by Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 20, 2024 | Education, News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Former boxing champion Mike Tyson recently launched a middle and high school in Phoenix, Arizona.
Tyson Transformational Technologies Academy is a Cognia Accredited Micro-School in Arizona for grades six to 12.
The world Champion boxer, entertainer, and entrepreneur partnered with the Foundations Academies School System and undefeated MMA fighter Daniel Puder to start the school.
“It’s important to me that I am able to share my life experiences to inspire the next generation,” Tyson said. “This new educational institution will build core values that I am honored and grateful to be part of the Arizona community. I was thrilled to be part of the ribbon cutting ceremony and meeting some of the students.”
The price of tuition is covered through the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) and internal school scholarships.
Since late 2022, all Arizona students have been eligible for an ESA as a K-12 student or as a preschool student with a disability. Families with qualifying students enrolled in the ESA program can use their ESA funds for expenses including educational services, education providers, curriculum, and other educational expenses.
Tyson’s school aims to “redefine learning by combining innovation, financial literacy, mentorship, and community engagement.” The academy will provide quality education and opportunities for personal growth to every youth regardless of their academic challenges, ethnicity, or socio-economic status, the Feb. 15 news release says.
“As a society, we get to build our youths for the next generation,” Puder said. “We are so blessed to have Mike Tyson part of our school system. He inspires our students.”
To enroll their child, parents can contact (480) 448-5181.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Feb 20, 2024 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
Arizona ratepayers are overpaying by up to four times more than they should for unreliable energy due to renewable energy mandates — and stand to pay even more in the future — according to congressional testimony by Nick Myers, commissioner for the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).
Myers testified to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee last week that the whole renewable energy mandate movement not only constitutes bad policy, but defies common sense.
“Our ratepayers are paying three times for the same generation and retiring reliable generation in favor of unreliable generation is just bad. It’s common sense: you have to have a backup plan,” said Myers. “You have to create more dispatchable generation that sits there idle so that you can use it when the sun goes down or the wind doesn’t blow: we don’t have a whole lot of wind in Arizona, but you have to have that generation available to come online when it happens.”
Myers said that most of ACC’s current challenges stem from a lack of adequate infrastructure to replace the “early forced retirement” of coal plants. He said that ratepayers are having to pay three to four times more than they should because of this dilemma.
“Personally, it pains me to have to prove accelerated cost recovery for early shutdown of coal plants while at the same time authorizing recovery on new purchase power agreements and then because the utilities are ultimately responsible for keeping the lights on, we also have to approve the building of reliable dispatchable generation in the form of natural gas,” said Myers. “That means our ratepayers are paying three times for the same energy generation that could be had by simply keeping our existing generation online until natural retirement or even better beyond that.”
Additionally, Myers said that ratepayers pay four times more than they should for energy due to renewable energy mandates forcing utility providers to invest in “premature technology” under long-term contracts. Myers said that the cost burden is projected to worsen over the next two decades as the price of solar energy drops. The commissioner disclosed that additional problems concerned delayed development and commercialization of newer technologies, namely small modular reactors.
According to Myers, ACC has approved nearly 2,000 megawatts of solar plus battery connections and hundreds of megawatts of thermal generation in the past year.
Myers further noted that a “one size fits all” approach to regulation was impossible due to Arizona’s diverse topography and climate, citing the disparities between the northern and southern parts of the state.
The commissioner also clarified that Arizona lacks the infrastructure to supply natural gas and that the state can’t allocate much more to turbines for intermittent renewable resources.
Instead, Myers said that they have turned to alternative solutions, such as hydroponic basins — an initiative that he says won’t come to fruition in the next decade — as well as salt caverns for natural gas and possibly hydrogen storage. That latter proposal, he said, may provide buffering for the entire west coast and parts of Mexico.
Another solution in the works concerns an increase in the number and size of pipelines laid from Texas to California.
Myers said that ACC has been active in Day-Ahead Markets (DAMs), which matches energy buyers and sellers, a tool they view as a possible stepping stone for a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO). He said that DAM simulations have yielded net savings for utility customers, with or without the inclusion of Washington and California.
“While Arizona has many transmission lines in development, it is important to work with our neighbors to determine what is best in regard to long-term transmission suitable for our region,” said Myers.
When asked whether it was an ideal solution to have California govern the grid for western states, Myers said no. He cited California’s inability to secure power for its own residents and its legislative primacy clauses prioritizing its own interests above that of other states.
“Should we have a problem, California will only make a change if it benefits California, and that is a huge problem for us,” said Myers. “Just look at how much of a bang-up job they’ve done at keeping their own lights on.”
Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ-08), who sits on the subcommittee, commended ACC for rolling back renewable energy mandates earlier this month. Lesko said that the retraction was a “reasonable approach” that she felt attracted more businesses to the state, in contrast with the steady bleed of businesses from neighboring California.
Lesko asked about the reliability and potential problems posed by carbon capture technology and storage outlined by the EPA proposal to reduce carbon emissions by 90 percent by 2030. Myers agreed that the technologies were purely “aspirational” and a threat to reliability. He, along with other state public utility commissioners testifying that day, expressed a desire for the EPA to take back their proposal.
“Those technologies are so much in their infancy that they are extremely expensive, the timeline is extremely rushed, and there is absolutely no infrastructure in place to handle either one of those technologies,” said Myers. “It would absolutely increase costs dramatically to Arizona utilities if we had to do that; it might also accelerate the closure of certain plants because of these requirements.”
As an example of the high cost to ratepayers, Myers explained that hydrogen would have to be converted to ammonia en route since it can’t be piped in long distances.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 20, 2024 | News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
A Phoenix-based group of Teamsters is celebrating the Arizona State House Judiciary Committee’s passage of a bill to protect transit workers.
House Bill 2742 aims to protect transit, airline, and rail workers by significantly increasing the criminal penalty for assaulting them. It has bipartisan support and the endorsement of many transit, airline, and rail employers.
Teamsters Local 104, which represents 1,400 transportation workers across all industries in the Grand Canyon state, said the bill’s progress through the state House is a step in the right direction toward keeping transportation workers safe.
“The advancement of this bill for our members marks another significant step toward acknowledging the severity of crimes committed against transportation workers,” Karla Schumann, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 104, said in a news release. “This legislation directly confronts the critical issue of aggravated assault against transit, airline, and rail employees, underscoring the inherent dangers they encounter daily while serving the public.”
Schumann thanked Rep. Consuelo Hernandez, a Democrat, for sponsoring the bill. Hernandez, who has served as president of the Sunnyside Union School District School Board and worked as district manager of major accounts with ADP, is a member of the Transportation Committee.
“We express our deepest appreciation to Representative Consuelo Hernandez for her leadership and dedication in introducing HB2742, and to the Arizona State House Judiciary Committee for recognizing the urgency of this issue and for swiftly passing this important legislation out of committee,” Schumann said.
Local 104 members joined other transit workers in sharing their personal experiences of violence in their workplaces at the Capitol prior to the bill’s passage. Reported experiences included being struck with fire extinguishers, rocks, hammers, knives, and closed fists.
“State legislators must now pass this bill and have it signed into law as soon as possible,” Schumann said. “Local 104 will continue to advocate for legislation that safeguards our transportation members, ensuring they can perform their duties without fear of violence or harm.”
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 19, 2024 | Education, News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
The Goldwater Institute is suing the Biden administration for fining Grand Canyon University for $37 million without explanation.
The U.S. Department of Education assessed a record fine of $37 million against the private, Christian university in October 2023. This marks the largest fine of its kind ever assessed by the department.
The Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based conservative think tank, is suing the administration to get answers about the fine and hold the government accountable.
Fines on universities who have improperly dealt with sexual assault pale in comparison to those levied against GCU. The Department of Education fined Penn State University only $2.4 million for failing to report the crimes of serial pedophile Jerry Sandusky. Michigan State University was fined a mere $4.5 million fine for refusing to address sexual assaults committed by athletic director Larry Nassar, who abused more than 500 students.
The Education Department claimed to fine GCU for insufficiently informing P.h.D students that they may have to take continuing courses while completing their doctoral dissertations. The federal government report did not cite any student’s complaints, and Education Department personnel did not visit GCU as part of its so-called investigation.
The Goldwater Institute submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the department to gain clarity on the fine against GCU.
“The records may help inform the public about this extraordinary fine, as well as coordination between various federal agencies in what appears to be the intentionally targeting of a successful university—one that’s no stranger to run-ins with the feds—based on extraordinarily thin allegations,” a Goldwater news release says.
The Department of Education refused to turn over these public records, the think tank said, so it is suing the agency in federal court to get them anyway.
“With its motto of ‘private, Christian, affordable’ and its track record of graduating students into high-demand and high-paying jobs, GCU is a success story by any metric,” Goldwater Institute staff attorney Stacy Skankey said. “And it stands apart from universities across the country that are facing declining enrollment, that are indoctrinating students with radical politics, and that are under attack for failing to defend the First Amendment.”
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the Goldwater Institute was founded by Barry Goldwater. The story has been corrected.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 19, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The Arizona Legislature is working to strengthen parental rights in the state.
Earlier this month, the State House of Representatives passed HB 2183, which “entitles parents with the right to receive from a healthcare entity equivalent access to any electronic portal or other healthcare delivery platform for their minor child,” according to the overview from the chamber. The bill, which was sponsored by Representative Julie Willoughby, received bipartisan support on the floor, garnering a vote of 32-25 (with three seats vacant).
In a statement after the House vote, Representative Willoughby said, “As healthcare delivery evolves, patients have increasingly varied avenues to access and communicate with healthcare providers. Yet, I’ve heard from parents who have been denied the ability to access their child’s medical records through an online patient portal. These portals are essential for parents to manage the care of their children, enabling them to contact pediatricians and specialists, schedule appointments, and refill prescriptions.”
Willoughby added, “Arizona’s parents’ bill of rights safeguards parents’ ability to make healthcare decisions for their minor children. My bill expands upon this protection, guaranteeing parents’ equal access to healthcare delivery platforms like online medical portals to care for their minor children.”
Before arriving on the floor for a vote from the whole chamber, HB 2183 was approved by the House Committee on Health and Human Services in January, with a partisan 6-4 vote.
HB 2183 was co-sponsored by Representatives Biasiucci, Bliss, Carter, Cook, Dunn, Gillette, Kolodin, Nguyen, Peña, and Speaker Toma.
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, Christine Accurso and a representative from the Center for Arizona Policy signed in support of the proposal. Representatives from Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, American Civil Liberties Union of AZ, AZ Public Health Association, Children’s Action Alliance, Arizona Center for Women’s Advancement, NARAL Pro-choice America, National Council of Jewish Women Arizona, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Stonewall Democrats of Arizona, and Human Rights Campaign registered their opposition to the bill. Additionally, representatives from the Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Health System Alliance of Arizona noted their organization’s neutrality on the legislation.
The bill now awaits action in the Arizona Senate.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Elizabeth Troutman | Feb 18, 2024 | Education, News
By Elizabeth Troutman |
Scottsdale Unified School District is on Parents Defending Education’s list of schools with gender support plans.
The gender support plan, filled out by school staff, caregivers, and students, allows schools to hide students’ identification as transgender from their parents.
The purpose of the document is to “create shared understandings about the ways in which the student’s authentic gender will be accounted for and supported at school.”
The district’s plan to support a minor’s transgender status despite parent support or knowledge appears to be in direct violation of the Arizona Parents’ Bill of Rights, which states that parents have the “right to make all health care decisions for the minor child.”
The form asks for the name the student uses, the name on their birth certificate, their gender identity, and so-called assigned sex at birth.
The “Parent/Guardian Involvement” section on the form measures parent knowledge of their child’s “gender status.” The form asks if parents are aware of the child’s gender status, then offers a scale of 1 to 10 to denote the student’s parents’ level of support.
“If support level is low, what considerations must be accounted for in implementing this plan?” the form asks.
The “Student Safety” section of the form establishes a “go to adult” at the child’s school, and asks “if this person is not available, what should the student do?”
In the “Privacy: Names, Pronouns and Students Records” section, the plan asks, “How will instances be handled in which the incorrect name or pronoun are used by staff members?”
The document asks for the “name/gender marker” on the student’s identity documents and entered into the Student Information System, as well as the name and pronouns to be used when referring to the student.
The form asks about what adjustments need to be made to protect the student’s privacy and who will be the point person for ensuring the adjustments are made.
Scottsdale also uses the document to denote what bathroom the student will use and where they will change clothes, demonstrating that the district would allow biological male students to share rooms, bathrooms, and changing rooms with females.
“What are the expectations regarding rooming for any overnight trip?” the form asks.
The district, which educates 22,000 students, also suggests that biological male student athletes would be allowed to play in girls’ sports.
“In what extracurricular activities or programs will the student be participating (sports, theater, clubs, etc.)?” asks Scottsdale Unified School District.
Elizabeth Troutman is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send her news tips using this link.
