This week marks the third week the Arizona Legislature is meeting in special session to try to resolve the budget crisis, but not all lawmakers will be in attendance this week.
More than a dozen lawmakers already have committed to be out of town for the National Conference of State Legislatures' annual convention in Philadelphia.
While Governor Jan Brewer signed enough of the budget passed by lawmakers to keep vital parts of the state running, lawmakers and the governor are still working to trim another $2.6 billion to close the current shortfall in the fiscal year.
There were some technical problems getting about $400 million in federal stimulus money to the state, but those problems seem to have been worked out.
Buffelgrass is classified as a noxious weed by the State of Arizona and experts say it has the potential to destroy native species, such as Saguaros and Palo Verde trees, while also increasing the threat of wildfires.
The herbicide currently used by the park is absorbed by green, actively growing leaves. If the grass is less than 50 percent, park officials say manual removal is the best method, but it’s a slow, labor-intensive process, which can’t keep up with rapidly-spreading Buffelgrass.
Saguaro National Park says it plans to treat approximately 50 miles of roadway and 450 acres of wilderness at both the east and west units. They stress it is safe to enter the area after spraying, once the herbicide dries…which takes about 30 minutes.
A blue dye is mixed with the spray to alert visitors of the treated areas.
After adjourning one After adjourning one of the longest sessions ever, Arizona legislators were summoned back to work this week to re-craft the budget that was pretty much gutted by Governor Jan Brewer through line item vetoes.
Brewer vetoed the state appropriation for K-12 schools for the coming year, in order to force legislators back to the negotiating table. She's having a hard time coming to agreement with leaders her in own party. The governor wants a temporary sales tax hike to deal with the more than $3 million shortfall. Meanwhile, opposition Democrats say they didn't have much say in the spending plan.
Many legislators had to cancel vacations and other plans in order to attend the session.
It looks like another interesting week in Arizona politics.
In honor of the holiday, I recently produced a segment focusing on the Declaration of Independence, in order to get some historical perspective about the document.
I spoke with UA Assistant Professor of History, Dr. Ben Irvin, and I offer you that conversation now:
In the latest Tucson Weekly, I review the current Gaslight Theatre production:
Writer-director Peter Van Slyke assembled his latest Gaslight Theatre show as a prefabricated unit from his Spoofs 'R' Us factory.
"The Adventures of the Freedom League of America, or Tights Make Right," follows Gaslight's 30-year format of taking the template of some pop-culture genre, twisting it to the point of ridiculousness, pockmarking it with terrible puns, and propelling it—or, sometimes, halting it—with adaptations of rock and R&B standards from the '50s through the '70s.
There's nothing wrong with "Freedom League of America." The pacing moves nicely; there are no dead patches in the script; the performances are as carefree as ever. It's just that the material lacks those mad flashes of inspiration that sometimes spark from the Gaslight stage.
Arizona has recorded the season's first case of West Nile Virus. Maricopa County and state health officials confirmed Wednesday that a woman in her 40s has been diagnosed with the virus. Authorities say the woman is out of the hospital and is recovering at home.
Staying indoors between dusk and dawn is the best advice to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes that carry the virus. Experts also says you should get rid of standing water that can become a breeding ground for the pests. If you get West Nile Virus, the odds are you won't die and you may not ever know about it. But, hey, be careful anyway. The season gets worse as the summer progresses.
