Public Policy

Phoenix council member Yassamin Ansari pushes for climate action, sustainable energy

March 29, 2023

Yassamin Ansari began her professional career at the United Nations, as a policy adviser advocating for climate change. Now, as a Phoenix City Council member and vice mayor, she says that true progress toward a sustainable future starts at the local level. “We are on the front lines of climate change from extreme heat to air pollution,” said Ansari, who was elected to the city council in 2021 at age 28. “These are already issues affecting Arizonans and Phoenicians. Cities play a very important role in also being on the front lines of solutions.”

Hobbs won’t support water legislation that ‘creates additional loopholes’

March 2, 2023

Gov. Katie Hobbs has made her stance on water clear as numerous bills related to water use and development are progressing through the Arizona Legislature this session. Water was one of the main talking points for Valley Partnership’s Q&A with the governor on Friday morning, where President and CEO Cheryl Lombard and Hobbs discussed her stances on priorities like transportation, education and development.

ONE Community celebrates 10-Year anniversary of UNITY Pledge in support of a fully inclusive Arizona

February 15, 2023

Today marks the 10th anniversary of ONE Community’s UNITY Pledge, which is now the largest equality pledge in the nation. Ten years ago today, on February 13th, 2013, ONE Community launched the UNITY Pledge, a concerted effort by businesses, organizations and individuals who support equal treatment and inclusive non-discrimination policies in employment, housing, and public accommodations for LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies.

U.S. Dept. of Energy approves funds for Arizona’s updated Weatherization Assistance Plan

February 15, 2023

The U.S. Department of Energy recently approved the Arizona Department of Housing’s updated Weatherization Assistance Program plan. The DOE is expected to release 35% of total funding to the state as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which amounts to $47 million, according to a press release. Arizona’s WAP is among the first in the nation to be approved.

Maricopa County’s ozone pollution is high and getting worse

February 15, 2023

Maricopa County’s ozone levels are getting worse, harming the health of its 4.5 million residents and threatening to cost the region billions of dollars in the coming years. In 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency reclassified the county from marginal to moderate for non-attainment of ozone limits. This means we not only are failing the EPA’s latest ozone standards but also that our air has more of one of the most dangerous air pollutants.

Without an energy office, will Arizona get its full share of the Inflation Reduction Act?

February 13, 2023

In November 2015, the five remaining state employees assigned to secure federal funds for energy efficiency on behalf of Arizonans were abruptly let go from their jobs and their roles were dissolved. It was another step in then-Gov. Doug Ducey’s process of dismantling what he saw as excess government. Over its 40-year history, the State Energy Program had secured hundreds of millions of federal dollars for energy-efficiency projects throughout Arizona, including $115 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and $715,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2012, as reported by The Arizona Republic. But the Governor’s Office viewed the program as excessive and saw an opportunity to “cut down on the overhead.”

More federal dollars coming from climate law for Western wildfire management

January 31, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend nearly $500 million on projects to reduce wildfire risk in 11 areas in Western states, including Arizona, the department said Thursday. The new funding, $490 million, comes from Democrats’ budget, climate and taxes law that passed last year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on a call with reporters. The funding will allow the U.S. Forest Service, an agency within USDA, to treat more than 27 million acres across seven states, including Arizona, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon.

My View: Valley tech community has common ground with Arizona’s new governor

January 19, 2023

Having a constant in your life can be both energizing and reassuring. That’s especially true when it means that constant is the person who holds the highest office in the state. I’m talking about the relationship that the Arizona Technology Council has maintained over the years with the sitting governor of the state of Arizona.

Transportation, workforce, water among 2023 Policy Priorities for AAED

January 19, 2023

Transportation and broadband infrastructure. Clear development agreements. Make Arizona more competitive. Ensuring a qualified workforce. Water conservation. Those are some of the main policy priorities for 2023 being embraced by the Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED), according to Executive Director Carrie Kelly.

Climate change could make rare heatwaves commonplace by 2050

December 8, 2022

During a nine-day heat wave in the Pacific Northwest in June 2021, temperatures rose a staggering 18 to 54 degrees above average. A new study in the journal Nature Climate Change describes the larger-scale forces at work — some of which could affect the Southwest.

Public Policy

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