Recent Articles from Cale Ottens, Cronkite News Service
Arizona secession petition falls short of needed signatures
A post-election petition calling on the federal government to let Arizona secede from the union was pulled from the White House website Monday, after it failed to get the 25,000 signatures needed to guarantee an administration response.
Solar-energy jobs booming in U.S.; Arizona seeing benefits
Solar energy jobs in the U.S. grew by 13 percent over the past year, a rate almost six times faster than the national average employment growth rate.
We want out: Arizona secession petition quickly draws backers
Arizona has been in the union more than a century, but some residents appear to want out after the last election.
Solar energy officials see bright future, but still need help getting there
There are four elements needed for the growth and vitality of the solar-energy industry, but none may be more important than continued incentives for both manufacturers and consumers, industry officials said this week.
Arizona posts sharp improvement in energy efficiency policies, report says
Arizona is ranked 12th in the nation for its energy-efficiency policies, making it one of the most-improved states in the country over the last year, according to a report released Wednesday.
EPA cuts Nogales some slack on air quality because of cross-border pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week agreed with Arizona that the city of Nogales would be in compliance with clean-air standards – if it wasn’t for pollution drifting over from Mexico.
Tucson shooting survivors give Holder petitions calling for gun control
A dozen survivors and family members from last year’s Tucson shooting that killed six people and injured 13 met this week with Attorney General Eric Holder to urge stricter federal regulations on gun sales.
Tucson lawmaker proposes ‘Return to Work’ training program for jobless
Arizona can return more people to work by allowing firms to provide up to six weeks of training for those receiving unemployment assistance without having to add them to payrolls, a Tucson lawmaker contends.
Resolution Copper advocates changing state law limiting miners’ hours
As it prepares for a huge copper mine set to open near Superior in 2021, Resolution Copper Co. is urging state lawmakers to allow miners who work underground to be scheduled for shifts of up to 12 hours.
Company promotes new solar power vision for Arizona
Until now, visions of Arizona homes powered by renewable energy have centered mostly on rooftop solar panels or huge solar power plants in the desert.
Lawmaker proposes 911 tax for cellphone users with prepaid plans
A state lawmaker wants the one in four Arizona cellphone users who are on prepaid plans to join customers with monthly bills in paying toward 911 service. Legislation by Rep. Bob Robson, R–Chandler, would establish a tax of eight–tenths of 1 percent on prepaid wireless plans that would go into the state’s Emergency Telecommunication Services Revolving Fund.
Bill would bar Arizona salons from letting teens in tanning beds
As a mother of five, Rep. Peggy Judd said she understands why that bronze glow offered by tanning beds is so appealing to teens heading to proms or dance recitals.
But she also looks with worry at studies suggesting that exposure to intense ultraviolet rays can lead to melanoma and other skin cancers.
Judd, a Republican from Willcox, has introduced a bill that would ban estab[...]