ICYMI: Governor Katie Hobbs Crisscrosses Arizona Highlighting Efforts to Restore the Arizona Promise
Phoenix, AZ - Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs embarked on a three-day statewide Arizona Promise Tour. The tour included 7 cities and 19 stops highlighting the Hobbs Administration’s work to restore the Arizona Promise and bring opportunity, security, and freedom to all Arizonans.
Governor Hobbs began the tour in Maricopa County, touting programs that are lowering costs for working class Arizonans:
12 News: Arizona governor announces partnership to lower prescription drug costs
- Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced on Wednesday that her office is taking action to lower prescription drug costs for Arizonans.
- Hobbs is signing an executive order for the state to partner with ArrayRx — an Oregon-based nonprofit consortium that helps provide discounts for medication.
WATCH, Arizona’s Family: Efficiency AZ Program Helps Working Mom Lower Utility Costs
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KTAR: Gov. Katie Hobbs visits Phoenix middle schoolers to highlight school lunch funding
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs visited the cafeteria at Madison Park Middle School in Phoenix Wednesday afternoon to highlight $6 million of state funding for school lunches.
The funding from the state budget will benefit two programs, as $3.8 million will go toward making 10 million reduced-price lunch meals free for students.
Another $2.1 million will go to SUN Bucks, a system that provides free meals during the summer when school lunches aren’t available.
While meeting with students and cafeteria staff, Hobbs stressed how important the funding is.
“We talked about how important having a good lunch at school is and how hard it is to learn if you don’t have a nutritious meal … one student who had brought lunch from home talked about helping his friend pay for lunch last year at school,” she said.
The governor continued the tour in Pima and Santa Cruz County, where she discussed investments in border security, water security, and veteran housing, and underscored the importance of fostering healthy learning environments in public school classrooms.
Nogales
AZ Family: Hobbs praises border task force in Nogales, wants federal reimbursement
Gov. Katie Hobbs visited Nogales on Thursday, where Arizona National Guard troops are working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to combat drug trafficking at ports of entry under Task Force SAFE.
The ongoing effort to keep drugs from entering the country comes as Hobbs seeks federal reimbursement for millions spent on border security since 2021.
Hobbs met with troops at the Nogales Port of Entry, getting a first-hand look at Task Force SAFE, a National Guard team supporting CBP in stopping drugs from entering Arizona. The troops were deployed to ports in June 2024. The troops say they have stopped 16 million fentanyl pills from crossing the border this year alone.
While taxpayers have been covering the cost for border security, Hobbs is now seeking $700 million in federal reimbursement for border security expenses. In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, she cited a new federal law allowing states to request repayment for helping secure the border and highlighted Task Force SAFE as a key part of Arizona’s strategy.
San Simon
KGUN9: New well to keep water flowing in San Simon
Gov. Katie Hobbs made her way around the state on Thursday. One of her stops was in San Simon to check on the progress of the installation of a new well for the community.
San Simon has experienced multiple water outages in the last few years, which is why the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) issued the San Simon Water District a grant to dig a new well and to improve its systems to better treat the water.
"It relieves a lot of stress. So hopefully we'll be able to reliably depend on the water," said Chuck Fickett, board chair for the San Simon Water Treatment District.
The ADEQ issued a $1.5 million grant for the well. A $1.7 million grant from the USDA is helping to cover the remainder of the costs for the treatment systems.
"We have a lot of water challenges facing the state. They've been kicked down the road for a really long time,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “If we're going to continue to be able to grow the economy to benefit Arizonans, create the opportunity that we're trying to create, we have to tackle our water challenges and make sure that we are securing the water future for generations.”
Tucson
KGUN9: Governor Hobbs commemorates classroom cell phone ban by ceremonial signing at Pueblo High
Governor Katie Hobbs is silencing students' cell phones while they're at school.
“Cell phones are not only a distraction from learning, they’re increasingly contributing to mental health challenges among youth," Governor Hobbs said.
Students will no longer be allowed to have their phones on or out in the classroom, restricting access to social media.
Gov. Katie Hobbs visited the Arizona State Veterans Home in Tucson to discuss a new initiative aimed at supporting veterans.
During her visit, Hobbs held a roundtable with veterans to focus on the Homes for Heroes initiative.
"Arizona is home to more than half a million veterans and we want to make sure they have a place that is home like for them no matter where they're at in their life and this is one great example of that," said Hobbs.
The initiative aims to end homelessness for veterans within the next decade.
Hobbs' visit coincided with Purple Heart Day. During the event, she presented a challenge coin to each veteran present.
Governor Hobbs wrapped up the Promise Tour in Flagstaff, highlighting important initiatives for Northern Arizona. During her visit, she spoke with Indigenous healers about new health care options for Native Arizonans, and connected with firefighters about critical training facilities that will help them fight wildfires and keep communities safe.
Flagstaff
Arizona Mirror: Indigenous health providers share hopes, concerns about Medicaid covering traditional healing
The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, or AHCCCS, is the state’s Medicaid program and provides health care coverage for about two million Arizonans — about 28% of the state’s residents — including 167,000 Native Americans.
Arizona is one of only four states that have received federal approval to cover traditional healing practices as a Medicaid benefit, joining California, New Mexico and Oregon.
After federal approval, Gov. Katie Hobbs allocated $100,000 from the state to secure over $222 million in federal matching funds for culturally relevant traditional healing practices.
“Through our bipartisan balanced budget, we’re able to secure the necessary state funds to be able to draw down the federal funds to cover traditional healing,” Hobbs said, adding that she understands many people have advocated for decades to get the service covered.
Hobbs held a roundtable discussion with health care officials and traditional practitioners at the Center for Native American and Indigenous Futures at NAU on Aug. 8.
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