The Town of Florence says they had no idea of Governor Doug Ducey's intentions to close the Florence state prison until he announced it publicly during his State of the State address on Monday, Jan. 13.

In a statement posted on the town's website, it says staff were "startled" by the sudden announcement but they are "committed to work closely with our colleagues at the State, in the State Legislature, at Pinal County, and with our partners at our local correctional facilities to  better understand the impacts of this decision and to strive to find a solution that is appropriate for our community, our residents, and the many employees that call Florence home for eight to twelve hours per day."

The Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence is Arizona's largest and oldest prison. It has existed for over 100 years and currently houses about 3,800 incarcerated men.

In his address, Ducey said all existing staff at the Florence prison will be relocated to 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.”

They say no correctional employees will lose their jobs as a result of the move, and taxpayers will save an estimated $247 million over three years.

While their jobs are still secured for now, the Town of Florence believes this new development will still have lasting effects on their community.

Their statement says:

"We are concerned for our residents, who for so many years have shouldered the burdens and stigmas associated with being called a 'prison town.' Without legislative action, resources currently used in the community could dry up and could radically change this historic community and the county seat of the state’s fastest growing county. Preliminary estimates on impact show that the Town could lose up to 3,600 prisoners and hundreds of permanent jobs upon the closure of the facility. The loss of these residents and their associated revenue could equate to a $1.3 million direct impact on Town services (or about 13% of its total state-shared revenue). To a rural community like ours, this is not inconsequential."

The Florence closure is part of Ducey's shift toward a more treatment-based approach to corrections. This decision was coupled with the announcement that the Arizona Department of Corrections will be rebranded into the "Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry."

While closing the state's largest prison is a statement within itself, the effects it will have on the incarcerated population are still unknown. Ducey's plan offers no details on whether inmates at Florence will be eligible for early releases, nor does it provide a path to reduce prison populations at all.

Florence still anticipates a need for carceral facilities, adding in their statement that "should new facilities be desired, Florence has available land that is zoned and planned for this type of use."

Their full statement can be viewed here.

If Doug Ducey bragged about adding $70 per student to the K-12 education budget, the news would be received with yawns from the vaguely interested and howls of outrage from people who know Arizona needs to add a thousand dollars per student to reach Mississippi funding levels, two thousand to reach Arkansas and three thousand to reach Louisiana. In Arizona funding dollars, that translates to an added one billion, two billion and three billion dollars respectively.

So $70 per student, about $72 million total, doesn't even qualify as small potatoes compared to the funding Arizona needs to equal some of the poorest southern states, let alone the rest of the nation. It's chump change.

But Ducey is getting away with bragging about $72 million for schools by spending it, using words from his State of the State speech, "to reward and replicate success in our best public schools." Those "successful" schools will get either $225 or $400 per student from a program with the impressive-sounding name, results-based funding. True, only a quarter of the state's district and charter schools get any money, but it's supposed to be a reward for success, which sounds like a good thing.

Except that "success" is measured by the percentage of a school's students who pass the state's AZMerit exam, and as most everyone knows, students from higher income families tend to do a whole lot better on the tests than students from lower income families. So if it's all about passing rates, all the money would go to schools in high rent areas, and that would be too obviously, grossly unfair, even for Governor Ducey.

What to do?

Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick announced today she was taking a leave of absence from the office to enter treatment for alcohol addiction.

“Beginning next week, I will receive treatment that I have struggled to ask for, to treat my alcohol dependence,” said Kirkpatrick in a prepared statement.

Kirkpatrick, 69, said the decision was precipitated by a serious fall that will require physical therapy.

Kirkpatrick is up for reelection following her first term representing Southern Arizona’s Congressional District 2, considered one of the most competitive in the country. She had previously represented Congressional District 1, which includes Oro Valley and Marana as well as Flagstaff and eastern Arizona.

“I am finally seeking this help after struggling to do so in the past, and I am ready to admit that I, like countless other Americans, suffer from this disease,” Kirkpatrick said in her statement. “Hard work and determination—which have brought me success in life—have not been enough to win this battle. Other than being a wife, mother, and grandmother, the most important job in the world to me is representing my fellow Arizonans. I know I must get better in order to do my best in each of these roles.”

Kirkpatrick said her offices would continue to run in her absence.

“During my absence, my congressional offices in Washington and Arizona will be fully operational, processing all constituent requests, meetings, activities and correspondence,” Kirkpatrick said. “My positions on all recorded votes will be submitted to the Congressional Record and made publicly available.”

Kirkpatrick’s 2020 campaign manager, Michael Sheridan, said Kirkpatrick remained committed to running for reelection this year.

“Congresswoman Kirkpatrick is very grateful for all the outreach and support she’s received,” Sheridan said. “Ann wants her constituents to know that she is standing by them 100% and fully intends to run for reelection this fall and hopes to earn the support of all voters across her district.”

Two of Kirkpatrick’s potential Republican opponents wished her well in her effort at recovery.

“Alcoholism is a serious disease many Americans and their families face daily in our nation,” said Republican Brandon Martin in a Facebook statement. “It's a difficult decision for individuals to address and admit they need help. I'm happy to hear, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, is seeking professional help to combat her illness and is taking the steps necessary to recover. I wish her, and her family the best as she begins her journey to a full recovery.”

Joseph Morgan shared a similar sentiment.

“I hope she gets the help she needs,” Morgan said.

Pima County Democratic Party Chair Alison Jones said the party “wishes Ann Kirkpatrick a speedy recovery from her fall. Almost every family is affected by the disease of alcoholism. We are confident Rep. Kirkpatrick, with the support of her family and friends, will get the treatment she needs while continuing to execute the duties of her office.”

Hailing from the Sheldon Theatre of Performing Arts in Red Wing, Minnesota, Bonnie Schock was selected to lead the Fox Theatre. She will begin her tenure March 9, 2020.

Schock said she is delighted and honored to join the Fox Theatre, built in 1930 in downtown Tucson.

“I believe in the performing arts as a space for community building, where we get to know ourselves, our neighbors, and our world better,” Schock said in a statement announcing the move. “And, after 30 years in this work, I have come to know that historic facilities play a particularly vital role in the arts ecosystem, for all the memories they hold and the connections they foster.

Schock has been the executive director of the Sheldon Theatre since 2015, and was found after a national search conducted for the Fox Tucson Theatre Foundation Board of Directors. She will fill the position left vacant by former longtime executive director Craig Sumberg, who was recently selected to lead The South Orange Performing Arts Center in South Orange, New Jersey.

“The Fox is truly a rare treasure - the kind of special place that works across time, as a tangible link between past, present, and future,” Schock said. “I am excited to begin work with the board, the vibrant Tucson arts and cultural community, the Fox's many and diverse supporters, and the skilled staff to build on the Fox's many past and current successes, and to imagine together a vibrant future."

The Fox announced that informal community meet and greet events are in the planning stages to welcome Schock to Tucson and the rest of Southern Arizona.

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.

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.

“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.

Mayor Regina Romero today signed on with Mayors Against Illegal Guns and announced the creation of the Mayor’s Task Force on Gun Safety and Violence Prevention at a City Hall press conference.

“It is important that we stand in solidarity with mayors across the country to show that in absence of state and federal action, our national cities will act,” Mayor Romero said. “We do not need to wait for the federal government to act locally.”

Mayors Against Gun Violence is comprised of a bipartisan nationwide coalition of current and former mayors committed to end gun violence and is a program of the advocacy group Everytown For Gun Safety. More than 1,000 mayors have signed on with the coalition, according to everytown.org. Everytown For Gun Safety is also the parent group for Moms Demand Action.

“Mayor Romero understands the importance of taking real action to reduce gun violence in our community,” said Rene Friedkin, a volunteer with the Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We are thrilled to have her join this bipartisan coalition who are working on the frontlines of gun safety.”

Romero also announced the creation of the Mayor’s Task Force on Gun Safety and Violence Prevention, which will be composed of gun-violence survivors, students, neighborhood leaders, mental health professionals, public safety officers and others.

Dozens gathered on the Pima County Courthouse lawn in remembrance of the six people who were killed and 13 others wounded during the Tucson shooting at then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' Congress on Your Corner event nine years ago Wednesday morning.

At 10:10 a.m., to coincide with the time the shooting started, a silver bell rang as each of the names of those who died or were wounded on January 8 were read aloud.

Moments before the ceremony took place, Ron Barber, a victim of the shooting and former Arizona congressman, spoke about the new permanent memorial currently being constructed at the west end of the courthouse which should be finished by fall.

“This memorial will not only honor the victims and survivors,” Barber said. “But also law enforcement personnel, the EMTs, the doctors and the citizens who came to our aid.”

The theme to the memorial is “embrace” and “resilience," according to Barber.

“Embrace is what we all felt and still feel from our community,” Barber said. “This memorial is also about resilience, which has been the hallmark of Tucson going back decades.”

The memorial will showcase the resilience of all who have lived in southern Arizona for centuries, from Native Americans, Mexicans, pioneers and all who have faced adversity, according to Barber.

Barber also stated the memorial is supposed to get a national designation, as legislation is being introduced into the House and Senate this week.

“Tucson is unlike any other city and it has proven that over and over again in the wake of Jan. 8,” Barber said.