No, Republicans, "crazy" isn't a prerequisite for making life hard on Democrats, as Supervisor Steve Christy proves with some smart bird-dogging. ... Read more»
The Pima County Board of Supervisors will hold four budget hearings next Tuesday and Wednesday to go over a proposed $1.9 billion spending plan — complete with a sneaky tax hike — department by department.... Read more»
Tucson's $158 million "fund balance" creates opportunities for the City Council to spend on transportation and public safety priorities. Plus, more in our quick look at what's planned for local government meetings this week.
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Citing the state's record-high surplus, community advocacy organizations ACE and the People First Economy for Arizona called on legislators to ramp up education funding and mobilize the estimated $5.3 billion surplus to benefit Arizonans.... Read more»
Sahuarita Town Council members will discuss how to head off a legal battle and look at a draft deal with Global Water Co., which swooped in to buy the system the town was preparing to take over. Plus, what's on tap for other local government meetings this week.
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A $13 billion dollar budget, sold by Republican lawmakers as a continuation of last year’s budget while the legislature debates how to spend its current $5.3 billion dollar surplus, was promptly shot down in its first House Appropriations hearing.... Read more»
Pima County has started approving contracts with school districts that will fund their free preschool program for low-income families, called PEEPS, with federal COVID relief from the 2021 American Rescue Plan. The switch is expected to bring and keep more teachers and open more classrooms. ... Read more»
The combination of state tax collections that continue to exceed expectations and a recent court ruling striking down a voter-approved tax increase to spend more money on public schools means that Arizona lawmakers will have almost $5.3 billion in surplus revenue in the upcoming budget.... Read more»
Texas Military Department leaders told the state Senate Border Security Committee they need more than half a billion dollars in state funds to continue Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial border mission through the end of the fiscal year.... Read more»
Since George Floyd’s murder in 2020, federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have proposed meaningful federal police reform, but proposed legislation has fallen victim to political polarization, concerns over rising crime, and disagreement over how to address qualified immunity.... Read more»
President Joe Biden sent a new $5.8 trillion budget request to Congress on Monday that calls on lawmakers to institute a minimum tax on billionaires and boost spending on national security and public health. ... Read more»
Every Arizona voter who casts a ballot would have their name and address published online by election officials under a proposal being backed by Republican legislators. ... Read more»
Pima County government employees will have more time to use paid pandemic leave if they're infected with COVID-19 or stay home to deal with outbreaks in schools, after a unanimous vote of the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.... Read more»
A new court ruling means Arizona remains where it's always been — choosing to remain at the bottom of the national ladder in school funding. The untenable remains permanent, and everyone is to blame.... Read more»
A Maricopa County judge on Friday declared that a voter-approved income tax hike on wealthy Arizonans to fund public schools violates the state Constitution, though he made clear that he wasn’t particularly happy about it. ... Read more»
Pima County supervisors will tweak their drinking-on-the-job policy and review COVID payouts, while the first signs of a housing boomlet may be sprouting. ... Read more»
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