Senate considers measure to ask voters to approve constitutional change tied to emergencies
The state Senate was likely just a few minutes away from approving a measure last week that would ask Arizona voters to OK a constitutional amendment requiring the Legislature to reauthorize any state of emergency called by the governor every 30 days.
Nearly 100K Arizonans who got federal jobless benefits cut off early won’t get lost funds
About 100,000 Arizonans who got their extra federal unemployment benefits cut off early during the Covid pandemic by then-Gov. Doug Ducey because he instead wanted to get them to go to work at restaurants and hotels are not going to get the funds they lost.
Unwinding the pandemic without unwinding coverage
Unwinding pandemic-era policies doesn’t have to mean losing health insurance. Let’s work together to limit those who needlessly fall through the cracks.
Biden sending 1,500 troops for Mexico border migrant surge
The Biden administration will send 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border starting next week, ahead of an expected migrant surge following the end of Covid pandemic-era restrictions.
Sheriff Mark Lamb says he’s running for US Senate in Arizona
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb said Tuesday he's running for the U.S. Senate in Arizona, becoming the first Republican to jump into a high-profile race for the seat now held by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
Annual unclaimed property auction draws bargain hunters
Once a year, the Arizona Department of Revenue auctions off unclaimed property that is abandoned in safe deposit boxes around the state. If items sit inside a safe deposit box for more than three years after the lease or rental period on the box has expired, the property is considered unclaimed, according to the department’s website.
Supreme Court might have easy outs on elections, immigration
The Supreme Court soon could find itself with easy ways out of two high-profile cases involving immigration and elections, hot topics in Arizona and around the country, if indeed the justices are looking to avoid potentially messy, divisive decisions.
Senators mull penalizing absent state officials
Senators are considering legislation that would tighten absence rules for several state entities, including the Legislature.
Study shows number of students chronically absent jumped significantly
Helios Education Foundation, in partnership with WestEd, headed research on chronic absences rates and found in 2021, one in five K-8 students in Arizona schools was chronically absent. The learning loss from absences, compounded with learning loss from the pandemic, continues to threaten student mobility and drop-out rates.
How will asylum work after Title 42 ends? No one knows yet
The Biden administration has been conspicuously silent about how migrants should enter the United States when Trump-era asylum limits end, fueling rumors, confusion and doubts about the government's readiness despite more than two years to prepare.
Border communities, Border Patrol brace for migrant surge as Title 42 ends
Border communities and Border Patrol are preparing for a surge of migrants when Title 42 – which has been used throughout the pandemic to turn people away at the border – is scheduled to expire on Dec. 21.
Husband, wife lawmakers will attend after long absences
Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe, and her husband Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, will return to in-person meetings at the Legislature next session, according to Mendez. Salman and Mendez have avoided coming to the Capitol in-person since the onslaught of the Covid pandemic in March of 2020, but the other 88 lawmakers came back to work in person last year.