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Liquor Department to close Fridays if more cuts occur
The agency in charge of regulating Arizona's liquor industry has reported it will have to lay off investigators, sell vehicles to save some money and close the office on Fridays to accomplish a 15-percent reduction in its budget. On top of that, Department of Liquor Licenses and Control warned that it is already experiencing "critically low" staffing levels.
ICE: If Arpaio continues sweeps, it will be under state, not federal, law
Now that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's federal authority to arrest illegal immigrants during crime-suppression sweeps has ended, any future sweeps and immigration enforcement he engages in will be under the authority of state law, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Programs for homeless, mentally ill would be axed
Cutting its budget by 15 percent would mean significant cuts in contributions to housing programs for the mentally ill and completely eliminating a homeless-prevention program, according to the Arizona Department of Housing.
AHCCCS reports it might have to eliminate KidsCare
Lawmakers this year eliminated a health care program for middle-class parents, but now the state-run health insurance program for children is on the chopping block. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System has reported it would have to eliminate the KidsCare program if it is required to trim 15 percent of its budget in the 2010 fiscal year.
Financial Department would be ineffective under 15% cuts
The Department of Financial Institution has reported a 15-percent reduction in its budget this year would make it impossible to achieve its core function and render the agency ineffective. The agency regulates Arizona's banks, credit unions and mortgage lending.
Corrections would release 13,000 prisoners if 15 percent cuts take effect
State prisons would release more than 13,000 convicts, shut down more than 15 prison units and eliminate more than 1,500 jobs if the Department of Corrections were forced to absorb a 15-percent cut to help close the state budget deficit.
Farmers, ranchers fear budget cuts to Agriculture Dept.
As Arizona continues to grapple with declining government revenue, the state's farming and ranching communities are warning that the Arizona Department of Agriculture has stretched its dollars to the limit. And the situation could grow worse, as Gov. Jan Brewer in September ordered state agencies to draft plans that predict the immediate effects on departments if their budgets are cut another 1[...]
Vanderpool wants to keep leading DPS
Roger Vanderpool hopes his performance as director of the state's largest police force will speak louder than his political history - two elections as Pinal County Sheriff as a Democrat and an appointment to his current post by a Democratic governor - when Arizona's Republican governor decides who will lead the department for the next five years.
Bad blood over bad check leads to indictment of boxing promoter
Boxing manager Joe Diaz hopes the indictment of a Phoenix fight promoter leads to bigger fish - namely, former boxing commissioner and Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. Promoter Peter McKinn III was indicted Sept. 30 on five counts of forgery, theft, fraud and perjury stemming from a five-year-old dispute with Diaz. McKinn pleaded not guilty in an Oct. 8 arraignment.
Seasonal hiring in education helps state unemployment rate remain steady
For the second straight month, seasonal hiring in education kept Arizona's unemployment rate steady, but officials expect job losses to continue, the state Department of Commerce announced Oct. 15. The unemployment rate for September was 9.1 percent, the same as August but up from 6 percent in September 2008.
Feds mum on Arpaio’s upcoming crime sweep
In response to the loss of his agreement with the federal government that authorized his agency to enforce immigration law on the streets, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio pushed up the date of his next crime suppression sweep to Oct. 16 and said he would deliver any illegal immigrants found by his deputies to the Border Patrol. Federal officials aren't saying how they will react if he makes goo[...]
Authorities investigate Kartchner Caverns break-in
Intruders broke into the crown jewel of Arizona's state park system over the weekend, leaving a trail of minor damage in one of Kartchner Caverns' most fragile caves, authorities said Oct. 13. Suspects forced a door open through the lower portal of the cavern sometime during the night on Oct. 11, officials said.
