ESA program added almost 50,000 students in the past year, state reports
WASHINGTON – The state added nearly 12,000 students to the Empowerment Scholarship Account program in the last quarter, bringing total enrollment to 61,689 at the end of June and renewing debates about the costs and benefits of the program.
Sierra Club report card lauds environmental funding, laments climate inaction
PHOENIX - The Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter's fall 2023 Environmental Report Card for the Arizona Legislature and governor gave most of the state’s legislators negative marks for climate inaction, but it praised the state budget’s climate initiatives.
Amid shortage of 911 dispatchers, new law extends trauma therapy to them
PHOENIX – Arizona 911 dispatchers will now have trauma therapy costs covered by their employer amid recruitment issues in Phoenix and statewide. Gov. Katie Hobbs celebrated the new law Wednesday with first responders and Rep. Melody Hernandez, D-Tempe, who introduced the bill.
Cactus League rebounds without shutdowns from COVID-19, labor disputes, economic study shows
TEMPE – Cactus League play in 2023 contributed $418 million to Arizona’s economy, an Arizona State study shows, and benefited from no COVID-19 restrictions and no labor stoppage.
MMIP task forces are given years to solve a problem centuries in the making
WASHINGTON - At least 10 states, including Arizona, and federal agencies have efforts to address the problem of missing and murdered Indigenous people, but those efforts have to grapple with historical neglect, modern bureaucracy and myriad legal and police disparities.
Thousands helped, thousands more may still be in need after Medicaid scams
WASHINGTON - A state hotline has helped thousands of victims in the two months since state officials uncovered a string of fraudulent Medicaid-funded addiction care facilities in Arizona, but the exact scale of the problem is still unknown.
From hot issues to hot dogs, politicians turn to Threads to reach voters
WASHINGTON - Among the 100 million users who reportedly signed up last month for Threads, Meta's new social media platform, were Arizona politicians from both state and federal office and from both sides of the aisle.
Coconino official tells House ‘anti-ESG’ bills threaten public investments
WASHINGTON - Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benatar told House lawmakers Tuesday that it's her job to get the best, and safest, return on public investments for taxpayers, but that "anti-ESG" legislation puts public dollars at risk.
Phoenix Mercury aiming to make 2024 WNBA All-Star Game ‘best ever’
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Mercury will host the WNBA All-Star game for the third time in history, and Suns owner Matt Ishbia and CEO Josh Bartelstein say they want to make it the best ever.
County attorneys may challenge Hobbs order over abortion prosecutions
WASHINGTON - County attorneys are considering next steps, including the possibility of a lawsuit, after Gov. Katie Hobbs rejected their request to rescind an executive order that puts the decision to prosecute abortion cases in the hands of the attorney general's office.
Report: Shifting to EV fleets would save state, local governments millions
WASHINGTON - Arizona governments could save almost $283 million over the next 10 years if roughly 20,000 gasoline-powered light-duty vehicles in their fleets that are due to be retired were replaced with electric vehicles, according a recent report.
Remembering heroes: New mural honors Granite Mountain Hotshots and their impact on Prescott
PRESCOTT – Ten years after the Yarnell Hill Fire, where 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots perished, a mural honoring their lives was unveiled at the Prescott Chamber of Commerce.
