Tucson Politics

  I’ve always been a strong advocate for parks as green, recreational spaces, and I believe that when parks become default shelter spaces, they lose that shared public function. But I have not supported - and still do not support - the ordinances related to camping in washes and parks.

  The Arizona Senate on Wednesday pushed back its plans to vote on the chamber’s state budget proposal, with signs pointing to a possible deal with Republicans in the state House of Representatives that would avoid a government shutdown in less than two weeks.

  Just minutes before the start of the 21st annual Bisbee Pride Parade on Saturday, Border Patrol agents detained several individuals on Main Street where the Parade took place, startling residents and visitors gathered for the celebration.

  Budget cuts by the Trump administration could gut funding in tribal communities for MMIP and other programs already affected by grant terminations due the administration’s war on policies or programs that examine underlying causes of problems driven by racial or social inequity.

  A roundup of upcoming Tucson-area political events: Ward 3 hopefuls make their case at first of three League of Women Voters events; more City Council debates ahead; Sentinel team on the airwaves & more

  Rodney Scott, a former head of U.S. Border Patrol during the first Trump administration, will lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection after a Senate vote on Wednesday.

  The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee released a proposal calling for the sale of millions of acres in public lands as part of the reconciliation spending bill. The long list of federal lands that might be auctioned includes such local landmarks as Sabino Canyon and Mount Lemmon.

  In Arizona, where distrust in elections runs high, many people agree that a manual check of election results could help boost confidence. And state law requires counties to do such audits. Yet they aren’t always happening.

  Early voting began Wednesday in the Congressional District 7 primary election that voters will decide on July 15.

  Immigration raids at houses of worship remain infrequent. But arrests at two Los Angeles-area churches have stoked fear among migrants and an uproar among advocates, and although no reports have surfaced of churches in Arizona being targeted, many were already on edge.

  The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to allow a developer to purchase public land for a planned $3.6 billion data center just southeast of Tucson, and approved a rezoning of the parcel to allow for the construction project.

  The Tucson City Council voted 5-1 Tuesday in favor of a measure making it a misdemeanor to camp in city washes, after multiple failed attempts to pass the ordinance.

  The U.S. House recently advanced legislation to eliminate solar federal tax credits at the end of 2025, though the credits are often the difference between dreaming of solar and being able to afford it.

  Senate Republicans introduced their budget proposal Monday, which they spent weeks negotiating with Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, though they have a long way to go to come to a consensus with Republicans who lead the Arizona House of Representatives.

  Pima County voters will see several changes in the upcoming congressional election  as Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cazares-Kelly rolls out new vote-by-mail envelopes, 24-hour drop boxes and a new online dashboard for the July 15 primary election in CD 7.

  As super-contagious measles continues to spread and nears a six-year U.S. record, cases in its original epicenter of West Texas may be subsiding as hesitant residents become more concerned and willing to vaccinate, while North Dakota is a new focus with the highest rate.

  Republicans in Arizona’s House of Representatives passed their package of state budget bills by a vote of 31-0 Friday night, long after all Democratic lawmakers had headed home after a day of waiting around for Republicans to bring the bills to the floor for debate.

  Each year on July 4, hundreds of dogs get spooked by fireworks and run away from home, ending up in shelters. To prepare for the holiday this year, Pima Animal Care Center is offering free microchips for both dogs and cats at the shelter each day through July 3.

  What we are witnessing is a campaign that casts suspicion not on the guilty, but on the innocent; a campaign that confuses enforcement with intimidation, security with separation. Our immigrant families are not the villains in this story. — Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Rob Elias

  The Regional Transportation Authority wasn't without a boss for long: Just 11 days after narrowly voting to fire longtime chief Farhad Moghimi, the members of the RTA Board unanimously agreed to hire Mike Ortega, who stepped down as Tucson's city manager last year.

  In hiring Mike Ortega — the ex-city manager of Tucson — to run things, the RTA Board offers another supplication to the City Council, which has had a lengthy list of grievances.

  What we are witnessing is a campaign that casts suspicion not on the guilty, but on the innocent; a campaign that confuses enforcement with intimidation, security with separation. Our immigrant families are not the villains in this story. — Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Rob Elias