Buckmaster: Wheeler reports on budget showdown

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»   

Dozens of PE, arts and music and other teachers across 16 Tucson Unified School District elementary and middle school campuses may be out of jobs at the end of the year, as officials shift spending plans for remaining federal pandemic relief funds. Read more»   

The Arizona Corporation Commission approved a natural gas rate hike on Jan. 10, in part because of misrepresentations of the intent of consumer advocates involved in the process that public records show Southwest Gas helped organize. 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»   

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»   

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»   

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»   

For the third time in as many years, Arizona lawmakers are trying to pass legislation that would ban so-called “critical race theory” in public schools, though the measure stands virtually no chance of becoming law with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in the executive office. Read more»   

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