Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Republican gubernatorial candidate, is leading Arizona’s congressmembers in a bipartisan petition to House leadership to include emergency funding for Colorado River Basin infrastructure.
The Colorado River serves as a critical water supply for Arizona and the six other basin states. 36% of the state’s supply comes from the river. Put another way, the river supplies drinking water for one in 10 Americans.
Additionally, around 2.5 million individuals across the Western states rely on the river for power.
The river has reached historically low water levels due to prolonged drought and increasing aridity. These levels haven’t been seen on the river since the late 1950s.
The letter requested emergency funding to provide for infrastructure investments, upgrades, and long-term planning, noting that the present average flow measurements on the river amount to 20% less of what they were in the 20th century.
Democratic Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), and Greg Stanton (AZ-04) joined the letter alongside Republican Reps. Eli Crane (AZ-02), Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08), and Paul Gosar (AZ-09).
The letter argued that the river’s decline represented a national security threat worthy of emergency funding, citing its critical function as more than a water and energy source for individuals but also as a source for the national security industry. California and Arizona are consistently among the top 10 states for defense spending, and Colorado is in the top 20.
“In addition to helping meet basic needs of communities out West by supplying drinking water, serving as a power source, supporting municipal services, and helping put food on the table, the Colorado River and its related parks, forests, and recreation areas also contribute over $26 billion to the outdoor recreation economy each year,” said the letter. “In addition, the River supports critical national security industries that have taken root in the West, including in the advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and defense sectors.”
The letter also documented congressional precedent for the proposed emergency funding. In 2022, Congress issued $4 billion for drought mitigation with priority given to Arizona and the other basin states. According to the congressmembers, this cash infusion did mitigate the water crisis.
By comparison, congressional funding sits currently at less than $100 million for the river.
“We have no doubt that without this vital funding source, the water crisis today facing our communities would be much worse,” stated the letter. “Funding is urgently needed to limit the pain that could be felt by communities across the basin in the near term and may smooth the path forward for post-2026 operating agreements.”
Biggs said in a statement that bipartisanship was a need because the river represents a crisis far bigger than either party.
“For desert dwellers, nothing is more important than protecting and cultivating our water resources,” said Biggs. “The Colorado River situation is not just an issue for Arizona and the West; it’s an issue that affects the entire country because of the national industries that depend on this water source. I hope that House leadership and appropriators will heed our request and include the necessary funding to prevent this crisis from getting worse and needlessly harming vulnerable Americans.”
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Arizona experienced increases to both unemployment and jobs in the month of June.
The latest monthly update from the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) reflected that Arizona was one of seven states to experience an increase in unemployment and one of 34 states to experience an increase in jobs last month.
Arizona unemployment rose by 0.1% for a total of 4.9%. In other words, employment fell by 22,427 last month and by 91,024 over the past 12 months. That unemployment rate reflects the state’s highest rate since the pandemic.
Labor force participation fell by 0.4% to 60.3% last month, nearing the state’s 10-year low. This decline marked the fifth consecutive month of the downward trend. Over the past 12 months, the state’s labor force participation rate fell by 1.8%. Overall, Arizona ranks 37th in the nation for labor force participation. The state reached its 10-year high in November 2019, at 62.2%, and sank to its 10-year low in April 2020, at 60.2%.
Net payroll jobs grew by 2,400 after a loss of 1,600 net payroll jobs in May. Arizona’s nonfarm payroll employment increased in nine of the past 12 months.
Arizona also ranked 15th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the last 12 months. The state’s private sector added 2,500 net private payroll jobs, reaching a total of 30,300 private payroll jobs over the past 12 months.
An analysis from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) found that Arizona outperformed the nation for job growth in June. CSI found Arizona’s national growth rate to be 0.72%, more than double the national growth rate of 0.32%.
CSI did warn that May’s employment estimates underwent significant revisions, which indicated volatility of monthly labor data. The state initially reported gaining 2,000 jobs for that month. The decline of 1,600 jobs marked one of the largest downward revisions in the nation, per CSI.
JEC reported that Arizona’s best performing sectors for employment from May to June were trade, transportation, utilities, and professional and business services, collectively accounting for the addition of 5,700 jobs. The worst performing sectors were leisure and hospitality and manufacturing, collectively accounting for the loss of 4,200 jobs.
From June 2025 to June 2026, the best performing sectors for employment were private education and health services and professional and business services, collectively accounting for the addition of 30,500 jobs. The worst performing sectors were leisure and hospitality and state and local government, collectively accounting for the loss of 9,900 jobs.
CSI found that Arizona’s mining sector was the fastest-growing industry in the state over the past year. The sector added 1,400 jobs over the past 12 months, a growth of nearly 9%. CSI also found that education and health services also grew at a steady clip of about 3.7%, outpacing national growth.
Nationally, unemployment fell in 30 states, rose in seven states, and remained unchanged in 14 states. The District of Columbia was included in the national analysis and maintained the highest unemployment rate, 6%. South Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate, 2%.
Payroll jobs rose in 34 states and fell in 17 states. Alaska and New Hampshire had the largest payroll job percent increase, and West Virginia had the largest payroll job percent decline.
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Congressional candidate JoAnna Mendoza is staying silent on new allegations against her fellow Democrat, Sen. Ruben Gallego.
Gallego has been accused of engaging in sexual relationships with at least two congressional staffers which were believed to have occurred between his two marriages. These allegations were detailed in an exclusive report by the New York Post lastweek.
According to three anonymous sources cited by the outlet, Gallego had sexual relationships with two staffers working under Democrat members of Congress from Texas while he was in the House. Members of Congress may not have relationships with their own staffers; though the rules don’t prohibit staffers of other offices, some questioned to what degree consent was possible due to Gallego’s position of authority.
Gallego divorced his first wife Kate Gallego, mayor of Phoenix, in early 2017. He married his second wife, Sydney Barron Gallego, in 2021.
Gallego was elected to the Senate last year.
While other Democrats have made a point to go public with disavowals of those elected officials and candidates facing allegations of sexual impropriety — like Gallego’s longtime best friend Eric Swalwell, or a Senate candidate he endorsed and defended, Graham Platner — Mendoza has not commented on these new allegations.
Mendoza’s campaign received over $7,000 from Gallego through his Juntos PAC as well as the Future Forum PAC, a political action committee involving him and Swalwell. She has expressed their support of her as a point of pride for her campaign, though she declined to disavow Swalwell.
Swalwell faces accusations of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and rape.
Mendoza has a spotty past with romantic relationships as well. The professed bisexual combat veteran and “single mom by choice” was married for two weeks to a Syrian national, Tariq Alrawwass, according to marriage records obtained by the Daily Mail earlier this month.
Mendoza and Alwrawwass reportedly married in Syria: a fact that raised questions over how the two met, since Mendoza was between enlistments and had not yet served overseas as part of her military service. A March 2001 court filing by Mendoza noted that Alrawwass had relatives in California at the time, and indicated that he could have either been in Syria or the U.S.
Marriage records further reflect that Mendoza and Alrawwass wed in April 1998, about three years after Mendoza had left the Navy and one year before she joined the Marine Corps.
Mendoza’s court records, filed in California, stated that she returned to the U.S. in May 1998, describing it as approximately one week after her marriage, though she didn’t file for divorce until October 2000. A court granted a default divorce judgment several months after Mendoza filed that declaration of her separation from Alrawwass.
Also in recent weeks, Mendoza made headlines for using her official campaign account on Instagram to follow multiple accounts dedicated to erotica and witchcraft. Among those Mendoza followed was former Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) leader Brianna Westbrook, the first openly transgender candidate for federal office in Arizona.
Westbrook’s Instagram profile is public and displays BDSM content and links to Westbrook’s sexual services as his alter ego, Harley DeVil. Westbrook was a former ADP vice chair, congressional candidate, and Democratic nominee to a seat in the state legislature. He was arrested earlier this month for an alleged violent home invasion of a former romantic partner.
Citing these recent and past actions, the Republican National Committee questioned whether Mendoza was fit for elected office. A statement from RNC spokesman Nick Poche said Mendoza’s hesitation to condemn Swalwell and Gallego raised concern.
“Mendoza keeps finding herself connected to the weird, the bizarre, and the downright disgusting,” said Poche. “If she refuses to condemn Gallego and reject his endorsement, Mendoza is endorsing his behavior.”
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A new data analysis.shows that Arizona is facing more of an affordability crisis than other states as the 2026 elections heats up.
Arizona households presently carry above-average debt across auto loans, credit cards, and mortgages. Arizonans are also falling behind on payments at rates well above the national average, according to new analysis by the Common Sense Institute (CSI).
In Arizona, CSI found that auto loan debt is 7% higher, credit card debt is 8% higher, and mortgage debt is 22% higher than the national average.
Arizona also sits at the bottom half of the nation in terms of average credit score, which is 666. The state ranks 30th overall, having fallen seven points in 2025 and experiencing the 10th-fastest drop in average household credit score among all states.
Arizona experienced the second-largest increase in per-capita debt out of 11 reported states. The state has experienced a rise in per-capita debt amounting to nearly 130% since 2003. Only Texas reported a worse increase in per capita debt, at 148%.
That metes out to an average per-capita household debt of $74,000. CSI reported that this average debt in Arizona has largely been driven by mortgage debt.
The same can be said for households elsewhere on that point. Nationally, household debt neared $20 trillion by the end of last year — much of that driven by mortgage debt ($13.2 trillion, an increase of 4.5%), followed by auto loans and student loan balances ($1.7 trillion respectively, reflecting increases of 0.7% and 3%) and credit card debt ($1.3 trillion, an increase of 5.5%).
Arizona didn’t lead by all negative metrics. Arizona’s higher education-related debt was 3% lower than the national average, and student loan debt was 8% lower than the national average.
And according to CSI, less than 23% of Arizona households have liquidity resilience, or ability to handle potential credit problems — far less than the average household nationwide. CSI attributed this to Arizonans possessing higher-than-average debt, higher delinquency, and a lower cash cushion than the average household in the nation.
The latest data from the Consumer Price Index also reflected that Arizona had more sluggish growth than the rest of the nation. Yet, Arizonans have been spending an average of more than $1,000 more per month than they would have if inflation had risen steadily at 2% since December 2020.
The average Phoenix-area household was spending about $6,900 per month as of June 2026, compared to the projected $5,800 under a 2% inflation trajectory.
In December 2020, the average Phoenix-area household was spending about $5,200.
The findings contrast with Gov. Katie Hobbs’ recent messaging on Arizona’s economy.
In April, Hobbs announced that Arizona ranked second in the nation for economic performance and fifth for economic outlook in the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual Rich States, Poor States report. She also argued that her administration’s policies have lowered costs for working families.
A teachers’ union-backed initiative to end Arizona’s universal school choice program relied on a variety of violent felons to collect signatures in violation of state law.
In what some critics have called a twist of irony, the initiative allegedly failed to conduct background checks on those gathering signatures for a reform that would require background checks for providers within the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.
An amended complaint filed by the Goldwater Institute this week identified nearly 28,000 signatures collected by multiple felons, including a child predator, kidnapper, human trafficker, meth dealer, and killer.
In all, the Goldwater Institute estimated that these signatures, combined with all other invalid signatures, would render the petition ineligible for the November ballot. The Protect Education Act ballot initiative would need about 256,000 signatures at minimum to qualify.
One of the signature gatherers was Jess Redhorse, Jr., convicted of sexual abuse of a minor. According to a mandatory notice issued by the Flagstaff Police Department, Redhorse was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in 2015 and released in October 2017 as a Level Two sex offender. Level Two signifies intermediate risk to the community. Redhorse’s victim was a 14-year-old female.
Redhorse is not listed on Arizona’s sex offender registry.
Per the Goldwater Institute complaint, Redhorse gathered more than 600 signatures for the petition.
Save Our Schools and the teachers unions say they are fighting to “protect” Arizona’s children.@NEAToday@ArizonaEA@arizona_sos
This is who their campaign trusted to collect signatures.
According to the verified complaint filed by the Goldwater Institute, Jess Redhorse Jr.… pic.twitter.com/NUecaSieoa
— Arizona Free Enterprise Club (@azfec) July 22, 2026
Other signature gatherers had violent felony-level criminal pasts as well according to the Goldwater Institute:
Dwight Perkins, Jr., was convicted of aggravated assault in Arizona and cocaine dealing in Illinois. Perkins gathered nearly 3,400 signatures.
Aaron Soto and Jose Roberto Valencia Toscano were convicted of trafficking illegal aliens for profit in Arizona. Soto gathered more than 3,100 signatures and Toscano gathered nearly 1,800 signatures.
According to a complaint filed with the Arizona District Court in 2023, Valencia Toscano trafficked illegal aliens using an unregistered vehicle in March 2023.
Freddie Wilkerson, Jr., was convicted of conspiracy to sell or transport marijuana in Arizona. Wilkerson gathered more than 2,900 signatures.
Alvin Harrison, Jr., was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Nevada. Harrison gathered nearly 2,700 signatures.
News reports state that Harrison was convicted of manslaughter in the case of a slain security guard, Jose Parra. It appeared that Harrison robbed the man after he killed him, taking his watch and wedding ring.
Melvin Alston was convicted of attempted manslaughter in New York. Alston was included in the amended complaint but not included in the original complaint.
Mark Trusiak, Sr., was convicted on a drug paraphernalia-related felony in Arizona. Trusiak gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
Adam Lopez Milligan was convicted of assault, kidnapping, and weapons misconduct in Arizona. Milligan gathered more than 1,100 signatures.
Kisha Antoinetta Christian was convicted of importing methamphetamines in Arizona. Christian gathered more than 50 signatures. Christian was also convicted of trafficking illegal aliens in 2018.
Trevor Tatsuya Murphy was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful taking of a vehicle, and trafficking stolen property in California. Murphy was not included in the original complaint.
A police department in California issued a press release in 2014 identifying Murphy as one half of a pair responsible for a series of thefts and vehicle burglaries that concluded with the pair striking a victim with a stolen vehicle while fleeing.
Robert Smith, Jr., was convicted of attempted murder, arson, stalking, criminal threats, and drug-related charges in California. Smith gathered two signatures.
Scott Simpson was convicted of felony drug offenses in Arizona. Simpson gathered about 100 signatures.
Jennifer Smith was convicted of drug possession in California. Smith was not included in the original complaint.
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