[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP NEXT ON "ARIZONA HORIZON," THE LATEST ON ACTIVITY AT THE STATE CAPITOL IN OUR WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE UPDATE, LOOK AT HOW EDUCATION DOLLARS APPROVED BY VOTERS ARE BEING USED FOR RESEARCH AT ARIZONA'S UNIVERSITIES.

THAT'S ALL COMING UP ON "ARIZONA HORIZON."

>>> GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO "ARIZONA HORIZON."

I'M TED SIMONS.

PHOENIX MERCURY STAR BRITTNEY GRINER IS STILL BEING HELD IN RUSSIA ON DRUG CHARGES.

THERE STILL ARE FEW DETAILS ON WHERE AND HOW SHE IS BEING DETAINED AND HOW LONG BEFORE HER CASE IS HANDLED.

THE CONCERN IS THAT GRINER WHO PLAYS FOR A RUSSIAN BASKETBALL TEAM DURING THE WNBA OFF-SEASON WILL BE USED AS A PAWN IN ESCALATING TENSIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE U.S. OTHER UKRAINIAN CITIES ARE SAID TO BE SHOWING STIFF RESISTANCE TO RUSSIAN FORCES.

THERE ARE REPORTS THAT A MEDICAL CENTER WAS HIT IN MARIUPOL'.

ALSO, CHERNOBYL, THE NUCLEAR PLANT, NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY REPORTEDLY BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM THE GRID BY RUSSIAN FORCES.

THERE IS CONCERN THAT IT COULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE COOLING OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL ON THE SIDE.

NESTLE ANNOUNCED PLANS BUILD A NEW FACTORY IN AGAINDALE.

NESTLE SAYS THE PLANT WILL PRODUCE CREAMERS.

THE PLAN IS EXPECTED TO CREATE MORE THAN 350 JOBS AND BE UP AND OPERATIONAL IN 2024.

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS SAYS THE U.S.

SAW 11.3 MILLION JOBS OPEN IN JANUARY.

BUT THEY ARE STILL WORKING TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS.

4.3 MILLION PEOPLE QUIT THEIR JOBS IN JANUARY.

AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS A CLOSER LOOK AT CRYPTOCURRENCY.

PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER CALLING ON THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT TO LOOK INTO MAKING MAKING ITS OWN CRYPTOCURRENCY.

>>> TODAY'S ACTIVITY AT THE STATE CAPITOL INCLUDES LAWMAKERS ATTEMPTING TO REPEAL A BILL THAT THEY APPARENTLY DIDN'T FULLY COMPREHEND WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY APPROVED ITTED.

FOR THE LATEST ON THAT, WE SPOKE WITH HOUSE MINORITY LEADER REGINALD BOLDING.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THIS COULD MAKE FOR SOME REALLY ROUGH WEEDS IF THIS IS NOT SOMEHOW FIXED.

THIS CHANGES HOW PARTY PRECINCT PEOPLE ARE SELECTED.

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT, AND WHERE DOES IT STAND?

>> FIRST, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT THERE WAS A PROCESS IN PLACE IN WHICH CANDIDATES WHO ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE, YOU HAVE TO GET ENOUGH NOMINATING SIGNATURES IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE BALLOT BECAUSE OF THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, AND THE TIMING, THERE NEEDED TO BE A FIX TO THAT ACTUALLY -- THAT LANGUAGE, SO WE PASSED THAT LANGUAGE.

A PART OF THAT BILL ALSO CONTAINS SOMETHING THAT SELECTS PARTY ACTIVISTS, YOUR REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT ACTIVISTS.

THERE WAS LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT CHANGED THE PROCESS FROM BEING PINTED -- FROM BEING ELECTED TO BEING APPOINTED.

AND NOW YOU ARE SEEING A BIG CAWSOME OF ON THAT.

>> WHY WAS THAT PUT IN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE, DO YOU KNOW?

>> PRECINCTS ARE PRETTY LARGE PIECES OF LAND, RIGHT?

COMMUNITIES.

AND WHEN YOU ARE REDISTRICTING LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS, YOU MAY HAVE A DISTRICT THAT IS SLICED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PRECINCT.

SO TO BE A PRECINCT COMMITTEE PERSON IN A DISTRICT THAT YOU NO LONGER LIVE IN WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE.

SO THE FIX TO DO THAT WAS THEN TO ALLOW FOR THOSE NEW PRECINCTS TO HAVE PEOPLE APPOINTED THERE, AND BASED ON THE READING OF THE LANGUAGE IN THAT PROCEDURE, MANY PEOPLE FEEL LIKE IT'S A BIG DEAL, AND OTHERS FEEL LIKE IT IS A HUGE CHANGE.

AND PART OF THE LEGISLATION WAS CALLED SESSION LAW, WHICH MEANS IT WILL ONLY BE IN EFFECT UNTIL THE END OF SESSION, SO EVERYTHING WILL REVERT BACK TO NORMAL.

YOU HAVE REMEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WHO ARE GETTING A LOT OF PRESSURE FROM GRASSROOTS FOLKS WHO ARE CALLING THE PRIMARIES OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, BECAUSE MY COLLEAGUES SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS PART OF THE BILL.

THEY DIDN'T READ THE BILL OR WEREN'T INFORMED THAT THIS WAS IN THE BILL, BUT IT WAS FAST TRACKED BY THE GOVERNOR, AND IT IS THE LAW OF THE LAND NOW.

>> THIS SEEMS TO BE A BIGGER DEAL FOR REPUBLICANS THAN DEMOCRATS.

WHY IS THAT?

>> WHAT WE SEE IS WITHIN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, THERE IS CONSISTENTLY A FIGHT FOR IDENTITY, AND A FIGHT FOR LEADERSHIP.

YOU HAVE A VERY FAR RIGHT WING OF THE PARTY WHO HAS FOCUSED ON MAINTAINING POWER AND CONTROL, AND YOU HAVE SEEN NATIONAL STORIES THAT FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP THEY HAVE A PLAN TO TAKE OVER LITERALLY PRECINCT BY PRECINCT, AND YOU HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE MORE MODERATE, WHO MAY NOT WANT TO REVERT BACK TO WHAT THE FAR-RIGHT FOLKS ARE ASKING FOR, AND THAT INFIGHTING IS CAUSING PEOPLE TO CREATE POWER LIKE WE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN PARTY POLITICS.

>> IN ORDER TO GET THIS THING REPEALED, YOU HAVE TO GET TWO-THIRDS OF THE VOTES.

THAT'S GOING TO MEAN DEMOCRATIC VOTES.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING AND SEEING ON THAT?

>> MY DOOR IS NEVER CLOSED TO MAKE SURE THAT ARIZONA VOTERS AND CITIZENS GET THE BEST POLICY FOR THEM.

SO I EXPLAINED THAT THERE MUST BE A COMPELLING REASON ON WHY WE SHOULD GO WITH THE REPEAL.

WE READ THE LANGUAGE, AND ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT, BUT IF THERE'S A COMPELLING REASON, WE ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT -- WHAT BEST POLICIES WE CAN HAVE FOR THE STATE OF ARIZONA.

>> INTERESTING.

IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF YOU FOLKS DOWN THERE, YOU ARE NOT READING BEFORE YOU VOTE YAY OR NAY ON THINGS.

>> THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT BEING IN THE MINORITY, IS YOU HAVE TIME ON YOUR HANDS TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE POLICY INSIDE AND OUT.

AND I THINK WHEN YOU HAVE SO MANY BILLS GOING THROUGH, YOU MAY HAVE MEMBERS WHO MAY NOT BE DOING THE SAME THING, APPARENTLY.

>> YEAH.

THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE APPARENTLY PASSES THIS 15-WEEK ABORTION BILL.

YOUR STANDS ON THIS?

AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON GETTING OUT OF COMMITTEE?

>> YOU KNOW, THIS IS PART OF A LARGER ANTI-WOMEN, ANTI-TRANSGENDER MOVEMENT THAT WE'RE SEEING AMONGST FAR RIGHT INDIVIDUALS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WHO ARE TRYING TO DEFINE WHAT WOMEN SHOULD DO AND HOW TRANSGENDER STUDENTS AND KIDS DENFY THEMSELVES.

I BELIEVE IT IS MISGUIDED, AND THESE KIDS ARE BEING USED AS MEAT TO GALVANIZE A BASE THAT CAN CAUSE SEVERE HARM TO THESE KIDS.

>> YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ABORTION BILL AND THE TRANSGENDER BILL BANNING GIRLS FROM PLAYING IN SPORTS.

OPPONENTS SAY IT IS SIMPLY A QUESTION OF FAIRNESS.

IT'S NOT FAIR TO ALLOW TRANSGENDER GIRLS TO PLAY IN GIRLS' SPORTS.

HOW DO YOU RESPOND?

>> WHEN YOU HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, IT IS QUITE IRONIC WHEN YOU HAVE REMEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION, AND MAKING SURE CORPORATIONS GET HUGE TAX BREAKS COMPARED TO FOLKS AT HOME, I THINK THE FAIRNESS ARGUMENT IS NOT LEGITIMATE.

THERE IS NO HARM BEING DONE TO ALLOW TRANSGENDER GIRLS TO PLAY IN GIRLS' SPORTS.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WILL CHANGE THE SYSTEM.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE TO IDENTIFY WITH WHO THEY ARE, WITHOUT HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE GOVERNMENT.

>> THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, SECRETARY OF STATE, KATIE HOBBS, HER ISSUE WITH TONIA ADAMS IS PRETTY WELL DOCUMENTED.

AND OTHER REPORTS.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

ROUGH WATER ON THE DEMOCRAT K SIDE?

>> I THINK ARIZONA VOTERS WANT LEADERS WHO WILL MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA, AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM IN THE FUTURE.

I TRULY BELIEVE THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES THAT ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE, THEY PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR VOTERS TO MAKE A DECISION.

I KNOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT FOLKS LIKE CAREY LAKE, AND OTHERS WHO ARE PLAYING PARTY AND RACIAL POLITICS JUST SIMPLY TO MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES, I THINK OTHER CANDIDATES WOULD BE BETTER AT THIS TIME.

>> WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ANOTHER CANDIDATE TO JUMP IN THINK RACE?

>> THAT'S FOR THE ARIZONA VOTERS TO DECIDE.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GOVERNOR THAT WILL FIGHT FOR ARIZONA, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHO THAT IS.

>> I'M NOT SURE IF THAT IS A YES OR NO.

IS THAT BY DESIGN?

>> IT'S NOT BY DESIGN, AS A CITIZEN AND THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER OF THE HOUSE, MY JOB IS TO SPEAK FOR CONSTITUENTS AND I'M NOT HEARING CONSTITUENTS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL MAKING THE CASE THAT SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS TO JUMP IN.

I THINK THAT'S MORE MEDIA AND SPECULATION, BUT I'M NOT HEARING THAT ON THE GROUND.

>> HOUSE MINORITY LEADER REGINALD BOLDING, ALWAYS A PLEASURE, SIR.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING HORIZON," WE'LL LOOK AT RESEARCH BEING CONDUCTED BY ARIZONA UNIVERSITIES USING EDUCATION FUNDING APPROVED BY VOTERS.

>>> THE TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH INITIATIVE FUND WAS ESTABLISHED OVER 20 YEARS AGO WITH THE PASSAGE OF PROP 301, WHICH INCREASED SALES TAXES TO FUND EDUCATION IN THE STATE.

THAT FUNDING ALLOWS ARIZONA'S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES TO CONDUCT CRITICAL RESEARCH ON SOLUTION TOES WATER, HEALTH, ENERGY AND OTHER ISSUES.

WE LEARNED MORE FROM ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENT CHAIR-ELECT FRED DUVAL.

FRED DUVAL, GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, AS ALWAYS.

PLEASURE, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION AS WE TALK ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH INITIATIVE FUND.

GIVE US A DEFINITION OF WHAT THAT IS.

>> PERFECT.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON TO TALK ABOUT IT.

30 YEARS AGO, GOVERNOR HALL LEAD A CONVERSATION.

AT THE TIME, THERE WAS A GROUP THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER TO LOOK AT, HOW CAN ARIZONA BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE, IN AN INFORMATION-BASED TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN ECONOMY, IT HEAD TO THE CREATION OF THE FUND, WHICH ADDED INTO A STATE-WIDE SALES TAX, A SMALL TINY PIECE, WHICH COMES TO THE UNIVERSITIES IN THE FORM OF THESE DOLLARS, WHICH WE INVEST IN SOLUTIONS FOR EVERY DAY ARIZONA, TWO IS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THREE IS ABOUT CRITICAL WORKFORCE FOR DEVELOPMENT.

>> NOW BACK TO THE TAX.

THIS WAS PROP 301, AND THAT'S WHERE THESE FUNDS COME FROM, HUH?

>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

AND WE'RE ENJOYING A TERRIFIC SALES TAX ENVIRONMENT.

THE STATE SEES IT IN THEIR BILLION DOLLARS SURPLUS, AND WE ARE HAVING A RECORD YEAR AS WELL.

>> IS IT GROWING, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?

>> IT HAS BEEN STEADILY GROWING -- OBVIOUSLY THE RECESSION WAS ROUGH.

BUT WE'LL GET ABOUT $120 MILLION THIS YEAR IN NEW RESEARCH DOLLARS.

TYPICALLY WHAT WE DO -- BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF RESEARCH, WE DO TWO AND THREE-YEAR ROLLING GRANTS, BUT THIS IS A NEW HIGH WATER MARK.

>> YEAH, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE PURE RESEARCH.

LET'S STARTED WITH HEALTH.

BIOSCIENCE AND COVID TESTING AS WELL?

>> YES, I THINK MOST ARIZONANS WOULD RELATE TO THE VISIBILITY AROUND COVID, ALTHOUGH WE ARE DOING LOTS OF THINGS IN THE HEALTHCARE SPACE AROUND BRAIN DISEASE, ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH, ET CETERA.

ASU HELPED DEVELOP THE ANTIGEN TEST.

THE U OF A HELPED DEVELOP A WASTE TREATMENT TEST, WHICH HELPED DETERMINE FROM WHAT BUILDING WOULD AN OUTBREAK OCCUR?

THOSE ARE PRODUCTS THAT WENT NATIONAL, AND THE UNIVERSITY HAS CONDUCTED 800,000 TESTS OF ARIZONANS.

>> AND AS FAR AS BIOSCIENCE IS CONCERNED GETTING PRODUCTS FROM LAB TO MARKETPLACE.

THAT'S A BIG FACTOR THERE, HUH?

>> IT'S VERY BIG.

AND WE'RE NOW LOOKING AT SUPPLY LINE ISSUES.

HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRODUCTS?

THE OTHER BIG, EXCITING SYNERGY IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTHCARE AND THE INTERNET?

AND WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH SMART WATCHES THAT TELL US OUR HEARTBEAT, BUT THIS IS JUST THE FRONT END IN WAYS THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN DELIVER INSTANT HEALTHCARE FEEDBACK, TO HELP US CONFIRM OUR DAILY CHOICES AND HEALTH.

>> WATER, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABLE, HOW MANY OF THOSE FUNDS ARE GOING INTO THAT?

>> THAT WOULD BE THE SECOND BIG POT.

WE HAVE ENORMOUS WATER ISSUES IN ARIZONA, AS EVERYONE KNOWS.

WE'RE VERY MUCH ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE SUPPLY ISSUE AND DESALINIZATION, AND ALL OF THESE ISSUES ON WATER SUPPLY, BUT BEYOND THAT, THERE'S A VARIETY OF OTHERS -- LIKE ALGAE, VERY MUCH A RENEWABLE ENERGY POSSIBILITY.

THE CYBERSECURITY SPACE IS REALLY COMING ON, AND THAT IS IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS NOW CONFLICT THAT WE'RE IN WITH RUSSIA, WHERE IT IS WIDELY EXPECTED THAT RUSSIA WILL TRIAL TO USE ITS CAPACITY TO TRY TO DISRUPT OUR CYBER LIVES.

AND WE HAVE RECEIVED LARGE GRANTS TO HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW TO HARDEN OUR CYBERSECURITY.

>> AND TRAINING FOR DEFENSE, INTELLIGENCE, AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES, THAT'S ALL INVOLVED, CORRECT?

>> IT IS.

AND THIS COMES OUT OF ARIZONA HAVING A WELL-KNOWN NATIONAL HEAD START WHICH STARTED AT U OF A, AND HAS GONE TO ASU AS WELL.

BUT MOSTLY YOU SEE AROUND THESE HIGH-PROFILE STORIES.

WE HAVE TAKEN A REALLY BIG LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE SPACE PORTFOLIO, WHICH ITSELF IS VERY EXCITING, BUT THAT HAS NOW GROWN AND MANIFESTED INTO OTHER AREAS AROUND NATIONAL DEFENSE AND SPACE CORRIDORS AND AIR FORCE SUPPORT, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

>> WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, RECRUITING, RETAINING BUSINESSES IN ARIZONA.

HOW MUCH IS THE FUND INVOLVED THERE?

>> A GREAT DEAL.

AND WE TRY TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND OTHERS TO DETERMINE WHERE DO WE HAVE CRITICAL WORKFORCE NEEDS IN THOSE AREAS THAT BOTH TOUCH ARIZONAN'S LIVES -- WE NEED MORE NURSES AND TEACHERS.

THOSE ARE HUGE FOCUSES.

AND WHERE DOES THE STATE NEED MORE FOCUS?

AND OTHER AREAS WHERE THE NATURAL ORGANIC MARKETPLACE MAY NOT BE MEETING STATE WORKFORCE NEEDS IN CRITICAL INDUSTRIES.

FOR EXAMPLE, THIS HUGE EXPLOSION IN PRODUCT MANUFACTURING THAT IS OCCURRING THROUGHOUT ARIZONA.

ARIZONA WILL BE A GLOBAL LEADER IN THIS.

WE ARE RAMPING UP ENGINEERING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE HOME GROWN TALENT TO FILL THOSE JOBS.

>> LAST QUESTION, AND GOOD INFORMATION, ARE THERE METRICS AND WAYS TO MEASURE WHETHER IT BE GRANT MONEY OR NUMBER OF PATENTS?

WHAT KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY IS INVOLVED HERE?

>> YES, GOOD QUESTION.

WE CONSTANTLY ASK OURSELVES THE QUESTIONS, HOW DO WE EXPLAIN TO THE GUY NEXT TO YOU AT CIRCLE KBUYING COFFEE WHAT IS WE DO FOR HIM OR HER.

AND THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE METRIC OF THE RESEARCH.

WE USE THE RESEARCH LAND OTHER GRANT AS WELL, AS WE HAVE SOME OF THIS RESEARCH, FOR EVERY DOLLAR FOR ARIZONA, WE'RE GETTING 10, 20, OR $30 FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR OTHER THIRD-PARTIES PARTNERS.

AND IT IS ALL THE CONTINUUM OF TAKE AN IDEA, IS THERE A WORKFORCE, DOES IT CREATE JOBS, AND CAN WE CREATE AN ECONOMIC SYNERGY OUT OF THAT PARTICULAR RESEARCH BREAK THROUGH.

AND ON WORKFORCE, WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THE GAP ANALYSIS, WHAT DO WE NEED MORE OF, AND HOW CAN WE TWEAK OUR MODELS TO HELP MEET THAT REQUIREMENT.

>> ALL RIGHT, FRED, GOOD ENOUGH.

ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENT CHAIR-ELECT FRED DUVAL, ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU, THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

YOU AS WELL.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

♪♪