Arizona Senate Republicans passed a “skinny budget” Wednesday afternoon that merely extends much of the $18 billion budget passed last year for another 12 months, despite Gov. Katie Hobbs saying that she intends to veto it if it reaches her desk. Read more»

President Joe Biden and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy huddled behind closed doors at the White House on Wednesday in the first of what will likely be several conversations as the country approaches two fiscal cliffs this year amid divided government. Read more»

As mobile homes continue to be displaced by development across Arizona, a bipartisan bill would increase allotments dispersed by the Mobile Home Relocation Fund, and increase the amount the landlord must pay to the fund for each tenant filing for relocation assistance. Read more»

With less than a month to go before schools are forced to cut $1.4 billion from their budgets, Arizona lawmakers took the first step towards addressing the problem on Tuesday — although some made sure to say they had reservations about doing so. Read more»

The city of Tucson will reimburse $4 million in tax revenue to American Battery Factory and $300,000 to Sion Power if both companies create dozens of manufacturing jobs with the new factories they'll building during the next five years. Read more»

Federal officials said they will consider a plan by Arizona and five other Colorado River basin states on how to further cut water consumption, even though the biggest user in the basin – California – has not signed off on it. Read more»

After the Federal Highway Administration passed over Arizona’s bid for a $360 million grant to widen I-10 between Chandler and Casa Grande, Republican lawmakers are proposing not waiting for federal funds and instead pay for the project solely with state tax dollars. Read more»

Scientists are finding in an ongoing study that despite the haze from far-off blazes, enough indirect sunlight was available to fuel the nation’s burgeoning solar panel industry in 2020 - good news as the U.S. government is seeking to quickly ramp up solar energy production. Read more»

The West has been slammed by wet weather this winter: Good news for the Colorado River, where all that moisture hints at a possible springtime boost for the reservoirs that have been crippled by drought - but many more years of heavy snow are needed to make a serious dent. Read more»

The San Carlos Apache Tribe is set to receive more than $166,000 in funding to help it address contaminated brownfield sites that threaten environmental and public health of the tribe. Read more»

With a possible recession on the horizon and amid great economic uncertainty, the state of Arizona will have quite a bit of extra cash in its general fund this year — but that excess will quickly dwindle in the next few years with current spending. Read more»

The city of Tucson received 15,000 pre-applications for housing and Section 8 voucher waitlists in January. About 2,000 residents will be randomly approved to move ahead with full applications this year, with the first to be notified by Feb. 15. Read more»

The EPA denied the requests of six coal plants - including the Salt River Project’s Coronado Generating Station - to keep dumping toxic ash into unlined or inadequately lined pits, signaling the agency’s commitment to enforce the 2015 federal coal ash rules. Read more»

A decision on the legality of DACA - when it eventually goes to the U.S. Supreme Court - is not expected to be issued until 2024, and while Congress appears unlikely to take action, participants in the program are left uncertain if they will be protected from deportation. Read more»

The PCC Governing Board will discuss the next in a long line of action steps required to get right with the Higher Learning Commission, which put the college on probation in 2013. Plus, OV wants bigger parks, and more in local government meetings this week. Read more»