Arizona

Arizona prepares for legal clash over Colorado River with $1 million bill

Published

12 months ago

January 29, 2025

Arizona prepares for legal clash over Colorado River with million bill

Arizona is ramping up its efforts to protect its share of the Colorado River’s dwindling water supply, as the state faces an uncertain future over the fate of one of the West’s most crucial resources.

A bill advanced Tuesday by the Arizona House Committee on Natural Resources, Energy and Water aims to allocate $1 million to defend the Grand Canyon State’s water rights as part of the ongoing battle over the Colorado River.

The bill, known as House Bill 2103, seeks to set aside the funds to support litigation in the event that negotiations among the seven states dependent on the river break down.

Arizona is preparing for the possibility of legal action if the ongoing discussions fail to resolve water allocation disputes.

Colorado river at Horseshoe Bend, Page, Arizona.

kojihirano/Getty

The bill passed with unanimous support from the committee, though Democrats indicated they will propose an amendment to increase the allocation to $3 million, in line with Governor Katie Hobbs’ proposed budget.

State Representative Gail Griffin, a Republican from Tucson and the bill’s sponsor, told the committee, “It just shows we are ready to take action,” the Courthouse News Service reported.

The Colorado River, which feeds both Lake Mead and Lake Powell—critical water reservoirs for the Southwest—has been a vital source of water for more than 40 million people across the U.S. and Mexico.

But after years of drought and climate change, the river’s once-mighty flow is at its lowest levels in recorded history, prompting urgent discussions about how to share its shrinking resources before current agreements expire in 2026.

At the center of the debate are two factions: the Upper Basin states—Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming—and the Lower Basin states, which include Arizona, California and Nevada.

The Upper Basin states argue that their smaller reservoirs and more severe drought conditions justify keeping their water consumption levels higher, while the Lower Basin states, already committed to significant cuts, push for more aggressive reductions.

But as the clock ticks down toward 2026, when potential cuts could be enforced by the federal government, tensions are mounting over the distribution of the river’s limited water supply.

Arizona’s position is clear: it wants to be able to fight its corner if necessary and needs funds to do it.

The request for funds to potentially fight a legal battle was first proposed in September 2024 by Tom Buschatzke, the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

Buschatzke has warned of a growing divide between the Upper and Lower Basin states, referring to the rift as a “Grand Canyon-sized chasm” that could lead to a standoff if compromise proves elusive.

“It doesn’t seem like the Upper Basin feels like they have any risk that any additional cuts to their use can be imposed upon them,” Buschatzke said in a previous interview with Newsweek.

“We think we have a strong case if we have to go to court.”

Despite the potential for litigation, Buschatzke stressed that legal action would be a last resort.

He said: “If we end up in court, which we don’t want, it would be begrudgingly because it’s kind of a last-gasp effort.”

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Arizona

Predicting Where Former Arizona State Star Lands

Published

12 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Predicting Where Former Arizona State Star Lands

TEMPE — The Sam Leavitt saga has been one that has split the Arizona State fanbase.

While some have been steadfast in bringing up the contributions that the two-year star poured into the program, others have been emphatic in pointing out the optics of the exit appearing less-than-ideal in a point of critique.

Regardless, the Sun Devils have moved on – with Kentucky transfer Cutter Boley and Michigan transfer Mikey Keense being the two exterior options that were brought in to signify a new era.

Now, Leavitt continues to seek a new college home for what might be his last season of collegiate football – Arizona State on SI makes sense of it all below.

Confirmed Visits – LSU, Tennessee, Miami

Leavitt’s first visit came with Boley’s former school in Kentucky, but the Wildcats have seemingly moved on by signing Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey.

LSU has made sense as a destination in recent weeks, with the presence of Lane Kiffin and the ironic twist of Jayden Daniels going from Arizona State to winning a Heisman Trophy with the Tigers as points of focus. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Leavitt heavily consider the SEC power.

Tennessee reportedly attempted to pry Leavitt away from the Sun Devils last spring and failed. This time, they loom as a relative “sleeper” – the redshirt sophomore even spent two days in Knoxville. This is a situation that is “wait-and-see”, as the Volunteers are still waiting to see what comes of QB Joey Aguilar’s pitch to receive more eligibility.

Sep 26, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) celebrates win with wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) against the TCU Horned Frogs at Mountain America Stadium, Home of the ASU Sun Devils. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images | Jacob Reiner-Imagn Images

Miami is another spot that has made sense, as senior Carson Beck will be playing his final game of his collegiate career on January 19. No state income tax, the allure of joining Cam Ward and Beck as potential major risers on NFL draft boards, and playing for a storied program are all major drawing points.

Expected Visit – Oregon

Oregon is the complicated potential landing spot.

There is still a bit of uncertainty surrounding what Oregon’s Dante Moore decided to do pertaining to entering the 2026 draft, so the Ducks must stand pat until a firm decision is made.

It’s simple to see why an Oregon native would be drawn to play for what has become a storied franchise that now has a phenomenal track record of developing quarterbacks.

Verdict: Leavitt Lands With Oregon

There’s absolutely nothing firm about this prediction, but Oregon makes the most sense – with the caveat that Moore decides to go pro.

Read more on why the Arizona State men’s basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

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Arizona’s Burries Shares Secret to Latest Scoring Outburst

Published

24 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Arizona’s Burries Shares Secret to Latest Scoring Outburst

The Arizona Wildcats dominated once again to push their record to 15-0 on the season, cruising to an easy 101-76 victory over Kansas State in their Big 12 home opener.

The Wildcats scored 100 points in a game for the third time this season, led by freshman guard Brayden Burries’ 28 points, and Motiejus Krivas’ 25 points. Burries is now up to 15.1 points per game on the season, which leads the #1-ranked Wildcats.

Dec 20, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) against the San Diego State Aztecs during the Hall of Fame Series at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Secret to points production

Burries has been on a tear scoring the ball of late. After scoring in double-digits in just one of his first five games this season, Burries has scored in double-figures in each of his last 10 games, including five 20-point performances. His 28 points against Kansas State tied his highest point total of the season so far. After the game, Burries was asked about his recent flurry of scoring.

“I don’t think anything changed,” Burries said. “I think just getting used to the speed out there, the first few games, and I didn’t play guard as much like on the ball, and guarding point guards, so it’s all new to me. But, more games, more experience, I feel like I’m getting better with more experience honestly.”

“Honestly just going out there, and just hooping,” he added. “Trusting my teammates, and trusting the coaches and their gameplan, and they’re just helping me out.”

Jan 7, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) high fives fans during the first half of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Tommy Lloyd on Burries

Head coach Tommy Lloyd also spoke about his leading scorer’s recent performances, and how Burries is one of the more coachable players on the roster.

“Brayden’s a great player,” Lloyd said. “We’re fortunate to have him in our program. I mean, he’s a winner, he’s always won. He does just about everything in his life the right way, it’s a joy to coach him everyday, and it’s really fun to help him on his journey.”

“You can be pretty direct with him”, Lloyd added. “I told him, he’s a guy that I don’t want to coach by being confrontational with him, I think he’s too good of a kid and he’s really motivated. He doesn’t need that when I’m very direct with him. He’s got enough experience now, I think he’s really learning.”

Burries and the rest of the Wildcats will look to continue what has been a special season up to this point. The Wildcats have all the makings of a true National Championship contender, and their first two performances in Big 12 play show just that.

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New study reveals how victimized Arizona women end up behind bars

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

New study reveals how victimized Arizona women end up behind bars

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — It’s a first of its kind study to better understand an often overlooked group of people: women behind bars.

“No other jail system in the country is doing this,” said Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, director of Arizona State University’s Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research. “Many of them have offenses that are related to other people’s interference. So whether they were forced to commit that crime with someone else, they were under someone else’s control.”

Roe-Sepowitz spearheaded the effort that explores the pipeline between victimization and incarceration for Arizona women. What she uncovered was even worse than she expected.

“The scope of trauma, the sheer amount of violent experiences was a surprise to me,” she said.

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Brandon Smith teamed up with Roe-Sepowitz for this project.

Since 2018, they’ve worked together to identify and support sex trafficking victims inside county jails.

“A lot of them could be they were more of a victim than a suspect in a crime,” said Smith.

In May 2025, the pair decided to dig deeper with a survey to learn more about the life history of all female inmates.

“We didn’t want to re-traumatize them. We were very careful about asking appropriate questions in the right way,” said Smith.

More than 400 women in the Estrella Jail completed the questionnaire which represents 49% of the female population.

The results show most are mothers, locked up for drug offenses.

77% reported a mental health diagnosis, more than 78% have been homeless, just over 50% have been sex trafficked, and 80% said they were victims of domestic violence.

With that knowledge, there is hope that jail programs can help break the cycle.

“We’re able to tailor programming to that in order to hopefully keep them out of jail, become more productive members of society, be with their children,” said Smith.

About 14% of participants were there for their first arrest.

New trauma-informed programs and training will soon be implemented.

“We’re looking at what can we do for that 14% that are here for the first time to hopefully make sure it’s their last time,” said Smith.

“How to build hope for the future, how to stabilize their life, how to continue the relationships they have in healthier ways,” said Roe-Sepowitz.

More research is on the way. ASU just wrapped up a similar survey in the Perryville prison and plans to conduct it again at Estrella Jail this year to collect additional data.

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