When veterans from across Arizona packed into the American Legion for a press conference earlier this month, they weren’t just there for a photo op—they came with a purpose. And Rodney Glassman was right there with them, pushing forward a message that seems like common sense: If you lie about military service to get ahead, you should be held accountable.
Seems easy enough, right?
The bill in question—House Bill 2030—was introduced by Rep. Walt Blackman, a decorated U.S. Army veteran, and sailed through the Arizona House in a 58-0 vote. That’s as unanimous as it gets.
But when it hit the Arizona Senate, it ran straight into a wall named Wendy Rogers.
Despite being a veteran herself, Rogers—who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee—struck the bill from the agenda, effectively killing it before it could even be debated.
Let’s not ignore the irony here: a bill meant to stop people from faking military service was sidelined by someone who built her brand on the back of her own. Rogers’ military past is well-documented, sure—but lately, her focus seems less about honoring that oath and more about weaponizing it for political theater.
And veterans noticed.
“Senator Rogers, shame on you,” Rep. Blackman said.
“You violated [the Air Force Academy’s Honor Code] the moment you chose political games over honoring those who served.”
He’s not wrong. This bill wasn’t some fringe stunt—it was a clear, bipartisan stand against a real problem. Just last year, Rogers endorsed Steve Slaton, a man caught falsifying records and pretending to be a Vietnam vet while running in a Republican primary. You’d think that’d be a wake-up call.
Meanwhile, Rodney Glassman—a U.S. Air Force JAG officer—has been keeping the issue alive. At the press conference, he stood beside veterans who called the delay “disrespectful” and a betrayal of basic values.
“It’s amazing what can be accomplished when Veterans stick together,” Glassman tweeted afterward.
That unity was on full display at the event, where Glassman called on lawmakers to stop stalling and just let the bill come to a vote. While Senate leadership is now reportedly working toward a compromise, it shouldn’t have taken a full-court press from Arizona’s veteran community to even get the conversation moving again.
Bottom line: When a law that protects the honor of military service gets erased from the schedule by someone who wore the uniform, it sends a message—and it’s not a good one.
Arizona’s veterans deserve better.
Photo taken by Gage Skidmore