Two years later, Arizona lawmakers remain divided on Ukraine support
WASHINGTON - Two years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, members of Arizona's congressional delegation remain just as divided as ever on what role the U.S. should play in the war as it enters its third year.
Senate votes to put the ‘illegal’ in illegal migration, make it a state crime
PHOENIX - The Senate voted Wednesday to make it a state crime to illegally enter Arizona by crossing the border between ports of entry - a proposal that Democratic opponents called both racially motivated and unconstitutional.
Arizona leaders take advantage of Inflation Reduction Act tax credits for sustainability projects
PHOENIX – Leaders of Arizona’s public, private and nonprofit sectors discussed financial incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, explaining how they will use available federal funds for environmental efforts and renewable energy projects.
House panel advances GOP plan to check citizenship of welfare recipients
PHOENIX - A House committee, on a party-line vote, gave preliminary approval Monday to a ballot measure that would require cities, towns and agencies to check the citizenship status of anyone applying for public welfare benefits or a license of any kind.
Arizona public schools struggle to fill teaching positions as leaders brainstorm school staffing solutions
PHOENIX – From legislative proposals to extend Proposition 123 to the two-day Arizona State University Fulton Teachers College Summit on Strategic School Staffing Structures, educators, politicians and researchers weigh in on strategies to help alleviate staffing shortages in Arizona schools.
State officials call for federal funds to protect election systems, workers
WASHINGTON - The federal government provides funds to make sure bridges and dams don't collapse - it should do the same for the nation's elections, a bipartisan group of Arizona officials said this week, calling elections an "egregious unfunded mandate."
New July 30 primary date will mean new deadlines for voters, candidates
PHOENIX - State lawmakers pushed through a bipartisan, last-minute plan to give election officials more time to cope with expected mandatory recounts this year by pushing the primary up to July 30 - but it also gives voters and candidates less time in the process.
Behind the cart: Food vendor’s take on tamale bill discussion
PHOENIX – The tamale bill is back and a local food vendor shares his thoughts on the newly reintroduced bill.
Arizona Heart Association lobbies for bill mandating cardiac arrest emergency plans in schools
PHOENIX – Supporters from the American Heart Association lobbied at the Arizona Capitol in support of requiring emergency cardiac response plans in schools. Pyper Midkiff, a child who experienced cardiac arrest at age 12, spoke about her experience.
Bill to ban satanic displays advances, after heated debate on religion
PHOENIX - A Senate committee gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a bill that would ban satanic displays on public grounds, following an often-testy debate over whether Satanism is a religion to be respected or a "desecration of public property."
GOP bill would strike ‘gender’ from state law, limit sex to male, female
PHOENIX - GOP senators want to rewrite state law to define sex as only male and female and not a "subjective sense of self," a move they said will protect women and girls from "unwanted intrusions" by transgender women. Opponents call it another "LGBTQ+ Erasure Act."
Border bill includes funds for local communities, along with Ukraine, Israel
WASHINGTON - The bipartisan immigration reform bill unveiled in the Senate late Sunday includes $1.4 billion to help border communities grappling with the migrant surge, in addition to funding for Ukraine and Israel. But it faces an uphill battle to approval in Congress.