In this episode of “Arizona Horizon,” we sit down with Howie Fischer, a chief correspondent at Capitol Media Services, to learn about what’s included in the bipartisan budget package Gov. Katie Hobbs signed on Saturday. Notably, the package doesn’t include any guardrails on the more than $1B universal school voucher program.
We also hear from January Contreras, executive director of Children’s Action Alliance, to examine why Arizona ranks 40th for overall child well-being, according to this year’s KIDS Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Every year, the Data Book ranks states from 1 to 50, using 16 indicators of child well-being. For the first time this year, states also receive a comprehensive score from 0 to 1,000. Arizona received a score of 446, below the national score of 547.
Finally, Steve Weichert, a museum docent, and Laura Terech, executive director of Arizona America250 Commission, discuss the Arizona Traveling Museum, a mobile exhibition that toured all 15 AZ counties. It kicked off on February 14, 2026 in Prescott, the original capital of the Arizona Territory on Statehood Day.
