Senate Dems plan to put sunshine on sunset reviews
A clash last year over the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind’s sunset review has sparked Democratic lawmakers to focus on ensuring state agencies get a fair chance when they are up for review next session.
GOP lawmakers want more oversight of child safety agency
A veteran state lawmaker says he wants more oversight of the Department of Child Safety, saying the agency is taking far too many children from their homes and then losing track of some of them.
Water managers weigh Colorado River’s future
The annual Colorado River Water Users Association met this week, but for the first time in several years, state water policy leaders say there’s less urgency for short-term fixes and more time to focus on long-term solutions.
Federal money funds new projects on Gila River Indian Community
New spending from President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda was announced today in the Gila River Indian Community and ground was broken for the second phase of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project, which will place solar panels over the Casa Blanca Canal.
County attorney kicks case against driver in deadly bicyclists crash to city court
Metro Phoenix's top prosecutor said Thursday her office will no longer pursue a case against a driver who crashed into a group of bicyclists, killing two of them.
Mayes files suit against makers, distributors of insulin accusing them of price hike conspiracies
Attorney General Kris Mayes filed suit Monday against manufacturers and distributors of insulin accusing them of conspiring to raise prices and keep them high.
Arizona Game and Fish restocks lakes with fish grown in hatcheries
Arizona Game and Fish’s six hatcheries have different areas of expertise. Some specialize in fish eggs while others are responsible for the fish at different stages of development, like Page Springs Hatchery, which raises the fish after they reach 2 inches.
New Children’s Action Alliance CEO passionate about public service
January Contreras never forgets a face. The new CEO of Children’s Action Alliance, one of the most respected nonpartisan groups in Arizona, still vividly remembers the constituents in crisis she has served, ranging from small business owners crushed by health care costs to grandparents caregiving for loved ones struggling with substance abuse.
Proposal would help families of children with disabilities by paying parents to be caregivers
In 2020, as a result of the Covid pandemic, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) requested and was granted emergency flexibility to use funds to pay parents for providing specialized care to their children under 18. Though the flexibility was previously extended, it is currently set to expire in March 2024. A proposal submitted by AHCCCS to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid [...]
Corrections seeks funds to phase out inmate fees
The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry requested funding in the next fiscal year to start phasing out the use of fees on deposits to inmate accounts and visitor background checks to supplement the department’s building renewal fund.
Number of failing schools fell; alternative schools headed the other way
The number of schools getting an F on the state’s annual report card has fallen sharply, going from 49 in 2019 to 24 this year, but the number of failing alternative schools rose over the same period.
Technology, toilets could make Arizona flush with drinking water
Arizonans eventually will be drinking treated sewage - what the state Department of Environmental Quality prefers to refer to as the product of "advanced water purification'' - for the simple reason that there just isn't enough water to serve a growing population.