AGP Executive Report

Transit Safety & Labor: Tucson City Council moved to add “bus ambassadors” to a $2M SunTran bus safety plan as a potential Teamsters strike looms, keeping pressure on operator and driver safety. Federal Lobbying: HBS added Andrew Fisher, a former USDA chief of staff, to expand its federal lobbying practice focused on Farm Bill, crop insurance, and disaster relief. Construction Growth: Scottsdale-based Echelon Valley Construction Group launched full-scale general contracting across Arizona to meet Metro Phoenix’s residential and commercial demand. Housing Market Trend: In May, four of the five biggest Phoenix-area home sales featured casitas/detached living spaces, reflecting how ADUs are reshaping luxury listings. Health Insurance Crackdown: Arizona AG Kris Mayes sued major insurers alleging illegal price fixing that allegedly uses shared data and an algorithm to depress provider payments. Energy Policy: A new federal push announced $850M for coal plant modernization and new builds, while solar continues to gain ground nationally despite political headwinds. Business Tech: ADESA rolled out ADESA Timed, extending its digital timed auction platform for wholesale sellers. Arizona Business & Community: Gilbert’s Gilbert Mall forced multiple businesses to close after fire officials found structural and foundation issues. World Cup Cross-Border Friction: Iran’s team relocated from Arizona to Mexico after U.S. visa denials, adding to broader concerns about immigration enforcement and profiling around the tournament.

Energy & Power: The Trump administration announced $850M for coal plant modernization plus two new plants, including $19M for Arizona Electric Power Cooperative’s Apache station—critics call it an uncompetitive subsidy while supporters say it boosts grid reliability. Aviation & Local Costs: Mesa’s attempt to charge flight-school landing fees is headed into a federal lawsuit as the FAA urges the city to pause, with residents citing noise and health concerns tied to training loops at Falcon Field. Health Care & Fraud Watch: Arizona’s AG says an FBI probe is looking into a tribal behavioral health provider tied to Denis Artiles, after prior AHCCCS suspensions and Medicaid-fraud fallout. Tech & Mobility: Arizona Wallet now lets drivers store vehicle registration and title documents, with reminders and faster renewals via AZMVDNow.gov. Housing & Affordability: A Tucson downtown site (Stone & Speedway) won $2.5M in Low-Income Housing Tax Credits for 44 affordable units, with more phases planned. Business Growth: Inszone Insurance Services acquired Professional Insurance Strategies, expanding specialized construction and public-transport insurance expertise in Arizona. Retail & Travel: Buc-ee’s is set to open its first Arizona travel center in Goodyear on June 22, bringing 120 fueling positions and a big food lineup. Water & Development: A judge voided parts of Arizona’s water-demand approach for developers, ruling the state can’t effectively “tax” permits by requiring extra water beyond the legal 100-year supply.

Energy Policy: The Trump administration announced $850M for coal plant modernization and new coal capacity, including a reported $19M for Arizona Electric Power Cooperative’s Apache station—pushing “energy dominance” as critics call it an unnecessary subsidy. Water & Risk: Colorado River experts warn Lake Mead and Lake Powell could approach a “system crash,” raising stakes for Arizona’s long-term water planning. Immigration Enforcement: Salt Lake City and county sued DHS over plans to convert giant warehouses into immigrant detention sites, alleging costly purchases and required reviews were skipped. Local Business & Growth: PepsiCo and Gatik launched a multi-year driverless trucking rollout already operating across Texas, Arizona and Arkansas, signaling more automation in consumer logistics. Tech & Funding: Tempe cancer-tech startup GT Medical closed an oversubscribed $100M Series E to expand its GammaTile radiation approach. Construction/Infrastructure: Hobart hired Skillman Corp. to oversee two Amazon Web Services data center sites—an example of how Arizona-area growth keeps pulling in specialized contractors. Retail/Services: Chandler’s Liquid Caterers won Arizona Bride “Best Bar Service” for a second straight year. Fuel Watch: GasBuddy reported the lowest diesel in Graham County at $5.74 for the week ending May 30.

Local Business Growth: NuVision Auto Glass says it has surpassed 200,000 customers served, highlighting its mobile windshield replacement model built around Phoenix-area coverage. Real Estate & Housing: Mayo Clinic is seeking Scottsdale rezoning for 49 acres near its campus to add 122 residential lots, aiming to “right-size” the medical footprint and reduce traffic versus office use. City Development: West Valley projects include Glendale apartments near Westgate, a new Sprouts in Buckeye opening July 24, and Peoria’s Fogo de Chão conversion. Labor Watch: Tucson’s Sun Tran workers (Teamsters Local 104) voted 99% to authorize a strike as the June 30 contract deadline nears, with talks set to resume June 21. Public Policy & Accountability: Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs’ TRUE Accountability Act passed unanimously in the U.S. House, requiring emergency-fraud prevention planning using GAO frameworks. Energy & Costs: GasBuddy reports Mohave County’s lowest premium gas at $4.58 for the week ending May 30, with Arizona premium averaging $5.39. Water & Infrastructure: Arizona’s Water Infrastructure Finance Authority is exploring wastewater-to-drinking-water ideas tied to the Tijuana River Valley as part of drought-response planning. Sports Business: The Diamondbacks traded reliever Taylor Rashi to the Twins for cash considerations.

EVIT Busing Fight: East Valley Institute of Technology superintendent Dr. Chad Wilson offered to split transportation costs with nine school districts suing EVIT, after districts said they can’t afford an estimated $4 million in busing for Mesa campuses—leaving some students at risk of not finishing career-tech programs. Gas Relief: AAA Arizona reports Valley gas prices fell for a second straight week, down 15 cents to about $4.57 in Cave Creek, with the state average around $4.60 as crude prices rise. Water & Power: As Lake Powell drops, Glen Canyon side canyons are “re-emerging,” with scientists documenting ecosystems returning after decades underwater. Peptide Market Shift: University of Arizona researchers are watching a new “verified marketplace” model after peptide suppliers exited or faced regulatory pressure. Antitrust Payouts: Walmart beef shoppers can claim part of an $87.5 million price-fixing settlement, with a June 30 deadline and no proof required. AI Water Concerns: A new report highlights how AI data centers can drain freshwater via cooling, fueling pushback on new facilities. Local Growth: North Scottsdale is set for more cranes and condos as Axon’s nearby mixed-use expansion moves forward.

Wildfire Readiness: Northern Arizona moves into Stage 1 fire restrictions as snowpack stays far below normal, with officials urging residents to follow “Ready, Set, Go!” planning. Conservation & Land Use: Arizona Game and Fish and partners released 19 black-footed ferrets in Kaibab-area grasslands, tying survival to healthy prairie dog colonies. Public Safety & Fraud: A Sedona-area Uber driver helped stop an elderly woman from falling for a fake Wells Fargo “hacked card” scam. State & Local Business Risk: South Tucson sued owners of the long-abandoned Spanish Trail Motel, citing rubble, asbestos, and pests as a public nuisance. Energy & Jobs: The Trump administration highlighted $850M-plus to modernize coal capacity, while Arizona’s gas prices stayed volatile in late May. Arizona Economy Watch: Birdcall plans 5–7 new Phoenix-metro locations, betting on continued growth and neighborhood demand. Sports Business: The Diamondbacks sign Max Kepler (after his suspension) and GM Mike Hazen signals trade deadline needs for left-handed power and bullpen help.

Local Business & Jobs: FedEx is shutting a Phoenix-area facility at 4475 N. 43rd Avenue and laying off 101 workers as part of its “Network 2.0” overhaul, with some employees offered other roles plus relocation aid or severance. Consumer Protection: The Better Business Bureau warns Arizona homeowners about summer HVAC repair scams and emergency price gouging, urging multiple estimates, skepticism of “replace now” pressure, and vetting contractors before signing. Healthcare Access: Sunset Health’s new clinic in Somerton is set to open in about a month after months of permitting delays tied to a required no-spray agreement from nearby agricultural property owners. Public Safety: Phoenix police say four men were shot outside a business near 27th Ave and Bethany Home Rd; investigators are working to identify suspects. Education & Transportation: EVIT’s $2 million transportation offer to help students reach Mesa campuses is colliding with district pushback, leaving families worried about access to career and technical education. Energy & Infrastructure: A new AI-driven “AI factories” debate is intensifying around power and water needs, with data centers increasingly framed as an industrial infrastructure challenge rather than just software.

Immigration & Labor Policy: A U.S. lawmaker introduced a sweeping H-1B overhaul that would replace the lottery with wage-based selection, require employers to prove they tried hiring Americans first, block firms that recently laid off workers from using H-1B, and end H-1B as a green-card route while also scrapping OPT. Arizona Business & Consumer Tech: A Tempe company, Handwrytten, is using robots with real pens to write and mail 30,000 handwritten letters a day—turning “personal touch” into scalable marketing and fundraising. Health Care & Enforcement: Arizona’s AG is again in the spotlight over alleged insurer price-fixing, with the state accusing companies of using an “algorithm” to underpay doctors and hospitals. Housing & Property Rights: A new Arizona law aims to speed up evictions of squatters, targeting repeat intrusions while keeping landlord-tenant remedies intact. Transit & Worker Safety: Tucson’s Sun Tran union is set to vote on strike authorization as contract talks continue, with safety concerns after a stabbing on a city bus.

Downtown Phoenix Development: Atari Hotels has applied for a permit to demolish a 1957 radio landmark at 840 N. Central Ave to make way for a $125M Atari Hotel in the Roosevelt Row Arts District, with construction potentially starting in late 2026 and a possible late-2028 opening. Colorado River Water Risk: Experts warn the basin could face a “system crash” as Lake Mead and Lake Powell approach unusable storage levels, pushing managers toward faster cuts and more urgent renegotiations. Education & Local Economy: Harvest Preparatory Academy’s new San Luis campus is still under construction, but the opening slips to January 2027 due to soils/geology reports and a costly traffic-light permit requirement. Healthcare Spending Watch: Chandler Medicaid claims for “Drugs Administered Other than Oral Method” jumped to $4.45M in 2024, up 78.1% from 2023, highlighting shifting local public health costs. Energy & Consumer Costs: GasBuddy reports the cheapest E85 in Pima County at $4.29/gal (week ending May 30), with Arizona’s average E85 down to $4.48. Wildlife Conservation: Arizona Game and Fish released 21 captive-born narrow-headed gartersnakes into Canyon Creek in the Tonto National Forest to bolster a threatened population.

SNAP Fight in Congress: Rep. Adelita Grijalva says Arizona has lost SNAP for 473,793 people since the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” including 205,223 children, and argues new payment-error penalties could cost the state $100M–$300M a year. Electricity Costs: A new national look at EIA data shows residential power prices rising fast in many places, with grid investment and demand pressures tied to growth like data centers. Consumer Protection in Arizona: HB 4001 signed into law to crack down on alternative nicotine products marketed to kids, adding licensing, stronger age checks, and higher penalties for underage sales. Utility Rates Watch: Tucson Electric Power quietly lowered a proposed rate increase from 14% to 12.6% after interveners raised concerns, including affordability and data-center impacts. Childcare Crunch: Arizona’s childcare assistance waitlist is nearing 12,800 children, with families stuck between eligibility rules and rising costs. Local Government Budgeting: San Tan Valley adopted its first full-year budget, setting a spending ceiling of about $91.1M as it prepares to take over services from Pinal County.

Medicare & Care Access: VITAS CEO Joel Wherley calls CMS’s six-month national moratorium on home health and hospice enrollment a “broad brush” move, arguing it should be targeted to fraud hotspots instead of slowing access statewide. Colorado River Water: Federal officials say a new Colorado River management plan is coming later this summer, and Arizona could also benefit from a San Diego-to-Arizona water rights trade as drought pressure mounts. Energy & Costs: AAA reports the national regular gas average fell about 18 cents to $4.24; local GasBuddy spot checks show premium and diesel prices still volatile across Arizona counties. Border & Infrastructure: DHS has accelerated border wall spending with large contracts going to politically connected firms, while Arizona’s highway “barrel” camera setups tied to license plate monitoring raise privacy and confusion concerns. Business & Deals: T1 Energy plans to buy Kore Power for about $32M to expand battery storage operations, and Henderson Park acquired the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve in Puerto Rico for $190M. Tech & Defense: Lockheed’s GRIZZLY launcher completed a first drone kill test using JAGM at Yuma Proving Ground.

Energy & Federal Policy: Trump announced $700M for coal—$425M to extend 13 plants, including Arizona—plus money for new plants and a coal export terminal, raising fresh debate over power reliability and costs. State & Local Economy: ADOT is asking Arizonans for input on roads, highways and transit through a June 16 virtual meeting as part of Next Move Arizona. Tech & Connectivity: Midtown Tucson residents say Quantum Fiber left them without internet for days, with complaints about slow fixes and unclear explanations. Space & Research: UArizona won an $8.6M Space Force deal to improve satellite tracking using ultra-high-resolution imaging. Business & Community: Hughes Federal Credit Union pledged $5M to expand the Fox Tucson Theatre, pushing its capital campaign toward the halfway mark. Agriculture & Risk: USDA confirmed a New World screwworm case in a Texas calf, triggering quarantines and renewed concern for livestock markets. Public Safety & Courts: Tucson Electric Power rolled out “Power AZ,” offering one-time bill help up to $640 for working families. Sports Business: USHL plans to expand Tier 1 junior hockey with new teams in California, Nevada and Arizona.

Amazon Grocery Push: Amazon launched its first third-party grocery partnership in Arizona with Bashas’, enabling same-day delivery or pickup at four Valley and Tucson-area locations and adding about 15,000 items to Amazon.com and the app. Public Land & Power: A new Arizona opinion piece questions the Bureau of Land Management’s direction under confirmed director Steve Pearce, arguing his past support for selling public land could clash with conservation and recreation needs. Energy Costs Debate: Another local opinion argues Arizona should lower electric prices by increasing competition, including ideas like municipalizing distribution to separate wires from generation. Healthcare Fraud: A judge ordered an Arizona couple to prison over Medicaid fraud, adding to the state’s ongoing crackdown on health-care billing schemes. Housing & Growth: A study highlights Arizona’s “boomtown” momentum, naming seven Arizona cities among the nation’s fastest-growing municipal economies. Tech & Real Estate: Lofty rolled out a client transaction portal aimed at giving homebuyers and sellers real-time updates and e-signatures without exposing agents’ back-office tools. Weather Watch: Phoenix faces a hot stretch with Thursday’s forecast high near 108 degrees. Business Finance: New Generation Consumer Group said it will close its Reg A offering by June 10 and pursue non-dilutive private loan funding.

Colorado River Water Deal: San Diego signed an agreement that could let Arizona and Nevada trade for Colorado River water rights using desalinated and recycled supplies, a move that raises big questions for Imperial Valley agriculture. Water Policy Framework: A separate Colorado River water exchange framework is also signed, with farmers and water watchers focused on what it means for long-term allocations. Autonomous Mobility: Waymo is rolling out its Ojai robotaxi in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, with accessibility upgrades and new sixth-generation driving hardware built in Arizona. Retail & Logistics: Amazon is expanding its third-party grocery delivery/pickup with Bashas’ at four Arizona locations (Phoenix, Tempe, Tucson, Scottsdale), letting shoppers buy about 15,000 items. Housing & Rent: Pre-leasing starts at One Camelback in uptown Phoenix, signaling continued luxury apartment conversion momentum. Public Safety & Growth: Rural Metro Fire is positioning as a specialized responder for Arizona’s solar, battery storage, and data center boom. Consumer Protection: Arizona lawmakers approved a crackdown on youth vaping sales, creating a licensing system for retailers and tougher penalties for repeat violations. Health Care Enforcement: Arizona AG Kris Mayes secured a $600K settlement over alleged disability discrimination and threats by an assisted living provider. Local Business Boost: Oro Valley’s “Locals Eat Local” sticker campaign runs through August to drive summer spending for restaurants.

Aviation & Travel: American Airlines is “seasonally adjusting” two Phoenix Sky Harbor routes for August and September, citing higher jet-fuel costs tied to the Iran war; passengers face higher fares and bag fees as airlines tighten capacity. Higher Ed Finance: Maricopa County Community College District approved a 5.2% property tax hike for the first time in more than a decade to close a $4 million gap and fund student programs, with homeowners paying a bit more per $100 of assessed value. Business Growth & Real Estate: Greystone arranged $141 million in construction financing for IKONIC Scottsdale, a 245-unit ultra-luxury tower slated to open in 2028, while Phoenix Pride filed for Chapter 11 amid financial strain tied to its annual events. Energy & Climate Risk: Maricopa County confirmed the first heat-related death of 2026 as Phoenix braces for another extreme summer; meanwhile, a new analysis says Arizona is drying faster than any other state. Healthcare & Biotech: MeCo Diagnostics won a $2.5M NCI grant to study breast cancer tumor mechanics, with a Phase 2 trial expected to open later this year at the University of Arizona Cancer Center. Local Commerce: STK Steakhouse opened downtown Phoenix, adding a high-capacity destination with DJs and private event space.

State Oversight: Arizona’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee ordered special audits by the Auditor General focused on student safety practices and how Arizona uses federal Child Care and Development Fund taxpayer dollars, after prior findings flagged provider oversight and reporting gaps. Healthcare & Community Impact: Tucson’s News 4 Investigators reported The Haven behavioral health center for women is at risk of closing due to a payment problem tied to AHCCCS fraud-prevention efforts, threatening services for more than 500 patients. Education & Equity: Deer Valley Unified educators allege retaliation after reporting mistreatment of disabled Hispanic students, including claims of unequal access to devices and meals. Local Business & Growth: Wecom Fiber held a ribbon-cutting in Flagstaff for a major northern Arizona fiber build, aiming to expand high-speed access to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Public Safety & Infrastructure: Kingman asked the FAA to release airport land for an industrial park expansion, but the agency says requirements haven’t been met. Business Spotlight: Whole Foods opened applications for its 2026 Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP), offering mentorship and potential equity support for early-stage brands.