Controversial Arizona bill would allow factories to treat their own water
PHOENIX – Nestlé supports Arizona bill, SB 1660, which would allow factories to treat their own water instead of going through water providers. The bill is sparking controversy.
Buckeye high school installs weapons detectors in student-safety push
BUCKEYE – Verrado High School is one of the first schools in the Agua Fria Union High School District to install weapons detectors on campus. These detectors are calibrated to detect heavy metals such as firearms. Verrado is one of five schools within the district receiving detectors.
Pro-Coyotes arena groups decry lawsuit, urge Tempe voters to pass ballot measures
TEMPE – The Arizona Coyotes and other groups in favor of a proposed hockey arena and entertainment district in Tempe urged voters to pass ballot measures in May that would allow the project to proceed. The group also decried a lawsuit the city of Phoenix filed Tuesday against Tempe related to the development.
Glendale breaks ground on first complex to use state affordable housing tax credit
GLENDALE – Centerline on Glendale will be the first housing complex in Arizona funded in part by the state affordable housing tax credit. The complex will have 368 new affordable apartments for Glendale residents by 2024.
Phoenix council member and former U.N. climate adviser Yassamin Ansari pushes for climate action and sustainable energy
PHOENIX — She began her career as a policy adviser at the United Nations advocating for climate change. Now, as a Phoenix City Council member and vice mayor, Yassamin Ansari says that true progress toward a sustainable future starts at the local level.
Explosives training brings military and law enforcement from around the world to Marana
MARANA – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives hosts improvised explosive device exercises for public safety bomb squads and military explosive ordnance disposal units. The most recent, called Raven’s Challenge, was at Pinal County Airpark in Marana earlier this month.
David and Goliath: PACs go head-to-head before Tempe special election for Coyotes arena
TEMPE — With a special election set for May, two political action committees are sparring over whether it’s in the city of Tempe’s best interest to break ground on an Arizona Coyotes entertainment district.
Arizona governor signs executive order banning discrimination based on hair style or texture
PHOENIX – The CROWN Act, banning hair-based discrimination in the workplace, was enacted in Tempe and Tucson in 2021. Gov. Katie Hobbs’ executive order extends those protections to state workers. She hopes the order inspires similar legislation “across the board.”
California to store more rainwater as it vies with Arizona for flow from Colorado River
LOS ANGELES – California is taking advantage of extreme weather with a new approach: Let it settle back into the earth for use another day. As the latest batch of storms lashed the Golden State, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order this week to hasten projects that use rainwater to recharge aquifers, reversing decades of an emphasis on channeling it into drains and out to sea.
Arizona Republican legislators announce formal opposition to ranked choice voting
PHOENIX – Two bills and a Wednesday news conference signal some Arizona Republicans’ and the state’s Freedom Caucus’ opposition to ranked choice voting. The process, which would allow voters to rank candidates on preference, would be prohibited by the two bills.
Dementia’s dangerous rise leads legislators to ask up to $500,000 for Alzheimer’s
PHOENIX – Arizona legislators and Alzheimer’s advocates call for the state to step up in dementia care, proposing several bills, including one to bring $500,000 to AZDHS. Arizona has the fastest growth rate in the U.S. of people 65+ diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a national Alzheimer’s Association 2023 report.
Kesha Hodge Washington, Kevin Robinson claim victory in Phoenix City Council runoff elections
PHOENIX – Phoenix City Council races for districts 6 and 8 were decided in runoff elections Tuesday, with Kevin Robinson beating Sam Stone in District 6 to replace term-limited Council member Sal DiCiccio and challenger Kesha Hodge Washington claiming victory over incumbent Carlos Garcia in District 8.
