Arizona
Arizona GOP wants to ask voters for red-light camera ban, skipping Hobbs’ veto stamp
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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs previews legislative priorities for 2024
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs previews legislative priorities for the year on Jan. 3, 2024.
After being shot down by Gov. Katie Hobbs, Republican Sen. Wendy Rogers wants to put a red-light camera ban in place in Arizona without the governor’s signature.
Rogers has attempted to pass legislation that would prohibit cities from using red-light cameras since 2020, saying they infringe on the privacy rights of citizens. Now, the Flagstaff Republican wants to send the ban to the ballot, letting voters decide whether the cameras can be used.
Hobbs vetoed the ban in 2023 because red-light cameras allow law enforcement to allocate resources efficiently, according to a veto letter. Opponents of the ban say the cameras are effective at deterring dangerous driving and allow police to focus on more serious crimes.
In addition to an attempt to get the ban on the ballot, Rogers introduced the same bill that was vetoed last year. During a committee hearing on the measure, Rogers said red-light cameras do not increase safety and can be adjusted to make light times shorter.
“We need to pass this because my constituents want their privacy back,” Rogers said at the hearing.
Red-light cameras are used in many Arizona cities, including Mesa, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Tempe and Tucson. The cameras can be used to detect violations of speeding restrictions or traffic signs and signals.
ADOT freeway messages may see changes in the upcoming years due to new regulations
The chiefs of police for both Mesa and Paradise Valley testified against the bill at the hearing and said the cameras encourage safer driving and allow police to focus on more serious crimes. Ken Cost, the Mesa police chief urged lawmakers to oppose the bill.
“In Mesa alone, this tool has slowed people down; It has changed driving behavior,” Cost said at the hearing. “Any tool that allows us to be efficient and change any driving behavior is critical to what we do on a daily basis.”
The bill banning the cameras passed the Senate Transportation, Technology and Missing Children Committee on Thursday. The resolution sending the ban to the ballot has not yet been heard by the committee.
Democratic Sen. Christine Marsh, a member of the committee, said in an emailed statement that red-light cameras are effective at reducing crashes and deaths and are a “tool” for police.
“Red light cameras provide one more tool for our law enforcement entities to use, and since most — if not all — branches of Arizona’s law enforcement community are understaffed, I am opposed to taking away a valuable tool,” Marsh said in the emailed statement.
Republican Sen. David Farnsworth, the chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, voted “yes” on the bill and said he thinks it’s “great.”
“I think constitutional rights are most important,” Farnsworth said. “The proper role of government is to protect the liberty of the people and that’s what’s vital.”
Reach the reporter at rpriest@gannett.com.
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Arizona
Cardinals Must Make This Offensive Change
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The Arizona Cardinals had more than one hole in their offense in 2024.
Plenty has already been made about WR Marvin Harrison Jr.’s underwhelming rookie season, and the overall meager passing results from QB Kyler Murray in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s scheme.
But one overlooked position on the offense this past season was the role of slot receiver. While starting slot man Greg Dortch has certainly shown plenty of ability in years past, he was only afforded 310 snaps on the year, 206 in the slot itself.
He only had 342 yards to show for it, and 144 of those yards came in the final four weeks of the season.
Again, this isn’t a total knock on Dortch as a player. He rightfully earned the starting slot role with some excellent performances in very limited action in 2022 and 2023.
But the Cardinals’ utilization of the slot position as a whole was a bit unconventional. Rather than sticking with the speedy, agile Dortch (despite naming him the starter), the Cardinals gave 340 slot snaps to Harrison and Michael Wilson.
Then, there’s the elephant in the room. Star TE Trey McBride took 303 snaps in the slot, as opposed to only 233 as the inline tight end.
I know, I know. If it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it. But the truth is, seeing more production out of a true slot receiver could actually help McBride unlock some higher quality looks, especially out of an inline set.
And the inverse is also true. The more snaps McBride gets as an inline tight end, the more opportunity there will likely be for whoever mans the slot position next to him.
Now, think about what that means. Could it mean a bigger year for Dortch (if Arizona chooses to re-sign him), or whoever they might consider upgrading at the position? Sure.
It also opens opportunities for others.
Wilson and Harrison could see production benefit highly if McBride isn’t the one lining up in the slot every time. For receivers who might have more of an agility-based skillset than a lightning fast one, the middle of the field offers many opportunities, especially if the biggest star on the field is bringing confusion to the coverage.
Again, this doesn’t mean the Cardinals should limit or change McBride’s role, but drawing up more plays for a top-end receiver in the slot can help draw DBs away from the star, or even pull linebackers away on rushing or play-action downs.
While Petzing doesn’t spread his receivers out often, it could be an aspect of his scheme that would help unlock the potential of all involved, or even bring more monstrous numbers to McBride’s resume.
Arizona could re-sign Dortch, bring in an external option, or simply utilize the slot position more by giving Harrison and Wilson more looks there.
It might not be a point of emphasis, but it can only help expand Arizona’s playbook, and could get more quality looks for their stars, making life easier on Murray in the process as well.
Arizona
Failing facilities lead to new investment from Arizona Cardinals
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The NFLPA report card may be the best thing that could happen to the Arizona Cardinals.
Sure, it makes it look like the franchise is not run well, but it also is the most public criticism from those within the company we can see.
So, when the grades came out this week, and it was bad, it made sense that the Cardinals dropped their first information on the $100 million plan to upgrade things.
Josh Weinfuss broke it down well:
– Arizona wasn’t planning on announcing the renovation on Wednesday but the NFLPA’s team report card pushed their hand a bit.
– The Cardinals are still in the very early phases of the project, as in I’ve heard ground hasn’t been broken yet.
– The team is acutely aware of where its deficiencies are: facilities. The grade for its cafeteria dropped from a D to a D-. Its locker room dropped from F to F-. The training room went from a C- to a D-. And the weight room from a C- to a F.
– As one source said to me, so many young players on the Cardinals roster are used to the luxurious facilities they came from in college, where they didn’t have to wait to use a machine in the weight room or could get custom meals.
– One young player last season told me it was “weird” to see the Cardinals’ facilities compared what he had in college.
It goes to something we have been discussing, that this is all reactionary, with little to no vision for the immediate or the future.
Again, the last update was a $15 million investment in 2015, for a building that was built in 1990.
Even the $100 million earmarked is going to be interesting to see how it is fleshed out.
For instance, are they spending $100 million on the practice facility? Think about the Georgia Bulldogs spending $80 million on their football facility, Oregon spending over $68 million on their facility.
So, will that money be towards the Tempe facility, or also used to create an actual locker room for the home team?
Of course, as we asked yesterday, who will even be around to reap the benefits of the upgrades? 2027 means at the Cardinals normal pace, they’ll have a new coach and a lot of roster turnover.
Hopefully the one positive on the Cardinals NFLPA grades, Jonathan Gannon is able to continue to be here and will see the improvements.
Arizona
FAA investigates after third skydiver dies in 2 months at Arizona facility
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Authorities in Arizona are working with the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate deadly skydiving incidents after three people in two months faced issues while descending into the air.
The most recent skydiving tragedy occurred on Feb. 16 when an unidentified 47-year-old man died at about 2 p.m. near Skydive Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday. Witnesses said he was a “very experienced skydiver,” the sheriff’s office said. No foul play is suspected.
A similar incident occurred earlier this month after a 46-year-old man died at the same facility when his parachute did not deploy during a free fall, the Eloy Police Department said in a Facebook post. In January, a 55-year-old woman also died after complications with her parachute at Skydive Arizona.
A spokesperson for the FAA said the agency’s investigations of skydiving accidents focus on inspecting the packing of the parachute and reserve parachute, and flight rules for the pilot and aircraft. The FAA does not investigate to determine the cause of the event.
The FAA looks into every skydiving mishaps that’s reported to the agency.
Many skydiving accidents occur because of the jumper, according to the United States Parachute Association. The group says that “oftentimes an experienced skydiver who is pushing the limits — makes an error in judgment while landing a perfectly functioning parachute.”
In 2024, nine people died from a skydiving-related incident across the country, the United States Parachute Association reported.
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