Arizona
Senate bill promises to save Arizona’s water future. It does the opposite
Opinion: Arizona’s Senate Bill 1221 is the wrong way to fix rural groundwater problems. Lawmakers should dispense with it and work with us instead.
Like our constituents of every political persuasion, we four supervisors from four medium-sized Arizona counties are concerned about the future of water in our communities — which is nonpartisan.
For a long time, we have been advocating for a more adaptable, locally driven set of tools to manage and conserve our groundwater.
We were therefore concerned to see Senate Bill 1221 be given a hearing in the Senate Natural Resources & Water committee last week.
Rather than empowering rural communities to manage our groundwater and preserve our water future, SB 1221 would do the opposite:
It creates layers and layers of new government bureaucracy, shuts rural constituents out of the process and deprives us of the tools we need to manage and conserve our groundwater in a way that makes sense.
AMA is not ideal, but it’s better than nothing
It’s the wrong bill for Arizona and does not address or adequately minimize the precise reason we are in these situations in rural Arizona — industrial overpumping combined with inadequate conservation.
Nonetheless, as the recent uproar over the potential creation of a Gila Bend Active Management Area (AMA) shows, it is past time for the state Legislature to take action.
No one believes that a Phoenix or Tucson-style AMA is the best solution to our rural water concerns, and yet, without leadership and policymaking from our state lawmakers, AMAs are the only tool available to manage the crisis in the Gila Bend basin and the crises facing other basins throughout rural Arizona.
Even though imperfect, AMAs provide far more balanced protection of “at risk” water supplies for all residents. And, although not preferred, they are better than doing nothing.
For that reason, we invite those who were surprised or distressed to hear about a possible Gila Bend AMA to join in our advocating for rural solutions and new, balanced ways to create locally directed water management tools for rural Arizona:
You are in this position because pleas from rural communities like ours have been ignored for so long by the Legislature. Years of government inaction have brought us to this moment.
Stop pursuing SB 1221 and engage with us
Proposals brought by us and other rural local leaders that would have given us the tools and local control to address our unique needs have been blocked or ignored altogether, year after year.
Rural Arizona deserves better from its elected leaders at the Capitol.
We need real solutions that provide certainty in long-term rural groundwater planning, and empower effective management of our rural groundwater basins determined to be at-risk by the best objective data and hydrological studies from U.S. Geological Survey and the Arizona Department of Water Services.
We need new ways to protect our water supplies from drought, speculation, irresponsible development and out-of-state industrial megausers out to drain our aquifers before packing up and moving elsewhere.
Waer regulation: Has become a game of chicken
We urge our legislators at the Capitol to dispense with SB 1221 as quickly as possible. And to engage in good-faith dialogue with rural leaders and stakeholders to give us tools to effectively manage our water supply.
We who have been waging this advocacy and education battle for years recognize that this is a moment that requires bravery from our legislators. It will involve overcoming the usual political partisanship and perhaps even upsetting some big donors.
But it is also an opportunity for Arizona to lead as a state that cares about citizen consumer protection, water conservation and economic freedom.
We love our farms, our towns and our rural way of life, and we want to secure the future of water in Arizona. Water security is too important an issue to be handled with something as ineffective and bureaucratic as SB 1221.
Donna Michaels, Travis Lingenfelter, Holly Irwin and Patrice Horstman are county supervisors in Yavapai, Mohave, La Paz and Coconino counties, respectively. Reach them at web.bos.district3@yavapaiaz.gov,
Donna Michaels, Travis Lingenfelter, Holly Irwin and Patrice Horstman are county supervisors in Yavapai, Mohave, La Paz and Coconino counties, respectively. Reach them at web.bos.district3@yavapaiaz.gov, linget@mohave.gov, hirwin@lapazcountyaz.org and phorstman@coconino.az.gov.
Arizona
NAU launches first-of-its-kind engineering degree to fast-track Arizona’s future workforce – The NAU Review
As Arizona’s semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries continue to grow at a rapid pace, Northern Arizona University’s Steve Sanghi College of Engineering is launching a new degree program designed to help meet the state’s workforce needs.
Beginning this fall, NAU will offer a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Engineering Technology, a flexible, workforce-focused degree pathway that prepares students for careers in microelectronics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing in as little as three years. The 90-credit bachelor’s degree creates a more accessible pathway into engineering careers through a hands-on, applied curriculum and a streamlined transfer model with Arizona community colleges.
The program follows a 45-45 completion structure, allowing students to complete 45 credits at a community college and 45 credits through NAU. Courses will be delivered through synchronous remote instruction at NAU’s North Valley campus in Phoenix and at Pima Community College in Tucson, increasing access for statewide students.
Addressing Arizona’s growing semiconductor workforce
Designed with workforce readiness in mind, the program emphasizes practical engineering application, systems implementation, testing, quality control, systems analysis, manufacturing, fabrication, process control and project management. Students will gain technical and problem-solving skills aligned with the needs of Arizona’s rapidly evolving manufacturing economy.
“This new bachelor’s degree empowers students to identify real-world engineering challenges and develop practical solutions,” said James Palmer, associate dean for academic affairs at the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering. “We are creating a more accessible pathway into engineering careers while preparing graduates to support Arizona’s growing microelectronics and semiconductor industry.”
Arizona has emerged as one of the nation’s fastest-growing semiconductor hubs, with more than $200 billion in semiconductor-related investments announced in the Greater Phoenix region since 2020, including expansions from Intel, TSMC and Amkor Technology. TSMC alone has committed up to $165 billion toward Arizona operations, including multiple fabrication plants and advanced packaging facilities expected to create thousands of technical and manufacturing jobs.
Industry demand continues to grow for professionals with applied engineering and advanced manufacturing skills in areas such as process engineering, manufacturing systems, equipment operations and yield enhancement. NAU’s new degree program was developed to help students quickly enter these high-demand career fields while supporting Arizona’s long-term economic growth and domestic semiconductor manufacturing capacity.
The program also aligns with NAU’s strategic commitment to expanding access to affordable, student-centered educational opportunities that prepare graduates for meaningful careers and long-term success.
Students interested in learning more about the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Engineering Technology program should contact SCE@nau.edu.
PHOENIX (AP) — The two Republican congressmen running for Arizona governor pitched themselves at a debate Wednesday as the only candidate with broad enough voter appeal to unseat Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs amid the state’s affordability struggles.
U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who is the GOP primary’s frontrunner and has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, portrayed himself as being able to cross party lines and having the right experience to be the state’s chief executive.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind, if you look at the polling data that you’re going to find, I am the most competitive with Katie Hobbs of anybody on this stage in any Republican in the state,” Biggs said.
U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, who has survived three tough Democratic challenges in recent years, believes his focus on government finances and his drive to bring new business to the state make him the singular Republican candidate.
“These are wonderful people, but they’ve never actually been in the great battle,” Schweikert said of Biggs and two other Republican opponents.
Businessman Scott Neely, who ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in 2022, said after the debate that if Biggs wins the primary, Republicans will lose the election.
The winner of the July 21 primary will face Hobbs, who’s running unopposed in the primary.
Biggs has served five terms in the U.S. House, representing a heavily GOP district in the eastern Phoenix suburbs and serving at one time as chairman of the ultra-right U.S. House Freedom Caucus.
Before that, Biggs served in the Arizona Legislature from 2003 through 2016, including four years as president of the state Senate. He battled with then-Republican Gov. Jan Brewer on a Medicaid expansion in 2013 and pushed school choice measures and bills targeting abortion providers.
Biggs is one of Trump’s top defenders in Congress and supported Trump’s false claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Schweikert, a budget hawk known for railing against government debt, has represented an affluent district that includes parts of northeast Phoenix and Scottsdale for eight terms. He served in the Arizona House in the 1990s and as Maricopa County’s treasurer in the 2000s.
Schweikert has focused his congressional career on sounding the alarm about the federal budget deficit and the ballooning U.S. debt, often in late-night speeches to a nearly empty House chamber and bleary-eyed C-SPAN viewers. Schweikert has praised Trump’s 2017 tax cuts but has called for more spending cuts to reduce federal borrowing.
His reputation was tarnished by ethics scandals. In 2022, he received a $125,000 fine by the Federal Election Commission for misappropriating campaign funds. Two years prior, he agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and accept 11 campaign finance violations after an investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Ethics. In his last three general campaigns for Congress, Schweikert staved off challenges from Democrats. Biggs voiced support for Arizona’s recent passage of a three-year moratorium on tax incentives for new data centers – a move Hobbs also has touted. “They shouldn’t be given a break,” Biggs said, noting the large amounts of power and water that data centers use.
Schweikert bemoaned Arizona’s unfavorable affordability rankings as “pretty miserable,” but said consumer prices don’t come down magically. He vowed to aggressively recruit businesses to Arizona and push for wage growth.
Both congressmen were asked about the expired healthcare subsidies for those getting coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
“We’re going to have to deal with the reality of subsidization of everything in the economy is not going to work,” Schweikert said.
Biggs said he introduced legislation in Congress to bring down healthcare costs and also voiced support for Trump’s proposal to send money directly to Americans for health savings accounts so they can handle insurance and health costs as they see fit.
-
Hawaii7 seconds agoAmbassadors of aloha: Food events aim to boost tourism with unique Hawaii-made products
-
Idaho7 minutes agoIdaho State Police arrest Dillon Thorpe on rape, child enticement charges in Elmore County
-
Illinois10 minutes agoBeecher City farm suffers heavy damage following ‘wicked storm’
-
Indiana15 minutes agoBraun asks regulators to reconsider $71 million AES rate increase
-
Kansas20 minutes agoMixed results for Kansas City World Cup start as some businesses struggle
-
Iowa22 minutes agoIowa High School Baseball Stats: Leaders On The Diamond This Summer
-
Kentucky30 minutes agoKentucky MBB players were dishing out smiles at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital this week
-
Louisiana37 minutes agoGov. Landry declares state of emergency after flooding, severe weather across Louisiana
