Starting this Friday, low-income families with K-12 students will be able to apply online for up to $7,000 in immediate relief to support educational opportunities which will close the achievement gap and better equip underserved students.
Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday an initial $10 million investment for Arizona’s COVID-19 Educational Recovery Benefit program. The funding – on a first come, first serve basis – will provide choice for families facing financial and educational barriers due to unnecessary closures and school mandates which do not comply with state law.
“Our COVID-19 Educational Recovery Benefit will empower parents to exercise their choice when it comes to their child’s education and COVID-19 mitigation strategies,” Ducey said. “It will also give families in need the opportunity to access educational resources like tutoring, child care, transportation and other needs.”
According to the governor’s office, Ducey has been working for weeks to create an additional program to provide more education options for families.
Eligible families can have a total household income up to 350 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. In addition, applicants must demonstrate the student’s current school is isolating, quarantining, or subjecting children to physical in-school COVID-19 constraints such as mask mandates or preferential treatment of vaccinated students.
“We know that historically disadvantaged communities bear the brunt of excessive and overbearing measures, and we want to ensure these students are protected,” Ducey said.
The COVID-19 Educational Recovery Benefit program has the full support of Senate President Karen Fann and House Speaker Rusty Bowers.
“Educators, families and state leaders are working hard to get students back on track, and the Educational Recovery Benefit program will make sure kids have every opportunity to grow and thrive,” said Fann.
Bowers noted the desire to keep children “safe, healthy, and achieving” during the pandemic, adding that with the new program, “we can do it all at the same time.”
Several Arizonans, Republican state lawmakers, and organizations are joining forces to secure enough signatures so voters can decide during the November 2022 General Election whether to strengthen existing voter ID requirements.
Arizonans for Voter ID is a political committee sponsoring the ballot initiative which seeks to revise existing voter ID laws for in-person voting and vote-by-mail ballots, as well as individuals who return another voter’s ballot.
Paperwork for the “Arizonans for Voter ID Act” initiative was filed Monday with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office by committee chair Vicki Vaughn and Bill Luhrs, committee treasurer.
House Majority Leader Ben Toma (R-LD22) will join other lawmakers, including Senators Warren Petersen (R-LD12) and J.D. Mesnard (R-LD17), for a press conference Tuesday at 1:45 p.m. on the Senate lawn to formally launch the initiative effort.
“The vast majority of Arizona voters support voter ID because it is a common-sense and critical election integrity practice that is increasingly implemented around the country,” according to Scot Mussi, president of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. “This initiative will ensure that no matter when you vote, where you vote, or how you vote, identification will be required.”
In addition to Arizona Free Enterprise Club, other coalition members include The Goldwater Institute, Heritage Action for America, Republican Liberty Caucus of Arizona, Foundation for Government Accountability, Arizona Women of Action, AMAC Action, and the Honest Elections Project Action.
“Election experts have always recognized voting by mail as the voting method most susceptible to error and fraud,” said Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project Action. “Adding objective identification requirements to Arizona’s mail-in ballots builds voter confidence in elections by ensuring only legal votes are accepted and counted.”
Under the Act, voters who receive their ballot by mail would still sign the voter affidavit section, but would also include their date of birth, In addition, the voter would need to include the last four digits of their social security number, Arizona driver’s license number, or state identification card.
“Arizonans show identification all the time in their daily lives to purchase alcohol, receive unemployment benefits, make major transactions, and board a plane, among others. Requiring identification before casting a ballot is necessary for our elections,” Vaughn said in announcing that the process got underway Monday.
Those interested in more information about the initiative can contact info@azvoterid.com.
More than 7,500 members of the American Legion family are expected to converge at the Phoenix Convention Center later this month for the 102nd National Convention of the American Legion and the 100th Convention of the American Legion Auxiliary.
The event runs from Aug. 27 through Sept. 2, and estimates show Convention will contribute $10 to $15 million to the Phoenix economy through shopping, dining, and tourism expenditures. Attendees will utilize about 15,000 hotel room-nights.
Michael E. Walton, chairman of the American Legion National Convention Commission, says it is the third time in 20 years that Convention will be held in Phoenix.
“We are delighted to come back to Phoenix,” Walton said. “Many Legionnaires have fond memories of our previous conventions held there in 1991 and 2008.”
Walton noted Arizona is home to seven active military bases and about one-half million veterans. “The state is unquestionably patriotic,” Walton said, adding that organizers believe the event can be conducted safely despite COVID-19 concerns.
For the last several weeks, top American Legion officials have promoted a video about public health “ground rules” which will be in place at Convention. Those rules -which include face masks and social distancing- will be mandatory because the event is being held at a city-owned building. There is also the possibility of temperature checks to enter the building or meeting rooms.
“I know everyone in the American Legion family is familiar with the precautions we have taken during the pandemic, but different communities have different levels and stages,” according to James W. “Bill” Oxford, national commander of the American Legion. “Ahead of Convention, regardless of your state or community’s guidance and rules, we need to follow the rules of Phoenix, Arizona and remember the ground rules we’ve shared with you.”
The video also highlights Clint Bolt, national commander for the 367,000-member Sons of the American Legion, discussing greeting options at Convention.
“But instead of hugs, kisses, and handshakes, we need to choose greetings that don’t spread germs,” Bolt said. Some of the acceptable methods of greetings are elbow bumps, salutes, waves, and “nods – not to include nodding off,” he added.
“I want to thank our American Legion family for following guidance from the local, state, and federal healthcare authorities during the pandemic,” Bolt said. “We need to continue doing that in Phoenix.”
Nicole Clapp, president of the American Legion Auxiliary, warns in the video that protocols could change in advance of, or even, during Convention.
“We need to be flexible as conditions may change in Phoenix, hopefully for the better,” Clapp warns. “We need to follow and abide by all official guidance, precautions, and rules from our host city.”
The American Legion has a current membership of nearly 2 million wartime veterans. Membership -and admission to Convention- is open to veterans of all six armed forces branches who served in uniform anytime since Dec. 7, 1941 or who are currently serving.
Among the activities planned at this year’s Convention is a Salute to Servicewomen, presentation of the Legion’s Distinguished Service Medal, recognition of the 2021 National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and National Firefighter of the Year awards, and presentation of the Auxiliary’s prestigious Public Spirit Award.
Special guests include racing champions Jimmie Johnson and Tony Kanaan, as well as country singer Craig Morgan, who is an Army Veteran.
The deaths of at least two residents, along with a costly cleanup and the potential for even more devastation due to the forecast for more rain faces the residents of Gila Bend, a rural area in Maricopa County which suffered horrific flooding early Saturday morning after hours of heavy rain the night before.
A state of emergency was declared Saturday by Mayor Chris Riggs as well as the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The same is forthcoming from the State, according to Gov. Doug Ducey.
“Arizona is actively working with local emergency officials to assist in the response to the recent flooding in Gila Bend,” Ducey tweeted after learning of the devastation. “We are in contact with local first responders to provide resources and prepare a state declaration of emergency.”
Gila Bend is a town of about 1,800 located 70 miles southwest of Phoenix. Authorities say rescue efforts were hampered by the fact the area of flooding started in the dark and was widespread across the town. In addition, the monsoon rains were accompanied by a lot of lightening and a main roadway, State Route 238, was impassable in spots between Maricopa and Gila Bend.
About 30 people were pulled to safety from atop their homes by helicopters and roughly 100 residents had to find alternative housing due to the damage. Unfortunately, the mayor confirmed that two people died as a result of the flooding.
County officials activated an Emergency Operations Center near the town to help with coordination of rescue and relocation activities, while members of the Arizona Rangers aided with security and transportation. By Saturday afternoon the water had subsided enough that search and rescue workers were leaving the area, but earlier in the day there were about 90 first responders on scene.
Efforts were still underway Sunday night to account for all residents and visitors in the area.
Meanwhile, county employees were joined by Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) workers throughout the weekend to clear roads. The Maricopa County Flood Control District and state officials are expected to be in Gila Bend in the coming days to monitor water quality issues.
Emergency responders are also preparing for the potential for further flooding into Tuesday evening as more rain is forecast to hit the area.
Whether a new state law concerning mask mandates is effective now, or doesn’t go into force until Sept. 29 is the question a Maricopa County judge must answer, but even he admits the final decision will be made by someone else.
Judge Randall Warner held oral arguments Friday morning in a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) requested by Douglas Hester against his employer, Phoenix Union High School District, which recently announced a mandatory mask policy for its students, parents, and staff when on school property, including buses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recommend K-12 students, parents, and staff wear masks when indoors even if vaccinated for COVID-19. Phoenix Union and at least nine other districts across the state have announced or implemented mask mandate.
Hester contends the new state law barring cities, towns, charter and public schools, community colleges, and public universities from ordering or enforcing any such mandated mask usage became effective June 30.
One or both the sides in the case could appeal Warner’s decision on the effective date of the no-mask mandate statute, depending on how he rules and the reasoning behind his decision. Warner acknowledged as such Friday when he said his ultimate duty in the case is to “tee it up for the Supreme Court” and let the justices make the final ruling
Hester, a science teacher for the district, contends HB2898, the K-12 Education Budget Reconciliation Bill which created the new law, is already in effect due to a retroactive clause. Therefore, he wants Warner to issue a TRO to block enforcement of Phoenix Union’s new policy.
Phoenix Union, through its attorney Mary O’Grady, opposes any TRO. O’Grady also filed a motion on the district’s behalf asking Warner to dismiss the case. It is the district’s position that the effective date of the new statute is not until Sept. 29, the ninety-first day after the legislative session ended.
The district also questioned why legislators would include a retroactive effective date if the new law took effect on the schedule Hester’s attorney Alex Kolodin contends is in place.
According to Kolodin, the 90-day provision does not apply to HB2898m the K-12 Budget reconciliation bill. He argued Friday that is one reason appropriations bills are not subject to voter referendums.
“The retroactivity clause, the governor, and members of the Legislature have all expressed their intent was for schools to not be able to do this after June 30 by putting in that retroactivity clause,” he argued.
Hester named the Phoenix Union District and its eight board members as defendants. Warner’s decision is expected next week.
