[♪ THEME MUSIC ♪] >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, ON ON ARIZONA HORIZON, WHAT'S NEXT FOR CLEAN ENERGY IN THE STATE AFTER THE CORPORATION COMMISSION FAILS TO APPROVE NEW CLEAN ENERGY RUSES.

ON CRONKITE NEWS KOHN OSINAIKE -- ON CRONKITE NEWS, WHAT SCHOOLS HOPE TO LEARN ABOUT THE PANDEMIC FROM THE RESULTS OF STANDARDIZED TESTING, AND ON AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, HOW TWO WOMEN OF COLOR ARE TACKLING RACISM.

THAT'S ALL COMING UP IN THE NEXT HOUR ON ARIZONA PBS.

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

I'M TED SIMONS.

THE FDA ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT TEENAGERS AGE 12 TO 15 ARE NOW ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE PFIZER VACCINE.

VACCINATIONS COULD BEGIN AS SOON AS FEDERAL RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ALLOWED.

CHILDHOOD VACCINES ARE FALLING.

AND OFFICIALS URGE THAT KIDS NEED THOSE VACCINATIONS.

>>> ARIZONA ISCO INDIVIDUAL VACCINATION NUMBERS ARE SHOW A SLOW, BUT CITYSTEADY INCREASE.

A NEW STUDY SHOWS 80% OF PEOPLE IN THE U.S. LIVE WITHIN FIVE MILES OF VAK MAKES SITES, AND YET, DEMAND FOR THE VACCINES HAS DROPPED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

>>> NO MAJOR MOVEMENT IN ARIZONA ISCO INDIVIDUAL CASES.

AND WHILE HOSPITALS REPORT A SLIGHT INCREASE, EMERGENCY VISITS ARE DOWN.

>>> AND THE STATED SENATE IS EXPECTED TO ISSUE SUBPOENAS IN REGARD TO THE BALLOTS.

THE SUBPOENAS ARE EXPECTED TO ASK THE BOARD WHY IT IS NOT GIVING UP INFORMATION.

>>> VETERANS' MEMORIAL COLISEUM IS RESERVED FOR THE AHUDIT UNTIL MAY 14TH, AND THE PLAN IS TO MOVE EVERYTHING OUT OF THE ARENA OUT, AND THEN MOVE IT BACK UNTIL MAY 23RDRD.

>>> THE -- COLONIAL PIPELINE IS IN DANGEROUS OF CYBER ATTACKS.

>> IT HAS NOT SUFFERED DAMAGE, BUT IT IS A PRIORITY.

>> AS FOR GAS SUPPLIED AND CONCERNS, THE WHITE HOUSE IS CAUTIOUS MYSTICALLY OPTIMISTIC.

>> WE ARE CONSIDERING WHAT STEPS MAY BE TAKEN TO PREVENT DISRUPTION IN SUPPLY.

>>> THE STATE CORPORATION COMMITTEE VOTED LAST WEEK TO REJECT CLEAN ENERGY RULES.

SO WHAT HAS CHANGED?

WE HAVE ASKED KRIS MAYES.

KRIS MAYES IS NOW AT ASU'S COLLEGE OF GLOBAL FUTURES.

KRIS MAYES THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AGAIN.

WHAT EXACTLY DID THE COMMISSION DO?

>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, TED, THE CORPORATION COMMISSION LAST WEEK HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPROVE A 100% CLEAN ENERGY STANDARD FOR THE STATE OF ARIZONA BY 2050.

THEY HAD INITIALLY APPROVED IT BACK IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN THEY JUST DID AN ABOUT FACE, ESPECIALLY THE REPUBLICANS ON THE COMMISSION.

THEY BASICALLY KILLED THOSE RULES, SPIKED THOSE RULES, SORT OF LIKE A BASKETBALL TEAM THAT WAS DRIVING FOR A LAY-UP AND JUST DROPPED THE BALL.

>> WHY DO YOU THINK THEY DID THIS?

BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED THESE THINGS WERE APPROVED.

NO ONE WAS FIGHTING THIS.

>> THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUAL ARIZONA ANS THAT WERE SUPPORTING THESE CLEAN ENERGY RULES FOR ARIZONA, AND YET THEY WERE REJECTED.

I THINK THE FACT THAT YOU HAD COMPANIES LIKE GOOGLE AND MICROSOFT MICROSOFT, ALL OF THESE COMPANIES WANTED TO SEE ARIZONA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.

THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF OTHER REASONS TO SUPPORT THESE CLEAN ENERGY RULES.

IT WOULD HAVE SAVED 10S OF MILLIONS OF -- GALLONS OF WATERS.

>> THE COMMISSIONER SAID HE WANTED TO PROTECT VOTERS.

DOES THAT HELP MAKE SENSE OF THIS?

>> THAT'S NONSENSE, ACTUALLY, AND COMMISSIONER OLSON KNOWS BETTER.

THESE RULES WOULD HAVE LOWERED COSTS BY $2 BILLION.

THEY CAN BUILD COALING PLANTS OR NATURAL GAS PLANTS WHICH COST MORE AND POLLUTE, OR THEY CAN BUILD SOLAR PLANTS, AND DO ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

THEY KNEW BETTER, AND YET THEY VOTED AGAINST THESE RULES, AND THAT BAD FOR THE STATE OF ARIZONA.

I HOPE THEY RECONSIDER THIS.

>> YOU MENTIONED POLITICS -- COULD THIS BE JUST A SITUATION WHERE THE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS ON THE COMMISSION DO NOT WANT TO SEE A MANDATE, AND A MANDATE COMING FROM THE CORPORATION COMMISSION?

>> IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN THIS TERRIBLE DECISION ANY OTHER WAY THAN POLITICS.

WE HAVE A NUMBER OF REPUBLICANS THAT ARE EYEING POLITIC POSITIONS, BUT IT MAKES NO SENSE.

ARIZONANS SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY.

74% OF ARIZONANS, ACCORDING TO THE MOST RECENT GALLOP POLL THAT WAS JUST PUT OUT, 74% OF ARIZONANS WANT OUR STATE TO BE MOVING FORWARD WITH CLEAN ENERGY.

AND REPUBLICANS, UNFORTUNATELY, SOME REASONS RUNNING FOR OFFICE WANT TO OPPOSE IT.

>> AND WHAT IS NEXT?

IS THIS THE KIND OF THING THAT PING-PONGS BACK AND FORTH BY NATURE OF THE MAKEUP OF THE COMMISSION?

AND ARE THEY JUST GOING TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO?

>> I THINK WHAT IS NEXT IS, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CLEAN ENERGY IN ARIZONA.

IN ORDER TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES TO THE STATE OF ARIZONA, AND THEIR SERVICE TERRITORIES, AND TO SATISFY THEIR OWN CUSTOMERS, THEY NEED TO BE DOING MORE CLEAN ENERGY.

UNFORTUNATELY THIS MEANS THEY WON'T BE DOING AS QUICKLY AS THEY SHOULD.

AGAIN, IF WE DO MORE CLEAN ENERGY AND FASTER, THE WAY THESE RULES WOULD HAVE HAD US DO, THEN ARIZONANS COULD HAVE SAVED $2 BILLION.

SO IN MY MIND THE COMMISSIONERS JUST LIT $2 BILLION ON FIRE.

>> KRIS MAYES, YOUR STANDARDS SURVIVES AFTER ALL OF THAT, HUH?

>> YES, TED, WE NEED TO UPDATE THOSE RULES.

>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>>> A RECENTLY PASSED LAW ALLOWS STUDENTS TO RECEIVE FOUR-YEAR DEGREES AT ARIZONA COMMUNITY COLLEGES, WE LEARNED MORE FROM DARCY RENFROW.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THIS IS SOMETHING.

I REMEMBER THIS ISSUE BEING VERY IMPORTANT.

NOTHING EVER HAPPENED HERE.

AND NOW IT IS A DONE DEAL.

WHAT HAPPENED?

>> I THINK THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES WORKED REALLY CLOSELY TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

WE HAVE HAD YEARS OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICTS MISSED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE.

FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS A UNIVERSITIED EDUCATION, THEY HAD THE CHOICE TO DO IT ONLINE OR TO TRAVEL TO TUCSON OR PHOENIX OR FLAGSTAFF, OR GO TO A PRIVATE INSTITUTION.

SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PRESENT STUDENTS WITH MORE OPTIONS AND OPTIONS THAT ARE GOING TO ENABLE THEM TO STAY IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

>> AND WHAT KIND OF ACCREDITATION IS NEEDED?

WHAT KIND OF LIMITS ARE PLACED HERE?

>> WELL, THERE IS LIMIT IN THE LEGISLATION ITSELF.

ONE OF THE REASONS WE WERE SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR IN GETTING THIS LEGISLATION PASSED WERE THE GUARDRAILS THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE.

WE ACCEPTED A LIMIT FOR THE LARGER COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICTS TO ONLY -- ONLY ALLOW 5% OF OUR TOTAL PROGRAMS, OFFERINGS SO BE BACCALAUREATE, AND THEN WE HAD LIMITATIONS ON WHAT WE COULD CHARGE FOR THOSE DEGREES TO LIMIT THE CONCERN THAT WE WOULD JUST INCREASE OUR PRICES IF WE WERE GIVING THIS AUTHORITY.

THE REQUIREMENT FOR US ARE GOING TO BE THE SAME AS THEY ARE FOR THE UNIVERSITY.

WE FOLLOW THE SAME SET OF RULES, AND SO EVERYTHING THAT A UNIVERSITY WOULD HAVE TO OFFER A BACCALAUREATE DEGREES WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE AS WELL.

AND WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THE PROGRAMS WE'RE OFFERING ARE MEETING A MARKET NEED.

SO IN SOME SITUATIONS IT WOULD BE LIKE RESPIRATORY THERAPY.

WE OFFER A TWO-YEAR DEGREE, AND THERE IS HUGE DEMAND FOR RESPIRATORY THERAPY, AND THERE IS NO COMPETITION COMING FROM ANYONE, AND WE JUST NEED TO GET THE PROGRAM UP TO FILL THOSE JOBS.

AND THEN JOBS LIKE TEACHING, WHERE THE UNIVERSITIES HAVE BEEN PRODUCING AND TEACHING TEACHERS FOR A LONG TIME, BUT EVEN WITH ALL OF OUR GRADUATES COMBINED, IN SPECIAL EDUCATION AREAS, WE DO THOSE POST-BACHELOR PROGRAMS WHERE NOW WE CAN DO THE WHOLE DEGREE.

AND IN SITUATIONS LIKE THAT, WE ARE STILL NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH TEACHERS TO FILL THE NEED, SO THAT'S AN AREA WHERE WE THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF ASSETS.

>> SO WHEN NOW DO COMMUNITY COLLEGES START OFFERING THESE DEGREES?

>> THERE ARE ABOUT -- WELL, THERE ARE TEN COMMUNITY COLLEGES WITHIN THE MARICOPA DISTRICT, AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING THROUGH HOW WE'RE GOING TO APPROACH THIS.

OUR CHANCELLOR EXPECTS WE WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO GO BY THE FOLLOWING ACADEMIC YEAR.

THAT WOULD GIVE TIME FOR THE NOTATIONS AND TIME FOR THE ACCREDITATION REVIEWS.

AND THAT IS OUR GOAL.

IN EASTERN ARIZONA, WE WILL BE WORKING TO DO THE SAME, AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER COLLEGES THAT ARE WORKING TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AS WELL.

>> CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS, AND THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

>> THANK YOU.

WE THINK THIS WILL BRING A WHOLE NEW BUNCH OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL REALLY WANT TO INCREASE THEIR OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEY WILL GET A CHANCE TO.

>>> A NEW REPORT FROM THE BINATIONAL MIGRATION INSTITUTE FOCUSES ON DEBTS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

"HORIZONTE" HOST JOSE CARDENAS SPOKE WITH A PROFESSOR TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THIS STUDY COVERS 1990 TO 2000, AND YOU TALK ABOUT CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED.

>> SURE.

THIS IS THE REPORT -- THE THIRD REPORT OF ITSELF KIND.

WE PUBLISHED A FIRST REPORT HERE IN PIMA COUNTY BACK IN 2006, A FOLLOW-UP IN 2013 AND THIS MOST RECENT REPORT.

THESE ARE UNDOCUMENTED BORDER CROSSERS WHO HAVE PERISHED IN ARIZONA AND WHOSE REMAINS HAVE BEEN RECOVERED.

THE REMAINS ARE TRANSFERRED FOR INVESTIGATION, SO THAT IS THE SOURCE OF THIS DATA, AND TELLS US ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ON OUR BORDERS.

>> AND I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS IN PEOPLE WHO ARE PARRISHING.

>> YEAH, WE BREAK UP THE LAST 40 YEARS INTO FOUR DIFFERENT ERAS.

AND IT'S THE VOLUME OF MIGRATION IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA, SO WE IDENTIFIED FOUR MAIN ERAS, AND IN THIS MOST RECENT ERA, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASED PROPORTION OF GUATEMALANS, ROUGHLY 25%, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DID NOT SEE IN THE PAST.

>> AND IS THERE ANY -- AND I WANT TO COME BACK TO SOME OF THE DETAILS, BUT MUCH WAS MADE IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, AND THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, IS THERE ANY DATA TO OCCUR TO THAT?

>> THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.

BUT THE ISSUE OF BORDER-CROSSING DEATHS IS A NONE BIPARTISAN ISSUE.

STARTING IN 2000 IS WHEN WE STARTED SEEING AN INCREASE IN REMAINS HERE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA, AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONNECT THEM BACK STARTING IN 1994.

>> WAS THAT WHEN THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF AREAS PEOPLE COULD CROSS WERE LOWERED?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IT WAS PREDICATED ON THIS IDEA OF DECREASE OF BORDER CROSSING AREAS, AND HERE IN ARIZONA, THE MAIN INITIATIVE WAS TO HEAVILY FORTIFY OR INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AGENTS, INTO MORE AREAS WHERE BORDER PATROL WOULD HAVE THE ADVANTAGE.

WE DIDN'T SEE RESOURCES IMPLEMENTED UNTIL 1999.

>> THEY WERE CROSSING AREAS THAT WERE FRANKLY INHOSPITAL ABLE.

>> CORRECT.

THAT HAPPENED IN THE EARLY YEARS.

IT WAS THE SECONDARY FUNNEL-EFFECT AIR RERA.

AND WE SAW A NOTABLE INCREASE AROUND THAT TIME.

HOWEVER, IN RECENT YEARS APPREHENSIONS HAVE DWINDLED.

SO WE'RE STILL SEEING A -- HIGH NUMBER OF REMAINS BEING RECOVERED.

SO THIS SUGGESTS THAT MIGRANTS ARE BEING PUSHED INTO THE LEAST HOSPITABLE AREAS.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AREAS IN THE WEST DESSERT, WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO SPENDING DAYS TO CROSS THE BORDER.

>> AND HIGHLIGHTS AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR POLICY MAKERS?

>> WELL, THE SOLUTION TO UNDOCUMENTED MIGRATION LIES IN THE ROOT CAUSES, POLITICAL INSTABILITY, AS WELL AS ATTRACTING THE DEMAND FOR IMMIGRANT LABOR IN THE UNITED STATES, SO WE NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE CAUSES.

IT'S RESULTED IN -- IN SUFFERING, MISERY AND DEATH.

I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT IT IS EASY TO GET LOST IN THE NUMBERS, BUT EACH ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE SOMEBODY'S LOVED ONE, LOOKING FOR A BETTER LIFE.

SO IT'S EASY TO GET LOST IN THESE FIGURES, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THE HUMAN ASPECT AS WELL.

>> PROFESSOR THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

YOU BET.

>>> AND THAT IS IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

♪♪ >>> COMING UP IN THE NEXT HALF HOUR OF LOCAL NEWS ON ARIZONA PBS, ON ON CRONKITE NEWS, WHAT SCHOOLS HOPE TO LEARN ABOUT THE PANDEMIC FROM THE RESULTS OF STANDARDIZED TESTING.

AND ON AND ON BREAK IT DOWN, HOW TWO WOMEN OF COLOR ARE TACKLING RACISM.