The Round Up: Running on Empty
The Round Up: Running on Empty
Arizona faces challenges in energy and education as Western leaders push back on oil regulations and the teacher retention crisis deepens.
In this Round Up: Arizona leaders addressed looming challenges in the energy and education sectors. First, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs crossed aisles and joined Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo in seeking to ensure that recently proposed California legislation regulating oil refineries would not lead to increased gas prices and shortages in neighboring states. Also, State Superintendent of Public Education Tom Horne released a survey highlighting Arizona’s inability to recruit and retain teachers.
Arizona, Nevada Governors Urge Newsom to Thwart Oil Regulations
In a rare case of cross-state, bipartisan action, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) called on California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) to “reconsider” legislation that “threatens to cut the supply of gasoline from California to Arizona and Nevada and could hike gas prices for consumers in the states.” In a letter sent to Newsom, the governors emphasized their opposition to “mandating refinery inventory” and instead urged California to work toward “finding viable regional energy solutions that lead to lowered fuel costs.” The governors’ letter echoes a warning from refiners that the bill’s inventory mandates “could lead to supply shortages and possible refinery shutdowns.”
California’s SB 950 (now ABX2-1), which is currently being considered by the legislature in a special session, was first unveiled by Newsom and California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D) earlier this month. In Newsom and Rivas’ plan, the California Energy Commission (CEC) would “make oil refiners manage California’s gasoline supply responsibly.” According to the plan, the CEC would prevent price increases by “requir[ing] petroleum refiners to maintain a minimum inventory of refined fuel throughout the distribution chain to avoid supply shortages” and “plan for resupply during scheduled refiner maintenance.” Governors Hobbs and Lombardo argue that their citizens will be forced to foot the bill. Intended to “address escalating fuel costs and ensure regional economic stability,” the governors’ joint effort targets the legislation as it reportedly would “artificially create shortages in downstream markets.” In response to a previous letter by Lombardo on this topic in May, a Newsom spokesperson said Lombardo’s effort was “a stunt to appease Governor Lombardo’s Big Oil donors, who contributed tens of thousands of dollars to his campaign.” As of this newsletter’s publication, Newsom has not responded to Hobbs and Lombardo’s letter.
What the governors are saying:
Governor Katie Hobbs (D-AZ): “Arizonans are struggling with the high cost of living, [and] we can’t afford yet another price hike. I urge Governor Newsom and the California legislature to reconsider this legislation that could slash Arizona’s gasoline supply, raise prices at the pump, and threaten Arizona’s strong economic growth. I’m glad to work with Governor Lombardo on this critical issue, and hope we can come together as a region to deliver lower fuel costs to all of our constituents.”
Governor Joe Lombardo (R-NV): “The people of Nevada and Arizona should not have to foot the bill for California’s misguided policies — especially when it comes to higher gas prices. Lowering fuel costs is a bipartisan issue, and I’m grateful to partner with Governor Hobbs as we fight back against policies that will raise prices and cause regional economic disruption. I urge Governor Newsom and the California legislature to reconsider this harmful legislation during their special session and to include Nevada and Arizona in policy discussions moving forward.”
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA): “I’m glad to see the Assembly is moving this important proposal forward to save Californians hundreds of millions of dollars at the pump. Gas price spikes are profit spikes for Big Oil, and California won’t stand by as families get gouged.”
Arizona Department of Education Warns of Teacher Retention Troubles
Earlier this month, Arizona State Superintendent Tom Horne published a teacher retention survey illustrating “alarming numbers pointing to a crisis in the teaching profession.” The Education Department’s survey found that educators are leaving the profession due to a “lack of administrative support for classroom discipline,” as well as “a desire for better pay.” Further, the survey found that Arizona teachers are leaving their jobs within the first few years at an “alarming rate,” and “there are more teachers leaving than are coming into the classroom.”
In its survey of 945 Arizona teachers who left their jobs after 2023, roughly two-thirds of respondents cited “low pay” as a key problem within the profession. (According to ZipRecruiter, the average 6th-grade teacher salary in Arizona is $49,673, roughly $6,000 less than the national average.) Also, almost 64 percent of respondents added that “student behavior and discipline problems” contributed to their decisions to leave teaching in the state. Lastly, the survey found that 47 percent of respondents were “dissatisfied with their administration,” while just over 45 percent were “unhappy with [their] working conditions.”
What Arizona education leaders are saying:
Arizona State Superintendent Tom Horne: “This is a crisis, and it needs to be addressed immediately. In the most recent legislative session, I urged the passage of a bill that would require school leaders to support classroom teachers in discipline matters. Sadly, it did not get passed by the legislature and the crisis will not only persist but will just get worse. . . . I have also consistently advocated for higher teacher pay, and yet legislative efforts have been rebuffed because of political disputes that do nothing to help improve the salaries of teachers. . . . In short, just about any classroom teacher can tell you what they need to thrive as educators and lead students to academic excellence. Better pay and robust support from administrators on discipline are vital.”
In The News
Horne expands statewide school safety partnership (September 5, 2024) – “State schools superintendent Tom Horne has extended the Department of Education’s agreement with Off Duty Management through 2026 at multiple schools in six counties as part of Horne’s goal to make sure students, educators and staff are protected by armed and uniformed School Safety Officers.”
$10 million in federal funding allocated to Arizona for wildfire management (September 10, 2024) – “The acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior visited Tucson today to talk wildfire safety. Laura Daniel-Davis announced $236 million in funding from President Biden’s Investing in America Act to support wildland fire management into fiscal year 2025 across the nation. The money will go toward management of fires, training and improving burned areas. . . . The state is receiving upwards of $10 million in this latest allocation, bringing the total funding for wildfire mitigation and recovery in Arizona through the bipartisan infrastructure law to more than $60 million.”
Trump stumps in Tucson, pledges mass deportation, says he won’t debate Harris again (September 12, 2024) – “Former President Donald Trump took the stage in Tucson Thursday afternoon for the first time this campaign cycle, vowing if elected to begin the ‘largest deportation operation’ in the history of the United States. Trump, whose main messaging has historically centered around immigration, told the rowdy crowd of 2,000 supporters at the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall downtown that he would stop migrants from coming from ‘mental institutions and insane asylums’.”
Second Gentleman’ Doug Emhoff visits Tucson, talks abortion rights, access (September 13, 2024) – “Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, spoke in downtown Tucson ahead of a trip to Nevada as part of the Harris-Walz 2024 campaign. His stop in Tucson was meant to spotlight reproductive freedom, a key issue in Tuesday’s Presidential Debate. . . . In addition to Emhoff's stops, other Harris-Walz surrogates will host events aimed at key voter groups in Arizona.”
This round-up was written by Jared (JJ) Cichoke. He currently works as a Policy Analyst after previously holding various roles with Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, he recently moved to Arizona after spending nearly his entire life in Portland, Oregon.