Recent Articles from Rachel Leingang
Teacher shortage hits state’s schools for deaf and blind too
The Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind have continually struggled to recruit and retain teachers who know their subject matter and are certified to teach students who are blind or deaf.
Dueling attorneys exchange threats in GOP treasurer campaign spat
The race to be Arizona’s next treasurer hasn’t really begun yet, but a candidate and potential candidate are already butting heads and getting lawyers involved.
Christina Corieri: Childhood musical sparks life of public policy
Christina Corieri, a senior policy adviser to Gov. Doug Ducey, found her passion for politics after her parents made her watch “1776,” a musical about the Declaration of Independence.
Getting driver’s license puts Arizonans into ‘perpetual criminal lineup’
If you have a driver’s license in Arizona, your face now lives in a government database that uses facial recognition technology to see if you’re really who you say you are, or if you’re stealing someone else’s identity.
Number of women who accuse Rep. Shooter of sexual harassment climbs
Tara Zika, a 26-year-old business development director at risk management firm Ashton Tiffany, said Shooter, 65, made inappropriate sexual comments and gestures at her several times over the course of one day at the League of Arizona Cities and Towns conference in August 2017.
Mario Diaz: From poor C-student to managing winning gubernatorial campaign
Mario Enrique Diaz came to Arizona as a student with $20 in his pocket, and he has since worked basically every job in politics here. The Democratic consultant is now working as a civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army.
Rep. Shooter suspended from appropriations chair, Chamber of Commerce calls for resignation
After multiple allegations of sexual harassment, Rep. Don Shooter has been suspended from his duties as chairman of the Arizona House’s powerful budget committee.
Ducey orders removal of question about criminal histories from state job applications
Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order today directing the Arizona Department of Administration to change its hiring procedures to handle criminal histories differently.
Chiropractors use opioid crisis to bolster request for Medicaid coverage
Arizona chiropractors will push for the state’s Medicaid program to cover chiropractic care in the next legislative session, the industry’s lobbyist said. And the extension of Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System coverage to chiropractors ties into efforts to combat the opioid crisis, the Arizona Association for Chiropractic claims.
State ironing out performance pay program for public schools
High-performing schools got a temporary boost in state funding because of their standardized test scores, but the additional money has proven to be incredibly short-lived for some schools under Gov. Doug Ducey’s signature performance pay plan.
School cites alarming teacher incidents for failing grade
A South Phoenix charter school said problems with teachers involving knives on campus, apparent mental illness, and nude photos on a tablet led to its failing grade in the state’s new rating system.
Christina Sandefur: Freedom not to fit into any political group
Christina Sandefur, the executive vice president of the Goldwater Institute, doesn’t think the libertarian think tank is as influential in state government as people give it credit for.