Briefs
Lawmakers want more info on correctional officer departures
A legislative panel wants the Arizona Department of Corrections to provide more detailed information on why its correctional officers are leaving the agency, where they’re going and why.
Bowers, Fann wade into legal fight over Montana school choice program
Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Senate President Karen Fann are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a Montana ruling that struck down that state’s tax credits for people who contribute money to private school scholarships.
Inequality among Arizona children living in concentrated poverty
A new analysis of Census data finds that children of color live in concentrated poverty at rates multiple times that of their white counterparts.
Hoffman to Bowers: Stop spreading conspiracies from hate groups
Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman is punching back at House Speaker Rusty Bowers, who on Saturday called her “a radical” for wanting to teach medically accurate sex ed in schools and today said her proposal was tantamount to “teaching my kids how to masturbate.”
Corrections Dept. failing to fill vacant prison guard jobs
The Arizona Department of Corrections is not off to a good start on its plan to slash the number of open correctional officer jobs by two-thirds this fiscal year.
Arizona Youth Climate Strike activists get ready for world protest
Thousands of young people in Arizona are expected to strike Friday in defense of the planet. In Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff, they plan to protest inaction on policies that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop the globe’s destructive rise in temperatures.
Report: Progressives seeking censure of Sinema over voting record
Progressives in Arizona want the state Democratic Party to formally censure U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema for failing to support the party platform and siding with President Donald Trump too often.
ASU: 30 students have benefited from reduced tuition covering undocumented immigrants
Approximately 30 students at Arizona State University have had their tuition reduced by as much as $12,700 annually thanks to a policy revision adopted by the Arizona Board of Regents last month.
Ducey appoints Democratic judge to Court of Appeals
Just a week after naming Bill Montgomery to the Arizona Supreme Court, a selection that critics panned, in part, as excessively partisan, Gov. Doug Ducey appointed a Democrat with a long history in the political arena to the state’s Court of Appeals.
Jobs grow quickly in Maricopa County, but wages lag slightly
New figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics show that Arizona’s two largest counties saw a significant year-over-year growth in the number of jobs in the first quarter of 2019, but wage growth lagged behind.
Mesa Mayor Giles: Congress should pass universal background checks
Mesa Mayor John Giles said he has spoken to friends, neighbors and strangers – including many conservatives – who he said support universal background checks on gun purchases, particularly after a string of mass shootings last month.
Arizona MVD doesn’t sell records to third parties
Arizona’s Motor Vehicle Division told the Arizona Mirror it does not sell data it stores to third parties including private investigators, although PIs and companies can make requests for some data – and more than 762,000 people made such requests in the past year.