Despite Huge Funding Lead in Senate Race, Kelly Still Faces a Challenge
WASHINGTON – Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly has raised more than $27.5 million for his reelection bid this fall, almost twice the total raised by a half-dozen Republican challengers, according to new campaign finance reports. But political analysts said Kelly’s “giant war chest” – the fourth-most among Senate campaigns nationwide in 2021 – does not…
Biden Cites 40-Day Timeline for Supreme Court Confirmation
WASHINGTON — The chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin, and the panel’s top Republican, Chuck Grassley, met with the president Tuesday afternoon to discuss a 40-day confirmation timeline for a new Supreme Court pick. “The Constitution says, ‘advise and consent, advice and consent,’ and I’m serious when I say that I want the…
Mayoral Power To Shut Down Businesses in Emergencies Limited by New Legislation
Mayors would no longer be able to order businesses to close during a state of emergency under a GOP-backed proposal fueled by anger stemming from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Arizona cities ordered many businesses to temporarily close. It’s the latest attempt to reduce the use of emergency powers, following the advancement…
Schools That Don’t Display the Flag and Constitution Could Face Fines
Arizona schools could be fined up to $1,000 if they don’t display the United States flag, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and allow students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. “This is a (law) I’m now adding teeth to,” Sen. Wendy Rogers, the bill’s sponsor, told the Senate Education Committee Tuesday afternoon about…
The Daily Agenda: The Rent Is Too Damn High!
Rents in the Phoenix area kept climbing last year, making it one of the U.S. cities with the steepest annual increases, the Washington Post reports. But if you rent in Phoenix, you already knew that. Still, the Post helpfully quantifies Phoenix’s annual average rent increase at an eye-popping 26%. Other lists put several Arizona cities into the top 10…
Pima County Schools Strained by lack of COVID-19 Testing as FEMA Sites Open
TUCSON – Two COVID-19 testing sites funded by Federal Emergency Management Agency opened last week to mitigate the shortage of rapid testing in Pima County, a problem that’s especially acute for businesses and public schools. The two sites, at Pima Community College West Campus and at Kino Event Center in Tucson, are drive-thru PCR testing…
Mayoral Power To Shut Down Businesses In Emergencies Limited By New Legislation
Mayors would no longer be able to order businesses to close during a state of emergency under a GOP-backed proposal fueled by anger stemming from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Arizona cities ordered many businesses to temporarily close. It’s the latest attempt to reduce the use of emergency powers, following the advancement…
Election Workers Could Be Charged With Crimes for Making Mistakes Under GOP Bills
The Senate Government Committee gave its approval to proposed legislation that would punish election workers who misplace ballots and penalize contractors who don’t meet the terms of their contracts. Senate Bill 1055 states that a contractor who provides election-related services to the state or a county “and that fails to perform its obligations under the…
The Daily Agenda: It’s Brnovich vs. The World
It’s easy to run for office when you’re already in office … We’re getting the legislative band back together … And he’s attempting a Hulk Hogan impression Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich seems to grab daily headlines lately. We’re sure it’s just a coincidence for the AG who’s running for U.S. Senate. On Monday, he…
Abortion Fight In Arizona Heating Up, Even As Supreme Court Weighs Roe
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court is expected to weaken or reverse its landmark Roe v. Wade abortion-rights ruling this year, but advocates on both sides of the issue in Arizona are not waiting for the court to act. Opponents have filed a half-dozen bills in the Legislature, including bills that mirror the laws the high…
‘It’s not really practical’: Republican Wants to Go From 30 House Districts to 90
When the next Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission convenes in 2031, it might be drawing 90 single-member House districts instead of 30 districts with two representatives apiece, at least if Sen. J.D. Mesnard has any say over it. For the second consecutive year, Mesnard has introduced a proposed ballot referral that would dramatically alter the makeup…
Jan. 6 Congressional Panel Subpoenas Bogus pro-Trump Electors from Arizona, six other states
WASHINGTON —The congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol subpoenaed on Friday 14 people from seven states who participated as fake electors following the 2020 presidential election. Groups from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin all allegedly sent in lists of so-called alternate electors to the National Archives. The groups…
Special Master Chooses Experts for ‘Audit’ Examination of Routers and Logs
The special master who is overseeing the examination of Maricopa County’s routers as part of the so-called “audit” of the 2020 election has selected his team of experts, and the Senate has provided him with a list of questions it wants answered. The end goal of the examination is to see whether Maricopa County’s election…
The Daily Agenda: Florida Man Shows Up in Arizona Court
The Jan. 6 Arizona ties keep growing … The number of bills filed by the Arizona Legislature does, too … And we’re going to act like we’ve never committed a typo. Two Arizonans were among a list of 14 people across seven states who were subpoenaed by the Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the…
Biden Vows to Nominate First Black Woman to Supreme Court by End of February
WASHINGTON — Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer formally announced his retirement Thursday, giving President Joe Biden his first, and possibly only, opportunity to make a nomination for the lifetime appointment. At the White House, Biden said he will make his decision by the end of February and recommitted to nominating the court’s first Black female…
Arizona Businesses with Vaccine Mandates Would Face $500K Lawsuits under GOP Proposal
Arizonan businesses would be on the hook for half a million dollars in damages if they refuse a religious exemption from an employee who later experiences significant injury as a result of getting vaccinated under a proposal advancing in the GOP-controlled legislature. Employers who both deny a religious exemption and require a vaccination for continued…
Move to Limit Gubernatorial Emergency Powers, Sparked by COVID-19, Advances
New legislation that limits the power of future Arizona governors to declare a public health emergency has passed the Senate Government Committee with a slim margin and now awaits debate by the full Senate. Senate Bill 1009 caps a governor’s state of emergency proclamation for reasons of public health to 120 days, and only 30…
The Daily Agenda, Friday Edition: Better Than Watching The Office
One-time Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan yesterday pulled perhaps the most surprising stunt of his short-lived career as a rogue election auditor without any experience in elections or audits: He showed up for his deposition. The last time he was summoned to testify about blowing off court orders to turn over public records, he blew it…
GOP Bill Would Force Teachers To Out LGBTQ Students To Parents
Arizona Republicans this week lined up behind a measure that would discipline teachers and open them up to lawsuits if they don’t tell parents everything a student tells them — even if the student confides that he or she is gay or transgender. The legislation, House Bill 2161, would make it illegal for a government…
The Daily Agenda: 1958 Is Gonna Be a Good Year
Maybe the real laws are the racists we meet along the way … Resignations all around … And watch where you protest. Some of Arizona’s MAGA-est legislators introduced their fantasy legislation to eliminate voting as most Arizonans know it and allow lawmakers to decide election results instead. House Bill 2596 is a multifaceted assault on the concept…
No Refuge: Tucson’s Homeless Crisis is Getting Worse
Tina Casalvera became homeless in 2019 after she lost her job at Walmart and was unable to pay her rent on time. She was evicted. Casalvera, 49, has been unable to find a new place to live with an eviction on her record, so she joined Tucson’s growing ranks of homeless people. She sets up…
City Week: Weekly Picks
Editor’s Note: While we are delighted to see Tucsonans once again gathering for fun events, we are also aware that variants are in widespread circulation. Please consider getting vaccinated against COVID if you haven’t yet. La Encantada Fine Art Market. If you know and love any artists, you probably know they’ve been hard hit by…
Triple Play: Ballet Tucson Presents a Trio of Decidedly Different Dances This Weekend
Jenna Johnson in “Swan Lake.” This weekend at Leo Rich, Ballet Tucson is performing three decidedly different dances. First up, Swan Lake, one of the most beloved of classic ballets, will be on a local stage for the first time in years. The troupe will perform only Act II, but that’s the work’s most…
Electronica Avenue: Jimkata Making Arizona Debut at Gem & Jam Festival
Electronic rock band Jimkata will make their Arizona performance debut at the Gem & Jam Musical Festival on Saturday, Feb. 5, with Bonfires, an album that wrestles with the highs and lows of identity crises. Lead singer and guitarist Evan Friedell began working on the lyrics for Bonfires after the band split in 2017. Friedell,…
XOXO: Mark Your Calendars
Thursday, Jan. 27 A hit single can change your life. Citing American poetry (the works of Walt Whitman in particular) as inspiration for her songwriting, Joan Osborne was a well-regarded figure on New York’s blues club scene, but practically unknown elsewhere at the beginning of 1995. But that had changed by March, when the release…
Spinning Away: Tino’s Pizza Closing After Nearly Four Decades of Serving Pie
After 37 years serving hand-crafted pizza to generations of Tucsonans, Tino’s Pizza will permanently close its doors on Wednesday, Feb. 2, retiring the legacy of its late owner Dino Chonis. “After my dad passed, we were only closed for two days. The staff was ready to rally, the community was ready to rally,” said Morgan…
Smoking The Competition: Pima County Dems Give a Nod to Louisiana Senatorial Candidate’s Weed-Based Campaign Ad
In a tweet that the Pima County Democratic Party called “an important campaign ad,” Louisiana Democratic Senate candidate Gary Chambers debuted his campaign with “37 Seconds,” which featured Chambers smoking a fat blunt while he talked about the damage the War on Drugs has done to communities of color. As of Jan. 24, the video…
Gimme Shelter
Between out-of-reach home prices rising rents and the COVID crisis, it’s getting harder and harder for people to keep a roof over their heads, so it’s no surprise that the number of homeless people in our community is on the rise. This week, Madison Beal, a graduate student at the UA Journalism School, takes a…
Danehy: Shameful State Lawmakers Want to Fire Teachers For Teaching American History
Michelle Udall, member of House of Representatives in Arizona State Legislature I have a friend named William. He’s Black and/or African-American. Heck, I’ve known him so long, when I first met him, he was probably a Negro. He’s a great guy—college-educated, hard-working, entrepreneurial. We’ve talked about it many times how he would love to live…
Bonus Allegation: There’s No Evidence to Back Up Ducey’s Claim that Victims are Being Charged $800 for Rape Kits
In his State of the State speech earlier this month, Gov. Doug Ducey claimed that women are being charged up to $800 in processing fees for rape kits—which would be illegal under federal law—but it’s unclear whether that’s actually happening. To back up its claim, the governor’s office provided the Arizona Mirror a September 2021…
A Band of Brothers: The Garden rock the stage their own way at the Rialto
With roots set in Orange County, California, twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears entered the So Cal punk scene in 2011 at 17 and have since fueled adrenaline rushes around the world with their experimental rock band The Garden. Now, they are bringing the intensity back to Tucson as they return to play on Saturday,…
Swab Centers: Pima County Approves New Testing Sites as COVID Cases Continue to Rise
As the Omicron wave continues to pack hospitals and spread across the region, the Pima County Board of Supervisors passed a plan to increase COVID testing availability during their Jan. 19 meeting. The Board unanimously voted to increase PCR testing in Pima County with an additional 1,000 tests per day through Paradigm Laboratories. “I am…
The Daily Agenda: Don’t Sue Us, We’ll Sue You First
Ducey v. Biden feels like a Senate run precursor … Voting rights groups ditch Townsend’s committee … And Sinema hopes this keeps the McCain comparisons coming. Gov. Doug Ducey shot back at the U.S. Department of Treasury with a preemptive-strike lawsuit after the feds again threatened to claw back federal anti-COVID-19 funds that Ducey has been holding…
Cheba Hut Hosting “Smoke Out Injustice Day”
The folks at cannabis-themed Cheba Hut are hosting “Smoke Out Injustice Day” at their new Tucson location, 446 N. Campbell Ave. As part of a 24th birthday celebration, Cheba Hut is teaming up with the Last Prisoner Project, which is dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform. The restaurant will donate $1 from every sub it…
U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva Has COVID Again
Congressman Raul Grijalva announced this morning that he has tested positive for COVID. “On Wednesday, I tested positive for COVID-19,” Grijalva said in a statement. “I am vaccinated, boosted, experiencing mild symptoms and remain in good spirits.” Grijalva said he and his staff would test and quarantine under CDC recommendations and notify close contacts. It’s…
The Daily Agenda: He Couldn’t Duck the Filibuster Forever
A stunning lesson in political courage (this is sarcasm) … Mesa college kids get a boost … And another chance to talk about diapers and tampons. After spending his entire (albeit short) political career ducking, dodging and dancing around questions about the filibuster, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly announced yesterday that he would support a one-time…
High Maintenance: Select Snooze Bites Might Help You Get Some Shut Eye
Weed can make you sleepy; there’s a reason bird-watchers talk about spotting the elusive droopy-eyed bong sucker. Leaving aside the strains that can trigger frantic all-night housecleaning, when you get high, you’re more likely to sit on the couch and watch TV than to go out for a night on the town. So it’s no…
Sick and Tired
Arizona hit a grim milestone last week when the death toll from COVID-19 passed 25,000 people. Omicron really is everywhere. As of Jan. 13, 17,528 COVID cases had been reported in Pima County since the start of the new year, according to Pima County Acting Administrator Jan Lesher. That’s compared to 14,753 for the entire month…
Sonoran Explorin’: Miso & Money Trees at Grant Stone Supermarket
Like a lot of people, I started spending a lot more time in the kitchen during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Two of my greatest pleasures became cooking, one of the only activities I could really focus on, and grocery shopping, pretty much the only activity that involved me leaving the house (besides running or taking…
Grim Milestone: AZ COVID death toll tops 25,000 as Omicron spreads rapidly across the state
More than 25,000 Arizonans have now died after contracting COVID-19. The virus has killed 25,212 people as of Monday, Jan. 16, including 3,304 in Pima County, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. The grim milestone came the same week the state recorded more cases than any other week in the pandemic, including a single-day…
Water Pressure: City of Tucson Inaugurates PFAS Groundwater Treatment Facility
In 2009, environmental scientists discovered some unexpected chemicals in the groundwater along the Santa Cruz River. The chemicals turned out to be PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances), which are used in everything from adhesives to non-stick cooking surfaces to electrical wire insulation. They do not naturally break down in the environment, instead seeping into the…
Lifeless in the Fast Lane: Robotic Semi-Truck Completes ‘No Human’ Trip Between Tucson, Casa Grande
On December 22, 2021, a semi-truck drove the I-10 from Tucson to Casa Grande without any humans on board. This trip was the culmination of years of road tests for the autonomous trucking company TuSimple, which plans to operate an eventual fleet of thousands of self-driving semis beginning in 2024. TuSimple’s trucks have already conducted…
Bordering On Chaos: The Number of Illegal Border Crossers is Reaching an All-Time High
If President Biden had set out to make the Arizona-Mexico border more dangerous for American citizens, he’s done a fine job. His policies have opened our southern border to the world, creating an epic mess. “It’s the worst I’ve seen it,” says Ron Colburn, retired national deputy chief of Border Patrol. “When I entered Border…
City Week: Weekly Picks
Editor’s Note: While we are delighted to see Tucsonans once again gathering for fun events, we are also aware that variants are in widespread circulation. Please consider getting vaccinated against COVID if you haven’t yet. New Beginnings at the Wilde Meyer Gallery. Though sometimes it feels like 2022 is already flying by at lightspeed, it…
XOXO: Mark Your Calendars
Thursday, Jan. 20 In New York’s East Harlem, not a day goes by when the intoxicating rhythms of salsa, boogaloo, and Latin soul can be heard wafting through the air. Born on the city streets, this rich musical legacy is deeply ingrained in this ensemble’s identity. Coming at you full force, three-time Grammy winners, Spanish…
High Stakes: Legislative Session Begins With Three MJ Bills Out of the Gate
The 2022 legislative session kicked off on Jan. 10, so it is time once again to start the long slog through the sausage of lawmaking to sine die as legislators trip over one another to prove who’s Trumpiest in the post-reality world. There are already several bills intended to honor the Great Man, from “President…
