📢 There will be no Microburst on Tuesday, April 9th because Jason is traveling to watch the total solar eclipse in Texas. Send happy thoughts for clear skies.
Good afternoon. Tomorrow is expected to be dusty and windy, with a high of 74°. Saturday should be sunny with a high of 63°. Look for sunny skies and a high of 73° on Sunday.
🌵 A partial solar eclipse will be visible from Tucson on Monday, April 8.
The eclipse begins at 10:06 a.m. and ends at 12:36 p.m. Maximum eclipse occurs at 11:19 a.m., when the Sun will be 70% covered by the Moon. It is only safe to look at the Sun through eclipse glasses. Flandrau Planetarium is currently selling them for $2 per pair, and is also hosting activities Monday on the UA Mall. If you don’t have eclipse glasses, just take a colander outside and look at the crescent-shaped projections it creates.
🌵 Two controversial Republican-backed bills are headed to Governor Hobbs’ desk, where they face a veto threat.
The first bill would expand existing laws allowing the use of deadly force against trespassers to ranches and farms, a move that seemingly targets migrants. Both Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos and Tucson Mayor Regina Romero have spoken out against the proposal.
The second bill, named the “Women’s Bill of Rights,” would remove every reference to “gender” in state law and replace it with “sex.” It would also allow the separation of sports teams and bathrooms by biological sex.
- Arizona Daily Star: Arizona lawmakers OK bill foes claim will lead to shooting of migrants
- Arizona Mirror: Critics say AZ ‘Women’s Bill of Rights’ puts transgender women at risk
🌵 The Arizona Restaurant Association appears to be “astroturfing” support of a law that would allow restaurants to pay tipped employees less.
Astroturfing is the practice of hiding the sponsors of an organization or message to make it seem like it comes from grassroots participants. People with ties to the Arizona Restaurant Association appeared at a hearing last month wearing “Save Our Tips” shirts and spoke in favor of the bill. Also voicing support for the bill was the vice president of Snooze Eatery.
📢 Subscribe to Microburst! For $5/month, you can help us build a long-lasting Tucson news service.
🌵 Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher is moving forward with a review of past attempts to reduce the jail population.
The review is expected to wrap up by August 1, at which point a new commission may be chartered to come up with solutions to reduce the jail population. The Pima County Board of Supervisors rejected proposals from a previous commission to build a new jail or renovate the existing one. Some members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors expressed concern that the county has limited ability to reduce the jail population.
🌵 Lastly, you can win prizes for guessing when Tucson’s temperature will top 100 degrees.
KVOA is running its annual “ice break” campaign to guess the exact time and date when the weather hits 100°. Here’s some helpful intel from past years: the average first 100° day since 1991 is May 18.