Arizona
Arizona's Democratic governor faces uphill battle as Republicans keep tight grip on legislature
PHOENIX — Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs knows she is outnumbered this legislative session, with Republicans having expanded their majorities in the statehouse after the last election.
But the first-term governor sees room for bipartisan compromise as she looks to advance policies that have long been stymied under the GOP-controlled Legislature.
While President-elect Donald Trump swept the battleground state, Hobbs noted in a recent interview with The Associated Press that Arizona voters also elected Democrat Ruben Gallego to the U.S. Senate, sending the message that they want their political leaders to work across the aisle to solve the thorniest of issues.
“The issues we’re facing — affordability for families, water security, protecting our border and keeping communities safe — those are not Republican or Democratic issues,” she said. “They’re just Arizona issues that our elected leaders, myself included, need to work together to solve.”
Hobbs, who will be up for reelection next year, is expected to outline her priorities when she addresses lawmakers at the start of the session Monday.
Here’s a look at key policy areas:
It was just two weeks after the November election when Hobbs visited the Arizona-Mexico border and vowed to work with Trump’s administration on issues like stopping fentanyl trafficking. But she also acknowledged some families are worried about the president-elect’s deportation threats.
While not wanting to speculate, Hobbs says Arizona will focus its limited law enforcement resources on keeping violent criminals off the streets, regardless of their immigration status.
Arizona voters last year approved a measure empowering local police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the border, so it’s unclear what new restrictions on immigration Republicans might push beyond ensuring adequate funding for law enforcement.
Hobbs will look to pressure lawmakers again to plug regulatory holes to protect groundwater sources. Her calls last year to update the state’s water laws failed to win legislative approval, leaving her administration to take executive action in December to curb unchecked pumping in one rural area.
This time around, Hobbs is optimistic she can reach a deal with lawmakers on revamping groundwater regulations. In the absence of a pact, Hobbs says she won’t hesitate to act unilaterally.
The stakes are high as Arizona has grappled with long-term drought and needs to come up with a plan by the end of 2026 to manage its dwindling share of water from the over-tapped Colorado River.
Reining in Arizona’s school voucher program remains on Hobbs’ wish list.
The program, which started in 2011 for disabled children and expanded to all students in 2022, lets parents subsidize private-school tuition and other educational costs with public money.
Hobbs and fellow Democrats have criticized the program, saying it contributes to a drain on the state’s coffers. Republican lawmakers have championed the program as a cornerstone of the school choice movement. The budget approved by lawmakers last year after weeks of negotiations with Hobbs’ office included only a small cut in spending for the program.
Unlike last year, the state isn’t facing a budget crunch. The latest revenue projection for the next fiscal year is up $231 million compared to the forecast last summer, according to legislative analysts.
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Gabriel Sandoval is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
The Arizona State Sun Devils’ furious rally fell just short on Saturday night as they lost to Baylor 72-66 in overtime.
The Sun Devils trailed by 12 at halftime, but outscored Baylor 41-29 in the second half to force an extra period. Senior guard Adam Miller tied the game at 61-61 on a driving layup with 1.9 seconds left in regulation.
The Sun Devils went cold in overtime, though, shooting just 2-of-10 from the field. The loss dropped ASU to 10-5 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12. It was also ASU’s first loss at home this season.
Jayden Quaintance, Joson Sanon Struggle
Arizona State’s 5-star freshmen, Jayden Quaintance and Joson Sanon, struggled against Baylor’s suffocating defense. They combined for just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
Sanon, who came into the game as Arizona State’s leading scorer at 13.5 points per game, saw his first game action since spraining an ankle vs. BYU on New Year’s eve. He played 18 minutes off the bench, shot 2-of-5 from the field and finished with 5 points and no rebounds. He looked good early, but couldn’t get it going.
He’s Back 😏@joson_sanon wasting no time making an impact ⚡️
💻 @ESPNPlus — Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) January 12, 2025
🔗 https://t.co/uyVCDJgbe2 pic.twitter.com/1rZWdFxdIX
Quaintance, one of the nation’s leading shot blockers, finished with just 5 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in 40 minutes. He struggled with Baylor’s length and athleticism — as did the entire ASU team. The Sun Devils were outrebounded by Baylor 43-35 and they gave up 15 offensive rebounds.
BJ Freeman Has Big Game
Milwaukee transfer BJ Freeman had his highest-scoring game of the season, dropping in 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field.
5⃣ Big Booms for this DUNK by BJ Freeman💪⚡️#Big12MBB | 📺ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/TVl7NPfNyy
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) January 12, 2025
Freeman, a 6-foot-6 senior, shot 0-of-3 in overtime and fouled out with 56 seconds left.
His performance came in front of multiple NBA scouts who were there to watch Quaintance, Sanon and Baylor freshman VJ Edgecombe. A projected top-5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Edgecombe finished with 15 points and 4 rebounds.
Arizona State Drops, Baylor Rises In NET Rankings
The loss dropped the Sun Devils fell to No. 56 in the NCAA NET Rankings, which are used as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
ASU will have to rise into the top 30 of the NET to have a legitimate chance for an at-large berth in March Madness. With so many Quad 1 games remaining in the Big 12, the Sun Devils have an opportunity to play their way into the tourney.
Baylor jumped to No. 19 in the NET with the victory. The Bears are 3-4 in Quad 1 games and are currently projected as a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
More Arizona State & Big 12 Analysis
TUSCON, Ariz. (AP) — Caleb Love scored 16 points, Anthony Dell’Orso made 9 of 9 from the free-throw line and finished with 15 points and Arizona beat UCF 88-80 Saturday night to extend its win streak to six games.
Love made 4 of 7 from 3-point range, grabbed eight rebounds and had six assists. Henri Veesaar added 14 points, Tobe Awaka scored 11 and KJ Lewis 10 for Arizona (10-5, 4-0 Big 12).
Love hit a pair of free throws to open the scoring about a minute into the game, followed with a 3-pointer to make it 5-0 and Arizona never trailed. The Wildcats scored nine consecutive points to take a 14-point lead when Awaka threw down a dunk with 9:38 remaining before halftime.
Darius Johnson hit a 3-pointer for UCF that tied it at 45-all 13 seconds into the second half but Trey Towsend made the first of two free throws 23 seconds later to give Arizona the lead for good. Jaden Ivy-Curry’s 3 cut the deficit to 53-50 but the Wildcats scored 13 of the next 17 points and led by at least eight points for the final 13 minutes.
Keyshawn Hall led UCF (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) with 22 points and Johnson scored 18.
Rokas Jocius converted a three-point play to spark an 18-6 spurt that made it 42-all but Trey Townsend was fouled as he made a layup and hit the and-1 free throw to give Arizona a three-point lead at the intermission.
Arizona made 15 of 30 from the field in the first half but the Knights, who shot 37% (14 of 38), used a 12-3 advantage on the offensive glass to outscore the Wildcats 11-3 in second-chance points.
“There’s a feeling amongst the team — this if for LA,” Williams said. “This is for hope back at home that they can cling onto, that the Rams are going to be the people who can take them away from whatever they’re going through for a few hours on Monday.”
Los Angeles (10-7) will play the Vikings (14-3) at the Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium on Monday night. The league announced Thursday that the game would be moved because of the continued threat of wildfires and the potential strain on public services.
The Cardinals opened their training facility in Tempe for the Rams’ use, and there was a big banner that said “Welcome Los Angeles Rams” with the logo of both teams on the entrance gate. Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill sent two team planes to LA on Friday to help the team’s journey to Arizona. The Rams’ players were allowed to bring their families — and even some pets — along for the ride.
“It was cool to have that experience with my boys and with my wife,” Rams receiver Cooper Rush said. “Obviously, to be here, super thankful for the Rams with how they’ve been able to take care of the families in the organization.”
Los Angeles still hopes for a sizable homefield advantage for Monday’s game, even if it’s roughly 375 miles and a six-hour drive from SoFi Stadium. The team’s season ticket holders bought 25,000 tickets in the first hour of availability Friday and the team has arranged for at least 15 buses to drive fans from Inglewood for the game.
More travel aids are being contemplated.
In some ways, State Farm Stadium has been the Rams’ home away from home for a decade. Los Angeles won nine straight games in Arizona before the streak was snapped earlier this season. McVay said Los Angeles requested the vistors locker room on Monday — even though they’re still the home team — because of their familiarity with the space.
“For the most part, we’ve played pretty well in this stadium,” Kupp said. “It’s grass, too, which is a big bonus. I’ll take any chance we have to play on grass.”
Just a few Rams employees had been directly affected by the fires until Thursday afternoon, when the Kenneth Fire broke out a few miles from the team’s training complex in suburban Woodland Hills, sending smoke billowing into the sky with alarming speed.
Defensive lineman Kobie Turner said receiver Puka Nacua’s house was in an evacuation warning zone, so he came over and slept at his house one night. Turner said the tight-knit team has become even closer during the ordeal, looking out for one another.
The Rams have faced adversity on the field all season, recovering from a 1-4 start to win the NFC West. This is just another hurdle.
And considering what so many in L.A. are going through, they’re not going to complain.
“At the end of the day, it’s a playoff game,” Turner said. “You don’t get too many of these.”
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