The Phoenix City Council will vote today on a policy that would bar federal immigration agents from using city property without authorization.

Why it matters: Residents have shared growing concerns about how federal law enforcement activities "adversely impact the community," city staff wrote in the meeting agenda.

The big picture: The Valley has been bracing for a possible Minneapolis-style surge in ICE enforcement.

• That hasn't happened, but a Homeland Security raid on Valley-wide Zipps Sports Grill locations in January sparked protests and fueled fears.

State of play: The Community Transparency Initiative (CTI) proposal includes a provision barring parks or other city-owned or -controlled property from being used for "unauthorized or non-city purposes."

• That includes using city property as a staging area, processing location or operations base for civil law enforcement without the city manager's approval and the police chief's recommendation.
• Properties subject to the policy would have signs explaining the ban.

Yes, but: The policy has some exemptions. It wouldn't apply to the execution of lawful warrants or criminal law enforcement, nor to city-owned property that's controlled by other governmental entities, nonprofits or third-party organizations.

• When the Trump administration deployed ICE agents to assist TSA at Sky Harbor this week, city aviation officials emphasized that they couldn't block the move because the airport is federally regulated.
• State law also bars cities from limiting or restricting enforcement of federal immigration laws.

Zoom in: The initiative has other provisions, including tracking city resources used during incidents involving federal law enforcement and training for city employees who may encounter these incidents.

• Employees who learn of unauthorized uses of city property would be required to document and report them, but couldn't engage or obstruct the operations without direction from the city manager.

What's next: The council meeting begins at 2:30pm.

What we're watching: Also on the council's agenda is renaming the city's Cesar Chavez holiday and any street signs or Phoenix facilities that bear his name.

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Women's exposure to pesticides before they're pregnant may put their future children at risk of lifelong health issues, a new UofA study found.

Why it matters: Pregnant women have long been warned to avoid chemicals used to treat and kill weeds, bugs, rodents and other pests but the new research suggests that exposure prior to conception is also dangerous.

What's inside: Researchers compared Arizona's pesticide use registry (we're one of only two states that maintain this information) to the state's birth records between 2006 and 2020.

• They found that women who lived near where certain pesticides were used in the 90 days before conception were more likely to have babies with lower Apgar scores.
• The Apgar assessment is a medical evaluation conducted immediately after birth that's strongly correlated with the newborn's long-term health.

What's next: The research team now plans to review Medicaid records to see if the preconception exposure correlates with neurodevelopmental disorders through childhood.

State budget talks are at an impasse after Gov. Hobbs halted negotiations with Republican legislative leaders over disagreements on education funding and taxes.

Why it matters: Hobbs and Republican lawmakers have until June 30 to decide how to spend around $17 billion next fiscal year, and their budget blow-up suggests it could take them until then to reach an agreement.

• Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler) told Axios he doesn't expect an agreement until late June.

Driving the news: Hobbs on Friday announced the suspension of talks until GOP lawmakers present a budget plan.

• She also criticized them for refusing to discuss the continuation of Proposition 123, a 10-year education funding program that provided several hundred million annually, and that expired in 2025.

The other side: Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) and House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear) accused Hobbs of "political theater" and said she ended negotiations "despite a path forward being within reach."

• They said they'll spend the next several weeks crafting a budget.

The intrigue: Hobbs wants discussions over Prop. 123, which she has little leverage over, to be part of budget negotiations, where her role is critical.

• The two sides have repeatedly clashed over how much money Prop. 123 should take from the state land trust and how the money should be spent.

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💸 State Sen. Brian Fernandez (D-Yuma) steered a $3 million budget earmark to a project tied to his employer last year. Republican Senate President Warren Petersen said staff is reviewing the potential conflict of interest and may ask the attorney general to investigate. (AZcentral)

🛬 Mesa will charge a new fee ($20 on average) to every aircraft landing at Falcon Field to offset operations costs. Neighbors, who say the airport has become too busy and noisy, celebrated the move but the flight schools at the airport warned they may leave because of the extra cost. (Arizona's Family)

🍝 Giuseppe's on 28th, a Guy Fieri favorite, has closed. The Italian restaurant had been open for 24 years. (Phoenix New Times)

The Grand Canyon was the fourth-most visited national park last year, according to new data released last week.

By the numbers: The canyon is one of the state's biggest tourism drivers and last year drew 4.4 million visitors.

• Only Great Smoky Mountains, Zion and Yellowstone national parks saw larger crowds.

Worth your time: Arizona author Kevin Fedarko last week published an account of how the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has been forever changed by last year's Dragon Bravo Fire, which burned nearly 150,000 acres and destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.

• "But in addition to being a catastrophe, what unfolded here is also an antecedent to a renaissance. A story not only of what has been lost, but of what eventually will find a way to flourish and endure," he writes for The New York Times Magazine.