State Rep. Walt Blackman (R-LD7) has endorsed Republican Bradley “Brad” Bettencourt in the three-candidate race for two Arizona House seats in Legislative District 9.
Blackman is a retired U.S. Army combat veteran who served for 21 years and received the Bronze Star Medal for combat actions in Iraq. He currently serves as chairman of the House Government Committee.
“I’m proud to endorse Brad Bettencourt for the Arizona House in Legislative District 9,” Blackman said. “Brad is a businessman and community leader who has already shown he can step up, fix real problems, and get the numbers to add up. That is the kind of common-sense leadership Arizona families need. He will work hard, respect taxpayers, and be a strong voice for Mesa and Tempe. I encourage LD9 voters to support him.”
Blackman, a 21-year U.S. Army combat veteran and chairman of the House Government Committee, had the following to say.
“I’m proud to endorse Brad Bettencourt for the Arizona House in Legislative District 9,” Blackman said. “Brad is a businessman and community leader who has… pic.twitter.com/HhYahtjhwi
Bettencourt welcomed the endorsement and cited Blackman’s military and legislative service.
“Rep. Blackman’s endorsement means a great deal,” Bettencourt said. “He has served this country in uniform and this state in the Legislature. He knows the difference between talk and results. I will take that same standard to the House: fiscal responsibility, safe communities, parents in charge of their children’s education, and a state budget that works for the people who live here.”
Bettencourt will face Democratic Rep. Lorena Austin and Democratic candidate Jacob Martinez in the general election.
The official statewide primary canvass recorded 10,441 votes for Bettencourt in the Republican primary. Austin received 11,252 votes, and Martinez received 9,290 votes in the Democratic primary.
Austin currently represents LD9 alongside Democratic Rep. Seth Blattman. Blattman announced in December that he would not seek reelection in 2026.
Bettencourt is president of the Dobson Association, the homeowners’ association serving Dobson Ranch in Mesa. His campaign biography says he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Arizona State University, previously worked as a credit analyst and credit officer, and operates a real estate investment business.
Bettencourt has cited his work at Dobson Ranch as evidence of his approach to government finances. His campaign says the community, which includes approximately 5,000 homes and condominiums, uncovered more than $1.5 million in budget errors before he helped bring its finances back into order.
Bettencourt has made fiscal responsibility, housing affordability, water security, public safety, school choice, and government spending central issues in his campaign.
The Legislative District 9 Republican Committee endorsed Bettencourt in February. The committee’s resolution cited his service as an elected Republican precinct committeeman, his Dobson Ranch leadership, and his business experience.
A majority of Arizona voters oppose additional large data center development, with opposition becoming even stronger when voters are asked to weigh economic benefits against concerns over water, electricity, and infrastructure, according to a new poll from Noble Predictive Insights.
The Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP), conducted August 10-13, among 1,040 registered Arizona voters, including 923 likely voters, found that 57% of registered voters oppose additional large data centers in the state. Thirty percent support additional development, while 13% remain unsure.
Opposition was particularly strong, with 35% of voters saying they strongly oppose additional large data centers compared with 9% who strongly support them.
The poll also found that voters become substantially more opposed when presented with the potential tradeoffs associated with data center development.
Sixty-one percent said Arizona should limit additional data center development because of concerns over water use, electricity demand, and infrastructure costs. Just 18% said the state should encourage additional development because of potential investment and tax revenue.
The poll found support for limiting additional data center development across all major political groups.
Fifty-four percent of Republicans, 71% of Democrats, and 61% of Independents said Arizona should limit additional development when water, electricity, and infrastructure concerns were included in the question.
The preference for limits also crossed ideological lines. Seventy-eight percent of liberals, 60% of moderates, and 52% of conservatives favored limiting additional development.
Even among Republicans who identify more strongly with President Trump than the Republican Party, 51% favored limits, compared with 32% who favored encouraging additional development.
The divide among Republicans was more pronounced when voters were simply asked whether they supported or opposed additional data centers.
Among registered Republicans, 42% supported additional development and 46% opposed it.
Trump-first Republicans supported additional data centers 49% to 37%, while Republicans who identified more closely with the party than Trump opposed additional development 53% to 37%.
However, both groups shifted toward limiting development when the question included concerns about water, electricity, and infrastructure.
The results were also similar across different types of communities. Fifty-nine percent of urban voters, 62% of suburban voters, and 64% of rural voters favored limiting additional data center development.
The Center Square reported that at least six Arizona local governments — Chandler, Marana, Phoenix, Mesa, Mohave County, and Tucson — have enacted regulations governing data centers.
Founder and CEO of Noble Predictive Insights, Mike Noble said the findings could make data center development an increasingly important issue for Arizona policymakers and candidates, particularly as voters weigh the industry’s economic benefits against concerns over the state’s water, electricity, and infrastructure capacity.
“Data centers have moved from an economic-development talking point to a test of governing competence,” Noble said. “The candidate who can show voters a credible plan for water, electricity, and infrastructure will have the advantage on this issue.”
Despite the polling results, supporters of continued data center development argue that Arizona should not respond to public concerns by restricting an industry they say can bring investment, jobs, and tax revenue into the state.
Jen Springman, coalition’s manager for the Goldwater Institute, told The Center Square that Arizona should continue its traditional approach of encouraging economic development and innovation.
“We don’t hold back entrepreneurs with overregulation,” Springman said. “That’s been Arizona’s recipe for success. Arizona cannot and should not turn away from that. That’s exactly what will happen if we allow fear of data centers to scare us into shutting down development.”
Springman argued that some of the opposition to data centers has been driven by misinformation and said existing facilities are already operating in Arizona while providing jobs and contributing to the state’s economy.
She acknowledged concerns about electricity, water, and land use but argued that those issues should be addressed without halting development.
Regarding water use, Springman said newer data centers can use closed-loop recycling systems and dry-air cooling to reduce consumption. She also pointed to the potential for data centers to generate significant tax revenue and provide high-paying jobs.
The debate comes as Arizona faces growing pressure over how to accommodate the rapidly expanding demand for data centers while balancing their effects on power, water, and other infrastructure.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The U.S. trade deficit widened to $88.58 billion in July, increasing $17.39 billion from June and ending the month 43 percent above its 12-month average, according to an analysis released Thursday by Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee (JEC).
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and U.S. Census Bureau reported that the deficit increased 24.4 percent from a revised $71.2 billion in June. Total exports declined $6.6 billion to $310.7 billion, and imports increased $10.8 billion to $399.3 billion.
The monthly figures are seasonally adjusted and are not adjusted for changes in prices.
The July increase occurred within a year-to-date decline in the trade gap. Through the first seven months of 2026, the goods and services deficit was $188.4 billion, or 29.6 percent, lower than during the same period in 2025. Exports increased $237.2 billion, or 12 percent, and imports increased $48.8 billion, or 1.9 percent.
The latest figures were released as the Trump administration continues rebuilding its tariff framework following legal setbacks and imposing new duties on goods from dozens of countries.
The goods deficit increased $17.62 billion to $119.59 billion, placing it 31 percent above its 12-month average. The services surplus increased by $225 million to $31.02 billion, reaching 5 percent above its 12-month average.
Exports of goods declined $6.2 billion to $201 billion during July. The decrease included reductions of $4.5 billion in crude oil exports and $3.9 billion in nonmonetary gold exports. Imports of goods increased $11.4 billion to $320.6 billion, led by increases of $6.9 billion in computers, $6.6 billion in computer accessories, and $1.2 billion in semiconductors.
The Washington Times attributed much of the technology-related increase to demand associated with the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure. Computers, computer accessories, and semiconductors produced a combined monthly import increase of approximately $14.7 billion.
Total trade deficit in July was $88.58B, 43% above the 12-month average. In trade of goods, the US ran a trade deficit of $119.59B, 31% above the 12-month average. In trade of services, the US ran a trade surplus of $31.02B, 5% above the 12-month average. https://t.co/SWQZ1mDv7e
— Joint Economic Committee Republicans (@JECRepublicans) September 3, 2026
Over the 12 months ending in July, the United States recorded a total trade deficit of $743.58 billion. The country ran a $1.10 trillion deficit in goods and a $353.73 billion surplus in services. Total exports reached $3.67 trillion, and imports totaled $4.41 trillion during the period.
Vietnam accounted for the largest goods trade deficit over the 12-month period at $219.12 billion, representing 20.39 percent of the total goods deficit. Mexico followed at $213.35 billion, or 19.85 percent, and Taiwan ranked third at $203.67 billion, or 18.95 percent.
The largest goods trade surpluses were recorded with the Netherlands at $79.74 billion, the United Kingdom at $45.12 billion, and Hong Kong at $43.90 billion. The BEA’s July report also recorded monthly goods deficits of $27.5 billion with Mexico, $23.3 billion with Vietnam, $18.1 billion with Taiwan, and $15.2 billion with China.
Civilian aircraft, engines, equipment, and parts; nonmonetary gold; and crude oil were the country’s three largest goods exports by value during the 12 months ending in July. Together, the categories accounted for 17.94 percent of exported goods.
U.S. goods exports to Mexico totaled $370.39 billion, followed by Canada at $337.85 billion, and the United Kingdom at $109.39 billion. The three countries accounted for 34.62 percent of U.S. goods exports during the period.
Computers, computer accessories, and pharmaceutical preparations were the three largest imported-goods categories by value, accounting for 20.89 percent of all goods imports. The United States imported $583.73 billion in goods from Mexico, $385.96 billion from Canada, and $271.07 billion from China. Together, the three countries supplied 36.11 percent of U.S. goods imports over the 12-month period.
The Trump administration has presented tariffs as a mechanism for encouraging domestic manufacturing, protecting U.S. industries, and producing federal revenue. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the administration is pursuing a policy under which companies that manufacture products in the United States would avoid tariffs applied to imported goods.
In a Friday social media post, President Trump connected trade policy with his call for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.
“Lower the rate or I’ll stop trading with countries with which we have a deficit,” Trump said.
Trump: U.S. Has the Right to Stop Trading With Deficit Countries
President Donald Trump says the U.S. has leverage over countries running trade deficits, arguing America has the right to stop trading with them if necessary.
Trump wrote that the United States should have the lowest interest rate in the world and said ending trade with countries that maintain surpluses with the U.S. would be “better than tariffs.”
The BEA and Census Bureau are scheduled to release their August trade report on Oct. 6.
Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) voted Tuesday in favor of a bipartisan continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 11, citing the potential consequences of another shutdown for military personnel, law enforcement, and Arizona veterans.
The House passed H.R. 6500, the “Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027” by a 370-48 vote. The measure was previously passed on August 8, by the Senate with a 90-6 vote before being sent to President Donald Trump, who signed it into law, September 2.
The legislation provided fiscal year 2027 funding for federal agencies generally at current levels through December 11 and extends authorities for a range of federal programs, including surface transportation and veterans programs.
Ciscomani, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, said he supported the temporary measure to prevent another shutdown while Congress continues negotiations over full-year appropriations bills.
“Today, I voted for a bipartisan, temporary Continuing Resolution (CR) to prevent another government shutdown. A government shutdown is not a political game; it has REAL consequences,” stated Ciscomani.
He pointed to the potential impact on military personnel, Customs and Border Protection agents, law enforcement officers, and veterans.
“It disrupts pay for our troops, leaves CBP agents and law enforcement working without pay, and disrupts services for the nearly 80,000 veterans I have the privilege of representing,” he added.
The Arizona congressman also acknowledged that continuing resolutions are not a substitute for completing the annual appropriations process.
“As an appropriator, I know CRs are not ideal and can delay critical bipartisan work, including the $42.7 million in funding that has cleared the first major legislative hurdles to deliver critical investments to Arizona’s Sixth Congressional District,” said Ciscomani.
Today, I voted for a bipartisan, temporary Continuing Resolution (CR) to prevent another government shutdown. A government shutdown is not a political game; it has REAL consequences. It disrupts pay for our troops, leaves CBP agents and law enforcement working without pay, and…
Among the funding priorities he highlighted were $42.7 million in funding that he said has cleared the first major legislative hurdles and would provide investments in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.
Ciscomani said he has opposed government shutdowns and argued that federal funding disputes should not result in disruptions for Arizona families.
“I have NEVER supported a government shutdown—partial or full,” said Ciscomani. “Arizona families should not have to pay the price for Washington’s dysfunction.”
The temporary funding measure comes after Congress faced the possibility of another funding lapse when the federal fiscal year ends September 30.
Lawmakers have sought to avoid another prolonged shutdown after the federal government experienced two major shutdowns during the previous year. One lasted a record 43 days, while a separate shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security lasted 76 days.
The new CR gives Congress additional time to negotiate and pass full-year appropriations legislation for Fiscal Year 2027.
Ciscomani said the House’s approval of the measure would allow the government to remain operational while lawmakers continue working on longer-term funding legislation.
“The House did the right thing today by coming together to keep the government open, keep essential services running, and continue delivering for Arizona,” Ciscomani said.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The Phoenix Police Department (PPD) is lowering its standards and shifting hiring practices in order to recruit and hire more female cops by 2030.
PPD leadership explained during a city council meeting that they are working to align with the 30×30 Initiative, in which participating law enforcement agencies pledge to have female officers make up 30% of the force by 2030 at minimum.
PPD Commander Warren Brewer confirmed that the department aims to have 30% of academy classes consisting of females by 2030.
“That is a focus for us hiring,” said Brewer. “Hopefully we will stay in the double digits when it comes to hiring the female applicants.”
11 other law enforcement agencies in Arizona have signed onto the 30×30 Initiative pledge: Apache Junction Police Department, Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control, Arizona State University Police Department, Gilbert Police Department, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Mesa Police Department, Queen Creek Police Department, Tempe Police Department, Tucson Police Department, University of Arizona Police Department, and Yuma Police Department.
Nearly 400 law enforcement agencies across 46 states have signed onto the 30×30 Initiative pledge. The only states without any law enforcement agencies signed onto the pledge were Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
PPD’s latest academy class had 14 females enrolled, which Brewer said was “the highest” he’d seen in a recruiting class since he’s been in the department. The next class coming in has seven female recruits enrolled.
PPD confirmed that they’ve already begun lowering fitness standards to boost female recruits.
Megan Avalos, PPD’s assistant director for human resources, explained that PPD has lowered pre-academy testing standards for physical agility and ability.
“Pre-employment, we’re giving them an additional 12 seconds because they believe that they can get them ready for that test at the academy,” said Avalos.
PPD’s Physical Ability Test previously required candidates to complete a course simulating essential job functions within two minutes and six seconds. In order to hire more women, PPD has increased the time limit for pre-academy testing to two minutes and twenty seconds.
The test requires candidates to complete an obstacle navigation through climbing over barriers and maneuvering through tight spaces, pursuit simulation through short-distance sprinting and directional changes, victim rescue through dragging a weighted dummy to safety, and equipment carry through lifting and transporting weighted objects.
Per PPD, the test is designed to reflect the real-world physical demands of policing.
This year, PPD once again failed to fill its sworn hiring target of 3,125.
Total recruits in the academy fell from the July 2025 total, but were higher than they were in July 2024. There were 127 recruits in the academy as of July, compared to 135 last July and 70 in July 2024.
Total filled sworn positions also fell for the third year in a row, from 2,527 in July 2024, to 2,501 in July 2025, and then to 2,467 this July.
There were 2,594 total filled sworn positions and recruits this July, which was below July 2024 and July 2025 levels: 2,597 and 2,636, respectively.
However, PPD did report that year-to-date applications represented a 9.6% increase over 2025, and that monthly application totals in 2026 have consistently exceeded or met prior-year performance.
Avalos emphasized that PPD has worked at streamlining its recruitment and hiring processes to encourage candidates and prevent the loss of applicants along the way.
Councilmember Jim Waring was skeptical of PPD’s narrative that recruitment and hiring processes were causing low recruitment. Waring said that recruitment was “worse off” than it was two years ago.
Waring contended that the ongoing recruitment woes were the continuation of a social shift that occurred in 2020, citing the much higher recruitment numbers for the decades leading up to the pandemic.
“Something changed in 2020 that made people not want to be Phoenix police officers, long before the incident that was mentioned or a lot of incidents that have been in the media, or whatever,” said Waring. “If we could figure out what that something is and address it, because that’s your problem. I don’t think it’s processes and so forth, that didn’t seem to effect things for the 20 years I’m looking at before. We used to kind of routinely get 300 people to fill up the classes without really putting a lot of effort into it, and now we’re not.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
A superior court has halted a case to determine whether utilities may use an annual rate adjustment mechanism to determine utility rates.
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) adopted the policy in December 2024. According to the ACC, the goal was to allow electric, water, wastewater, and gas companies to determine utility rates in a manner that would reduce costs, regulatory lag, and potentially rate shock for ratepayers.
Major utilities have integrated the mechanism into their rate case applications, including Arizona Public Service (APS), Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP), UniSource Energy Services, Southwest Gas, Arizona Water Company, and EPCOR Arizona.
The Residential Utility Consumer Office (RUCO) filed a lawsuit in the Maricopa County Superior Court last year challenging the ACC over its adoption of the policy.
RUCO advocates for residential utility ratepayers before the ACC, which includes court intervention — though only in the largest utility rate cases which impact the most utility customers in the state, as RUCO director Cynthia Zwick advised lawmakers last year.
RUCO maintains that the ACC should have adhered to the formal rulemaking process outlined in the Administrative Procedure Act instead of adopting the annual rate adjustment mechanism as a policy statement.
The superior court dismissed the lawsuit last summer. However, RUCO appealed, and the Arizona Court of Appeals sided with the agency last November. The appeals court remanded the case back to the superior court to determine whether the policy should have been adopted as a rule.
Now, the Maricopa County Superior Court has issued a stay pending the decision of the appeals court. The superior court ruled that their handling of the case at this point would be a waste of judicial time and resources. It will now be up to the appeals court to make a decision.
ACC Chairman Nick Myers said in a statement that the commission is still in support of the challenged policy and would continue to defend it in court.
“The use of adjustments, including the ARAM, is an important policy in reducing rate shock to consumers and reducing regulatory lag,” said Myers. “We will continue to utilize this mechanism and defend it in court.”
“ARAM” refers to “annual rate adjustment mechanism.”
Attorney General Kris Mayes has also recently entered the fight against the ACC’s contested policy, but on the basis of the policy itself and not whether the ACC should have gone through the formal rulemaking process. In March, Mayes filed a challenge against the ACC’s approval of the mechanism for UNS Gas. Mayes argued that the mechanism would result in “unjust and unreasonable rates.”
Myers responded the next month in an Arizona Capitol Times guest column arguing that the Arizona Constitution grants the ACC authority to decide on their preferred rate design. Myers questioned whether Mayes was targeting the ACC to bolster her reelection campaign.
“No one is suggesting that the attorney general should remain silent. Legal challenges, when grounded in clear violations of law, are appropriate,” said Myers. “But a pattern of selective, high-profile litigation combined with public messaging that mirrors campaign rhetoric raises legitimate questions about whether that line is being crossed. There is little doubt the lawsuits amount to lawfare, not advocacy for consumers or utilities.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
