[ ♪♪ ] >> Coming up in the next hour on Arizona PBS, on Arizona horizon, the moves on overhauling issue funding and protecting Eagles.

A look at efforts to prevent lead poisoning in these majestic birds.

That's ahead on Arizona PBS.

>> This hour of local news by contributions from the friends of PBS, thank you.

>> Good evening and welcome to Arizona horizon.

I'm Ted Sins.

Mark Brnovich with the presidential votes.

The attorney general found, quote, instances of election fraud, though he did not offer specifics and did not announce any criminal indictments.

He also said he found, quote, serious vulnerabilities that raise questions about the 2020 election in Arizona but nothing to prosecute, no arrests no indictments and a new survey by high grounds shows majority of Arizona voters are still undecided in what highground describes the most watched races in the country.

Primary for state senate had the highest count at 58% with attorney general mark Brnovich over Lehman and in the race for governor, a democratic primary shows Katie Hodge with a sizeable lead and 54% of primary voters still undecided and the republican primary for governor showing that lake still leads and 45% of primary voters in that race say they remain undecided and bottom line, survey shows that nearly two-thirds of the electorate is up for grabs with elections set for August and early voting expected to start if July.

Other news, the U.S. today imposed new sanctioned on Russia in atrocities by troops if Ukraine and targeted Vladimir Putin's family including his two daughters and ex-wife.

Putin believed to be hiding assets with family members.

Russia's foreign minister was hit with sanctions and Russia's largest financial institution and private bank.

This all comes on day 42 of Russia's war on Ukraine.

Reports are that major fighting is underway in the eastern part of the country including the city of Kharkiv where Russia carried out 27 strikes overnight.

On the other side, Ukrainian officials say that air defense systems shot down two Russia cruise missiles near the city of Lviv.

And state lawmakers continue to look at ways to overhaul Arizona's system for funding public education and lawsuits have been filed against the recently passed election reform bill into law and we talk about this representative Reginald bolding.

Representative bolding, good to see you and have you here as we discuss a bunch of things going on or not necessarily going on at the legislature and I guess we'll get to that and I want to start with Arizona joining a lawsuit regarding proof of citizenship laws for federal-only elections.

Your thought on this, the state's arguments on where you agree and disagree.

>> First, thank you for having me.

This past week, what we saw was that the state legislature and the governor signed house bill 2492, which essentially would make Arizona setting rules for federal elections.

This goes back to previous court cases in which the Supreme Court of the United States said that states cannot set rules for Federal Elections.

They cannot Federal Elections.

So here in Arizona, we already have some of the most robust measures in place to ensure that everyone who is voting is actually a citizen and they're eligible to vote and now, by passing this bill, it now says that the state will have the ability to decide who will vote in Federal Elections, which we said was totally unconstitutional on it face.

>> With that said, are you comfortable with lawsuits?

There's a line of thinking that republicans knew this would be constitutionally challenged.

They want it reconsidered and now it's being reconsidered.

>> I mean, yeah, if the question is, did the republicans strategize the creative bill that was unconstitutional with the hopes that now since they stack the court, they'll get a better court decision?

The answer is probably yes.

We're seeing the stack of courts at state levels and at the Supreme Court level.

And if this is not American and it's not something we should be doing to pass these unconstitutional bills out of the hope that we're not going to have Partisan justices, now create and crafting whole new foundation of what we know for so many people in Arizona and Americans we've come to understand what the rule of law is.

>> So republicans say this is an -- sorry, Democrats say a right to vote and republicans say it's basically common sense, you say?

>> I say this has already been litigated in 2013 and the Supreme Court of the United States made a decision and now we waste taxpayer dollars relitigating something that took place.

>> Is there a trailer bill pushing back the effective date of this thing in.

>> You know, I'm not sure, but what we've seen over the past several years is that republicans, when they have unconstitutional bills, whether it's those attacking women's rights or the LGBTQ community, they think about multiple strategies in place and that could be one.

>> I want to get to school funding, as well, the overhaul.

We've talked about it a lot on this program and yet, I'm not sure where we are in this and what are you seeing down there?

>> What we know is that education funding is one of the top priorities for everyday Arizonans.

They want kids to have the resources that they need to be successful.

And right now, what we've heard is that there is an attempt to take away the ability for schools to have the resources that they need to act for repeal and replace law.

We haven't heard anything yet.

The last we heard, there were negotiations amongst republicans and not all of the republican caucus agreed to a repeal and replace and so now we're in limbo unless they decide to work with Democrats on a law that we think would benefit the state of Arizona and kids.

>> You touched on this and are Democrats, any work done on finding a way to, OK, do Democrats want prop 208 achieved?

Is there any way to get that balance going?

And are you work on this?

>> Well, look, what we know is that our schools have been severely underfunded and what we mow is that prop 208 would have provided over a billion dollars annually to our school systems to make sure that we could fill some of those gaps.

So we are along the line of believing that first we have to fill the leaky bucket and the holes in the bucket to ensure that our schools are getting the resources we need and we want to see where the other mechanisms to put in place and right now, we can't get passed step 1A, the resources for our kids.

>> As far as school overhaul, it sounds like a rush job, this explodes and not much in the way of hearings and now, what?

More contemplation or consideration and what's happening?

You had a republican chairwoman who wanted to completely overhaul the education funding system without giving the public the opportunity to actually have input.

You're seeing rural expects and travel communities and you're seeing folks in urban communities saying, hey, this won't benefit our state, republicans, Democrats alike, not supporting that plan.

We'll see if it has legs and right now, it doesn't look like it.

>> Before you go and we appreciate your time, budget issues, they seem like at the last second, everyone remembers, there's a budget and how much is that worked on down there?

>> You know, right now, I haven't had any indication that, you know, that there is a plan to actually put forth a budget that will be working on behalf of Arizona.

There's a lot of big issues.

You mentioned repeal and replace, will there be a special session?

Water is a special topic and special conversations.

The budget seems to be a back-burner at this point and we're looking and ready to engage.

>> And really quickly with something like water and other issues, you expect to see special sessions this go-round?

>> I absolutely expect to see a special session on issues like water, I do.

>> Representative Reginald bolding, thank you for your time and good to see you.

>> Good to see you.

>> Up next on Arizona horizon, we'll hear about legislation that would address Arizona's housing concerns.

[ ♪♪ ] >> A new legislative measure calls for the creation of a study committee to address Arizona's growing lack of affordable housing and would be a bipartisan committee to advocacy groups and we learn more from the president and CEO of the Arizona multi-housing association.

Cortney, good to see you.

>> Thank you.

>> Thanks for coming back to Arizona horizon.

>> Thank you.

>> This bill establishes, what, a housing supply study, committee, and what's going on?

>> House bill 2674 establishes a bipartisan study committee to look into housing in Arizona, aFordability, lack of supply and a roadmap, hopefully, when we're finished with what we need to do going forward to address the housing crisis in Arizona.

>> OK, who would be on this committee?

Who would be -- I guess could we call them stakeholders?

>> Yes, stakeholders, it's an ad hoc committee back to the legislature when finished with their work and they'll be members of both the house and the senate, republican and Democrat, and they'll have the single-family, multi--family builder interest represented and the league of cities and towns and so it will be a broad study committee to look at housing in Arizona and really where we're lacking.

We are way underbilled right now and the legislature originally, when they introduced 2674, it was a very controversial bill and it would have created a buy-right zoning throughout the state.

>> What's buy-right zoning?

>> So, basically, you skip the whole zoning entitlement process.

If you are moving forward with a specific type of building.

So, for example, single-family could have been, basically built anywhere throughout the state and multifamily, you know, the rental housing could have been built in agricultural areas.

So it was an extremely controversial bill and we know when representative Chavez Kaiser introduced it, it was introduced to jump-start this conversation because many in the cities and towns have not been listening to our very loud voices over the last several years, letting them know that we are in a housing crisis in Arizona.

>> We are, indeed, and sounds like an advocacy group, as well.

>> There will, a housing advocacy group or organization that's also focused on more affordable and attainable housing throughout the state.

>> Looking over the bill that you would review data on the scope of the housing supply and access to housing and look at ways to address the housing shortage, it sounds vague and how fine-tuned can you get?

Or is that the job of the committee once it's formed?

>> That really will be the job of the committee, to direct staff and, you know, the policy makers that are on that committee, to really decide what it is they want to evaluate.

I believe there will be a state-wide study to look into where are we short on housing and bring in, you know, the professionals, the experts on this issue to talk about how we address this issue.

There's not a silver bullet out there and it's not just one thing that has to happen in Arizona to address this crisis and so we're going to be looking to the experts to help us, like I said before, develop a roadmap to address this critical issue.

>> And, again, talking about reviewing data and looking at ways to address the shortage, soliciting stakeholder, they're not done to your satisfaction?

>> Not as fast as they should be.

The major barrier to entry for new construction and new homes really is that planning and zoning, that entitlement process.

In our case, for multifamily, virtually every family zoned is under construction and every zoning case going forward is probably going to take two, three, potentially even four years to get across the finish line, even if it is started in the first place.

So we have to look at the zoning regulations in the local jurisdictions.

That is the biggest hurdle and it's very challenging for mayors and council members.

There's a strong knot in my backyard, grass roots.

You can see it doesn't, quite honestly, want any housing attainable housing.

It's a loud, typically local minority and it gets the attention of mayor and council and stops these projects from moving forward.

>> How do you get the projects moving forward while listening to liberty concerns about those who are worried about certain types of housing going into certain types of areas?

>> Again, I think the zoning laws need to be looked at so that they're more inclusive and not trying to exclude any specific type of housing.

And this needs to happen not just in Arizona but nationwide.

Interestingly enough, the Obama White House looked at this, the trump White House looked at this and got position papers that cities and towns have to reduce those barriers to entry for housing at all levels.

>> So we have a bill, got a committee going and the committee will talk, think and do and how do you get to talking and thinking and doing to become actual action and shovels in the ground?

>> Not always easy, right, especially sometimes at the legislature.

What is so great about this study committee and the underlying bill is that this has been a bipartisan effort from the very beginning.

And it has really caught the attention of several legislatures on both sides of the aisle.

So I think that's the first important point is that in order to get something like this done, it is going to take a bipartisan effort.

It's not going to be an easy effort.

Depending what bills are introduced next session to address this housing shortage, there will be fighting, but the fact that it's bipartisan in nature is positive.

That gives us hope something good will come out of it.

>> Arizona multi-housing association, good to have you here, thank you for joining us.

>> Good to be here.

>> Tonight on the news hour, western nations impose new sanctions on Russia in response to the atrocities revealed in Ukraine.

That's on Arizona PBS.

>> The Maricopa county adult probation is celebrating the 50th anniversary.

We spoke about the evolution of the department's specialty programs and other efforts at a successful and complete rehabilitation.

Michael, welcome to Arizona horizon and good to have you.

>> My pleasure.

>> 50 years, the Maricopa county probation department and talk to us about what the department is charged to do?

>> Absolutely.

Thank you for having me.

The department, essentially, enhance public safety, bottom line.

I think it's one of the most effective tools for public safety and efficient, effective and we do that, really, through trying to change someone's behavior that brought them into the system by resourcing the fourth largest trial court in the country.

>> I was going to say, the concept of probation, the department's activities and you weren't there 50 years ago and how have they changed?

>> I've been there 23 and it's changed quite a bit.

To enhance public safety, resource the court and in the 50-year history, what's changed is the reliance on science, evidence, research and all of the practical tools and the training that has become commonplace in the profession and the focus on helping someone permanently exit the criminal justice system.

that's why I have respect for them, they have traditional law enforcement functions, conduct searches, but the primary what they reduce crime is through changing behavior and certainly, there's a social work element to that in how they deal with someone and interact with somebody, draw them out and get to the root cause of criminal behavior at the genesis.

>> I was going to ask, what works in keeping people from reoffending?

>> For us, what we found is if we can get to the root cause and intervene at that causal level.

For example, somebody who is justice-involved woman, if we focus on getting her sober and don't deal with the underlying trauma and resource that, sobriety could put her at risk.

Similarly, someone who is thinking is different than societal norms, lead them to feel it's OK to commit a theft.

If we get them gainfully employed, they will be fired if we don't intervene in that criminal thinking.

>> Are there folks who see a black and white order and not getting to the root cause?

>> In an organization of 1200, we may have a few we have get to change but a predominant view in the profession, that isn't the way we're going to help a problem.

>> You encourage positive change and how do you do that while still holding people responsible?

>> It's a part of the challenge of the profession, but we use validated risk instruments to help to understand who is most at risk to commit crime in the future and we use those instruments to what's driving that risk.

We try to craft strategies that are based in research and programming that's based in research in terms of the efficacy.

Really strategies that are proven, really nationally in Arizona to effect change.

We use groups that help somebody change their thinking and their criminal orientation in thoughts and beliefs.

And think what viewers might not be aware of is that Arizona is fortunate to be a national standard in community corrections.

Certainly, I have leadership of our folks in Maricopa county and admiration for them and across the state, probation departments are making incredible changes in people's lives.

>> Are the goal posts, though, societal norms change over the years and even in the 23 years you've been there.

>> Sure.

>> Does that mean other aspects change, as well?

>> We have metrics and a fraction of the costs of incarcerating something of looking at the daily rate.

It's an efficient use and effective.

In Arizona and true in Maricopa county, 80% of people on probation leave probation successfully.

And when you think of the population, in Arizona, we have an active population in Maricopa county of 23,000 people on probation.

If 23% of what brought them into the system and exit and not just that person impacted, the families around them, the kids around them and probably most importantly, future victims of crime never become victims of crime because this person changed how they live their life.

>> Are there specialty programs?

I understand there are specialty programs for vets, substance abusers.

Talk to us about that.

>> We were hard to use science to figure out what is somebody's risk to commit crime in the future and the areas driving that risk?

We look to place them in programs to address the specific need.

We have separate caseloads for individuals who are seriously mentally ill and decompensating and find themselves on probation.

We have specific programs that target high-risk drug offenders and sex offenderrers caseloads and sex violence caseloads and it's from the Maricopa that funds it and their commitment to do so that is research-based and focuses on public safety and renovation and doing that work better and better every year.

>> The thinking controls behavior and hallmarks and clear informations that 80% rate sounds good.

50 years, congratulations and thank you for joining us.

>> Thank you, a pleasure to be with you.

>> And that is it for now.

I'm Ted Simons.

Thank you for joining us and you have a great evening!

[ ♪♪ ] Coming up in the next half hour on Arizona PBS, a look at the food line-up at chase field for