Journalists’ Roundtable: Remembering Rep. Raul Grijalva and key issues

March 14

This week’s topics:

Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva has died
Governor Hobbs starter home compromise
Governor Hobbs wants more funds for ESA
Attorney General Kris Mayes joins suit vs. Education Department
Bill: Increase lawmaker salaries

Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva has died

Wayne Schutsky : “Raul Grijalva, his death was kind of a shock. I know he had a cancer. You know, a few months back we had heard that he had responded well to treatment, but that he hadn’t been in Congress for a while So, yeah, like you said, not a shock, but obviously a huge loss for Democrats, kind of the elder statesmen of the Democratic congressional delegation, not just in Arizona, but in the state.”

Howie Fischer : “He goes back to the Tucson Unified School District Board. In fact, he was one of the people on the board who sued to ensure that there was fair representation, that there wasn’t this sort of gerrymandering that was controlled by white people. He has a long history in politics. His family’s been involved in politics. But his real legacy, if you will, is his interest in environmental issues. I mean, he took advantage of his position as chairman of a powerful House committee to push through bills, to cajole the president.”

Wayne Schutsky : The whole idea is basically getting rid of what cities can do to require different aesthetic pieces on new homes and additions like garages to get this bare-bones starter home with the argument that that would drive down the overall cost of the home to get home… young or new homeowners in.”

Jim Small : “For cities and towns, I mean, this is really almost like an existential issue, right? Like, one of the main functions of a city and town is to regulate and govern what gets built in that city and town.”