Major League Pickleball hosts first event of 2023 in metro Phoenix

1 big thing: Major League Pickleball hits Mesa

A logo that says "MLP by Margaritaville Mesa"

State Republicans and Democrats both have contested chair races

2. Dems and GOP to pick new state leaders

Mr. Pickle's opens first Arizona restaurant, with more to come

3. Mr. Pickle's settles into the Valley

4. Chips and salsa: Trump and the audit

Illustration of a margarita with a lime that is shining like the sun. 

Seeking employment? 

5. Things to do in the Valley this weekend

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Today's weather: 62 and sunny, with similarly temperate conditions throughout the weekend. ☀️

🎉 Congratulations to Janice P. and Patrick H., yesterday's "Where in the Valley" winners!

The bronze bulldog statue is at Vela on Camelback apartments (formerly Alta Camelback) on North Seventh Street between Camelback Road and Highland Avenue.

Today's newsletter is 938 words — a 3.5-minute read.

📺 Jeremy will be on the Journalists' Roundtable at 5pm today on "Arizona Horizon" on PBS today.

❤️‍🔥 Jessica hopes she can get into Guy Fieri's tailgate! 

This newsletter was edited by Gigi Sukin and copy edited by Jay Bennett.

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Phoenix

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Axios Phoenix

Phoenix counts people on the streets as metro's unhoused population jumps

1 big thing: Counting Arizonans without homes

"This is a crisis": Arizona sees 20% jump in homelessness

2. 🚨 The state of our housing crisis

3. 🙋🏻‍♀️ What we witnessed

3 things metro Phoenix's homeless count could tell us

4. 👀 What we're watching

Illustration of a notebook with a line chart coming off the page

Wake up to a brighter future

5. 🤝 How to help

Illustration of a hand raising and turning into a heart.

It's Wednesday. We hope you have a midweek pep in your step!

Today's weather: It's warming up ever so slightly with a high of 60. 

Programming note: Yesterday was the annual count of people experiencing homelessness in the Valley, so we're dedicating the newsletter to our housing crisis.

Today's newsletter is 924 words — a 3.5-minute read.

❤️ Jessica spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about Darlene, a woman she interviewed during the pandemic who recently got into housing after experiencing homelessness for more than six years.

Lab offers shared workspace for growing biotech sector

1 big thing: A new home for bioscience startups

Trevor's Liquor opens second location in north Phoenix

2. Good booze and good fun on the north side

A storefront with a sign that reads Trevor's.

These Arizona restaurants and chefs are James Beard semifinalists

3. 🧑‍🍳 Our best chefs

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4. Chips and salsa: The more tacos, the better

Illustration of a gila monster eating tortilla chips and salsa.

Now hiring: New job openings

5. Where in the Valley are we? 

A bronze sculpture of a bulldog in front of a building.

It's Thursday. We can almost taste the weekend. 😁

Today's newsletter is 946 words — a 4-minute read.

🎩 Jeremy is hoping to achieve his childhood dream of winning a Ladmo Bag now that "The Wallace and Ladmo Show" reruns are back on the air.   

🥩 Jessica really needs to try James Beard semifinalist Bacanora.

GOP lawmaker wants voters decide on splitting up Maricopa County

1 big thing: Maricopa breakup plan pitched

A map of Maricopa County, Arizona, split into four separate counties. 

2. It's a bird! It's a plane! ... It's a cactus!

The words Maricopa County in white lettering on a dark blue background, with an orange saguaro cactus replacing the I.

3. Chips and salsa: Book's return imminent? 

Illustration of a coyote with hiking gear next to the words "Chips and Salsa."

4. 🚨 Glendale LVII: Safety planning

A man sitting in front of a wall of TV screens showing roadways.

Take your career to the next level

5. 🦅 Light poles beware

Happy Tuesday! We wish you a taco-filled day. 🌮

Today's weather: A chilly high of 58 with some showers expected this morning. 

Situational awareness: Colorado River basin states missed a federal deadline today for agreeing to water usage cuts after California rejected a framework that Arizona and five others agreed on.

☀️ It's a great day to contribute to our newsroom by becoming a member! 

Today's newsletter is 949 words — a 4-minute read.

🏈 Jeremy is still deciding who to root for in the Super Bowl. 

🤣 Jessica still feels like this about Philadelphia.

Experts bash Goldman Sachs prediction of a 2008-level housing crash

1 big thing: The Goldman Sachs scare

Egg-scape from high prices with your own chickens

2. 🍳 Backyard chickens coming home to roost

An illustration of a chicken with dollar signs over its eyes. 

James Beard's "Best Chef" semifinalist knows burritos

3. 💯 James Beard knows burritos

A burrito on a paper plate with shredded beef coming out of the end next to a glass soft drink bottle.

4. Chips and salsa: Dems and GOP pick new chairs

Is a new job in your future?

5. 🌵 Name that cactus

A 44 foot tall two armed green saguaro cactus display with an open door at the bottom.

It's Monday. We are so glad you're starting your week with us!

Today's weather: 🌥 Mostly cloudy with a high of 59. 

Situational awareness: The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will face off in the Super Bowl on Feb. 12 in Glendale.

Today's newsletter is 805 words — a 3-minute read.

🚴 Jeremy enjoyed a nice bike ride yesterday.

🍣 Jessica learned how to make sushi this weekend.

Two GOP lawmakers are proposing to break up Maricopa County into four separate counties. 

Driving the news: Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, sponsored HCR2018, which would refer the plan to the November 2024 ballot.

Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, also sponsored a bill to split up the county.

Under the plans, it would be divided four ways:

The new smaller Maricopa County would cover the bulk of Phoenix.

Hohokam County would take in the southeastern part of the Valley. 

Mogollon County would cover the Scottsdale area and parts of north Phoenix. 

O'odham County would encompass the West Valley and more sparsely populated areas of western and southwestern Maricopa County.

Context: Similar proposals have been pushed in the past, but the issue gained traction after the 2020 election, when people who touted false claims that the election had been rigged against former President Trump began proposing to split up the county.

Former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers killed a similar proposal last year.

Zoom in: Kolodin tells Axios Phoenix a smaller county government would be more responsive to residents' needs, and he says the size of Maricopa County concentrates too much power. 

He disputes that a larger county is more efficient, and says residents should decide if it's gotten too large.

Kolodin notes that Arizonans from outside the Valley have been complaining about the influence of "the great state of Maricopa" for years.

He also notes Maricopa County's problems with ballot printers in the 2022 general election, the cause of which remains unclear. 

Of note: With more than 4.4 million residents as of the 2020 Census, Maricopa County is the fourth most populous in the U.S.

Metro Phoenix will still have 62% of the state's population no matter how many counties it's split into.

Between the lines: Three of the four counties would have to raise property taxes to cover new operating expenses, while property taxes in Mogollon would likely go down, according to an analysis of the 2022 proposal from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, largely based on data from Maricopa County. 

Maricopa County estimated the additional staff in the new counties would cost about $155 million annually.

Counties would have the option of signing 10-year agreements to use preexisting Maricopa County infrastructure and facilities. 

Kolodin was skeptical that high tax rates for new counties are set in stone, noting those figures come from Maricopa County's own analysis.

The other side: Maricopa County Assessor Eddie Cook tells us he'll oppose the proposal and that he's meeting with fellow countywide officials to rally against it.

He says it's driven by anger over the elections.

County Treasurer John Allen calls the plan "the opposite of good, conservative government."

Allen and Cook say new counties would require substantial new facilities and infrastructure, like jails and court systems, and would have to divide many of Maricopa County's assets.

What's next: Neither Kolodin's plan nor Hoffman's bill have been scheduled for committee hearings yet, so their support is unclear.

Legislative Democrats were hostile to Hoffman's measure last year, and Republicans only have one-vote majorities in each chamber. 

Unlike Hoffman's bill, Kolodin's proposal doesn't need the governor's signature to go to the ballot, so he'd be able to sidestep Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs.

A fiscal analysis estimated property taxes would go up in three of the four new counties.

A 2022 proposal to split Maricopa County is similar to Rep. Alexander Kolodin' s proposal. Image: Arizona Mirror

Local government

Two GOP lawmakers are proposing to break up Maricopa County into four separate counties. Driving the news: Rep. Alexander Kolodin, R-Scottsdale, sponsored HCR2018, which would refer the plan to the November 2024 ballot.

Politics

News

Arizona's Democratic and Republican parties will each have new leaders on Saturday when their respective state committees meet to elect new chairs. 

Why it matters: State parties help dictate election strategy, determine how significant amounts of money are spent and generally set the tone for their parties. 

How it works: Precinct committeemen — the elected voting members of the parties' legislative district-level organizations — choose members of the parties' state committees, who elect chairs and other statewide officers every two years. 

The Arizona Republican Party will meet at Dream City Church in Phoenix.

The Arizona Democratic Party will conduct its meeting via Zoom. 

Zoom in: Democrats have their most hotly contested race for chair in 12 years, pitting party vice chair and union organizer Yolanda Bejarano against Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo. 

The outgoing chair, state Sen. Raquel Terán, decided not to seek another term. 

The intrigue: The race for Democratic Party chair is in part a proxy fight between high-level elected officials and other prominent backers of Bejarano and Gallardo.

Gallardo said he's running at the request of Gov. Katie Hobbs, who endorsed him, along with numerous legislators, other elected officials, labor unions and five former chairs. 

Bejarano has the endorsements of U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Attorney General Kris Mayes, several of Arizona's U.S. House members and more. 

The biggest differences between the candidates are their backgrounds and experience rather than ideologies, several Democrats told Axios Phoenix. 

The other side: There are five candidates vying for the GOP chairmanship — state Treasurer Jeff DeWit, activist Steve Daniels (who tried to form a breakaway party, the Patriot Party), AZGOP treasurer Sheila Muehling, businesswoman and former legislative candidate Vera Gebran and Lori Martinez, the Arizona chair of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly.

Kelli Ward, the Arizona GOP's polarizing chair, opted not to run again after serving four years.

Between the lines: Republican campaign consultant Constantin Querard called DeWit the front-runner but said Daniels and Gebran have significant blocs of support as well. Longtime Republican operative Brett Mecum views it as a two-person race between DeWit and Daniels. 

Querard noted that DeWit has the backing of former GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake and businessman Jim Lamon, who ran in last year's Republican primary for U.S. Senate. 

The big picture: Both parties are in the midst of shifting political dynamics.

Republicans, long the state's dominant party, are hoping to reverse a string of losses in recent election cycles that saw them lose the presidential race, both U.S. Senate seats and Arizona's top statewide offices.

Democrats want to capitalize on recent wins and carry that momentum to 2024, when the presidency, the Legislature, a Senate seat and several competitive U.S. House seats will be on the line. 

State parties help dictate election strategy, determine how significant amounts of money are spent and generally set the tone for their parties.

Political parties

Arizona&#x27;s Democratic and Republican parties will each have new leaders on Saturday when their respective state committees meet to elect new chairs. Why it matters: State parties help dictate election strategy, determine how significant amounts of money are spent and generally set the tone for their parties.

Mr. Pickle's Sandwich Shop opened its first Arizona outpost in north Scottsdale last week, so I decided to see what the California eatery has to offer. 

Details: The chain relocated its headquarters to Arizona last year under new ownership, according to What Now Phoenix. 

The new restaurant is at 10701 N. Scottsdale Road, on the northeast corner of the intersection with Shea Boulevard.

Mr. Pickle's is planning to expand rapidly in Arizona, with five more locations slated for Chandler, Laveen, San Tan Valley and Surprise, and a second restaurant in north Scottsdale. 

What I ordered: When you're trying something for the first time, you might as well go for the original, so I got The Mr. Pickle, with chicken breast, bacon, Monterey Jack cheese and avocado. 

Hot take: It was good, but nothing to write home about.

Be smart: People are flocking to check out the new sandwich shop. It was a half-hour wait for my food after I ordered, and by the time it was ready, there was a line snaking out the door, so think about ordering online.  

The chain relocated its headquarters to Arizona last year under new ownership.

Restaurants

Mr. Pickle&#x27;s Sandwich Shop opened its first Arizona outpost in north Scottsdale last week, so I decided to see what the California eatery has to offer. Details: The chain relocated its headquarters to Arizona last year under new ownership, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="What Now Phoenix" data-vars-click-url="https://whatnowphoenix.com/mr-pickles-sandwich-shop-opens-in-scottsdale/" data-vars-content-id="655baae6-c840-4623-87a0-f9a7daea6288" data-vars-headline="Mr. Pickle&#x27;s opens first Arizona restaurant, with more to come" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://whatnowphoenix.com/mr-pickles-sandwich-shop-opens-in-scottsdale/" target="_blank">What Now Phoenix</a>.

Things to Do

Business

Food and Drink

If high egg prices brought you down, there's a homegrown solution: Get your own chickens. 

Why it matters: Inflation and an avian flu outbreak have more than doubled egg prices across the country, and Arizona has been no exception. 

The big picture: Most cities in Maricopa County allow residents to keep chickens in their backyards.

The only ones that don't are Fountain Hills, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Paradise Valley and Scottsdale, according to the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. 

Yes, but: Just because you're allowed to keep chickens doesn't mean there are no restrictions. Check with your city to find out where in town you can keep them and how many you're allowed to have.

For example, Tolleson permits up to four chickens under applicable zoning laws, and they must be kept in pens.

Buckeye permits chickens only in areas zoned as rural or agricultural land. 

Zoom in: We checked out poultry-related regulations in several of the Valley's largest cities:

Phoenix: Chickens must be at least 80 feet from a residence, unless you have the permission of anyone whose home is closer than that, and half-acre lots or less are limited to 20 birds. 

An extra 20 chickens are permitted for each additional half-acre of land, and there are no limits on the number for parcels over 2.5 acres. If your property is under 10,000 square feet, you need your neighbors' permission.

Enclosures must be maintained to avoid "offensive, disagreeable or noxious smell or odor."

No male poultry are permitted, unless they are incapable of making noises that disturb the peace.

Glendale: Parts of the city that are zoned rural, agricultural or suburban permit chickens, with varying limitations.

If you're zoned for urban residential, or in some planned development areas, you have to keep getting your eggs from the grocery store. 

Flashback: There was quite the fight at City Hall in 2017 when they debated changes to their chicken rules. Jessica's coverage for The Arizona Republic noted that Mayor Jerry Weiers was "accosted by a rooster" as he was getting into his truck to go to work. 

Mesa: Up to 10 chickens are allowed on lots of less than a half-acre, and roosters are permitted only if they don't cause a noise disturbance. 

Inspire Farms in downtown Mesa has seen an increase in customers coming in to buy chicks, the Republic reported last week. 

Chandler: As of Jan. 5, residents can keep up to five chickens at single-family homes, though no roosters. Coops must be at least five feet from the home. 

Reality check: Check the regulations in your city before starting your own backyard chicken coop.

If you have a homeowners association, make sure to check in with it as well. 

Only five cities in the Valley completely ban backyard chickens

Inflation

If high egg prices brought you down, there&#x27;s a homegrown solution: Get your own chickens. Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Inflation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2022/09/15/phoenix-metro-area-leads-nation-consumer-price-index" data-vars-content-id="9bb03f0d-c8ee-4524-b536-816c2f099a09" data-vars-headline="Egg-scape from high prices with your own chickens" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2022/09/15/phoenix-metro-area-leads-nation-consumer-price-index" target="_self">Inflation</a> and an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="avian flu outbreak" data-vars-click-url="https://www.google.com/search?q=axios+avian+flu&amp;hl=en&amp;source=hp&amp;ei=or7XY8K-KrfDkPIPvveZyAQ&amp;iflsig=AK50M_UAAAAAY9fMsmo7h0mv_LP0shFtQr0Z64pmlOfE&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjCl_iErO_8AhW3IUQIHb57BkkQ4dUDCAs&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=axios+avian+flu&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBQghEKABMgUIIRCgATIFCCEQoAEyBQghEKsCMgUIIRCrAjoRCC4QgAQQsQMQgwEQxwEQ0QM6CAguELEDEIMBOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAToICAAQsQMQgwE6CAguELEDEIAEOgsILhCABBDHARDRAzoFCC4QgAQ6CwguEIAEELEDENQCOgsILhCABBCxAxCDAToFCAAQgAQ6CAgAEIAEELEDOgsILhCABBDHARCvAToOCC4QgAQQsQMQxwEQ0QM6CwguEIMBELEDEIAEOgsILhCxAxDHARDRAzoLCC4QrwEQxwEQgAQ6BggAEBYQHjoFCAAQhgNQAFigH2DgKGgCcAB4AIABYogB_AeSAQIxNZgBAKABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz" data-vars-content-id="9bb03f0d-c8ee-4524-b536-816c2f099a09" data-vars-headline="Egg-scape from high prices with your own chickens" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=axios+avian+flu&amp;hl=en&amp;source=hp&amp;ei=or7XY8K-KrfDkPIPvveZyAQ&amp;iflsig=AK50M_UAAAAAY9fMsmo7h0mv_LP0shFtQr0Z64pmlOfE&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjCl_iErO_8AhW3IUQIHb57BkkQ4dUDCAs&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=axios+avian+flu&amp;gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBQghEKABMgUIIRCgATIFCCEQoAEyBQghEKsCMgUIIRCrAjoRCC4QgAQQsQMQgwEQxwEQ0QM6CAguELEDEIMBOgsIABCABBCxAxCDAToICAAQsQMQgwE6CAguELEDEIAEOgsILhCABBDHARDRAzoFCC4QgAQ6CwguEIAEELEDENQCOgsILhCABBCxAxCDAToFCAAQgAQ6CAgAEIAEELEDOgsILhCABBDHARCvAToOCC4QgAQQsQMQxwEQ0QM6CwguEIMBELEDEIAEOgsILhCxAxDHARDRAzoLCC4QrwEQxwEQgAQ6BggAEBYQHjoFCAAQhgNQAFigH2DgKGgCcAB4AIABYogB_AeSAQIxNZgBAKABAQ&amp;sclient=gws-wiz" target="_blank">avian flu outbreak</a> have more than doubled egg prices across the country, and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Arizona has been no exception" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/01/06/cheapest-eggs-phoenix-inflation-avian-flu" data-vars-content-id="9bb03f0d-c8ee-4524-b536-816c2f099a09" data-vars-headline="Egg-scape from high prices with your own chickens" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/01/06/cheapest-eggs-phoenix-inflation-avian-flu" target="_self">Arizona has been no exception</a>.

There's an abundance of Arizona chefs and restaurants on the James Beard Foundation award semifinalist list. Since I haven't tried most of them, I decided to grab lunch Friday at Testal Mexican Kitchen, home to "Best Chef" semifinalist Fernando Hernández.

What I ordered: I asked what they recommended and was directed to the birria burrito. 

It was no-frills, filled with seasoned shredded beef, chopped onions and cilantro.

For a drink I grabbed a Sangría Señorial — a non-alcoholic, sangria-flavored soda made in Mexico. It was unusual but kind of tasty. 

1 boozy thing: They have a stacked menu of drinks made with sotol, a liquor from northern Mexico that's similar to tequila but a bit smoother.

There aren't a lot of places around here that serve sotol. I'd heard of it only because I randomly picked up a bottle during a trip to Ojinaga, Mexico, nearly 20 years ago. 

Yes, and: Stop by for karaoke on Friday nights!

Testal Mexican Kitchen, home to "Best Chef" semifinalist Fernando Hernández.

There&#x27;s an abundance of Arizona chefs and restaurants on the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="James Beard Foundation award semifinalist" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/01/26/arizona-restaurant-chefs-james-beard-semifinalists" data-vars-content-id="da3d3006-a2cb-475b-b123-f870a94e9b75" data-vars-headline="James Beard&#x27;s &quot;Best Chef&quot; semifinalist knows burritos" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/phoenix/2023/01/26/arizona-restaurant-chefs-james-beard-semifinalists" target="_self">James Beard Foundation award semifinalist</a> list. Since I haven&#x27;t tried most of them, I decided to grab lunch Friday at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Testal Mexican Kitchen" data-vars-click-url="https://www.testalphx.com/" data-vars-content-id="da3d3006-a2cb-475b-b123-f870a94e9b75" data-vars-headline="James Beard&#x27;s &quot;Best Chef&quot; semifinalist knows burritos" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.testalphx.com/" target="_blank">Testal Mexican Kitchen</a>, home to &quot;Best Chef&quot; semifinalist Fernando Hernández.Where: 1325 Grand Ave.

Jeremy Duda

Stories

GOP lawmaker wants voters decide on splitting up Maricopa County

James Beard's "Best Chef" semifinalist knows burritos

Egg-scape from high prices with your own chickens

State Republicans and Democrats both have contested chair races

Mr. Pickle's opens first Arizona restaurant, with more to come

Newsletter editions

🪓 County breakup

🐓 For the birds

🏓 Pickle-palooza

🍾 Trevor's Liquor expansion

💔 Our homelessness crisis