By Phil Riske | Managing Editor
(Editor’s note: Sixth in a series of articles reviewing the 2014 news stories published by Rose Law Group Reporter that were most read and gained momentum during the rest of the year.)
Lead stories
Apple’s sapphire glass plant in Mesa looked set to begin production this month, and it should have enough capacity to cover both versions of the iPhone 6 and iWatch this year. According to Matt Margolis of Seeking Alpha the facility had more than 2,5000 glass furnaces and should have the capacity to produce enough sapphire glass for 200 million screens in 2104.
According to the real estate website, Movoto, Arizona was ranked 10th-most stressed out state.
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Government/politics
Arizona’s largest electric provider sat on the precipice of shedding its longstanding practice of neutrality in electing the regulators who set its rates and decide its profitability. If Arizona Public Service embraced a more aggressive role as an election advocate, it would fundamentally alter the dynamics of Corporation Commission elections.
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The solar industry has been focused on the Arizona Department of Revenue’s ruling that third-party-owned distributed solar will likely be subject to property taxes. This change in the interpretation of Arizona’s tax code would cost the average customer leasing a residential solar array approximately $152.
Tucson solar advocate Lesley Lillywhite delivered more than 3,100 “Protect solar energy” petition signatures to Gov. Jan Brewer’s office. The petition, which she started on MoveOn.org earlier this month, urged the governor to stop the solar property tax. More than 200 solar-energy advocates and workers protested at the Arizona Capitol as the state prepared to collect property taxes on leased solar panels.
Through a spokesman, Gov. Brewer said she would not act to change the ADR ruling.
Meanwhile, a report stated 50 percent of U.S. homebuilders were to offer rooftop solar for single-family homes by 2016
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The state’s top school official apologized and repudiated anonymous blog posts he has made for at least the past four years equating welfare recipients with “lazy pigs” and declaring there should be no Spanish-language radio, TV, billboards and newspapers.
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Gov. Brewer, and the feds cut a deal on SB1070’s ‘papers please’ provision, and the state will drop its lawsuit in the matter.
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Sen. Al Melvin withdrew from governor’s race, and Doug Ducey continued to lead in polls and fundraising. Income tax cuts emerged as key issue in the gubernatorial =:
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Economy/real estate
The office vacancy rate improved ever so slightly in Phoenix for the second quarter compared to a year ago. But the Valley had the highest office vacancy rate — 21.9 percent — among the 13 largest office markets in the U.S., according to CBRE Group.
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The on-again, off-again proposed Ritz-Carlton Hotel development in Paradise Valley had another hiccup, and former GoDaddy chairman Bob Parsons was confirmed as a lender to the project. Parsons and his investment group, Yam Capital, lent $55 million to Jerry Ayoub’s Five Star Development Resort.
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Homeowners governed by the Ahwatukee Board of Management could expect a Pulte Homes representative knocking on their doors. Pulte was hoping to convince property owners to change deed restrictions that prevent Ahwatukee Lakes Golf Club from being used for anything but golf-related activities.
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Pinal County
Crews began installing an entryway sign at the PhoenixMart site, and the Casa Grande Planning and Zoning Commission was set consider preliminary plat plans for a hotel, Soho-style condominiums and the 75-acre sourcing center itself.
Congressman Paul Gosar said Pinal County is the ‘economic hub of Arizona.’
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The State Transportation Board voted to put a highway overpass for State Route 347 at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing in the Arizona Department of Transportation’s five-year plan. Inclusion meant ADOT will provide funding for the project – something Maricopa has been trying to secure since its founding.
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Sports
Tostitos ended its long sponsorship of the Fiesta Bowl.
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Medical Marijuana
A Marijuana legalization group called it quits on trying to get the issue on Arizona ballots in 2014.
Meanwhile, an administrative law judge ordered the state to permit PTSD sufferers to use medical marijuana, reversing a decision by the state health services department.
