Arizona manufacturing and business groups can claim a policy win in Washington, D.C., after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a major federal permitting reform bill they had urged Congress to advance.
On December 18, the House approved the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, H.R. 4776, in a 221–196 vote. The legislation is designed to streamline environmental reviews and speed federal permitting for large energy infrastructure projects, data centers, factories, and other major developments.
The bill, sponsored by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R–AR) and Rep. Jared Golden (D–ME), amends the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to shorten review timelines, clarify when NEPA applies, and limit how long lawsuits can delay projects. A committee summary says the measure is intended to “modernize NEPA,” reduce permitting backlogs, and curb what supporters describe as “abusive litigation” that has slowed infrastructure and energy projects nationwide.
In a press release on the day of the vote, Westerman called the SPEED Act’s passage “a win for America” and urged the Senate to move quickly. The committee noted that more than 375 organizations nationwide backed the bill.
The House vote followed a coordinated push by national and Arizona manufacturing advocates in early December, when congressional leaders signaled they would take up permitting reform over a two-week stretch.
In a December 10 article, Chamber Business News reported that the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and Arizona business groups were urging Congress to act on what NAM branded the “12 Days of Permitting Reform.” NAM called on lawmakers to move several bills — including the PERMIT Act and the SPEED Act — to simplify federal reviews and shorten timelines for major infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects.
NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said at the time that Congress had an opportunity “over the next 12 days to demonstrate strong, bipartisan momentum on comprehensive permitting reform,” and encouraged policymakers to make it easier and more cost-efficient for manufacturers to advance job-creating projects.
For Arizona, business leaders framed the debate as directly tied to the state’s ability to keep pace with growth in sectors such as power generation, semiconductor fabrication, aerospace and defense manufacturing, and AI-driven data centers, all of which depend on predictable federal approvals.
Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Danny Seiden said modernizing federal permitting is critical for Arizona’s economic future, arguing that “manufacturers can’t meet demand, onshore supply chains, or power new AI and data-center growth without a permitting system that works.”
“Arizona’s economy depends on major projects moving on predictable timelines. Congress should advance the PERMIT Act and the SPEED Act so companies can build the infrastructure and capacity our economy requires,” Seiden added.
Grace Appelbe, executive director of the Arizona Manufacturers Council, told Chamber Business News that long, unpredictable federal reviews create significant challenges for small and mid-sized manufacturers trying to expand, upgrade equipment, or bring new technologies online, and said reforms could lower costs and improve Arizona’s competitiveness for new investment.
The House Natural Resources Committee describes the SPEED Act as a structural update to NEPA’s review process. Key provisions include:
Shorter, defined timelines for environmental reviews on major federal actions.
Clearer triggers for NEPA, by defining “major federal action” more narrowly.
Streamlined documentation, intended to reduce the length and complexity of NEPA analysis.
Limits on litigation, including a 150-day window for filing NEPA challenges, to reduce long-running court delays.
External reporting has noted that industry groups, such as energy and infrastructure advocates, welcomed the bill as the first significant federal permitting reform effort since NEPA was enacted in 1969, while environmental organizations have urged the Senate to reject or significantly revise the measure, warning that looser standards could weaken environmental protections and public participation.
With House passage secured, the SPEED Act now moves to the U.S. Senate, where lawmakers in both parties are working on broader permitting legislation and have signaled potential changes to the House bill, Axios reports.
Arizona manufacturers and business groups, which spent early December calling for action on the SPEED Act and related measures, are expected to continue pressing for a final package that delivers the permitting certainty they say is needed for long-term investment and for meeting the state’s projected load and infrastructure demands.
Data centers are coming to Pima County, whether residents like it or not.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors has approved a new data center despite major community opposition and no end user formally lined up.
Amazon was outed earlier this summer as the longtime, unofficial end user lined up for the 290-acre data center, Project Blue, but the e-commerce giant reportedly backed out around the beginning of this month after the developer, Beale Infrastructure, nixed water cooling in favor of the more electricity-dependent air cooling process.
Amazon’s departure was uncovered during the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) hearing earlier this month by sources first reported on by the Arizona Daily Star. ACC approved, 4-1, a decade-long Energy Supply Agreement between Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and the developer to power Project Blue.
Beale Infrastructure made the cooling process switch after the Tucson City Council voted unanimously to deny access to their reclaimed water system back in August. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero also pledged to place limits on future data centers.
The days leading up to the council vote were filled with contentious community information meetings on the project.
Per 13 News, multiple unnamed sources told Pima County Supervisor and Tucson City Councilman Paul Cunningham that up to eight other companies expressed interest in taking Amazon’s place. Sources conflicted on whether one of the companies is Meta, or whether Meta had already backed out as Amazon had.
Project Blue’s developer, Beale Infrastructure, presented the proposed data center as both an economic driver and environmentally friendly operator: “no risks or financial burdens [will be] passed on to other customers,” their representatives promised in their presentations during the community information meetings.
Opponents argue these data centers will further strain an already stressed water supply and electric grid, ultimately leading to scarcity as well as higher fiscal and health costs for the consumer.
It was the promised economic benefits that won over the 3-2 majority of Pima County supervisors. The two supervisors against the data center, Andres Cano and Jen Allen, expressed concerns over the long-term unknown impacts on the environment and community health.
Pima County’s vote came several weeks after ACC approved Beale Infrastructure’s application for Project Blue.
Data centers are the powerhouse for platforms covering virtually every aspect of modern life online: government, streaming, remote work, cloud storage, e-commerce, education, finance, and healthcare.
An independent Economic Impact Study on Project Blue projects a $3.6 billion total capital investment, $250 million in tax revenues, 180 new jobs by 2029, and over 3,000 direct construction jobs during the building phase.
The project will be located north of Pima County Fairgrounds, at the I-10 and Houghton interchange. The development site is over a mile away from the nearest resident, located within an unincorporated area that’s part of the Southeast Employment & Logistics Center.
Beale Infrastructure is also moving on another, equally controversial data center development in Marana totaling 600 acres. Two rezoning applications were filed recently for potential data center development: Luckett North and Luckett South. Earlier this month, the town’s planning commission recommended rezoning for development.
As with Project Blue, the closest resident lives about a mile away from the proposed data center campus. It will also be an air-cooled facility.
In preparation for consideration of the data center, town officials produced two podcast episodes on the town’s data center ordinance and potential for development.
Marana Town Council is scheduled to consider the data center project on Jan. 6, 2026. Progress on the project is available for viewing on the town’s development projects and activity portal.
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Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs strongly condemned the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) decision to deny the state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the devastating floods that struck Gila and Mohave Counties from September 25-27, 2025.
Governor Hobbs announced plans to appeal the decision, emphasizing the urgent need for federal support to rebuild infrastructure, homes, and lives in these rural areas.
“The people of Gila and Mohave County were devastated by flooding from severe monsoon storms this September,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “Now, they’ve been denied support from the federal government with little explanation. By denying much-needed relief, this administration is leaving Arizonans out on their own after their homes, businesses, roads, and bridges were decimated by historic storms. I will appeal this reckless decision and continue doing everything in my power to ensure Arizona communities don’t pay the price for the federal government’s senseless policies.”
The floods, triggered by a stalled monsoonal moisture system that dumped six to ten inches of rain in just 48 hours, overwhelmed local watersheds, including Pinal Creek, Miami Wash, Russell Gulch, and Keller Canyon.
Rapid runoff led to flash floods, debris flows, and widespread destruction across Globe, Miami, Claypool, Hayden, Winkelman, and other communities, including nearby Tribal nations.
Preliminary damage assessments revealed severe impacts: 312 homes were affected, with 64 destroyed, 89 suffering major damage, and 159 with minor to affected-level damage. More than 180 residents required emergency sheltering, and approximately 74 households lacked flood insurance.
Public infrastructure bore the brunt of the disaster with major damage to roads, bridges, utilities, and wastewater systems, including the loss of Globe’s city-owned wastewater system.
Total estimated losses stand at $33,579,081, broken down as follows:
Residential: $4,100,000 for 312 damaged homes.
Public Infrastructure: $23,306,284 for roads, bridges, and utilities in Globe, Miami, and rural areas of Gila and Mohave Counties.
Emergency Protective Measures: $4,721,112 for search and rescue, debris clearance, sheltering, and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activities.
Debris Removal: $1,451,685 for 175,000 tons of mixed debris.
Hobbs was slow to declare a State of Emergency following the catastrophic flooding, eventually doing so on September 27, 2025, prompted by local declarations from Gila County, Mohave County, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Town of Miami, the City of Globe, and others.
State resources, including the Arizona Division of Emergency Management (DEMA), were fully mobilized, activating the EOC, deploying the incident management team, and coordinating evacuations, shelters, and rescues.
Local leaders echoed the Governor’s call for reversal:
Gila County Board of Supervisors District One Supervisor and Chairman Steve Christensen: “Devastation from our recent and profound flooding in southern Gila County has left many in financial ruin, homes destroyed, infrastructure destroyed or badly damaged, as well as loss of life. Gila County is left with significant challenges that we can never meet standing alone. Assistance from FEMA is vital, without which we will not recover to any level of the restoration needed. Please approve funding immediately for the work we MUST do in Gila County.”
Globe Mayor Al Gameros: “I want to thank Governor Hobbs, as well as the strong bipartisan support from our congressional delegation, for requesting a FEMA Major Disaster Declaration in response to the devastating floods that resulted in the death of three residents, and destroyed parts of our historic downtown, critical infrastructure such as bridges and roads, as well as numerous community assets. These floods caused historic and unprecedented damage and have forever transformed our small, tight-knit rural communities. Our community is extremely disappointed by FEMA’s short-sighted decision to deny the State’s Major Disaster Declaration, and we respectfully request that it reexamines its methodology and determines that this devastating flood event meets the critical criteria. I strongly urge FEMA to reverse course and immediately issue an approved Major Disaster Declaration.”
Miami Mayor Gil Madrid: “Miami is a strong and resilient community, and I know we can build back from this devastation, but this is a frustrating setback that will have a real impact on our families and businesses. I will continue working with state and local partners to ensure we get the support we need from the federal government to support our community. I urge the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reconsider their decision and deliver this important relief to my city after we were struck by historic flooding.”
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona voters could be asked to decide how school athletic teams are classified and how privacy is handled in sports facilities under a ballot referral introduced at the State Capitol. The proposal, HCR2003, was introduced by Selina Bliss and would place the issue on the November 2026 general election ballot. The resolution would require school sports teams and competitions to be designated as male, female, or co-ed, while adding new privacy protections in locker rooms and showers.
“Sports designations must be clear and grounded in basic fairness,” Bliss said in announcing the measure. “My referral requires teams and competitions in Arizona schools and sports associations to be designated as male, female, or co-ed. This lets every student compete safely and on fair terms.”
The referral seeks to restore and strengthen elements of Arizona’s 2022 Save Women’s Sports Act, portions of which were blocked by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Under the proposal, placement on male or female teams would be determined by the sex listed on an athlete’s original birth certificate, a standard Bliss said would provide consistency for schools and families navigating evolving legal rules.
Supporters of the measure argue that litigation has created uncertainty in states like Arizona, leaving districts without clear direction. Bliss said voters should have the opportunity to weigh in directly rather than relying on ongoing court decisions. “Voters should decide this issue and give young women the opportunities they deserve,” she said. “Passing this referral will protect female athletes and give families confidence that the rules will not shift again in court.”
Bliss also cited her personal background in athletics as informing her perspective on the issue. “As someone who competed in athletics and as a mother who watched her daughter compete, I understand the value of a fair field of play,” she said. “Sports help young people build confidence, discipline, and healthy habits.”
Similar proposals are advancing in other states, including Colorado, Maine, Washington, and Nevada. If approved by the Legislature, HCR2003 would allow Arizona voters to make the final decision at the ballot box.
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ08) has joined Florida Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL07) in introducing federal legislation aimed at prioritizing American firms for defense-related professional services contracts. The legislation, titled the Securing American Firms & Expertise in Services (SAFE Services) Act, introduced as H.R. 6882, would require the Department of Defense to give preference to U.S.-based companies when awarding contracts for professional services connected to national security.
Mills stated, “American tax dollars should strengthen American companies and protect American security,” adding that the SAFE Services Act is designed to close what he described as a procurement gap that allows foreign firms to obtain sensitive defense-adjacent contracts. The legislation would not apply to manufacturing contracts but would focus exclusively on professional and advisory services.
Hamadeh, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement, “The people in my district elected me to put America first. That means supporting American workers and revitalizing American industry. It’s why I prioritized Arizona military communities and our local manufacturers in my amendments to the defense bill.”
“This legislation by Rep. Mills helps codify that spirit. It requires the Department of War to prioritize American companies during the procurement of professional services,” Hamadeh added. “The economic and national security implications alone should demand a preference for American companies, but this bill will ensure it is more than a suggestion.”
Under the proposal, affected contracts would include services such as engineering and architecture, design and environmental consulting, financial consulting, program management, and legal support, as well as “other expert services as defined under the Federal Acquisition (Regulation),” all areas that lawmakers say are increasingly being outsourced to foreign-owned firms.
According to information cited by the bill’s sponsors, more than $1 billion in Department of Defense professional services contracts were awarded to 616 foreign-owned companies during fiscal year 2024, “despite the availability of thousands of qualified American firms capable of performing the same work.”
I’m proud to introduce the SAFE Services Act, along with @RepAbeHamadeh, to ensure American companies are prioritized for defense professional services contracts vital to our national security.
In FY24, over $1 billion in these contracts went to foreign-owned firms, even though… pic.twitter.com/r1Hzn9vhLV
Referencing the Buy American Act and the Berry Amendment, which legally require the Department of Defense to prioritize domestically produced goods, the release stated, “No comparable preference currently exists for defense professional services,” adding that the SAFE Services Act: “addresses this oversight by requiring the Department of War to prioritize American companies when procuring professional services essential to military readiness and infrastructure.”
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
The company behind the mass surveillance cameras used throughout Arizona was compromised.
The impacted cameras were operated by Flock Safety, an Atlanta, Georgia-based company, as revealed by 404 Media. Their investigative reporting discovered over 70 cameras across the nation, at least, were accessible to the public for viewing and, allegedly, even certain modifications.
404 Media disclosed that they were not able to geolocate every camera they discovered that was left unprotected.
Flock Safety offers cameras with different surveillance capabilities. Their standard cameras provide license plate recognition technology only, but certain lines of their cameras also provide facial recognition technology. Both camera types feed their recorded material into an AI-powered system with a searchable database archived for 30 days at least.
Ethical hackers that partnered with 404 Media reported that a majority of the compromised cameras were equipped with facial recognition technology. These cameras also have the ability to zoom in on faces as well as items surrounding a person, like cell phones.
Following reports on the compromised cameras, Flock Safety issued a statement dismissing concerns about public access and control over the camera feeds.
“This interface does not allow camera control, cloud access, customer account access, or use of search or analytics features. The only content visible was live or recorded video comparable to what can be observed from a public roadway,” said Flock Safety. “No sensitive or confidential information was accessed or accessible. While recent third-party coverage characterized the issue as more extensive, this was an isolated configuration issue and not indicative of a broader or ongoing concern.”
Flock Safety’s characterization of the breach conflicted with what 404 Media’s team found in their investigation. 404 Media claimed their team was able to use Flock Safety feeds to identify and pull personally identifying information on individuals featured on camera.
Flock Safety founder and CEO Garrett Langley told CNN earlier this month that the answer to rising crime and insecurity over public safety was through mass surveillance.
“I think we run a risk today as a country that a generation of people will not believe America works for them because they don’t feel safe, because in some communities you don’t feel safe,” said Langley.
I'm incredibly proud that Flock Safety played a key role in working with first responders to find the suspect in the Brown and MIT murders.
America cannot tolerate tragedies like what we saw at Brown and MIT this past week. The single best way to curb crime is to make sure…
Top funders behind Flock Safety over the years have included Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund (founded by Peter Thiel), Matrix (formerly Matrix Partners, founded by Paul Ferri), Bedrock (founded by Geoff Lewis), and Initialized Capital (founded by Garry Tan and Alexis Ohanian).
Around 30 municipalities in Arizona, at least, have Flock’s license plate recognition cameras per the Electronic Freedom Foundation’s Atlas of Surveillance database: Apache Junction, Benson, Buckeye, Casa Grande, Coconino County, El Mirage, Eloy, Cottonwood, Gilbert, Goodyear, La Paz County, Litchfield Park, Mohave County, Maricopa County, Oro Valley, Parker, Payson, Peoria, Prescott, Queen Creek, Graham, San Luis, Scottsdale, Somerton, St. Johns, Tolleson, Tucson, Winslow, and Youngtown.
That’s not including the local communities that voluntarily install Flock cameras.
Deflock, a website dedicated to mapping Flock camera locations, lists nearly 1,400 Flock cameras across the state. A majority of the cameras are concentrated around Phoenix, Chandler, and Tucson.
Flagstaff and Sedona did have Flock cameras — around 30 of them. However, mounting privacy concerns from the public pushed both city councils to cancel their contracts this year. In Sedona’s case, the police department contracted with Flock Safety without notifying the city council.
All three public universities have Flock cameras as well.
About 10 other municipalities in the state, at least, have automatic license plate readers from different vendors.
Over 5,000 communities spanning over 4,500 law enforcement agencies across 49 states use Flock cameras.
Flock cameras played a pivotal role in the recent discovery of the Brown University shooter’s identity following a public tip.
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