Tag: Gov. Doug Ducey

Gov. Doug Ducey Signs Legislation Easing License Costs for Arizona Veterans

Neil Jones

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey recently signed two House Bills (HB) which aim to lower certain license costs for veterans, including business and hunting licenses.

“Our veterans give us so much and Arizona is dedicated to finding more ways to honor them,” Ducey said in a press release. “This session, we delivered. We followed up on our State of the State promise to launch a program to waive in-state higher education tuition for the dedicated husbands and wives of veterans who have served and sacrificed as well. Arizona will continue to lower barriers and give back to this selfless and courageous community.”

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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey Signs Legislation Giving Record Funding to Border Security

Neil Jones

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) recently signed House Bill (HB) 2317 which directs $335 million to the Border Security Fund, calling it “the most meaningful border security legislation in Arizona history.”

“Arizona will not sit idly by as the Biden administration fails to do its job and safeguard our state and nation from the clear and present danger of an unsecure border,” Ducey said in a signing letter. “With this investment, we are giving our law enforcement professionals another critical resource they need to successfully do their jobs. We are standing up for the rule of law, and we are cementing Arizona’s commitment to securing our state and our entire nation.”

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Doug Ducey Orders Flags at Half-Staff to Honor Life of Fallen Yavapai County Sergeant

Neil Jones

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) ordered flags to fly at half-staff at state buildings to honor the life of Yavapai County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Richard Lopez, who was shot in the line of duty Tuesday.

“Arizona mourns Sgt. Richard Lopez, a man who answered the call of duty to protect and serve his community,” Ducey said. “This needless violence is truly terrible. Arizona will always stand with our brave law enforcement. Sgt. Lopez was an incredible community servant whose life was cut too short by a senseless act of lawlessness. Our prayers are with Sgt. Lopez’s wife and children, friends and Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office colleagues. In his honor, all state flags will be lowered to half-staff Friday, July 1.”

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Supreme Court Grants Brnovich’s Request to Allow an Arizona Pro-Life Law to Go into Effect

Neil Jones

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) granted Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s (R) request that pro-life law Senate Bill (SB) 1457 go into effect during litigation.

“I am pleased with today’s ruling and proud to defend Arizona’s law that protects the unborn,” Brnovich said. “The best of any society can be seen in how it treats its most vulnerable.”

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Arizona State Senate Republicans Join Cleanup Effort After Pro-Abortion Demonstrators Caused Damage at State Capitol

Neil Jones

Arizona State Senate Republicans joined the clean-up effort Monday after the recent violent pro-abortion demonstrations caused damage at the State Capitol.

“Starting around 6:30 a.m. today, Senator Paul Boyer (R-20), Senator Kelly Townsend (R-16) and Senator Sine Kerr (R-13) joined a team of about 30, consisting of state groundskeepers and inmate work crews, to remove graffiti from more than a dozen areas around the plaza,” according to a press release from the Arizona State Senate Republican Party (GOP).

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Paul Gosar Gives Condolences to the Family of Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney

Neil Jones

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04), among other Arizona officials, released a statement offering condolences after the recent loss of Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney.

“Maude [Gosar] and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Mayor Barney and we send our deepest condolences to Pam and her family. Mayor Barney loved Queen Creek and was a tireless champion for all those that live in this community,” Gosar said. “Today, we lift his entire family up in prayer during this most difficult time.”

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State Senator Kerr Aims to Help Alleviate Arizona’s School Bus Driver Shortage

Neil Jones

State Senator Sine Kerr’s (R-Buckeye) Senate Bill (SB) 1630, which aims to alleviate the current school bus driver shortage Arizona faces, was recently signed into law by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R).

“Arizona is a prime example of just how grossly understaffed school districts and charter schools across the nation are when it comes to bus drivers,” Kerr said in a press release. “Drivers with a CDL [Commercial Drivers License] are in high demand, and we’re losing them to big companies like Amazon and Fed Ex. A mixture of outdated federal and state laws are only exacerbating the problem. The end result is children are experiencing big delays in their pick-ups, field trips and athletic events are being cancelled, parents are forced to drive inordinate distances to get their children to class, drivers are working sometimes 15-hour days to combat the shortage, and administrators are being forced to pick up some of the workload themselves.”

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Walter Blackman and Shawnna Bolick Among Arizona Officials Who Applaud the Landmark SCOTUS Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade

Neil Jones

Arizona State Representatives Walt Blackman (R-Sedona) and Shawnna Bolick (R-San Miguel) are among Arizona officials who released a statement applauding the landmark decision from the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturns Roe v. Wade.

“As state legislators, we support protecting all lives, especially our most vulnerable. We will continue to advocate for families and promote life. Now that Roe has been overturned, decisions about abortion policy become a states’ rights issue,” the representatives said in a joint statement.

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State Representative Nguyen’s ‘Glenn Martin Act’ Aims to Require Hospitals to Allow Daily In-Person Visitation

Neil Jones

Arizona State Rep. Quang Nguyen’s (R-AZ-01) “Glenn Martin Act,” which aims to require hospitals to allow daily in-person visitation, became law on Monday with Gov. Doug Ducey’s (R) signature.

“Some of the restrictive visitation policies put in place by facilities during the pandemic had consequences far beyond that of protecting patient health,” Nguyen said in a press release. “Patients were separated from their families, clergy, and others for long periods. That can be detrimental to a patient’s mental and physical health and is especially devastating in an end-of-life situation.”

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New Arizona Law Expands Eligible Bus Driver Pool

The Center Square

After years of struggling to hire and retain school bus drivers, Arizona lawmakers and Gov. Doug Ducey hope to have enacted a solution.

“Drivers with a CDL are in high demand, and we’re losing them to big companies like Amazon and FedEx. A mixture of outdated federal and state laws are only exacerbating the problem,” said Sen. Sine Kerr, R-Maricopa, “Children are experiencing big delays in their pick-ups, field trips and athletic events are being canceled, parents are forced to drive inordinate distances to get their children to class, drivers are working sometimes 15-hour days to combat the shortage, and administrators are being forced to pick up some of the workload themselves.”

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New Arizona Law Aims to Require Anti-Communist Civics Education in Arizona High Schools

Neil Jones

Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law Friday that requires anti-Communist civics education to be taught in Arizona high schools.

House Bill (HB) 2008 directs the State Board of Education to update its high school social studies academic standards, which only included personal finance and American civics education. The update will consist of a comparative discussion of political ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism, in opposition to the freedom and democracy essential to the United States’ founding principles.

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New Arizona Law Bars Commerce Linked to Chinese Forced Labor

Neil Jones

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed a bill this week that aims to bar state and local entities from contracting with companies linked to forced labor camps in China.

State Representative Justin Wilmeth (R-Deer Valley), who introduced House Bill (HB) 2488, said as a student of history he knows what happens when good people stay silent.

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Arizona Governor Doug Ducey Declares a State of Emergency for Pipeline Fire

Neil Jones

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency today for the Pipeline Fire burning in Coconino County.

“Public safety is our top priority,” Ducey said. “As state and local fire officials work to contain the blaze, our office will ensure emergency officials have the resources to respond to and recover from the fire’s scars. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground to provide all support necessary to mitigate the fire and protect people, pets and property. We continue to pray for the safety of all firefighters and first responders who are battling hot and windy conditions. For a community still recovering from the path of the Tunnel Fire in April, this new blaze is a reminder for all Arizonans to be vigilant and safe this wildfire season.”

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Arizona Will Soon Prohibit Warrantless Police Searching of Painkiller Medical Records

The Center Square

Arizona law will limit police access to Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (CSPMP) data.

Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill into law that will require law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to provide a valid search warrant to access Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program (CSPMP) data from the State Board of Pharmacy (Board).

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Brnovich Argues: Arizona Needs a Lawful Elections Procedures Manual

Neil Jones

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AGO) argued in Yavapai Superior Court last week to ensure Arizona has a lawful elections procedures manual (EPM) for the upcoming 2022 elections.

“Regardless of individual politics or party, everyone should understand the importance of maintaining public confidence in our elections,” Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) said in a press release. “I brought suit to support confidence in the integrity of our elections and accuracy of the results.”

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Arizona State Sen. Mesnard Speaks About Onsite Tabulation for Mail-In Voting Bill

Neil Jones

Arizona State Senator J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler) spoke with The Arizona Sun Times about the effect SB 1632 – a newly-signed bill he sponsored – may have on the perception of mail-in voting. The measure aims to provide onsite tabulation for early ballots.

“I think the issues, the oppositions, the concerns surrounding mail-in ballots are wide and vast and that this [law] may help mitigate some of it, but those issues are much more fundamental.

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Arizona Senator Fires Back After Tucson Vows to Ignore State’s New Abortion Law

Peter D'Abrosca

A Republican State Senator fired back at the city of Tucson, whose Democrat leaders Tuesday passed a resolution saying the city will not enforce the state’s new ban on abortion after 15 weeks of gestation.

“This resolution is meaningless. The City of Tucson does not have the legal authority to block a state law regarding abortion, which is of statewide concern and subject to the sole jurisdiction of the State Legislature. Cities cannot decide the legality of any state law for that matter,” State Sen. Nancy Barto (R-District 15) told The Arizona Sun Times. “That’s outside the scope of their authority. The City of Tucson will be in the position of losing state shared revenues if they persist in this action. We’ve reached out to the Attorney General’s office for comment on this blatant disregard for law and overreach in regulating health professionals that have to comply with our state laws.”

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Sen. Townsend’s Bill Aims to Change Federal Voter Registration Form to Include Proof of Citizenship

Neil Jones

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) signed State Senator Kelly Townsend’s (R-Mesa) Senate bill (SB) into law on Monday, which aims to update the federal voter registration form to include Arizona’s proof of citizenship instructions.

“Current statute requires that in order to be eligible to vote in Arizona, a registrant must be a citizen of the United States. The United States Election Assistance Commission [EAC] oversees the federal voter registration form, which does not currently contain Arizona’s proof of citizenship instructions. SB 1013 will now require the Secretary of State [Katie Hobbs (D)] to submit a request to the U.S. EAC to include Arizona’s state specific proof of citizenship instructions on the federal voter registration form by Dec. 31, 2022,” Townsend noted in a statement.

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Ducey Orders Flags Fly at Half-Staff to Honor a Fallen Police Officer

Neil Jones

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) ordered flags at half-staff Monday to honor the loss of White Mountain Apache Police Officer Adrian Lopez.

“This is a heartbreaking loss. Officer Adrian Lopez served with the White Mountain Apache Police Department for just five months when he lost his life in the line of duty,” Ducey said in a statement. “There is no greater act of selflessness than for one to lay down his life for another. Officer Lopez will be remembered as a selfless and brave protector. This is a sobering reminder of the danger our law enforcement officers face every day to keep others safe. Acts of violence and lawlessness against our law enforcement is unacceptable. In this time of mourning, our prayers are with Officer Lopez’s wife, child and loved ones as well as the White Mountain Apache Tribe.”

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Karen Fann Pushes Plan Aimed to Support Forest Management: ‘We Have Dealt with Catastrophic Fires’

Neil Jones

Arizona Senate President Karen (R-Prescott) defended House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 2038 this week, which would express support for proper forest management.

“Arizona is in a unique situation,” said Fann. “We have dealt with catastrophic fires, and they are getting worse over the last 20 – 30 years. The Rodeo Chediski Fire, if you remember that horrible fire, part of the reason it was so bad and got so out of control is because of a lot of the underbrush that was never allowed to be cleared out.”

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Arizona Police Seize 500,000 Fentanyl Pills from Two Phoenix Women

Neil Jones

Monday, Casa Grande police seized approximately 500,000 Fentanyl pills from two Arizona women after a traffic stop.
Lopez, 31, and Solis, 30, were arrested and booked for charges involving narcotic drugs, weapon dismantlement, and child endangerment. Authorities placed the two juveniles in the custody of the Department of Child Safety.

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Arizona Attorney General’s Office Warns That Cartels Use Social Media to Recruit Teenagers in Smuggling Operations

Neil Jones

Monday, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AGO) released a press release stating the cartel recruits American Citizens, including teenagers, to smuggle undocumented immigrants into the country through social media.

“Ads on social media intercepted by law enforcement are now offering load drivers up to $2,000 for each passenger picked up at the border and driven north to a specified location. The lucrative deal is not only attracting people as young as 14 years old from the greater Phoenix area but also men and women of all ages and even drivers from out of state, who come to Arizona to cash in on the commute for the cartel. Nearly all of the drivers stopped are U.S. citizens,” according to a press release from the AGO.

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New Arizona Law Prohibits Mask Mandates on Government Property

Neil Jones

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) signed a bill recently banning mask mandates on Arizona government property.

“Citizens should not be required to wear a mask to access government services,” said the State Representative Neal Carter (R-Phoenix), who sponsored the measure.” This law prevents policy setting by unelected bureaucrats which, in my own experience, led to the public being denied entry to some county buildings that continued to impose mask requirements long after such mandates had been widely dispensed with or prohibited around the state.”

House Bill (HB) 2453 received “unanimous support from House and Senate Republicans.”

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Gov. Ducey Suggests Reviving His ‘Red Flag’ Gun Control Bill, Arizona Citizens Defense League Responds with 53,000 Email Alerts

Rachel Alexander

Politicians, including some Republicans, are calling for gun control after a recent spate of mass shootings, particularly last week’s involving a gunman who shot and killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas. Gov. Doug Ducey pushed for “red flag” gun control laws previously, including in 2019 after two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, and indicated this week he may renew that effort. The Arizona Citizens’ Defense League (AZCDL) immediately sent out 53,000 email alerts.

“Politicians like Ducey are dancing in the blood of victims as opposed to saving people’s lives,” AZCDL Communications Director Charles Heller told The Arizona Sun Times. “We need to stop the psychopaths who are doing this, by taking action like implementing FASTER, which trains teachers and staff at schools to arm themselves after proper training. Ducey’s statement is a profile in cowardice, he’s acting like politicians do when they are afraid of not getting votes.”

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Arizona Enacts Biomarker Testing Expansion

Admin

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed legislation to ensure that more insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover biomarker testing.

Ducey signed House Bill 2144 into law. The bill’s goal is to increase the chances of cancer patients surviving, improve their quality of life, and provide lower healthcare costs to them, according to a press release from Ducey’s office.

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Arizona Expands Right to Try

The Center Square

Arizona will now allow patients the right to try medical remedies that could save their lives but have not been given government approval for use.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed the Right to Try for Individualized Treatments (SB1163) on Monday this week. This came one week after the bill passed in the Arizona House of Representatives with bipartisan support.

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Arizona Lawmakers Approve Right to Try Expansion

The Center Square

Arizona is inching closer toward enacting new legislation allowing a patient the right to try remedies that could save their lives but not given government approval for use.

The Arizona House of Representatives passed the Right to Try for Individualized Treatments (SB1163) on Monday. The bill passed in the Arizona Senate in February, so now it will soon head to Gov. Doug Ducey’s desk for his signature. 

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Gov. Ducey Signs 2022’s First Election Integrity Bill Which Closes Loophole on Non-Citizens Voting, Opponents Blast It

Rachel Alexander

The whole country is watching Arizona to see if it will strengthen election integrity laws after fraud was highly suspected there in the 2020 presidential election. So far during the 2022 legislative session, the Arizona Legislature has referred one comprehensive measure to the ballot, the Arizonans for Voter ID Act, and sent its first bill to Gov. Doug Ducey to sign or veto. HB 2492, sponsored by State Rep. Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek), requires proof of citizenship in order to vote, with the exception of voting in congressional elections which is preempted by federal law. 

The law, which passed both chambers along party lines, establishes tough penalties for those who violate it; it is a felony for election officials to register voters without proof of citizenship. County recorders are required to regularly cross-reference registered voters with citizenship databases. It gives the Arizona Attorney General authority to investigate. 

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Three More States Consider Bills Banning Men from Women’s Sports

Admin

Arizona, Kentucky and Oklahoma are the latest states considering bans on biological males participating in girls’ and women’s sports, with all three states passing legislation Thursday addressing the issue.

The Arizona legislature passed two bills addressing transgender issues that currently await Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s signature. If enacted, one bill will ban biological males from girls’ sports teams while the other will ban gender reassignment surgeries for minors.

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Arizona Judge Strikes Down Prop 208 Tax Hike

The Center Square

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge has struck down a tax placed on high-earning Arizona residents to fund public education.

Proposition 208, which was approved by 51.7% of voters in the November 2020 election, added a 3.5% tax on single filers earning more than $250,000 per year and joint filers earning more than $500,000 per year, with the revenue going towards public education.

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Arizona House Votes to Cap Emergency Declarations at Two Weeks

The Center Square

Arizona House Republicans unanimously support ending an emergency declaration that has not received their consent to continue beyond a couple weeks.

Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, continually has renewed his emergency declaration, which initially was ordered in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic had just begun. It has allowed his expanded powers of executive orders to remain for nearly two years.

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Signatures Continue to Climb on Petition to Reverse Arizona State University Policy Mandating Vaccination Boosters for Student-Athletes at Away Games

Rachel Alexander

Arizona State University instituted a COVID-19 vaccine booster mandate on Jan. 11 for student-athletes participating in away games. Outraged student-athletes launched a petition to demand that ASU reverse the mandate, which has over 1,700 signatures so far. 

The petition, which was started anonymously probably due to fear of retaliation, states in part, “In a collective and respectful agreement amongst the athletes of various sports teams at Arizona State, we are voicing our stance to fight for the right to dictate what we decide goes into our bodies regarding the COVID-19 vaccination booster shot. … We want to express that there should NOT be a forced decision to be made by us athletes that causes us to sacrifice the season and competition we come to Arizona State for.”

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Arizona Sues Treasury Department over Federal Money Being Used for Schools Without Mask Rules

Admin

Arizona GOP Gov. Doug Ducey is suing the Biden administration over its demand that the state stop sending millions in federal COVID-19 relief money on schools without mask requirements or that close due to virus outbreaks.

The lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Phoenix follows the Treasury Department demanding last week that Ducey either restructure the $163 million program to eliminate restrictions the agency says undermine public health recommendations or face a demand for repayment, according to the Associated Press.

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Arizona and Three Other Red States Have Gained All Jobs Back That Were Lost Due to COVID-19

Rachel Alexander

As the economy turns around with the COVID-19 pandemic receding and lockdowns and restrictions fading, some states are recovering better than others. Only Arizona, Texas, Utah, and Idaho, some of the reddest states in the country, have all returned to pre-pandemic job levels. 

According to Adam Kamins, director of regional economics at Moody’s Analytics, this is largely due to people wanting to move to those states. “Those four states have experienced persistently strong population growth, which really wasn’t dented by the pandemic,” he told The Wall Street Journal. “More and more people keep coming from expensive coastal cities to places like Dallas and Phoenix, which have a relatively lower cost of living and higher quality of life.”

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Measure to Cancel Arizona Income Tax Cut Certified for 2022 Ballot

The Center Square
People voting

Voters in Arizona will have the chance to strike down the largest personal income tax cut in state history. 

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs notified Gov. Doug Ducey’s office Friday that her office certified a ballot initiative to appear on the November 2022 general election ballot. Designated as Proposition 307, the initiative needs a simple majority to vote “no” to strike down Senate Bill 1828. The law gradually flattens Arizona’s progressive income tax to 2.5%. 

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GOP Senate Campaign Committee Denies Recruiting Arizona Gov. Ducey for Mark Kelly Challenge

Neil W. McCabe

The communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee denied rumors to the Arizona Sun Times that the NRSC chairman, Sen. Richard L. “Rick” Scott (R.-Fla.), is recruiting Arizona Gov. Douglas A. “Doug” Ducey Jr., to run against Democrat Sen. Mark E. Kelly.

“I think your questions reflect a misunderstanding with what the NRSC does and what Chairman Scott does in terms of recruiting,” said Chris Hartline, who before becoming NRSC communications director, worked in a similar capacity on Scott’s Senate staff.

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Report: Arizona to Add 700K Jobs by 2030, Triple the U.S. Rate

The Center Square

Arizona’s economic conditions are estimated to attract hundreds of thousands of new workers to the state.

A report from the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity indicated the state’s economic growth is expected to outpace the national average.

“The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) is projecting Arizona employment to increase to 3,751,905 jobs in 2030 from 3,030,216 jobs in 2020,” the report said. “This represents growth of 721,689 jobs, or 2.2% annualized growth. By comparison, United States employment is projected to grow by 0.7% annually from 2020 to 2030.”

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Arizona Governor Ducey Blasts Upcoming Biden Vaccine Mandate, Promises to ‘Continue Fighting’

Cooper Moran

Governor Doug Ducey on Thursday spoke out against the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate, pledging to “continue fighting.”

The mandate will force companies with 100 or more employees to mandate the coronavirus vaccine or weekly testing for unvaccinated individuals.

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Arizona Supreme Court Strikes GOP Mask Mandate Ban

The Center Square

Arizona’s high court unanimously ruled that the Republican-controlled Legislature violated a part of the state constitution when it used a budget bill to implement a mask mandate ban.

The state Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday over the Legislature’s mask mandate ban and whether it and other provisions in the bills should be allowed to stand. The challenge isn’t to the ban but rather how lawmakers did so.

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Arizona Gov. Ducey: Cartels Using ‘Uber-Like’ System for Human Smuggling

Peter D'Abrosca

After a Wednesday meeting with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Tucson Sector, Gov. Doug Ducey (R) explained to KTAR what he learned. 

“One real eye-opening thing that we learned yesterday is that the cartels are using social media to pick up folks that have been trafficked over the border,” Ducey reportedly said. “They’re actually offering American citizens cash on the spot if they’ll deliver people from border drop-off points, like an illegal Uber into the state.”

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Arizona Universities to Follow Federal Order for Workers to be Vaccinated

The Center Square

Workers at the University of Arizona must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

That’s the news from university President Robert Robbins in response to President Joe Biden’s order that any public or private organization that benefits from federal tax dollars must install a vaccination mandate.

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Former President Trump Urges Action to Strengthen Arizona Elections

Cooper Moran

Former President Donald Trump on Friday raised concerns over absentee ballots in Arizona’s 2020 election and urged action to strengthen the integrity of the process.

Pointing to new accusations from Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, Trump questioned the number of absentee ballots returned in Pima County.

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Civil Forfeiture Lawsuit Against Arizona Moving Forward

The Center Square
Arizona State Trooper SUV

A federal appeals court has ruled a Washington state couple’s lawsuit against the state of Arizona over what they say was an unconstitutional seizure of their property can continue.

Terry and Ria Platt loaned their vehicle in 2016 to their son to use on vacation when Arizona state troopers stopped him on Interstate 40 in Navajo County for having tinted windows. A K-9 search discovered a small amount of marijuana in the 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, and police also found $31,000 in cash.

Police seized the car and money, although neither the Platts nor their son was ever charged with a crime.

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Ducey, GOP Governors Lay Out Plan for Biden to Strengthen the Southern Border

Cooper Moran

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and eight other GOP governors on Wednesday toured the U.S. Southern border and presented a 10-point plan for President Joe Biden to strengthen the border.

The conference of GOP governors follows Biden ignoring a letter from the group, which requested a meeting to discuss solutions to the ongoing crisis.

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GOP Governors Ignored by Biden Offer Solutions to Border Crisis Anyway

Peter D'Abrosca

After a group of 26 Republican governors, spearheaded by Gov. Doug Ducey (R), sent a letter to the Biden Administration requesting to meet and discuss the ongoing crisis at the border, the group is pushing forward with solutions.

That letter, sent in late September, was ignored by the White House. 

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GOP Governors Gather in Texas to Address Border Crisis

The Center Square

Nine Republican governors are joining Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona in Mission, Texas, Wednesday to discuss the ongoing border crisis and President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.

Ducey and Abbott will be joined by Govs. Brian Kemp of Georgia, Brad Little of Idaho, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Greg Gianforte of Montana, Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Kristi Noem of South Dakota and Mark Gordon of Wyoming.

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Treasury Department Prevents Ducey from Awarding Grants to Schools That Do Not Have a Mask Mandate

Cooper Moran

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday blocked Arizona Governor Doug Ducey from utilizing federal COVID-19 aide toward grants for school systems in the state that do not have mask mandates.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo penned a letter to Ducey, informing the Republican governor that the grants were “not a permissible use” of the relief aide.

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FBI: No Word on Suspects in Tucson Train Shooting That Left DEA Agent Dead

Peter D'Abrosca
Amtrak 168 leading the Silver Meteor through Folkston, GA in November of 2008.

A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent and one suspect were killed after a shootout on an Amtrak train in Tucson Monday. 

According to Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus, the Counter Narcotics Alliance, which is comprised of local and federal agents, boarded the train for a routine spot-check for contraband like illegal weapons and narcotics when the train stopped in the city. 

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Arizona Establishes New Cyber Command Center to Prevent Attacks

Cooper Moran
Doug Ducey

Governor Doug Ducey on Monday established the state’s new Cyber Command Center at a ceremony at the Department of Public Safety’s Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) in Phoenix.

The new cyber center will serve as Arizona’s main headquarters for managing statewide cybersecurity operations for officials at each level of government.

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