\/a> with a brief description.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 KTVK\/KPHO. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PHOENIX (AZFamily\/AP) \u2014 Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen has announced plans to introduce legislation that would rename State…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":233428,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,1587,7182,19719,125623,67989,125621,1589,7183,80,125622,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,125620],"class_list":{"0":"post-233427","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-phoenix","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-az","11":"tag-azfamily","12":"tag-charlie-kirk","13":"tag-charlie-kirk-highway-renamed","14":"tag-loop-202","15":"tag-memorial-highway","16":"tag-phoenix","17":"tag-phoenix-news","18":"tag-politics","19":"tag-state-route-202","20":"tag-united-states","21":"tag-united-states-of-america","22":"tag-unitedstates","23":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","24":"tag-us","25":"tag-usa","26":"tag-warren-petersen"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115218792049221061","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233427\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}