Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has reported on state government and legal affairs in Arizona since 1982, the last 26 for Capitol Media Services which he founded in 1991. Fischer's news reports appear in daily and weekly newspapers around the state, and are heard on Arizona Public Radio.

ARIZONA - State health officials last week doled out $100 million in federal funds to the state’s counties to help boost local testing for COVID-19.

ARIZONA - Arizonans who find themselves out of work through no fault of their own could get their first increase in benefits in 17 years.

PHOENIX — Got a bit of a lead foot while behind the wheel? But short of cash?

PHOENIX - Arizona is expected to receive “hundreds of thousands” of doses of vaccine for COVID-19 by the end of the month, state health chief Cara Christ said Wednesday, Dec. 2, with priority for health-care workers, vulnerable populations, residents of long-term care facilities and teachers.

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Gov. Doug Ducey declined Nov. 18 to impose new restrictions or mandates on individuals even as his own health chief warned of an increasing number of Arizonans becoming infected with COVID-19.

VERDE VALLEY - Environmental groups have filed suit to remove most of the cattle off of 143 miles of the Verde River watershed.

CHANDLER — Gov. Doug Ducey has no plans to use state resources to make up for the fact that more than 430,000 Arizonans will see their jobless benefits cut by more than half within weeks.

ARIZONA - Sometime this coming week you’ll find out when you can finally visit grandma in the nursing home.

Arizonans whose licenses are set to expire will be on the road for another year without having to get a new license -- or, for seniors, the eye test that goes with it.

PHOENIX — Arizona voters will get another chance to decide if they want adults to be able to smoke, drink or otherwise ingest marijuana without having a medical condition.