Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

In Arizona, 22 federally recognized tribes inhabit nearly every region of the state, according to the Arizona State Museum, but the Hia-Ced isn’t one of them. But some descendants of those four surviving families are working to change that. They’re researching the history of the Hia-Ced to prove their existence and distinctions and working to advocate for recognition with the federal government.

Imagine a farm that grows crops on platforms in a controlled environment, uses 99% less water than a traditional farm and grows seasonal produce year-round – all without soil or anyone driving a tractor. This is the goal of OnePointOne, a 12,000-square-foot “vertical farm” in an Avondale industrial park. Water is an existential issue for Arizona, with the two major reservoirs on the Colorado River at historic lows and more cutbacks expected for central Arizona farmers.

For the nonprofit Waste Not, an empty bowl represents the struggles of nearly 1 million Arizonans who can’t find enough to eat every day.

Black business owners, as of 2021, have the lowest entrepreneurship rates of any single race and ethnicity in the U.S., but Arizona has several programs and organizations to combat the wealth disparity gap and assist the launch and success of Black-owned businesses

A new ban on books containing sexual content is impacting Arizona public schools, and critics worry self-censoring will add further stress to already overburdened teachers.

With schools striving to get back to full swing, districts across Arizona continue to struggle with a severe shortage of teachers and administrators – and it’s the students who suffer most.

With one in nine Arizonans lacking reliable access to a source of nutritious, affordable food, food insecurity continues to grow along with the cost of living.