Last week, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs hit the road on a statewide tour called the Arizona Promise Tour, stopping at seven cities and making 19 stops. The governor aimed to highlight the administration's efforts to bring opportunity, security, and freedom back to Arizonans, according to an official Governor Katie Hobbs press release. Hobbs' first stop in Maricopa County was to announce a partnership with ArrayRx, a nonprofit consortium designed to lower prescription drug costs for Arizonans. "Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced on Wednesday that her office is taking action to lower prescription drug costs for Arizonans," 12 News reported.
According to Governor Katie Hobbs, further showcasing her support for families, Hobbs visited Madison Park Middle School to highlight a $6 million funding program for school lunches, allowing reduced-price meals to be free. "We talked about how important having a good lunch at school is and how hard it is to learn if you don’t have a nutritious meal," Hobbs told attendees during her visit. The tour also took her to Nogales, where she praised the work of Task Force SAFE, a National Guard unit aiding U.S. Customs and Border Protection to curb drug trafficking. According to AZ Family, Hobbs is seeking "$700 million in federal reimbursement for border security expenses."
In San Simon, the governor checked in on the progress of a new community well, funded by a $1.5 million grant from the ADEQ and $1.7 million from the USDA. "It relieves a lot of stress. So hopefully we'll be able to reliably depend on the water," said Chuck Fickett, board chair for the San Simon Water Treatment District. Meanwhile, in Tucson, Hobbs pushed for education reform with a ceremonial signing of a classroom cell phone ban at Pueblo High and honored local veterans, discussing the Homes for Heroes initiative. On the same visit, Hobbs also sought to end veteran homelessness in a decade, and amid the proceedings of Purple Heart Day, she presented challenge coins to veterans in appreciation of their service. KGUN covered.
The governor's tour wrapped up in Flagstaff, where important Northern Arizona initiatives were highlighted. Hobbs met with Indigenous health providers to discuss Medicaid coverage for traditional healing practices, a move that follows federal approval and the allocation of state funds to secure significant federal matching funds. "Through our bipartisan balanced budget, we’re able to secure the necessary state funds to be able to draw down the federal funds to cover traditional healing," Hobbs explained to participants at a roundtable discussion. Additionally, the governor visited the Flagstaff Fire Department, which is set to receive $30 million more from the state to bolster their wildfire prevention efforts and build a new training center, a development that was applauded by local officials such as Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett and Wildland Fire Battalion Chief Paul Oltrogge, as reported by KAFF.
