Democratic challenger Mark Kelly continues to outraise Republican Sen. Martha McSally in what's sure to be one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races in the country.

Kelly announced today that he'd raised $6.3 million in fourth quarter of 2019, bringing his total haul for 2019 to more than $20 million.

Meanwhile, McSally boasted that she'd had her best quarter of the year between October and December. Even so, she raised just $4 million, bringing her total for the year to more than $12 million.

At the start of 2020, Kelly had $13.6 million in the bank, while McSally had $7.6 million, according to the campaigns.

The announcement came a week after a new poll from Public Policy Polling showed Kelly leading McSally by 4 percentage points, with 46 percent of voters supporting Kelly and 42 percent supporting McSally. The survey of 760 Arizona voters, conducted Jan. 2-4, fits the pattern of similar polls released throughout 2019, with Kelly holding a narrow lead over McSally.

More on the race in this week's Skinny column.

Today Arizona Governor Doug Ducey gave his sixth State of the State address in Tucson, highlighting priorities for the new year, including funds for education, job training and broadband connectivity, closure of the state’s largest and oldest prison, and calling out Tucson’s failed sanctuary city initiative.

Dozens of tables filled up at the Tucson Convention Center to watch Ducey deliver the speech, which was also given yesterday at the state capitol in Phoenix, kicking off the second half of the 54th legislative session.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to report: the state of our state is strong. And the best part is, it’s only getting better,” Ducey told the audience. “Look at all that’s happening around us. Our crime rate is dropping, and school test scores are rising. Our credit rating is up, and our debt is way down. Household incomes have hit a record high, and our poverty rate has dropped faster than any other state in the nation.”

After highlighting advancements in the local economy and Arizona’s growing population, the governor turned to his biggest line item, funding K-12 public education. After the Red for Ed movement pressured the state to restore recession-era funding cuts in 2018, Ducey promised public school teachers a 20 percent raise by this year.

His 2020 budget includes the final 5 percent of that promise, in addition to a full restoration “district additional assistance” which can be used flexibly throughout school districts for things like textbooks, staff raises, curriculum updates, building improvements and more.

Ducey also included $15 million in additional funding for the Arizona Teachers Academy, which partners with the state’s public universities and community colleges to provide educational training on all levels. The tuition and fees are waived if graduates of the program commit to work at an Arizona public school.

“This year, we intend to build on our momentum with reforms allowing even more students to go through the Academy,” Ducey said. “Students are seeking degrees in math and science, teachers specializing in educating blind children. Arizona’s future depends on these educators. Let’s provide them with access so they can get to the front of the classroom—debt free.”

Another education initiative is “Project Rocket” for struggling schools. Ducey says this will provide additional funding and access to “proven strategies” to help improve outcomes at low-performing public schools. Schools rated “D” or “F” by the Arizona Department of Education may opt into the three-year pilot program to receive grants aimed at helping them close the achievement gap.

For higher education, Ducey’s “New Economy Initiative,” will provide funding to the state’s three public universities (University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona
University) to “boost post-secondary attainment and increase the number of graduates in critical high-demand industries.”

As part of that plan, ASU will design and launch a new center for engineering education and research, UA will hone in on personalized medicine and “cutting edge healthcare delivery models,” while NAU will work to prepare students for working in the healthcare industry, specifically in mental and behavioral health fields.

Ducey announced the commitment of $28 million for an acceleration of expanding Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix. The money would go toward a new six-lane bridge over the Gila River. Ducey said 62,000 people drive over the 56-year-old bridge every day, equalling 23 million drivers a year.

“The Phoenix-Tucson corridor is an economic artery for our state and it needs expanding,” Ducey said. “It’s time to accelerate completion of I-10’s widening, in both directions, between our two largest cities.”

Another $50 million in Ducey’s budget proposal will go toward installing 500 miles of broadband conduit and fiber optic cable along Arizona highways. These “Smart Highway Corridors” will be located on Interstate 17 between Sunset Point and Flagstaff, Interstate 40 between borders with California and New Mexico and Interstate 19 between Tucson and Nogales.

A major development within Ducey’s address is his commitment to close the Florence state prison. This facility is Arizona’s oldest, and currently houses over 3,800 incarcerated men.

As part of the transition, existing staff from the Florence prison will be relocated to the Eyman prison, less than three miles away. The Governor’s Office says additional staff will allow the Eyman complex to be fully staffed, eliminating vacancies and “providing inmates with better access to programs and other services, such as enhanced second chance programs.”

No correctional employees will lose their jobs as a result of the move. The office estimates this will save taxpayers $247 million over three years.

“We’ve provided more opportunities and we’ve decreased the amount of people returning to prison and helped many find meaningful work,” Ducey said.

Ducey also wants to expand Second Chance Centers, which provide necessary resources for incarcerated individuals to more easily transition back into society. They help with job readiness, enrollment in health care, transportation services and more.

On this note, Ducey also announced a decision to change the name of the Department of Corrections to the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry, in order to “better reflect its mission.”

The governor took the opportunity to recognize that the Tucson Families Free and Together ballot initiative from last year, which aimed to create a sanctuary city, was soundly rejected by over 70 percent of local voters. He wants a state-wide ban on sanctuary cities to pass in the legislature this year.

“If anyone needed a reminder, here in Arizona, we respect the rule of law. Last fall the voters of Tucson demonstrated that loud and clear,” Ducey said. “And now it’s time for all Arizonans to make their voices heard, and enshrine it in our Constitution. This November, let’s give all Arizona voters the opportunity to say ‘yes’ to the rule of law and ‘no’ to sanctuary cities.”

Other key priorities listed by the governor include:
•  Additional funding for the Department of Child Safety
•   An elimination of all state income taxes for veterans’ military pensions
•  A suicide prevention action plan
•  An executive order requiring three regulations to be eliminated for every one created
•   Funding the purchase of 1,267 body cameras for every Arizona State Trooper
• A rural jobs initiative providing funds for training programs at community college aligned
with industry needs

More specific dollar amounts for these initiatives and more will be announced during the roll out of Ducey’s executive budget proposal later this month.

The Play that Goes Wrong. This play-within-a-play starts with the audience seeing a backstage staff dealing with several mishaps, including a missing dog and a broken mantelpiece. Then you watch it go downhill from there with the cast members of a small theater company forgetting their lines, breaking character and being unconscious. It’s been called “the funniest play Broadway has ever seen” and “the illegitimate Broadway baby” of Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python. You’ll laugh your pants off, we promise. Tuesday, Jan. 14, to Sunday, Jan. 19, with shows at various times. UA Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $25 to $115+, with discounts available for seniors, students and military.

Space Jam. Featuring Michael Jordan, Bill Murray, the cast of Looney Tunes, a reference to Pulp Fiction and “I Believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly, Space Jam works as a kind of time capsule for ’90s entertainment. Sure, it’s cheesy and wacky, but did you know the director, Joe Pytka, has several permanent works in New York’s Museum of Modern Art? As part of their Tuesday Night Classics series, Harkins Theatres is screening Space Jam, to get you ready for its sequel, slated for release summer 2021. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14. 5455 S. Calle Santa Cruz & 5755 W. Arizona Pavilions Drive. $5.

This esteemed bebop/swing vocalist’s first appearance at Jazz at Lincoln Center was at age 11. She won second place at the prestigious Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition, in 2015. Now, at age 25 she is being recognized as one of the top young jazz singers on the scene. Veronica Swift will perform with the UA Studio Jazz Ensemble. At the Leo Rich Theater.  

Beginning at 5 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 27, North La Cholla Boulevard will be completely closed  between West Lambert Lane and West Overton Road in order to allow construction crews and heavy equipment to operate safely as they work on widening the road to four lanes.

Town staff expect the closure to last for almost three months, until Wednesday, April 22.

Local access to homes and businesses on La Cholla will be maintained throughout the closure, according to an Oro Valley press release. North La Cañada Drive has been designated as the detour route.

“We understand this affects commuters who use La Cholla Boulevard, but the primary reason for this closure is safety in a specific area of the project,” said Public Works Director and Town Engineer Paul Keesler, in the release. “The space needed to accommodate the contractor’s personnel and heavy equipment near a retaining wall constructed for the project leaves limited space for the traveling public. With a complete closure we can maintain the safety of the public and the contractor. And the upside is that it helps us finish the project almost a month and a half early.”

The La Cholla widening project is on schedule and town staff expect this temporary closure to accelerate the completion date to mid-August, instead of late September.

The project, funded partially by the Regional Transportation Authority and Pima County, will also include a landscaped median, bicycle lanes, multi-use paths and ADA facilities, drainage improvements, wildlife crossing corridors and retaining walls.

Keesler said the town previously considered using flaggers to direct traffic around the construction through one-way lanes, but that would extend the project timeline by two more months, which drives up the cost.

He said the town has learned from the previous La Cañada and Moore roundabout construction that “it is more efficient, and safer, to just close the work area and get the job done.”

The Town of Oro Valley produced an informational video to explain the closure, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwQ6XxT59gU&feature=youtu.be.

“Hello! My name is Cleopatra and I’m a 4 year old girl who is very curious and loves to explore. I love being with my people, and have gotten along well with other pets as well. I like playing with toys and scratching on my scratching post. Please stop by and say hello to me at HSSA Main Campus at 635 W. Roger Rd. For more information, give our adoptions staff a call at (520) 327-6088 ext 173.”

Across The Waters. It is 1943 in Copenhagen, and a jazz musician realizes he must save his family from encroaching Nazis by fleeing on small fishing boats. But this involves putting their lives in the hands of strangers who may or may not have the best intentions. This 2016 Danish drama is based on real escapes to Sweden during WWII. This screening is part of the Tucson International Jewish Film Festival. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13. At the Tucson JCC, 3800 E. River Road. $10.

This Milwaukee native first took his prodigious talent to the local clubs well before he was old enough to legally buy a beer. There, amid the booze and cigarette-permeated air, this gifted pianist caught the attention of jazz legends Chet Baker and Sonny Stitt, who encouraged him to move to The Big Apple. In 1992 he took their advice. David Hazeltine and the New York All Stars play the Leo Rich Theater…

Capturing an odd moment, these Torrance, California, indie rockers Tweeted, “Coolio just looked at Chase [guitarist for the band] in the bathroom at LAX and said, ‘Changing into your comfy shit?’ No joke. Coolio.” Joyce Manor bring their sense for the absurd and their fifth album Million Dollars to Kill Me to 191 Toole. Alt-rockers Oso Oso and Canadian garage rockers Peach Kelli Pop kick things off…

On Friday, Jan. 10, Irene's Donuts announced that their final day open would be Sunday, Feb. 23. The 4th Ave. donut shop only opened in March 2019, taking the place of Can's Deli, and U.S. Fries before that, at the 340 N. 4th Ave. location.   "Due to circumstances beyond our control we will be closing our Tucson location," Irene's wrote on social media. "Thank you for all your love and support throughout this last year."

Much like Can's before them, Irene's sold food and served as a venue for live music, utilizing the back room of their location. It was the high rent of this location that is said to have forced the closure.

Irene's will still be open through Feb. 23 on Tuesdays through Sundays.

“If you could save a life by folding two pieces of paper together, would you do it?”

That’s the question asked by the Soul Box Project, a Portland-based gun safety advocate group that travels across the country, giving communities an artistic view of those affected by gun violence. The project was at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

Soul Boxes are origami-style boxes made by people who have either been affected by gun violence and/or want to show support for those who have. The boxes are a way to honor those killed by gun violence and help give survivors solace, according to the project’s website.

Meg Pradelt, representative for the project, said she felt Tucson was an appropriate place to encourage Tucsonans to participate since so many here have been affected by gun violence, before, during and after the 2011 Tucson shooting.

“We want to send (the boxes) to Portland to be incorporated in quilt-like panels that can be set up to give a visual impression of the number of people killed and injured by guns in the country every year,” said Pradelt.

The panels are assembled to hold 98 soul boxes and can be displayed adjacent to other panels so the ultimate effect looks like one giant piece of fabric, according to Pradelt. This way the project can display thousands of boxes at one time, Pradelt said.

The Miss Rodeo Arizona Pageant has been around for over 60 years selecting rodeo queens to  represent communities throughout the state and promote rodeos and the western way of life.

This year’s queen for 2020 is Shelby Williams, a Pima Community College student and graduate of Marana High School.

On Saturday, Jan. 11, Williams will be crowned during the 2020 Miss Rodeo Arizona Coronation, taking place at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds T-Barn from 5 to 9 p.m.

Along with the crowning of Williams, there will be plenty of fun with entertainment by the Pinnacle Peak Pistoleros, food by Little Mexico Restaurant and drinks sponsored by Coca Cola.

This event is Williams' largest fundraising opportunity of the year, with all proceeds raised going to help offset her travel costs when she heads to Miss Rodeo America in December.

Seating is limited, but there are still tickets available on her website, here for $20 for adults and $15 for children 10 and under.

Tickets can also be purchased at the door the day of for $25 for adults and $20 for children 10 and under.

This is a family event with no alcohol and the dress is casual/western.

For more information about Miss Rodeo Arizona visit www.missrodeoarizona.org.

To follow Williams on her rodeo adventure, follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shelby.wiliiams.