Page 126 – State Affairs

Maricopa County Makes Significant Investments in East Valley Community Services

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Arizona Legislative Report Staff

Phoenix, Ariz. (July 24, 2024) – During their formal meeting earlier today, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors approved over $130,000 in funding for an East Valley dark-sky discovery center, trail improvements, early education training, and heat relief efforts. “Over the past several years, the East Valley has undergone a significant period of growth and development that isn’t slowing down anytime soon,” said Vice Chairman Thomas Galvin, who represents District 2 on the Board of Supervisors. “To aid this continued expansion, Maricopa County is intentionally investing in projects that enable residents and their families to learn about our natural world, enjoy outdoor spaces, pursue an education, bolster their careers, and live healthy and fulfilling lives.” The largest portion of the Board’s investment will go towards the International Dark Sky Discovery Center in Fountain Hills that teaches Maricopa County residents about the importance of dark skies for humans, animals, and plants. Approximately $100,000 will be used to create hands-on exhibits and camps for school-aged children and subsidize the cost of admission for residents of all ages. “We are so thankful to Supervisor Galvin and the Board for recognizing the importance of the STEM education and dark-sky preservation mission of the International Dark Sky Discovery Center. With the largest telescope in the Phoenix area, a planetarium, and much more, residents will have an amazing experience at this unique facility,” said Joe Bill, President of the Discovery Center. The Board also approved $10,000 for sign improvements at the Hawes Trail System in the Tonto National Forest. The funds will be used to install three new signs at trailheads to welcome the public, place new signs at intersections of newly created trails, and maintain existing signage throughout the trail system. “The Hawes Trail Alliance was formed to help build, maintain, and enhance the Hawes Trail System to be enjoyed by bikers, hikers, and all outdoor enthusiasts for generations to come,” said Grant Taylor, Co-Founder of the Hawes Trail Alliance. “Our hope is that this new and improved signage will help Maricopa County residents and visitors be safer and more informed while exploring this beautiful trail system.” From an education standpoint, Maricopa County recognizes that early education training is critical for preparing students to thrive in the highly technical future workplace. That’s why $8,000 is being invested in early education training curriculum, supplemental resources, and aides for students enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program at the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) in Mesa. “EVIT appreciates this generous donation to our Early Childhood Education program,” said Superintendent Dr. Chad Wilson. “This funding will help ensure our students have access to resources and materials needed for their training. Thank you to Supervisor Galvin and the Board for recognizing the importance of early childhood education.” The Board is also funding the purchase of critical heat relief supplies like portable evaporative coolers, cooling vests, and durable medical equipment for seniors and individuals with disabilities enrolled in the Maricopa County Human Services Department’s Senior & Adult Services program. “More and more residents over the age of 50 are being disproportionately impacted by the relentless summer heat,” said Jayson Matthews, Interim Director of Maricopa County’s Human Services Department. “Many of them live on fixed incomes and are unable to afford the costs of maintaining, fixing, or replacing their air conditioning units. These supplies will play a vital role in keeping seniors and folks with disabilities cool and safe in the case of an HVAC emergency.” Finally, an additional $3,000 was allocated towards the purchase of dog shoes and leashes for heat relief centers in the continuing effort to help keep pets cool and safe during the stifling summer months. These projects are being funded using Maricopa County Community Solutions Funding allocated by Vice Chairman Galvin. The Board’s Community Solutions Funding is designed to help advance Maricopa County’s strategic goals and provide clear public benefits for Maricopa County residents.

Ciscomani Continues Effort to Ratify Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Yellow Sheet Report Staff

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, this week continued his effort in Congress to ratify the historic Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement. On Tuesday, Ciscomani testified in front of the House Natural Resources Committee, urging his colleagues to swiftly pass his legislation to solidify and fund the agreement, the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act ( H.R. 8940 ), through the committee. On Wednesday, Ciscomani met with leadership from the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, as well as stakeholders from the Arizona Department of Water Resources and Salt River Project. Watch Ciscomani’s remarks from the hearing HERE . View photos from the Congressman’s meeting with Tribal and water stakeholders HERE . “This settlement represents a monumental moment for the tribes and the State of Arizona’s water future as a whole,” said Ciscomani in his testimony . “It is hard to overstate the tireless efforts and decades of work that all parties of this legislation have put into this settlement. For far too long, many tribal communities in Northern Arizona have had a lack of access or no access at all to clean drinking water. It is high time we right this wrong and ensure these families and communities have reliable water resources, which is the foundation of a thriving community.” Earlier this month, the Congressman led a bipartisan, bicameral group of his Arizona colleagues in introducing the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act , which was supported by all three Tribes, the Salt River Project (SRP), Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD), and the State of Arizona. This effort will provide reliable and safe water for these communities, allowing the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe to lease their water and creating economic opportunities until local demand is met through new infrastructure. It also authorizes $5 billion to acquire, build, and maintain essential water development and delivery projects, including a $1.75 billion distribution pipeline. In total, the Tribes would be guaranteed access to over 56,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water, and specific ground water rights and protections. Additionally, this legislation will establish a homeland for the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.

Ciscomani Continues Effort to Ratify Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Arizona Legislative Report Staff

Gallego Statement on Phoenix VA OIG Report

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Yellow Sheet Report Staff

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03), a Marine Corps combat veteran, released the following statement in response to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Internal Investigations (OIG) report on the 2023 death of a patient outside the Phoenix VA Medical Center: “Today’s OIG report reveals a disturbing lack of basic emergency care for our veterans, a dangerous emergency response policy at the VA, and a complete lack of accountability at Phoenix VA Medical Center. The fact that something as simple as vital signs were not taken at the beginning of the appointment is particularly shocking. As a veteran who has received care through the VA, it is disgraceful that more effort seems to have been put into covering for those responsible than saving a veteran’s life.” You can learn more about Rep. Gallego’s work on veterans’ issues in his report: Supporting Arizona’s Veterans .

Gallego Statement on Phoenix VA OIG Report

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Arizona Legislative Report Staff

Kelly, Tillis Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Plasma-Based Medicines

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Arizona Legislative Report Staff

Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced the bipartisan Preserving Life-saving Access to Specialty Medicines in America (PLASMA) Act , legislation to ensure individuals with rare diseases and immunodeficiencies have access to necessary plasma-based medicines. “Ensuring that individuals with rare diseases and immunodeficiencies have access to life-saving plasma-based medicines is not just a health care issue, it’s a matter of life and death,” said Kelly. “The PLASMA Act is crucial to keep treatments accessible and affordable for thousands of Americans. I will continue working across the aisle to support plasma donation and guarantee that no patient faces a disruption in their treatment.” “It is critical patients with rare diseases and immunodeficiencies have uninterrupted access to the life-saving plasma-based medicines they need,” said Tillis. “This commonsense legislation increases access to these innovative medications and ensures they remain affordable for the thousands of Americans who rely on them.” “The GBS|CIDP Foundation International proudly supports the PLASMA Act and all policies that promote patient access to plasma medicines. Many patients with rare and chronic conditions like Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) and Multifocal Motor Neuropathy (MMN) require reliable access to plasma medicines multiple times per month and any disruption can have devastating effects. Introducing the PLASMA Act is a significant step forward toward ensuring continued access to life-saving plasma medicines into the future,” said Lisa Butler, Executive Director, GBS/CIDP Foundation International. “As a leader of one of the many plasma donation centers across the state of Arizona, I applaud Senator Kelly for introducing the bipartisan PLASMA Act in the Senate. This valuable legislation will ensure our center can continue to serve the thousands of Arizonians who selflessly donate plasma each year. Sustaining our operations is a vital component of meeting the rising demand for plasma-derived medicine products (PDMPs), which treat a number of rare and often life-threatening conditions. Senator Kelly’s leadership will make a positive impact on plasma donors and patients in need of PDMPs in Arizona and beyond,” said Frank Bernal, Center Manager from Surprise, AZ. “The Alpha-1 Foundation is proud to endorse The PLASMA Act in support of patients with rare diseases, like Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and immunodeficiencies to have access to necessary plasma-based medicines. It is vital for our community to have continued access to this life-saving plasma therapy that they receive on a weekly basis,” said Scott Santarella, President & CEO, Alpha-1 Foundation.

Kelly, Tillis Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Access to Plasma-Based Medicines

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Yellow Sheet Report Staff

Incoming Durham superintendent familiar with state’s political makeup

Posted on July 24, 2024July 24, 2024 by Matthew Sasser

Incoming Durham Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Lewis will begin his new role next month, bringing with him 22 years of education experience.

He’s leaving Kansas, where he served as superintendent of Lawrence Public Schools for the past six years. Lewis sees many political parallels as he prepares for his new post.

Similar to Durham, Lawrence was a “blue dot in a red state,” Lewis said. Kansas has conservative supermajorities in its House and Senate, along with a Democratic governor, mirroring North Carolina.

Lewis said he has seen the positive strides put forward by diversity, equity and inclusion offices, especially in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, that are now being dismantled in Kansas. He is aware of the recent UNC System decision to eliminate positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Lewis has been praised for his work within the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice, but he acknowledged the progress from those efforts was “minimal.”

“It’s unfortunate that some of the work that we know needs to be done is so politicized,” Lewis said, crediting the efforts of Gov. Laura Kelly in Kansas but citing the reluctance of conservative supermajorities in the Legislature to act on issues important to the African American community.

Lewis said he looks forward to building relationships with North Carolina legislators and inviting them to visit Durham schools to get a firsthand look at policies impacting the education system, both positive and negative.

“Schools can’t do this work alone,” Lewis said, adding he wants to educate others while recognizing that he will need some education as well.

“We never want any student in their classroom to feel less than or that they caused harm,” he said. “It’s important for us to really understand, teach accurate history, so that we won’t repeat it.”

Lewis, who looks forward to being much closer to his family in Alabama, will begin his position as Durham superintendent Aug. 12.

“That’s the work I’ve been doing pretty much my entire educational career and that’s why I do believe Durham Public Schools is a great fit for my experiences,” Lewis said, adding that questions regarding racial equity were at “every step” of his hiring process. “I just want to come in and continue and even excel at some of the work that is already taking place there.”

For questions or comments, or to pass along story ideas, please write to Matthew Sasser at [email protected] or contact the NC Insider at [email protected] or @StateAffairsNC

In Indianapolis, Harris says she’s fighting for America’s future

Posted on July 24, 2024July 24, 2024 by Jarred Meeks

Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, told a gathering of women of color in Indianapolis on Wednesday that she is fighting for America’s future.

She contrasted her vision with another — one she said is “focused on the past.”

“Across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on assault on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights — the freedom to vote, the freedom to be safe from gun violence, the freedom to live without fear of bigotry and hate, the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride, the freedom to learn and acknowledge our true and full history and the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body,” she said.

Harris delivered her Wednesday remarks during Zeta Phi Beta Sorority’s 2024 Grand Boulé, a six-day conference held at the Indianapolis Convention Center. The event was closed to the public.

Her approximately 15-minute speech received a standing ovation from thousands of women of color. Founded in 1920 on Howard University’s campus, the sorority is one of nine historically Black Greek-letter organizations that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council, colloquially known as the Divine Nine.

During her speech, Harris touted familiar policy talking points, highlighting the Biden administration’s forgiveness of student debt, cap on insulin prices for seniors and expansion of the child tax credit. She also thanked President Joe Biden for his service to the country.

Harris received Biden’s endorsement after he announced Sunday his decision to exit the race. By Monday, Harris had reportedly earned the support of enough delegates to secure her party’s nomination.

Other prominent Democrats have endorsed Harris in recent days, including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Harris during a Tuesday news conference.

A funding windfall has accompanied Harris’ momentum. Her presidential campaign announced it had raised $81 million within 24 hours of Biden’s decision to exit the race.

Harris held her first rally Tuesday in Wisconsin, a battleground state. There, she said she aimed to unite her party, which for weeks had encouraged Biden to drop out of the race. A former prosecutor in California, she also quipped she knows former President Donald Trump’s “type.”

On Wednesday, Harris attacked the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a proposed transition plan for if Trump wins the presidential election. Trump said in a social media post earlier this month that he knows nothing about Project 2025.

“Can you believe they put that in writing?” Harris asked the crowd.

She claimed Project 2025 was “a plan to return America to a dark past.” She called the crafters of the plan “extremists” and said, “We are not going back.”

If Harris wins her party’s nomination next month, she will take on Trump in the November presidential election.

According to the Indiana Democratic Party, Wednesday marked Harris’ third stop in Indianapolis since 2019. And though her speech excited the Zeta Phi Beta crowd, Harris faces a difficult path to winning the solidly red Hoosier state, where a Democrat hasn’t won a statewide election since 2012.

The Indiana GOP criticized Harris in a Wednesday news release, saying the next four years would be “more radical” than the last if she were elected president.

“Joe Biden tasked Kamala Harris to be our border czar, and it’s been an unmitigated disaster, as every day thousands of illegal immigrants are following through our southern border with an end goal of either taking Hoosier jobs or bringing drugs to our state, and it needs to stop,” U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, the Republican nominee for governor, said in the release.

Contact Jarred Meeks on X @jarredsmeeks or email him at [email protected].

Indiana Black Legislative Caucus endorses Harris, pledges future support

Posted on July 24, 2024July 24, 2024 by Rory Appleton

The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus unanimously voted Wednesday to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential run and will look at ways to assist her candidacy, the caucus chair, state Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, told State Affairs.

The caucus is made up of 14 members of the Indiana General Assembly, all of whom are Democrats.

The vote came as Vice President Harris was speaking to members of the historically Black Zeta Phi Beta sorority at the Indiana Convention Center on Wednesday. The stop was one of her first since she entered the race following President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid on Sunday.