Senate panel recommends approving Hobbs’ ADOT head pick after grilling
A Senate panel agreed Monday to recommend confirmation of Katie Hobbs' pick to head the Department of Transportation -- but not before the chairman grilled her on her personal beliefs and at one point suggested she was not being truthful.
House committee advances bill to limit messages on freeways, major roads
On a 7-4 vote Friday the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved a measure which limits the messages on freeways and other major roads in the state to those "directly related to transportation or highway public safety.''
Virtual workforce is choice for more than half of state’s employees
The “New Reality” of a virtual workforce is proving to live beyond the pandemic necessity of 2020 and has emerged as the go-to choice for nearly half of the State of Arizona’s 32,000 person workforce.
Minority groups may face fewer opioid addiction treatment options
The opioid epidemic has touched all races, but when it comes to seeking treatment, some minority groups are at a distinct disadvantage, a panel of experts said at a recent online forum.
Chaplik pushes bill to require businesses to accept cash
Republican Rep. Joseph Chaplik of Scottsdale wants to be sure that Arizonans don't get turned away from businesses in the state because they want to use "legal tender'' or cash to pay.
Pandemic, culture wars revive ‘school choice’ policy push
With memories fresh from pandemic-era school closures and curriculum battles — particularly over how matters of gender and race are taught — legions of parents are trekking to the marble floors of their state Capitols to fight to create education savings accounts, also known as ESAs. Such accounts exist in Arizona and West Virginia, though Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs argues the dollars would be b[...]
Sinema’s immigration plan doesn’t work for Arizonans
Kyrsten Sinema -- Arizona's Democrat-turned-independent U.S. senator -- and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina recently negotiated an immigration package that, in theory, could solve the worst border crisis in American history. Unfortunately, in practice, the package would do little to staunch the record influx of illegal immigrants. If anything, it could make the problem even worse.
Navajo Nation rescinds mask mandate on vast reservation
The Navajo Nation has rescinded a mask mandate that's been in effect since the early days of the Covid pandemic, officials announced Friday, fulfilling a pledge that new tribal President Buu Nygren made while campaigning for the office.
Maricopa County’s ozone pollution is high and getting worse
Maricopa County’s ozone levels are getting worse, harming the health of its 4.5 million residents and threatening to cost the region billions of dollars in the coming years.
Biden intends to make his first visit to US-Mexico border
President Joe Biden said Wednesday he intends to visit the U.S.-Mexico border — his first since taking office — in connection with his meeting next week in Mexico City with the leaders of Mexico and Canada.
Arizona’s falling vaccination rates could lead to serious health issues in future
Vaccination rates among schoolchildren in Arizona have steadily declined since 2012, but the Covid pandemic accelerated the drop across the state. The trend is unlikely to reverse any time soon, which could result in serious health consequences for Arizonans in the future, experts fear.
Arizona slipped from top 10 in Pentagon spending, but defense economy still strong
Pentagon spending in Arizona fell sharply in fiscal 2021, part of an overall decline in expenditures nationally that bumped the state from seventh place among states to 13th, according to Defense Department data released this fall.