Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy, presented an update on Arizona Horizon on the deadline Arizona lawmakers faced to join a drought contingency plan for the Colorado River water.

Reports and Publications
January 2019
David Schlinkert, policy analyst, Morrison Institute for Public Policy
Melissa Kovacs, Ph.D., associate director of research, Morrison Institute for Public Policy

The Arizona Republic reported that Federal Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman has drawn a line in the sand for Arizona and other Western states to finish a deal to take less water from the Colorado River or the federal government will be forced to step in and decide how to prevent reservoirs from falling to critical levels.

The Arizona Daily Star reported that water experts are predicting chaos for Arizona if the Legislature fails to approve a drought contingency plan for the Colorado River.

The New York Times reported that on the country’s southern border, New Mexico Democrats broke the Republican hold on a House seat that had endured for 37 years, like several other moderate Democrats who flipped House seats nationwide last year.

As Mr. Trump agreed to end the longest government shutdown on record, he backed down at least temporarily from his campaign promise of a border wall.

Don Henninger, executive director of the Scottsdale Coalition of Today & Tomorrow, shared his opinion in an editorial in the Scottdale Independent that Scottsdale residents have installed a new City Council and presumably a fresh set of objectives and goals moving forward for the city yet
the idea that a new year and “new” council means a new set of goals and objectives for the city remains elusive.

Arizona Horizon reported that Arizona lawmakers and the governor are under the gun to come up with a Drought Contingency Plan. Kathleen Ferris of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy talks about the intentions to deal with possible Colorado River water shortages.

Vanguardia Arizona reported that while the number of Latino votes cast in Arizona and across the nation is growing significantly, major barriers to boosting Latino turnout persist.

An expert discussion panel held at Phoenix College as part of an ongoing series of civic engagement activities, hosted by Chicanos Por La Causa, said when it comes to the Latino vote, the news is mixed.

Erica Quintana and David Schlinkert

January 17, 2019

The Payson Roundup reported that Rim Country schools continue to cope with the ongoing teacher shortage, despite recent pay raises.