Arizona voters will get to decide if public employment should have diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requirements, a court has ruled.
The Maricopa County Superior Court found on Tuesday that Proposition 142 was constitutional, not in violation of the single subject rule as opponents claimed.
Proposition 142, passed by the legislature as HCR 2044, would bar the state and all political subdivisions from making preferential treatments or discriminations based on immutable traits — race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin — in public employment, education, or contracting. This would extend to a ban on any preferential consideration given to individuals based on race or ethnicity.
It would also prohibit public entities from requiring individuals to endorse or support preferential treatments or discriminations based on immutable traits as a condition of admission, graduation, hiring, promotion, certification, contracting, or other employment or scholarship opportunities.
Further, the proposition would prohibit requiring or soliciting a written or oral statement supporting certain race-based DEI concepts, theories, or practices, as well as any confession of race-based privilege or discussion of personal race or ethnicity or experiences with the race or ethnicity of others.
The proposition would also prohibit any requirements for employees to undergo and complete DEI trainings or courses.
Will of the People, a progressive political action committee, was behind the lawsuit to prevent Proposition 142 from appearing on the ballot. Also named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit was Joel Edman, Arizona State University’s Democracy Director for the Indian Legal Clinic’s Native Vote Election Protection Project.
Edman founded the Arizona Democracy Resource Center and the Arizona Election Protection Coalition. He was also the executive director for the Arizona Advocacy Network, where he served as a lobbyist. Edman’s wife, Marilyn Rodriguez, founded the lobbying firm Creosote Partners. It was reported in a 2019 feature on Edman by the Flinn Foundation that the two shared office space for their organizations.
The lawsuit argued that Proposition 142 would establish prohibitions already covered by state and federal laws, including the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution, the Arizona Civil Rights Act, and Title XII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Further on the topic of the Constitution, the lawsuit claimed the proposition violated the right to free speech.
“The absolute bar on trainings, policies, and procedures that are designed or implemented with reference to race or ethnicity is both a content-based and viewpoint-based restriction on speech and therefore violates the First Amendment[,]” stated the lawsuit.
It also contended that the proposition had two subjects: barring preferential treatment or discrimination by the state based on immutable traits, and barring public funding for promoting programs or activities referencing DEI.
The Maricopa County Superior Court rejected those arguments, stating that the proposals were sufficiently connected because they were all rooted in limits on governmental action regarding immutable traits, and that the issue of free-speech restrictions could only be addressed should voters approve the measure.
Will of the People has also sued to stop another legislative ballot referral, HCR 2003, the “Protect Girls’ Sports in Arizona Act.”
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Inflation cooled for the Phoenix metro area last month, and expenditures went up.
The Common Sense Institute (CSI) reported that Phoenix metro’s Consumer Price Index rose 2.8% year-over-year in June, a slight reduction from a 3% reading in April. Energy prices dropped by more than 6% in a single month, attributed to easing tensions with Iran.
CSI noted that Arizona’s growth rate was slower than the rest of the nation. Arizona’s home prices have also cooled while home prices climb nationally.
Over the past seven years, prices have increased in the Phoenix metro area by more than 33%. The typical household pays nearly $1,700 more a month on average for its regular expenditures than they did in the last year before the pandemic hit: around $5,200 to nearly $6,900. CSI estimated that the average Phoenix metro household would have been paying just $600 more compared to 2019 if inflation had followed a steady 2% increase rate these past seven years.
From the national perspective, the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) reported that headline personal consumption expenditure price index inflation rose to nearly 4% from June 2025 to last month. The Federal Reserve’s target for that metric is 2%. Core personal consumption expenditure price index inflation was reported to be nearing 3.3%.
Services inflation rose by 0.13% and goods inflation dropped by 0.63%.
Real personal consumption expenditures increased by $68 billion, or 0.4%. Real personal consumption expenditures on all services increased by $28 billion, or 0.26%, and real personal consumption expenditures on all goods increased by $42 billion, or 0.73%.
The JEC reported that the nominal personal savings rate declined by 0.1% to 2.7%. Headline personal income increased by $55 billion, or 0.2%, and real disposable income per capita increased by nearly 0.3%.
U.S. News & World Report ranked Arizona fourth for economy in its latest Best States annual report for 2026. This marked the highest ranking achieved by the state this past year among all scorecard metrics. The state ranked high for business environment, seventh; growth, seventh; and employment, 17th.
Arizona also ranked 33rd for fiscal stability and 42nd for opportunity: 28th for economic opportunity, 32nd for equality, 35th for affordability, 30th for long-term fiscal stability, and 33rd for short term fiscal stability.
All metric rankings tallied, Arizona came in 34th overall.
Elsewhere, Arizona ranked 21st for healthcare, 23rd for infrastructure, 29th for crime and corrections, 41st for natural environment, and 43rd for education.
The Arizona Commerce Authority issued a new report this month indicating that Arizona is exceeding its goals for the 2026 fiscal year: more than 26,000 potential new jobs added (131% of goal), nearly $110 billion in capital expenditures (2,749% of goal), and more than $81,000 in wages (137% of goal).
Yet, Arizona’s unemployment rate has been outpacing job growth. The state was one of seven states to experience an increase in unemployment, and its rate recently hit a high of 4.9%, numbers not seen since the pandemic. Labor force participation also fell to a total nearing a 10-year low.
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The city of Mesa will honor the birth of Jesus Christ with a drag queen show at its multimillion-dollar arts center.
“A Drag Queen Christmas” is the longest-running drag tour in America per the event organizers, Murray & Peter Present. This year, the group will perform at more than 40 locations across the country, including the Mesa Arts Center.
Those listed as performing at Mesa this year are drag performers under the stage names Crystal Methyd, Darlene Mitchell, Discord Addams, Juicy Love Dion, Myki Meeks, Nini Coco, and Silky Ganache. All Drag Queen Christmas performers were either contestants or winners in “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” a reality competition television series.
The event will take place in the Tom and Janet Ikeda Theater, which has more than 1,500 seats.
Publicly available video footage from past Drag Queen Christmas performances showcased some of the performers anticipated to take the stage in Mesa incorporating typical drag race elements in their performances: costumes and dance numbers peppered with sexually suggestive gestures and themes.
Tickets for the Drag Race Christmas in Mesa cost between $43 to $151 for seating, and an additional $134 for a meet and greet. Based on seat pricing, a sold-out show could bring in around $130,000 in ticket sales.
The show is limited to people aged 18 and older, though in Arizona it’s not illegal for children to attend these shows.
Republican lawmakers initially attempted to prohibit the exposure of minors to drag shows, as well as ban public funds for them, but Gov. Katie Hobbs swiftly squashed that effort when she vetoed a group of those bills upon taking office in 2023.
The city of Mesa has more than $18 million listed as projected expenditures this year for the Mesa Arts Center, more than $5 million of which was reported for live performances. The city’s budget reported more than $9 million allocated to the arts center.
The city has also listed more than $8 million for operations, nearly $2 million for fund development, more than $1 million for adult and youth studio classes, nearly $900,000 for education and engagement, and more than $89,000 for volunteer recruitment and management.
The Fox Tucson Theatre in Tucson will also be hosting A Drag Queen Christmas performance this year.
The tour came through Arizona last year as well, hitting the Phoenix Theater in Phoenix and the University of Arizona main campus in Tucson.
Mesa is represented in the Arizona legislature by a supporter of drag shows.
State Rep. Lorena Austin (LD9), a Democrat representing Mesa, partnered with Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona to host a Drag Story hour in the Arizona Legislature’s basement in 2024.
House leadership accused Austin of misleading them when reserving the space for an event, and her actions resulted in Democrats temporarily losing access to House meeting rooms.
Austin rejected the accusation in a response published by Arizona House Democrats.
Austin would then go on that summer to host a drag show fundraiser open to all ages.
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A judge ruled that a ballot measure to curb the influence of Arizona’s labor unions is unconstitutional.
The Maricopa County Superior Court issued its ruling on Friday against HCR 2040 because it included multiple subjects, and the Arizona Constitution requires ballot measures to contain a single subject. This has been the case since 2022, when Arizona voters approved a ballot measure making it a constitutional requirement for ballot measures to be limited to a single subject.
HCR 2040 was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that would have prohibited school districts from using public funding and public resources to support labor organization operations, and prohibited the state and all its political subdivisions from negotiating with labor organizations.
“A school district employee has a right to negotiate the school district employee’s own terms and conditions of employment, including wages, benefits and working conditions,” stated the ballot measure. “This state or any political subdivision of this state may not negotiate with a labor organization or an exclusive representation agreement, collective bargaining agreement, memorandum of understanding, contract or other agreement regarding the terms and conditions of employment.”
If approved, the ballot measure would have effectively defunded teachers’ unions since they rely on school districts for dues collection. It would have also impacted pay negotiations for police and firefighters.
Democrats were against the ballot measure from the start. House Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos (LD11) called it a “Republican attack” on first responders, educators, and unions.
🚨 BREAKING: Judge rules that HCR2040 — the Republican attack on public safety, police officers, firefighters, educators, and labor unions — is unconstitutional and kicks it off the November ballot.
Some Republicans, such as Rep. Matt Gress (LD4), agreed.
“At a time when public safety agencies face serious recruitment and retention challenges, our first responders must retain their ability to advocate for the resources they need to keep our communities safe,” said Gress in a statement.
Judge Greg Como ruled in Arizona Education Association v. State of Arizona that the ballot measure included two distinct prohibitions concerning labor unions: one applying to school districts and one applying to the state and its political subdivisions.
“While other provisions of HCR2040 address school districts, those provisions involve the use of public monies and resources to support labor unions,” said Como. “When the topic shifts to contracting with labor unions, the language takes a broader turn and applies to the state and ‘any’ political subdivision. As the provisions deal with separate prohibitions (use of public resources vs. contracting with unions), their context is different.”
Como ordered the secretary of state’s office to not include HCR 2040 on the 2026 General Election ballot.
Republican leadership within the Arizona legislature stated that they wouldn’t appeal the ruling.
HCR 2040 was floated amid negotiations between Republican lawmakers and the Arizona Education Association over the fate of the state’s school choice program, part of a plan by Republican gubernatorial nominee, Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05).
“I support a Biggs plan for a one-to-one ballot measure exchange — if the teachers union drops their anti-ESA measure, the Senate will repeal HCR 2040,” said Senate President Warren Petersen (R-LD14) in a statement last month.
I will always fight to protect school choice. To that end, I support the Biggs plan for a one-for-one ballot measure exchange – if the teachers union drops their anti-ESA measure, the Senate will repeal HCR 2040.
Short of this, I see little chance of a special session. I trust…
Despite infighting publicized by a court battle that has lasted over a year, Maricopa County reported that its administration of the 2026 primary election was a success.
Primary election results were processed speedily. About a day — 27 hours — after the polls closed, 99% of ballots were tabulated and reported. After that initial 27-hour mark and as of Friday, there were approximately 3,000 ballots remaining: fewer than 900 provisional or action-needed ballots and around 2,000 ballots that required curing by the deadline on Sunday.
The county reported more than 676,000 ballots cast across more than 250 voting locations, representing more than 26% of total registered voters in the county. As of the end of June, Maricopa County reported having more than 22,000 individuals registered to vote who haven’t provided valid proof of citizenship.
More than 77,000 of the ballots returned were early ballots dropped off on Election Day. Out of those, 23,000 voters used the check-in process to verify their identity on site, enabling on-site tabulation.
Supervisor Mark Stewart credited the county’s elections department, recorder’s office, and poll workers in a press release. Per Stewart, voters and poll workers alike reported the early ballot process to be “fast, efficient, and secure,” which Stewart hailed as a “major step” for improving voter confidence and election results processing times.
“This was a tremendous team effort. The Elections Department, the Recorder’s Office, our poll workers, and every employee supporting the operation knocked it out of the park,” said Stewart.
The speedy turnaround may be attributable to staff efforts to process the ballots turned in on Election Day. Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap reported that his staff came in several hours after midnight the day after Election Day to complete signature verification on all early ballots by early that morning.
“A tremendous thank you to our dedicated elections team, who began work at 2:00 a.m., this morning, and completed the signature verification process in less than 6 hours while upholding the highest standards of accuracy, security, and election integrity,” stated the recorder’s office.
🚨ELECTION UPDATE: Despite receiving the final batch of late-early ballots at 2:40 a.m., my Office completed signature verification on all Election Day early ballots by 8:00 a.m.
A huge thank you to the dedicated staff who came in at 2:00 a.m. to ensure we delivered the fast,… https://t.co/IAEWigKheM
— Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) July 22, 2026
County Chair Supervisor Kate Brophy McGee credited early ballot voters for taking up the on-site identity verification process, rather than dropping off those ballots for post-election validation.
Gov. Katie Hobbs secured more than 293,000 votes in Maricopa County in her challenge-free primary election. Votes cast represented a 43% turnout.
Rep. Andy Biggs won the Republican gubernatorial primary with more than 252,000 votes. Fellow congressman David Schweikert came in second with more than 58,000 votes, followed by Scott Neely’s more than 22,000 votes, and then Ken Miceli’s more than 16,000 votes. Turnout reached 40%.
One Green candidate is in the running for governor, Risa Lombardo, who secured 243 votes. Teri Ann Hourihan secured the No Labels Party nomination with more than 3,600 votes, while Hugh Lytle came in second with 2,900 votes.
Amish Shah secured the Democratic nomination for the Congressional District 1 race with more than 28,000 votes. Marlene Galan-Woods came in second with more than 25,200 votes, followed by Jonathan Treble’s nearly 13,000 votes and Rick McCartney’s 6,000 votes. Voting turnout reached nearly 56%, with more than 75,000 ballots cast.
Jay Feely secured the Republican nomination for the Congressional District 1 race with more than 43,000 votes. State lawmaker Joseph Chaplik came in second with more than 31,000 votes, followed by John Trobough’s more than 12,000 votes. Turnout reached nearly 48%, and there were more than 92,000 ballots cast.
Jonathan Nez didn’t have any primary challengers for the Congressional District 2 race. He will face incumbent Republican Rep. Eli Crane in November, who also didn’t have any primary challengers.
Rep. Yassamin Ansari, the incumbent Democrat for Congressional District 3, didn’t have any primary challengers. A No Labels Party candidate, Alan Aversa, will face Ansari in November.
Rep. Greg Stanton prevailed in the Democratic primary challenge to his incumbency in Congressional District 4, securing more than 35,000 votes. Kai Newkirk came in second with more than 21,000 votes. Turnout reached 47%, and there were more than 58,000 total ballots cast.
Tisha Benoit won the No Labels Party primary for Congressional District 4 over John Fillmore, 979 votes to 518 votes. Turnout represented 44%, and there were more than 2,000 ballots cast.
Zuhdi Jasser was the sole candidate in the Congressional District 4 Republican primary.
Elizabeth Lee won the Democratic primary for Congressional District 5, securing more than 26,000 votes. Chris James came in second with more than 8,000 votes, followed by Brian Hualde with more than 5,000 votes. Turnout reached 45%, and there were more than 42,000 ballots cast.
Mark Lamb won the Republican primary for Congressional District 5, securing more than 40,000 votes. Daniel Keenan came in second with more than 31,000 votes. Turnout reached nearly 42%, and there were nearly 75,000 ballots cast.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani, the incumbent Republican for Congressional District 6, didn’t have any primary challengers. JoAnna Mendoza was the sole candidate in the Democratic Congessional District 6 primary.
Rep. Adelita Grijalva, the incumbent Democrat for Congressional District 7, didn’t have any primary challengers. Daniel Francis Butierez Sr. was the sole candidate in the Republican Congressional District 7 primary.
Likewise, incumbent Rep. Abe Hamadeh didn’t have any challengers in the Republican primary for Congressional District 8. Hamadeh will face off against Democratic candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia, who prevailed with more than 31,000 votes over Ray Keeler’s 16,000 votes in the Democratic primary.
Rep. Paul Gosar also didn’t have a challenger in the Republican primary for Congressional District 9. Gosar will face off against the sole Democratic candidate, Dani Sterbinsky.
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