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Model Government
Arizona lawmakers outsource legislative ideas
At least a handful of the 1,361 bills introduced in Arizona this year match bills introduced in other state legislatures, according to an AZCIR analysis comparing Arizona legislation to more than 500,000 bills, proposed in other states over the past eight years.
Nearly identical legislation introduced in multiple states, or “model legislation,” comes from national or regional industry associations, individual companies, or policy think-tanks and advocacy groups.
Sonora River: Massive mine spill continues to impact Sonora River Basin
It’s been more than a year since the Buenavista del Cobre copper mine, owned by mining conglomerate Grupo México, spilled 11 million gallons of toxic chemicals into the Bacanuchi and Sonora Rivers. The mine is in Cananea, a city in northern Sonora, which is also the headwaters for Arizona’s San Pedro River. The mine and authorities from the Mexican government claim the water is now clean, but people with illnesses related to heavy metals contamination continue to emerge.
Part I: Sonora River 1 year later
It’s been more than a year since a toxic mine spill, dubbed as the worst environmental disaster in Mexico’s history, contaminated the Sonora River. The toxic metals reached nearly 200 miles and impacted seven municipalities. Communities are now pushing back against the mine and the government to protect their families and the lands they call home.
Part II: A community still healing
Since a toxic mine spill in 2014 impacted nearly 25,000, Mexican authorities say the Sonora River is clean. The government has identified nearly 400 people with illnesses tied directly to heavy metal contamination. As new cases continue to emerge, experts warn that the problem could be much greater than the government admits.
ELECTIONS
Secretary of State vows to maintain voter notification records
Every day, the thousands of voting jurisdictions in the U.S. share information about current voter registrations to guard against people being registered in multiple places. Up until earlier this year, The Arizona Secretary of State was not keeping copies of those voter registration notifications.
State election chief seeks new funds for hobbled campaign finance website overhaul
Arizona Secretary of State Michele Reagan campaigned on making it easier for people to see how money flows into political campaigns, and she has a plan for a website that will help.
But after spending $494,000 in 2015 and 2016 to create a new campaign finance reporting website that never saw the light of day, her office is now asking the Citizens Clean Election Commission to pay $200,000 of an estimated $462,000 cost to develop a new campaign finance website, plus $50,000 per year in maintenance.
County recorders call relationship with Secretary of State ‘dire’
Arizona’s 15 county recorders this week delivered a letter to Secretary of State Michele Reagan in which they said communication between their offices and hers are “in a dire state” because state Election Director Eric Spencer has been “ineffective and disrespectful.”
Fired executive director sues Arizona Democratic Party, alleges self-dealing
According to a lawsuit filed earlier this month, the chairwoman of the Arizona Democratic Party directed campaign expenditures toward her friend and husband, and when the party’s top staffer objected to the payments, she was fired.
Secretary of State floats election law overhaul
Secretary of State Michele Reagan has begun circulating a memo detailing a proposed overhaul of the laws governing virtually every aspect of how elections are conducted in Arizona, from data protocols and recount procedures, to “sore loser” candidates and voter fraud investigations.
ENVIRONMENT
Navajo Generating Station coal plant shutdown looms, Arizona Navajo and Hopi tribes look for economic solutions
By Evan Wyloge | Photos by Nick Oza Editor's note: This article is a collaboration between Huffington Post and the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, as part of the Listening to America project. This article is eligible for republication only with...
Federal report recommends overhaul of U.S. chemical safety oversight
A federal task force identified sweeping shortfalls in the oversight of hazardous materials in the U.S., showing that short and long-term challenges exist to protect communities from the toxic and explosive chemicals stored at facilities across the nation and in Arizona.
U.S. oversight of ammonium nitrate insufficient, GAO says
Government agencies across the U.S. can’t regulate ammonium nitrate, the hazardous chemical compound that detonated in West, Texas, killing 15 people and injuring hundreds more, a congressional investigation has found. Emergency management agencies at the local, state and federal levels don’t know how many facilities in the U.S. store the hazardous chemical. A patchwork of outdated regulations, lack of communication between agencies, and a series of exemptions exist for reporting storage of ammonium nitrate, the U.S. Government Accountability Office report stated, which was publicly released May 21. These findings mirror a recent AZCIR and ABC15 investigation into Arizona oversight of ammonium nitrate.
EDUCATION
Schools cite incorrect data, construction, school threats in letter grade appeals
Seventy-three schools are appealing the letter grades they’ve been given by state school officials, citing a variety of reasons that their grade should be improved.
Arizona Department of Education releases school letter grade records
After refusing to release school letter grade records distributed to Arizona public schools and claiming that no list of all scores existed, the Arizona Department of Education has reversed course and released the school letter grades to media outlets who sought them.
Arizona Department of Education forcibly removes reporter asking to inspect records
The Arizona Department of Education physically removed an AZCIR reporter out of its Capitol Mall offices today in response to a request to inspect the latest school letter grade records.
State funds to address unmet ‘time bomb’ maintenance needs for UA
When the “great recession” hit, Arizona’s university budgets were slashed. With a billion-dollar university infrastructure plan now in the pipeline, the University of Arizona has committed nearly half of its portion of the funds to address the mounting maintenance costs that were pushed off for the past decade, and that started causing problems already.
Flagstaff torn over student housing, impact on infrastructure
The mountain town that Northern Arizona University calls home is bursting at the seams. Housing costs are on a tear, parking is at a premium and locals protest new housing developments, even as the university expects to see the student population continue to balloon.
POLITICS
Arizona Department of Education releases school letter grade records
After refusing to release school letter grade records distributed to Arizona public schools and claiming that no list of all scores existed, the Arizona Department of Education has reversed course and released the school letter grades to media outlets who sought them.
Arizona Department of Education forcibly removes reporter asking to inspect records
The Arizona Department of Education physically removed an AZCIR reporter out of its Capitol Mall offices today in response to a request to inspect the latest school letter grade records.
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