21 February 2019

Take A Look: The AZ Mirror / News As A Vital Community Service

What is it?
The Arizona Mirror is an independent, nonprofit news organization that is focused on connecting public policy with the people it affects and bringing a fresh perspective to coverage of the state’s biggest issues.

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We strive to
  • tell untold stories
  • amplify the voices of Arizonans whose stories are unheard
  • shine a light on the relationships between people, power and policy
  • hold public officials to account.
We view news as a vital community service, and are supported by the generosity of those who believe an informed Arizona is a better Arizona.
We have no paywalls, no subscription fees.
Arizona Mirror an affiliate member of The Newsroom network and is funded by the Hopewell Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that specializes in helping donors, social entrepreneurs, and other changemakers quickly launch new, innovative projects.
The Mirror retains full editorial independence.
MISSION STATEMENT
Amplifying the voices of Arizonans whose stories are unheard; shining a light on the relationships between people, power and policy; and holding public officials to account.
https://www.azmirror.com
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The Newsroom is a growing network of state-based news outlets currently in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, with a national bureau in Washington, D.C.
Our nonprofit affiliates combine relentless reporting and insightful commentary to connect people to the state leaders and government policies that affect their daily lives
https://statesnewsroom.com/ 
State policies directly affect people’s daily lives, and state-level political battles shape the national landscape. While traditional news coverage of national politics has increased in recent years, state coverage continues to shrink—leaving a void that is too often filled by partisan or unreliable sources. A 2014 Pew Research Center study showed that less than a third of U.S. newspapers have reporters covering their statehouses, a number that has certainly decreased in the last five years.
As a result, important issues in the states are under-covered, with real consequences for real people. Ultimately, the Newsroom exists to provide the relentless stream of quality reporting and commentary that helps sustain a vibrant democracy.
Each Newsroom outlet is led by a veteran local journalist with deep knowledge of the state’s political history and media landscape who oversees a staff of experienced capitol reporters.
Our Washington, D.C. bureau reports on congressional delegations and key Supreme Court and administrative decisions that affect the states.
The Newsroom’s headquarters is led by Director and Publisher Chris Fitzsimon and includes Deputy Director Andrea Verykoukis, Digital Director Nelle Dunlap, and Media Administrative Professional Tori Addison.
The Newsroom is a project of the Hopewell Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that incubates projects and provides professional support and guidance.
The Newsroom and its affiliates are independent, and we decide what we cover.
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A to Z | The Blog
https://www.azmirror.com/a-to-z-blog/

Rental vacancy rates back to pre-recession levels as bills threaten to create more evictions
Two bills working their way through the Arizona House of Representatives could harm renters in the Grand Canyon State, which currently is at its lowest rental vacancy rate since before the Great Recession.
 
ESA bill that GOP supporters said wasn’t an expansion will cost $1.7M over 3...
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee conducted a fiscal analysis of a bill that Republican lawmakers insisted in committee last week didn’t expand who could participate in the state’s school voucher program, and concluded what was obvious to everyone but the GOP backers of the bill: It expands enrollment and will thus cost the state more money.
 
House lawyer: Student employment bill conflicts with AZ’s minimum wage law
A bill to pay some students less than the state’s minimum wage conflicts with Arizona’s voter-approved minimum wage statute and is thus unconstitutional, a staff attorney told  the House Rules Committee on Monday.
 
Former Arpaio top aide running for sheriff
Jerry Sheridan, who served as Joe Arpaio’s chief deputy and faced civil contempt of court charges alongside his boss in a long-running racial profiling lawsuit, is running for Maricopa County sheriff in 2020.
 
Bill would ban mugshot websites from charging for removal
A state lawmaker wants to make it illegal for companies to make people pay money to have their mugshots and other criminal justice records removed from websites, though it’s unclear how such a law would be enforced against people outside of Arizona.
 
Advocates hope poll buoys sentencing reform efforts
A national organization advocating for criminal justice reform in Arizona is touting a new poll showing strong support for a host of issues being considered by the Legislature this year, including a proposal to reduce the state’s strict sentencing requirements.
 
Licensing bill backed by Ducey moves forward
A House committee approved a bill that Gov. Doug Ducey touted in his State of the State address that would allow professionals who are...
 
 
 
 
State to pay $600k in settlement to end legal battle over immigrant drivers licenses
It’s official: Gov. Doug Ducey has dropped an appeal to a class action lawsuit challenging his policy to restrict immigrants legally authorized to work in the country from getting driver’s licenses. The state will pay $600,000 in attorney’s fees to the plaintiffs.
 
More than 25 percent of Native women murders go unsolved in AZ
As politicians are pushing for action for missing or murdered indigenous women or girl cases, often referred to as MMIWG cases, more than 26 percent of cases of homicide involving Native women since 1976 in Arizona have gone unsolved, according to FBI crime data.
 
Bannon-led wall effort to meet in Arizona Friday to discuss private border wall construction
A who’s who group of Trump allies and immigration hard-liners may be coming to Tucson this week to hold a “town hall” on a plan to raise $100 million over the next year to build up to 30 miles of border fence on private land.
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STAFF
Editor Jim Small is a native Arizonan and has covered state government, policy and politics since 2004, with a focus on investigative and in-depth policy reporting, first as a reporter for the Arizona Capitol Times, then as editor of the paper and its prestigious sister publications, the Yellow Sheet Report and Arizona Legislative Report. Under his guidance, the Capitol Times won numerous state, regional and national awards for its accountability journalism and probing investigations into state government operations.
Associate Editor Jeremy Duda is a Phoenix native and began his career in journalism in 2003 after graduating from the University of Arizona. Prior to joining the Arizona Mirror, he worked at the Arizona Capitol Times, where he spent eight years covering the Governor's Office and two years as editor of the Yellow Sheet Report. Before that, he wrote for the Hobbs News-Sun of Hobbs, NM, and the Daily Herald of Provo, Utah. Jeremy is also the author of the history book “If This Be Treason: the American Rogues and Rebels Who Walked the Line Between Dissent and Betrayal.”
Reporters:
Reporter Laura Gómez Rodriguez covers state politics and immigration for the Arizona Mirror. She worked for The Arizona Republic and La Voz Arizona for four years, covering city government, economic development, immigration, politics and trade. In 2017, Laura traveled the length of the U.S.-Mexico border for “The Wall,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning project produced by The Arizona Republic and USA Today Network. She was named Best Investigative Reporter by Phoenix Magazine in its 2018 newspaper category and has been honored by the Arizona Press Club for Spanish-language news and feature reporting. She is a native of Bogotá, Colombia and lived in Puerto Rico and Boston before moving to Phoenix in 2014. Catch her researching travel deals, feasting on mariscos or playing soccer.
Reporter Jerod MacDonald-Evoy joins the Arizona Mirror from the Arizona Republic, where he spent 4 years covering everything from dark money in politics to Catholic priest sexual abuse scandals. Jerod has also won awards for his documentary films which have covered issues such as religious tolerance and surveillance technology used by police. He brings strong watchdog sensibilities and creative storytelling skills to the Arizona Mirror.
Manager John Doe

QOD: You can dig it