Voters have a big decision to make about the future of behavioral and community health care services in Maricopa County.

The big picture: Proposition 409 will be on the Nov. 4 ballot in Maricopa County, with early voting beginning Oct. 8.

• The measure would impose a property tax increase of 11 cents per $100 of assessed home value to pay for an $898 million bond for Valleywise Health, the county's public hospital and health care system.

Why it matters: The county provides court-ordered mental health evaluations and treatments, but demand has exceeded capacity in recent years, Michael White, Valleywise Health's chief clinical officer, tells Axios.

• On any given day, 25-30 people are waiting to get in.

Zoom in: Prop. 409 would pay for three major projects:

• About $500 million to expand outpatient health facilities, including at clinics in south Phoenix and Chandler.
• $220 million to replace the in-patient behavioral health facility at Valleywise's campus at 24th and Roosevelt streets, doubling capacity to around 200 beds.
• Around $177 million to expand Valleywise's new hospital, which White said has been "at or above capacity since we opened the door" last year.

Catch up quick: Voters in 2014 approved a $935 million measure to build a new Valleywise Health center.

• The hospital included room for expansion, and White said a 10th floor is already needed.
• "We had always anticipated the needs in Maricopa County would grow, just not so quickly," White said.

What he's saying: Prop. 409 includes outpatient and emergency health projects, but behavioral health is the "driving force" behind the measure, White said.

What's next: If it passes, White said, it will take at least five years to complete construction.

• The behavioral health facility will also be designed to accommodate growth.
• It will be on the site of the old hospital, replaced by the 2014 measure, which is about halfway through the demolition process1

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Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said the U.S. needs "the right framework in place to lead the world in AI" and pitched his new AI policy roadmap to make sure the country doesn't fall behind China at yesterday's AI+ DC Summit.

Why it matters: Kelly, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, is attempting to position himself as a major Democratic voice on the future of AI policy.

Driving the news: The senator released his "AI for America" plan yesterday, calling for the creation of a trust fund — paid for by tech companies — to invest in workforce and infrastructure initiatives to help society adjust.

• Taxpayers shouldn't shoulder the costs of all of the needed infrastructure alone, Kelly told Axios' Ina Fried.

Kelly emphasized the U.S-China tech competition in his pitch.

• "If we don't have the right framework in place to lead the world in AI, they will — and we will fall behind."

Kelly said he engaged with the industry ahead of releasing his proposal, and he hopes to get Republican support on the Hill.

• As for plans to introduce legislation, he said that'll happen "eventually."

Reality check: So far, Congress hasn't coalesced around any kind of sweeping AI policy like what Kelly is proposing.

Another key area that policymakers need to focus on is the workforce and labor impact of AI's rise, Kelly said.

• "There is a possibility we could have millions of people put out of work by artificial intelligence. Hey, AI companies need customers. You're not going to have customers if people don't have jobs," Kelly said.
• Upskilling and retraining workers is the "biggest thing" that lawmakers should work on now, and that effort "also benefits AI companies," he noted.

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WNBA trading card collecting is gaining popularity and Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally has one of the most valuable cards, according to data from Professional Sports Authenticators (PSA).

Why it matters: The sports card grader reports that the number of women's basketball cards graded has tripled since this time last year.

Zoom in: Sabally has the sixth-most appraised card on PSA among players competing in the WNBA playoffs.

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