U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) is backing legislation that would require states to conduct annual Medicaid fraud risk assessments and implement corrective plans to address weaknesses in their programs.
Amid his campaign for Arizona Governor, Biggs announced his support for the Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act on Oct. 13, citing federal concerns about Arizona’s Medicaid oversight and repeated delays in submitting required financial audits.
H.R. 10636 was introduced Sept. 28 by Rep. Michael Rulli (R-OH), with Biggs among its original cosponsors. The legislation was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
“I’m pleased to co-sponsor the Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act to establish a clear baseline for states to identify fraud, recover improper payments, and correct deficiencies in their Medicaid programs,” Biggs said. “Arizona officials must take these responsibilities seriously. Taxpayers deserve accountability, and continued failures in oversight risk both federal funding and the public’s trust.”
Under the bill’s provisions, states would complete their first assessment within one year of enactment and repeat the review at least annually. The assessments would cover fee-for-service payments, managed care, and eligibility and enrollment systems.
States would rank vulnerabilities, estimate potential improper expenditures, evaluate existing safeguards, and identify gaps in data sharing and enforcement. Within 90 days of completing an assessment, they would have to implement a corrective action plan with measurable outcomes and deadlines.
The legislation would also require annual state reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) describing identified risks, corrective actions, and progress. HHS would report to Congress on national trends and states’ implementation of corrective plans.
Biggs’ office cited a recent warning from the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) identifying Arizona among eight states reporting “zero fraud referrals and overpayments recovered in Medicaid managed care.” According to the announcement, the states were given 30 days to review their figures and verify that oversight was occurring.
The warning concerns Medicaid managed-care reporting. It does not establish that Arizona had no Medicaid fraud investigations or recoveries across all programs.
Biggs also criticized the state administration’s oversight approach.
“For far too long, governments at every level have allowed a festering culture of fraud and waste of monumental proportions across the United States,” he said. “Government officials have a responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars and ensure that Americans’ hard-earned money is spent appropriately and protected from fraud.”
Separately, Arizona’s delayed federal audit submissions were the subject of a September hearing before the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.
HHS Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources Gustav Chiarello testified about Arizona missing the federal Single Audit deadline for four consecutive fiscal years.
The fiscal year 2025 audit, due March 31, 2026, remained outstanding at the time of the hearing. Auditor General Lindsey Perry projected that it might not be issued until March 5, 2027.
A Single Audit examines financial reporting and compliance with federal award requirements. The legislative statement said HHS had warned that continued noncompliance could result in additional funding conditions, withheld payments, disallowed costs, or suspension or termination of federal awards.
The audit delays prompted questions from Arizona lawmakers about the administration’s corrective plans and potential consequences for federally supported programs.
Biggs’ announcement also cited an estimated Arizona Medicaid improper-payment rate above 6%, without identifying the measurement year. CMS explains that improper payment estimates measure compliance with payment requirements and can include documentation deficiencies. They do not measure the percentage of spending attributable to fraud.
Arizona’s drug overdose death rate reached a record high in 2025, nearly doubling the national average, according to federal health data. The state’s rising death rate stands in contrast to a broader national trend, with overdose fatalities continuing to decline across much of the United States, according to a recent investigation by The New York Times.
The CDC reported an estimated 69,973 drug overdose deaths nationwide in 2025, a nearly 14% decrease from 81,313 in 2024.
While most states experienced declines, Arizona was among three states, alongside New Mexico and Colorado, that recorded increases of at least 10% during the same period.
According to a New York Times investigation, Arizona’s overdose death rate climbed to 43.5 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2025, compared to the national average of 22.1 per 100,000.
The state also surpassed West Virginia, historically considered a center of the opioid epidemic, in overdose deaths per capita for the first time since the proliferation of prescription painkillers in the late 1990s.
Arizona and neighboring New Mexico recorded the highest overdose death rates in the contiguous United States in 2025, with Arizona identified as the only state where drug deaths have remained above their post-pandemic peak.
The increase has been particularly significant in Maricopa County, where fatal drug overdoses reportedly reached a record 2,406 in 2025, up approximately 16% from 2,069 deaths in 2024, according to county public health data.
Researchers and public health officials have identified several potential contributing factors, including changes in the illicit fentanyl supply, widespread methamphetamine use, and extreme summer temperatures.
According to The New York Times, Arizona’s illicit opioid market has shifted in recent years from predominantly counterfeit prescription pills, to powdered fentanyl.
The transition occurred earlier in much of the country but has become increasingly prevalent in Arizona and New Mexico over the past two years.
Powdered fentanyl presents additional overdose risks because its potency can vary significantly between samples, making it difficult for users to determine the amount of the drug they are consuming.
Brian Clark, associate Chief of operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Pacific and Southwest region, told The New York Times that the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels remain the primary suppliers of fentanyl entering the United States through the southern border, although the reasons behind the regional shift from counterfeit pills to powder remain unclear.
The changing drug supply has also coincided with widespread methamphetamine use.
Arizona State University professor Raminta Daniulaityte estimated that approximately 80% to 90% of fentanyl users in the region also use meth, according to The New York Times.
Extreme heat may further compound these risks, particularly in the Phoenix metro, where summer temperatures frequently exceed 110 degrees.
A New York Timesanalysis of Maricopa County medical examiner records from 2024 through March 2026 found that drug deaths where approximately 40% higher on days when Phoenix temperatures exceeded 110 degrees.
On days when temperatures reached 115 degrees, drug deaths were nearly twice as high.
Methamphetamine can elevate heart rate and body temperature, increasing the risk of serious medical complications during prolonged exposure to extreme heat.
According to a Maricopa County heat mortality report, 55% of heat-related deaths in 2025 involved substance use, highlighting the overlap between drug use and extreme temperatures.
Despite the record number of fatalities in 2025, preliminary figures suggest overdose deaths may be beginning to decline in Arizona.
According the The New York Times, data from the Phoenix Substance Use and Overdose Dashboard showed reports of nonfatal overdoses through June 2026 were 17% lower than during the same period in 2025.
Additionally, preliminary Maricopa County medical examiner data indicated that drug-related deaths through March 2026 were below the previous year’s levels.
However, overdose deaths can take several months to investigate and classify, meaning the full extent of Arizona’s 2026 overdose trends remain uncertain.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Kari Lake’s lawyer to overturn sanctions that arose from a lawsuit challenging Arizona’s voting machines.
Lake’s attorney, Andrew Parker, appealed a lower court ruling that ordered him to pay $122,000 in legal costs.
The sanctions were the result of a lawsuit to bar Arizona from using electronic voting machines, filed by Lake in April 2022 while she was a gubernatorial candidate. Lake was joined by Mark Finchem, who was a candidate for secretary of state. The pair sued the secretary of state at the time, now-Gov. Katie Hobbs, and the boards of supervisors for Maricopa and Pima counties.
Their complaint demanded that electronic voting machines not be used without making the system open to the public and subjecting it to security vetting.
Arizona District Court Judge John Tuchi dismissed the case several months later in August 2022, then fined Parker and the rest of Lake’s legal team for frivolous claims in 2023. Tuchi accused Parker and the rest of Lake’s legal team of acting recklessly. Tuchi said in the latter ruling that non-excessive sanctions were necessary consequences to deter claims lacking adequate factual or legal basis.
“Failing to impose meaningful sanctions here might very well encourage others to follow suit by lending their credibility to documents filed in court without facing any real consequence if their certifications prove hollow or incomplete,” said Tuchi. “Further, any monetary sanction imposed should not be so significant as to dissuade other legal experts from providing advice or assistance in litigation out of fear of sanctions, provided they abide by the requirements of the rules in signing filings and entering appearances in those matters.”
Lake and Finchem continued fighting for the case through the appeals system; it went all the way to the Supreme Court, but they declined to take up the case.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the sanctions last year.
Lake’s attorney argued in filings that the sanctions were punishment for “politically disfavored litigation” and would stymie “creative, aggressive, or novel claims and arguments,” especially in cases where the judge may have opposing political views.
An opposition brief filed by counsel for Maricopa County rejected that argument.
“The district court sanctioned Petitioners because they lied to the court,” stated the county’s counsel. “Their filings made ‘false, misleading, and unsupported factual assertions’; ‘their claims for relief did not have an adequate factual or legal basis grounded in a reasonable prefiling inquiry’ in violation of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; and, they ‘acted at least recklessly in unreasonably and vexatiously multiplying the proceedings by seeking a preliminary injunction based on Plaintiffs’ frivolous claims, in violation of 28 U.S.C. §1927.’”
Thomas Galvin, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, said the Supreme Court’s decision was good news for voters.
“The Supreme Court declined certiorari in the sanctions case from Lake/Finchem,” said Galvin. “The BOS continues to stand up for election integrity.”
Another win for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors on behalf of YOU, the voter. Per @Law360, the BOS got a win at SCOTUS today. The Supreme Court declined certiorari in the sanctions case from Lake/Finchem. The BOS continues to stand up for election integrity. pic.twitter.com/ecF01FRYtQ
— Thomas Galvin: Maricopa County Brd of Supervisors (@ThomasGalvin) October 13, 2026
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A resurfaced 2009 interview in which Kris Mayes suggested water prices might need to rise has drawn criticism from Republican attorney general candidate Warren Petersen. Public relations consultant Stacey Champion responded by highlighting Mayes’ recent efforts to challenge utility rate increases.
During the 2009 Arizona PBS “Horizon” discussion, Mayes, then chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, said higher water prices could reduce consumption and the energy needed to pump water. She appeared alongside Arizona Investment Council President Gary Yaquinto and Arizona State University professor Mike Pasqualetti.
Public records researcher Brian Anderson circulated an excerpt on X, accusing Mayes of admitting that she deliberately increased water bills to combat global warming. The exchange does not identify a specific rate increase approved by Mayes or establish that stated motive.
INSANE VIDEO: @KrisMayes admits to hiking your water bills on purpose to stop global warming
"When it increases in price—the water—and people use less of it … that's a good thing … I think we can all come together around this idea that maybe the price needs to go up." #AZAGpic.twitter.com/0hytB0e1kV
Petersen shared the clip, writing, “I disagree with Mayes. I think your utility prices should go down, not up.”
In the recorded interview, Mayes explained the relationship between water prices, consumption, and the energy needed to deliver water.
“As it increases in price, what happens to energy? Well, what happens to energy is, well, when it increases in price, the water, and people use less of it, then we use less energy to pump that water. And so that’s a good thing,” Mayes said.
She then called for changing how Arizonans value water and for utilities to participate in that effort.
“But to Gary’s point, you know, we do need to value water differently. And I think Arizonans are ready to do that. I think Arizonans are ready to step up. But our utilities, and, you know, water companies, electric companies, natural gas companies, they need to step up too,” she said.
Mayes proposed a statewide discussion about resource consumption and prices.
“We need a statewide effort on both of these issues. And I think we need a statewide, frankly, marketing campaign around this to generate a dialogue, you know, about how we use our energy and how we use our water. And then I think we can all come together around this idea that maybe the price needs to go up.”
Champion responded on X, accusing Petersen and his allies of misrepresenting Mayes’ record.
“The lying & spinning from Weasley Warren & his team of misfits is just gross,” Champion wrote. “Want to pay exorbitant utility bills? Vote R. Lower bills? Vote D.”
Champion attached screenshots of six announcements from Mayes’ office concerning utility rates and data centers. The headlines included efforts to reduce proposed APS and Tucson Electric Power rate increases, challenges involving two water utilities, a proposed statewide pause on data center development, and a request to investigate whether APS customers subsidized large energy users.
Champion’s post highlighted Mayes’ subsequent positions on utility costs. However, it did not dispute the words Mayes used in the 2009 interview.
The original pricing discussion followed host Ted Simons’ question about whether Arizona’s era of inexpensive water was ending.
Yaquinto said water had been undervalued and argued that higher prices could encourage more efficient consumption. He also emphasized affordable access for families.
“I think it’s important that because it is an essential commodity for life, and everybody needs water to live and survive, there has to be some water made available to families on a low-cost basis,” Yaquinto said. “But if you’re a high user, I think that it’s now time for us to begin valuing and pricing the water properly.”
Later in the discussion, Mayes pointed to differences in water costs across Arizona. “We see places in Arizona where the cost of water is $10 a month. Crazy low,” she said.
Mayes also called for utilities to provide customers with conservation and energy-efficiency measures.
“What I would say is, if we give the tools to people that allow them to conserve, I think people do conserve,” she said.
The broader interview examined the water requirements of electricity generation and the implications of building power plants in an arid state. Mayes said the commission was considering water consumption as part of utilities’ long-term resource planning.
The Arizona Republican Party has asked Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to investigate whether Democratic legislative candidate and former Scottsdale Councilwoman Tammy Caputi misrepresented her residence in voter registration and candidate filings.
AZGOP Chairman Sergio Arellano alleged that Caputi used a Scottsdale condominium address to establish residency in Legislative District 4 without actually living there. The party requested an investigation into possible election law violations, forgery, and perjury.
“These allegations warrant a thorough investigation. I have asked County Attorney Mitchell to review the evidence and determine whether any laws were violated,” Arellano said. “I have confidence that her office will take these concerns seriously and ensure that Arizona’s election laws are enforced.”
The party’s announcement describes a request for an investigation but does not indicate that prosecutors have decided to file charges or opened an investigation.
Caputi has previously defended her residency. In statements reported by KJZZ, she said she moved into the condominium in July 2025 and has lived there since. She described the owner as a longtime friend who offered her an opportunity to rent during changing family circumstances.
“I understand that running for public office comes with scrutiny, and I welcome legitimate questions about my residency,” Caputi said. She also asked that her family’s circumstances remain private and criticized Republicans for using them politically.
The Arizona Republicreported that photographs it obtained showed the condominium with little furniture and few indications of occupancy. The party also questioned whether utility accounts were in Caputi’s name.
Arellano contended that the circumstances warranted scrutiny of the residence Caputi reported on official documents.
KJZZ reported that the condominium belongs to Nestor and Suzanne Guzman, who each contributed $5,500 to Caputi’s campaign. The outlet said the property’s sale listing was removed Oct. 2, the day the Republic published its reporting.
KJZZ also reported that Caputi still owns the north Scottsdale home she listed during her 2024 City Council campaign. That property falls within Legislative District 3.
Arizona’s voter qualification statute, defines residency as actual physical presence combined with an intent to remain. For a political subdivision, the physical presence must be within that subdivision. The statute also provides that a temporary absence does not end residency when the person intends to return and that an individual has only one residence for election law purposes.
Under A.R.S. § 16-311, candidates for state legislative office must be qualified electors and reside in the district they seek to represent when filing. Nomination papers must provide the candidate’s actual residence address, subject to specified exceptions.
Caputi and Democrat Karen Gresham are challenging Republican Reps. Matt Gress and Pamela Carter for the district’s two House seats.
On the 85th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, federal officials will initiate the identification and return of remains belonging to World War II service members killed aboard the USS Arizona.
The Department of Defense (DOD) will begin exhuming 277 of the sailors and Marines who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. As part of the disinterment, the DOD will undertake forensic efforts to identify 86 of the service members whose identities remain unknown to this day.
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) will use DNA analysis to match the remains to family members. DPAA will disinter eight caskets to start, then proceed at a pace of around eight caskets every two to three weeks until all the remains of the 86 unknown service members are disinterred.
More than 700 family members of the USS Arizona’s fallen are anticipated to be present for a ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam following the first disinterment on December 7 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, per reporting from the Stars and Stripes.
The disinterment almost didn’t happen. A report by the Navy submitted to Congress in 2022 advised that it would take about a decade and $2.7 million to obtain familial DNA for identification efforts. The federal government determined such an undertaking would be too costly and require too much manpower.
DPAA needed a 60% threshold of DNA Family Reference Samples — family representation for 643 crew members — to proceed with the disinterment and identification process.
Kevin Kline, whose great-uncle Robert Edward Kline was among the service members killed aboard the USS Arizona, launched Operation 85 in 2023 to collect those samples. Kline reportedly spent nearly $150,000 of his own money to fund the costs to obtain them, and successfully made the organization an official partner of DPAA.
In April, DPAA announced that Kline and Operation 85 successfully reached the required 60% threshold, having obtained 653 DNA kits.
The 277 buried in Hawaii outside the ship represent nearly a quarter of the lives lost on the ship that day.
Just before 8 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacked the Pearl Harbor naval base. More than 350 Japanese aircraft bombed U.S. vessels, the USS Arizona among them. The battleship exploded and sank, then burned for more than two days. The USS Arizona had 334 survivors: 319 from the Navy, and 15 from the Marines.
1,177 from the USS Arizona perished, representing nearly half of the 2,403 service members killed at Pearl Harbor. More than 900 of the 1,177 have the sunken battleship at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial as their final resting place.
DPAA recently reached a record milestone of 250 identifications of unaccounted-for service members. The 250th service member to be identified was U.S. Army Captain Albert Wilcox, a prisoner of war killed aboard a Japanese troop and prisoner transport ship that was sunk by Allied aircraft in the final months of World War II.
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