• Slug: CN2GO
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(Music) 

THIS IS YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2GO BRIEFING.

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I’M Thalia Lopez (  go to story ) 

New legislation looking to suspend federal gas tax  

GAS PRICES ARE UP NEARLY 4 CENTS FROM LAST WEEK IN ARIZONA  ACCORDING TO GASBUDDY’S FUEL INSIGHT. AND EXPERTS EXPECT PRICES TO RISE TO $4 PER GALLON BY APRIL IN THE U-S. THAT’S IN PART WHY DEMOCRATIC SENATORS MARK KELLY OF ARIZONA AND MAGGIE HASSAN OF NEW HAMPSHIRE WANT TO SUSPEND THE FEDERAL GAS TAX FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR. THE BILL ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY COULD PROVE POPULAR DURING AN ELECTION YEAR WHERE THE NATIONAL GAS PRICE AVERAGE IS ABOUT $3.45 A GALLON. ALDO VASQUEZ WITH TRIPLEA-ARIZONA SAYS THERE’S A LOT DRIVING UP PRICES AT THE PUMP. 

AV: “There’s three issues, one, it’s winter weather. It’s the issues going on around the globe, predominantly with Russia.  And then just the fact that the supply of crude oil that we have just hasn’t really caught up to  pre-pandemic levels” 

HOST: THE FEDERAL GAS TAX HAS REMAINED AT 18.4 CENTS PER GALLON SINCE 1993. THE TAX REVENUE IS PLACED IN A TRUST FUND CREATED FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION AND PUBLIC TRANSIT. THE FEDERAL BILL PROPOSES THAT THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT TRANSFER GENERAL FUNDS INTO THE TRUST FUND TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TAX REVENUE AND TO ENSURE OIL AND GAS COMPANIES ARE PASSING ALONG THE SAVINGS TO CONSUMERS. 

Why there’s a shortage of court appointed special advocates in Arizona (Sedona) 

 ANCHOR INTRO

“COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES” OR “CASAS” ARE VOLUNTEERS THAT WORK WITH THE COURT SYSTEM AND ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE.

THERE IS A HUGE SHORTAGE OF VOLUNTEERS. BUT AS CRONKITE NEWS’S SEDONA MEADOWS REPORTS SOME INNOVATIONS BROUGHT ON BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC MAY MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME A CASA VOLUNTEER.

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<sot – STEPHANIE WEBSTER/CASA VOLUNTEER/runs :07 hits 00-07 >

“Those of us who have been around a few years keep telling the new CASAs, It’s like establishing a friendship…”

STEPHANIE WEBSTER BECAME A COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE IN 20-15…SINCE THEN, SHE’S ADVOCATED FOR BOTH YOUNG CHILDREN AND TEENS…

<sot – STEPHANIE WEBSTER/CASA VOLUNTEER/runs :13 hits 16-29 >

“You don’t know the person that you first meet and you say, ‘I’d like to be your friend’ well in this case…You picked this case, so you want to be their friend but you need to know them, you need to learn about every part of their case.”

WEBSTER NOW HELPS TRAIN NEW CASAS…AND THE MAJORITY OF  THAT TRAINING IS ONLINE. 
 CASA TRAINING SPECIALIST MARSHALLE MANRIQUEZ IS A PART OF THE ORGANIZATION’S NEW VIRTUAL TRAINING CREATED DURING THE PANDEMIC.

<sot – MARSHALLE MANRIQUEZ/CASA TRAINING SPECIALIST/runs :12 hits 39-51 >

“We are really pleased with the results that we’ve gotten from doing virtual and so we are gearing up to keeping that around and making sure we have that as an option for individuals to still be able to go to training if they can’t go in-person…”

MANRIQUEZ, LEADS SEVERAL OF THE VIRTUAL TRAINING SESSIONS THAT INCLUDE CLOSE TO 500 VOLUNTEERS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE.

 IN THE PAST, THE 30 HOURS OF TRAINING CASAS NEED WAS ONLY AVAILABLE IN-PERSON WHICH, MANRIQUEZ SAYS, LIMITED WHO COULD BECOME A CASA.

<sot – MARSHALLE MANRIQUEZ/CASA TRAINING SPECIALIST/runs 1:06 hits 1:06-1:10 >

“We don’t want training to be the one thing that’s holding you back from being able to then help a child.”

12 HUNDRED CASAS ARE CURRENTLY SERVING OVER 14-HUNDRED CHILDREN. BUT THAT STILL LEAVES …OVER 12,000 CHILDREN IN THE CARE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SERVICES WHO DO NOT HAVE A CASA.

THE VIRTUAL TRAINING REQUIRES 15 HOURS OF IN CLASS WORK AND 15 HOURS WORKING ON YOUR OWN…

MANRIQUEZ SAYS THE VIRTUAL OPTION IS HERE TO STAY. 

<sot – MARSHALLE MANRIQUEZ/CASA TRAINING SPECIALIST/runs :08 hits 1:32-1:40 >

“We will continue to keep the virtual option up and running so that we can hit some of those other individual situations that don’t allow them to come in person”

WEBSTER, LIKE MANY OTHER CASAS, STILL KEEPS IN TOUCH WITH FORMER CLIENTS WHO HAVE AGED OUT OF THE SYSTEM INCLUDING ONE WHO SHE CONSIDERS LIKE A GRANDCHILD…

<sot – STEPHANIE WEBSTER, CASA VOLUNTEER/runs :11 hits 1:49-2:01 >

“She keeps in touch with me all the time….And she comes to me with a lot of questions. But I see the growth and I think that she’s gonna have a great life.”

THANKS IN PART TO THE HELP OF CASAS LIKE STEPHANIE WEBSTER.

SEDONA MEADOWS, CRONKITE NEWS. 

HOST OUTRO 

ANOTHER CHANGE THAT CAME BECAUSE OF COVID IS THAT MANY COURT HEARINGS ARE HELD VIRTUALLY…THIS  MAKES IT EASIER FOR EVERYONE INCLUDING CASAS TO ATTEND.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BECOMING A CASA VOLUNTEER YOU CAN GO TO “AZCASAVOLUNTEER.ORG”

GOP-led Arizona Senate OKs major school voucher expansion

THE ARIZONA SENATE’S EDUCATION COMMITTEE HAS APPROVED A MAJOR EXPANSION OF THE STATE’S SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM. ALL REPUBLICANS BACKED THE PROPOSAL ON TUESDAY OVER PROTESTS FROM MINORITY DEMOCRATS WHO CALLED THE BILL A SLAP IN THE FACE OF VOTERS WHO REJECTED A SLIGHTLY LARGER EXPANSION IN 2018. GLENDALE REPUBLICAN SENATOR PAUL BOYER’S BILL WOULD MAKE ALL CHILDREN ATTENDING SCHOOLS WITH A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF LOW-INCOME FAMILIES OR WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED-PRICE LUNCHES ELIGIBLE FOR THE STATE’S VOUCHER PROGRAM. CHILDREN OF POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, NURSES AND MILITARY VETERANS WOULD ALSO QUALIFY. THE PROGRAM ALLOWS PARENTS TO TAKE STATE FUNDING AND PAY FOR RELIGIOUS OR OTHER PRIVATE EDUCATION AND EDUCATION COSTS.

  State education spending cap

TL: SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION KATHY HOFFMAN GAVE HER ANNUAL STATE OF EDUCATION PRESENTATION AT THE ARIZONA CAPITOL TUESDAY.

THE LOOMING MARCH FIRST DEADLINE TO LIFT THE SPENDING LIMIT ON EDUCATION IS AT THE TOP OF HER AGENDA.

SUPERINTENDENT HOFFMAN TOLD THE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE THAT THE STATE EDUCATION SYSTEM FACES A TICKING TIME BOMB.

SHE ALSO SAID WITHOUT IMMEDIATE ACTION FROM THE LEGISLATURE … SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE WILL HAVE TO CUT THEIR BUDGETS BY 16 PERCENT.

KH: “For educators and school staff across the state a 16 percent reduction in budget will mean layoffs in an already crisis level teacher shortage. It will mean furloughed bus drivers who may never return to their jobs. For students and parents and guardians these cuts will mean losing access to extracurricular’s, high quality teachers and even school closures.”

TL: IN THE PAST RAISING THE SPENDING LIMIT WAS A ROUTINE MATTER WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.

BUT THIS YEAR A NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS HAVE SAID THEY WON’T CONSIDER THE WAIVER… UNTIL A LAWSUIT REGARDING PROPOSITION 208 IS SETTLED IN COURT. 

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WE HAD HELP TODAY FROM SEDONA MEADOWS, AND THANKS TO MASON MILLER WHO PRODUCED THE SHOW. 

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YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORIES YOU HEARD IN TODAY’S NEWS UPDATE, BY GOING TO CRONKITENEWS-DOT-AZPBS-DOT-ORG. 

THAT’S ALL FOR YOUR CRONKITE NEWS 2 GO. I’M THALIA LOPEZ. 

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