Bill would penalize cities with higher minimum wage than state
State lawmakers are moving to financially penalize cities that have a minimum wage higher than the rest of the state. And they are doing it in a way designed to get around restrictions that voters put on legislators in 2016 when they said cities can have their own base wages.
California is lone holdout in Colorado River cuts proposal
Six Western states that rely on water from the Colorado River have agreed on a model to dramatically cut water use in the basin, months after the federal government called for action and an initial deadline passed.
Fontes seeks investigation of Lake for publishing voter signatures
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is seeking an investigation of failed Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake after the she published signatures of some people from the voter registration records.
No charges vs Phoenix policemen accused of excessive force
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced Monday that no criminal charges will be filed against two Phoenix officers accused of using excessive force during an arrest last year.
Rain, snow won’t be enough to end West’s drought
The West has been slammed by wet weather this winter: An “atmospheric river” has pummeled California with weeks of heavy rain and the Rocky Mountains are getting buried with snow. That’s good news for the Colorado River, but climate scientists say the 40 million people who use the river’s water should take the good news with a grain of salt.
Gun dealers fighting Mexico’s claim they’re responsible for violence
Attorneys for five Arizona gun dealers are asking a federal judge to toss out a claim by the Mexican government that they are responsible for violence in that country. In a new court filing, the team of lawyers says nothing in the complaint alleges any evidence that the weapons sold by the five companies -- three in Tucson, one in Yuma and one in Phoenix -- actually were used by Mexican cartels in[...]
Gallego holds first events of Arizona Senate campaign
Democrat Ruben Gallego held the first public events of his U.S. Senate campaign Saturday, taking aim at independent incumbent Kyrsten Sinema and casting his candidacy in a patriotic appeal to the American dream.
Should federal grants favor highway repair over expansion?
Arizona officials refer to a notoriously congested stretch of desert highway through tribal land as the Wild Horse Pass Corridor, a label that's less about horses than the bustling casino by the same name located just north of where the interstate constricts to four lanes.
Recent snowfalls may slow water level decline at Lake Mead
Hefty snowfalls that fed the Colorado River in recent weeks may slow the water level decline of Lake Mead on the Nevada-Arizona border, according to some experts.
In the West, pressure to count water lost to evaporation
Exposed to the beating sun and hot dry air, more than 10% of the water carried by the Colorado River evaporates, leaks or spills as the 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) powerhouse of the West flows through the region's dams, reservoirs and open-air canals.
AP Exclusive: Emails reveal tensions in Colorado River talks
Competing priorities, outsized demands and the federal government's retreat from a threatened deadline stymied a deal last summer on how to drastically reduce water use from the parched Colorado River, emails obtained by The Associated Press show.
Election-denying lawmakers hold key election oversight roles
Republican lawmakers who have spread election conspiracy theories and falsely claimed that the 2020 presidential outcome was rigged are overseeing legislative committees charged with setting election policy in two major political battleground states. Divided government in Arizona and Pennsylvania means that any voting restrictions those GOP legislators propose is likely to fail.