Good afternoon. Friday will be sunny with a high of 82°, and Saturday should be breezy and partly sunny with a high of 79°. Rain is likely on Sunday.
🌵 Federal funding will allow Pima County to continue offering temporary housing services for migrants.
County administrator Jan Lesher said she is confident that a $1.2 trillion budget bill signed into law by President Biden last week contains ongoing funding for migrant services. The announcement comes just days before a March 31 deadline, after which shelter services would have ended, resulting in street releases of migrants by the Border Patrol in Tucson and other communities.
- AZPM: Pima County to continue migrant services
- Tucson Sentinel: New federal funding staves off migrant ‘street releases’ in Tucson
🌵 Tucson received a green light from Arizona’s attorney general to hold a special election for a sales tax increase this summer.
State law requires such elections to be held in November of even-numbered years, but Attorney General Kris Mayes ruled that Tucson’s charter takes precedence if an action is a “matter of purely municipal concern.” Details on the proposed tax are unclear, but it is likely tied to negotiations over RTA Next, the city’s regional transportation agreement. City officials have argued that Tucson does not receive enough funding under the current arrangement, hinting that the city may begin funding transportation projects on its own.
🌵 New police cameras will be installed in downtown Tucson to combat street racing.
The cameras will be capable of recording license plates. They will be paid for by Rio Nuevo, the tax and development district that includes downtown and stretches along Broadway Blvd. out to Park Place Mall.
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🌵 A Republican-backed ballot initiative would prevent Arizona cities from placing restrictions on gas-powered equipment like kitchen stoves and leaf blowers.
The initiative is just one of many measures that Republicans hope to put on the ballot this November in order to circumvent Governor Hobbs’ veto power. “I don’t want you to take my blower away,” said Rep. Gail Griffin, the lead sponsor of the bill. “It’s my choice which kind I use, and it’s your choice which kind you use.”
- Tucson Sentinel: Republicans could ask voters to enshrine right to a gas stove in state Constitution
🌵 The Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball team faces Clemson in the Sweet 16 this afternoon.
Tipoff is scheduled for 4:09 p.m. Arizona time. The Wildcats are favored to win the matchup, which is being played in Los Angeles. This will be Arizona’s 20th trip to the Sweet 16.
- Arizona Wildcats: Arizona Looks to Tame The Tigers in Sweet 16
- NCAA: Arizona vs. Clemson Pregame highlights
🌵 Lastly, a SpaceX rocket launching from California may light up Tucson’s skies tonight.
A similar launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base on March 18 was visible across the city, although skies may be cloudy tonight. Watch the rocket launch live via SpaceX’s webcast at 7:30 p.m., and then look to the southwest a few minutes later.