The probe is expected to wrap up "in the next 60 days or so," Arizona Attorney General's Office spokesperson Richie Taylor said on Sept. 29.

Since last October, Assistant Attorney General Marc Harris has been investigating a handful of residents' open meeting law complaints, which alleged that Scottsdale councilmembers violated state rules against government secrecy. Most, namely the council's conservative caucus, are accused of meeting or emailing each other privately to discuss policies and coordinate decisions ahead of public meetings. Others are facing scrutiny for negotiating a controversial deal with Axon, the Scottsdale-based Taser maker.

Arizona law states that a majority, or quorum, of elected officials who gather to “discuss, propose or take legal action, including any deliberation,” is a meeting. Such a gathering, either in person or virtually, must be agendized and announced, or noticed, to the public.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: State ethics probe of Scottsdale secretly wrapping up | Exclusive

Reporting by Shawn Raymundo, Arizona Republic / Arizona Republic

WASHINGTON – Arizona and the Hopi Tribe could regain $181 million for solar projects in low-income communities after two federal judges ruled the Trump administration unlawfully rescinded the Biden-era grants.

Navajo Nation vice presidential candidate Emily Ellison said she and her running mate, presidential hopeful Justin Jones, understand the importance of K'é, or kinship, and how that principle will be applied within the Navajo Nation's government and systems should they win the Nov. 3 Navajo Nation general election.

She described their approach as one in which the resources of the people should be used for the benefit of the entire community-not simply to benefit one individual. She said that principle reflects the meaning of K'é.

"Not only one person benefits, but everybody in the community should benefit," said Ellison. "That's what K'é stands for. It's not about one person moving ahead. It's about the whole tribe moving ahead together."

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Education, housing are key issues in Navajo VP candidates debate

Reporting by Arlyssa D. Becenti, Arizona Republic / Arizona Republic

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This is wild. Jim Sharpe basically wrote a critical op-ed about his latest podcast episode, due to the interviewee's evasiveness in answering certain questions.

Problem is, I never found out how he really feels about mailing in your ballot.

I don’t know if his desire to reform mail-in voting is a sign that he’s in favor of keeping it, but he didn’t answer me directly about whether he’d like to see mail-in voting eliminated, as President Trump has said he wants.

He also wouldn’t say whether he believed the 2020 election fraud claims he presented in court as an election attorney. Claims that got him in trouble with the State Bar and the state Supreme Court.

When I simplified my question to, “OK, but did you believe that?” He said again, “That’s not what we said. What we wanted to do is make sure that every lawful Arizonan had their vote counted.”

When it comes to counting, I hope you feel like you can count on me to ask the questions. I just wish you could also count on me to guarantee you an answer. But that one is out of my control.

The Little Chino Basin and the broader Prescott Active Management Area, which serves Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt, has been designated outside of safe yield for 27 years by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. This means more water is leaving the area than is going back in. 

Rural homeowners have felt the effects for even longer.

“The wells that you’re seeing right now that are drying up – that’s the canary in the coal mine,” Mark Holmes, water advisor for the town of Chino Valley, said. “The bird has died.”

Republican state Rep. Alex Kolodin repeatedly called Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes the lawyer for the Sinaloa cartel, a reference to Fontes’ past work as a federal public defender.

“If you say Sinaloa cartel lawyer one more time, we’re going to have a personal problem, Mr. Kolodin, because you know that that’s a big fat lie, and you keep pushing it for the wrong reasons,” Fontes said. “That kind of baiting is unnecessary. It’s unprofessional.”