by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 22, 2023 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
More dollars are coming to Arizona state schools.
Last week, Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced that his office would be issuing a $10 million grant “for public schools to purchase art supplies.”
The Art Consumable Grant, according to the Arizona Department of Education’s release, will deliver funds to “successful district and charter school applicants…to purchase arts consumables such as paints, brushes, sheet music, dance props, theatrical costumes, and much more.” Selected schools will receive $1,000 for every full-time arts teacher.
In a statement that accompanied the announcement, Superintendent Horne said, “I am a passionate supporter of arts education; it is an essential part of any successful school. There are studies that show learning how to play stringed instruments helps students do better in math, so there are both aesthetic and academic benefits to arts education. I am pleased to encourage schools to apply for these funds to support arts education throughout Arizona.”
The Department encouraged Arizona district and charter schools to apply for the Art Consumable Grant. Schools have until December 31, 2023 to submit their applications for these funds.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 20, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The engines are starting for the 2024 Arizona legislative session.
On Wednesday, the first bill for the upcoming session was filed by Democrat State Senator Priya Sundareshan, who introduced a proposal to “restore the authorization for the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind for 10 years.”
Senator Sundareshan’s introduction came on the first day that 2024 bills could be pre-filed. The lawmaker announced that all of her Senate Democrat colleagues cosponsored the legislation, which is SB 1001.
Both Sundareshan and one of her colleagues, Senator Mitzi Epstein, couldn’t resist taking a political shot across the aisle over the disagreements on the future of this state school. Sundareshan accused Republicans of “cruelly” cutting authorization to four years and “jeopardizing needed services for AZ children.” Epstein charged Republicans with attempting to “end” the ASDB.
During the most-recent legislative session, reauthorization of the ASDB proved to be a political hot topic between Democrats and Republicans. Legislation to continue the state’s authorization of this school, which was introduced by Republican State Representative Beverly Pingerelli, originally set the number of years at eight. Amendments in the Senate changed the yearly continuation figure from eight to two to four. Some Republicans argued that more legislative oversight was necessary for ASDB, supporting their efforts to shorten the length of authorization.
While most Democrat legislators went along with the changes when it came to their votes, their rhetoric told a different story. The Senate Democrats’ “X” account blistered these efforts to reduce the number of years of reauthorization for ASDB, asserting that “Republicans are performing a type of prejudicial bias that we cannot let go unchecked,” and that “discrimination against the disabled should never go unchallenged.” Governor Hobbs, who signed HB 2456 to continue authorization of this school for four years, also joined in with the attacks, stating, “the ASDB community was treated with a lack of respect and was not given equal access to participate in the legislative process.” The Democrat governor called on the Legislature to send her a bill in 2024 that continued ASDB for eight years.
Republicans disagreed with Democrats’ characterization of their attempt to protect taxpayer interests when it came to reauthorizing ASDB. Senator Jake Hoffman, one of the principals in pushing for more oversight and accountability of ASDB, told AZ Free News that his party was “committed to providing the best education possible to every child, including the deaf and blind, and allowing for greater oversight furthers that mission.” Before the bill was signed into law, the Arizona Senate Republican Conference posted, “Senate Republicans are fighting to ensure students and families of the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind receive the best education possible.”
The Second Regular Session of the 56th Arizona State Legislature will commence on January 8, 2024, in what promises to be another unpredictable year in a divided government in the Grand Canyon State.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 20, 2023 | Economy, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The state of the United States economy continues to concern experts and Americans alike.
Earlier this week, the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that the American economy had experienced a 3.2% increase in inflation over the past year.
EJ Antoni, a public finance economist for the Heritage Foundation, reacted to the revelation, saying, “October was the fourth consecutive month of inflation outpacing monthly earnings growth. For 27 of the last 31 months, prices have risen faster than annual earnings. This decline in real earnings coupled with elevated borrowing costs from today’s higher interest rates have cost a typical American family the equivalent of about $7,400 in annual income under the Biden administration.”
A recent poll from Global Strategy Group, which was conducted for the Financial Times and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, showed that 61% of respondents disapproved of the way Biden was handling the economy, while 55% believed that they are worse off since the start of his presidency. The largest concern of the group appeared to be with price increases to food (74%), and 75% believed that rising prices would pose the most significant threat to the American economy over the next six months.
The White House broadcasted a different perspective to the most recent report from the Bureau, stating that the numbers show “more progress bringing inflation down, with annual inflation now down by 65% from the peak.”
President Biden added, “Inflation has come down while the unemployment rate has been below 4% for 21 months in a row—the longest stretch in more than 50 years—while wages, wealth, and the share of working-age Americans with jobs are all higher now than before the pandemic.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 19, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Another major drug smuggling bust occurred near the southern border in Arizona this week.
On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens announced on the platform “X” that his agents had “interdicted 2 smuggling loads consisting of over 304 lbs. of fentanyl worth over $1.9M.”
Chief Owens revealed that the apprehension of the drugs occurred in Nogales and Wilcox.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin added context to the news, sharing the Drug Enforcement Administration’s estimation that “one kilo of fentanyl equals 500,000 potential lethal doses.” Melugin did the math, finding that these latest encounters added up to 138 kilos. He wrote that the “Border Patrol potentially saved a LOT of lives” – possibly 69 million lives from these doses alone.
Border officials continue to find record numbers of fentanyl at the border. In the just-completed fiscal year, ending in September, agents apprehended over 27,000 pounds of fentanyl at the border, which was more than the previous two years combined. According to reporting from the Washington Post, the amount of this extremely deadly drug that is seized by law enforcement is only a fraction of the total numbers that are smuggled into the interior of the country.
Arizona leaders are concerned about the proliferation of fentanyl across the border and polluting communities across the state. Earlier this year, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and other attorneys general about the fentanyl crisis affecting much of the country. After her meeting, Mayes revealed she told the attendees that her office “and our law enforcement partners have seized approximately 7.8 million fentanyl pills.” Mayes added, “We need to throw everything we can at this crisis – new technology at the border, enhanced and strengthened partnerships, and access to more funding. I stand ready to work with anyone committed to solving this crisis so we can save lives and help Arizona families and communities heal.”
Governor Katie Hobbs has also acknowledged the threat that fentanyl and other drugs pose to Arizonans. In September, the governor issued a press release to highlight a meeting she had with law enforcement and other southern Arizona officials. At the time, her office shared that “DPS has seized over 12,200 pounds of drugs” to date in 2023. Hobbs wrote, “My administration has worked tirelessly to support border communities, stem the flow of drugs and human trafficking, and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Nov 18, 2023 | Economy, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Americans are still paying a lot of money for their Thanksgiving meals this year.
This week, the American Farm Bureau released its report on the annual cost of Thanksgiving dinners. The numbers showed that the average cost in 2023 was $61.17, which was down slightly from 2022’s value of $64.05 – yet significantly higher than 2021 ($53.31) and also 25% more than 2019.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said, “While shoppers will see a slight improvement in the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, high inflation continues to hammer families across the country, including the nation’s farmers. Growing the food families rely on is a constant challenge for farmers because of high fuel, seed, fertilizer and transportation costs, just to name a few.”
Duvall added, “While high food prices are a concern for every family, America still has one of the most affordable food supplies in the world. We’ve accomplished that, in part, due to strong farm bill programs. Although our focus is sharing time with family and friends this Thanksgiving, our thoughts also turn to encouraging Congress to double down on a commitment to passing a new farm bill with a modernized safety net to support those who raise the crops and livestock that supply Thanksgiving dinner and every dinner.”
The items comprising the makeup of this Thanksgiving dinner were turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, and a pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
According to the Bureau, the average prices of 16-pound turkeys fell 5.6% year-over-year to $27.35. A pack of one dozen dinner rolls was up 2.9% from 2022 to $3.84, and the cost of a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix had increased 3.7% to $4.44.
The Bureau also expanded the menu for another cost estimate, adding boneless ham, Russet potatoes, and frozen green beans. This menu experienced a $23.58 price increase from the standard fare to top out at $84.75.
Where Americans live in the country also affects the prices they will pay for their Thanksgiving meal. Those in the western part of the nation experience above-average costs at $63.89 for the standard meal, while the expanded offering comes in at $87.75.
Prices for this survey were computed November 1-6, and were gathered from each state plus Puerto Rico.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
