🚌 Electric bus buzz

Happy Thursday! One more day until our favorite day of the week!

Today's weather: High of 107 as the excessive heat warning continues.

Today's newsletter is 814 words — a 3-minute read.

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is asking voters to overhaul a 44-year-old limit on how much it can spend.

By the numbers: Proposition 486 would permanently adjust the district's base expenditure limit, set in 1980, by nearly $53 million.

• That would double MCCCD's 2025-26 spending cap from about $451 million to an estimated $902 million, according to the district's election publicity pamphlet.

Why it matters: Community college districts have spending caps based on student population and inflation, which voters added to the Arizona Constitution in 1980. Because of the cap, MCCCD sometimes can't allocate all the money it has on an annual basis without the Legislature's authorization.

• Without legislative approval, the district would be limited in its ability to provide or expand services, regardless of whether it had the money to do so.

The big picture: To find a longer-term solution, the district put Prop. 486 on the ballot earlier this year.

• If the cap isn't raised, the district must keep returning to the Legislature for exemptions, MCCCD board member Susan Bitter Smith told Axios.
• Lawmakers approved adjustments to the spending limit in 2022 and 2023, covering the district's budget through the current academic year.
• But if Prop. 486 passes, "We should not have to come back to the ballot in anybody's near-term lifespan," she said.

Zoom in: A lot has changed for MCCCD since the passage of the 1980 spending cap, Bitter Smith said.

• For starters, standard technology, like laptops and cell phones, are more expensive.
• MCCCD offers more programs than it did 44 years ago, including four-year degrees in "workforce oriented" fields.
• MCCCD has numerous semiconductor training programs, Bitter Smith said, and is seeking accreditation for an artificial intelligence degree program.

The other side: Prop. 486 has no organized opposition campaign, and no one submitted arguments against the proposal for MCCCD's election publicity pamphlet.

Context: The math is different, but the concept is similar to the aggregate expenditure limit for K-12 schools that sparked legislative battles in recent years.

Full story

More students than ever are headed to class in electric school buses this fall as districts race to take advantage of unprecedented government funding to replace their diesel fleets.

Why it matters: Exhaust from diesel buses is linked to serious health and development conditions for children, especially in low-income communities.

• The growing electric bus movement, fueled by a plethora of state and federal incentives, promises to reduce tailpipe emissions and improve kids' health, too.
• Electric school buses can also act as giant batteries to store surplus energy when out of use. That means cash-strapped districts can earn money from their parked buses by selling power back to the grid during peak demand.

By the numbers: There are 41 electric school buses operating in Arizona school districts, with another 146 on the way, according to the World Resources Institute.

Former President Trump is polling much better than Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake in Arizona— mirroring a national trend that's worrying GOP Senate leadership.

Why it matters: The polling gap in swing states has baffled Republican candidates and strategists, who expected it to collapse as November neared.

• Its persistence is a warning for the Republican high command that a close Trump victory in any given swing state doesn't guarantee a GOP Senate seat — even if it also signals a bloc of still-persuadable voters.

Between the lines: There are several theories about why Senate Republicans lag behind their presidential candidate, including a lack of name ID and getting outspent.

• Then there's the Trump factor. The former president appeals to many nontraditional Republicans and former working-class Democrats.
• Trump is "outperforming other Republicans because his base is broader than the traditional GOP coalition," Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) told Axios.

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🐶 The Arizona Humane Society is reopening adoption and foster services at its Sunnyslope Campus to alleviate what the organization called a "chronic" shelter overcapacity crisis. (12 News)

🪪 Arizona can't suspend people's driver's licenses for having THC in their blood unless they're actually impaired by marijuana while driving, the state's Court of Appeals ruled. (Arizona Mirror)

🗳 Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will return to Arizona to kick off early voting in the state, which begins Oct. 9. (AZcentral)

🗓 U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva said this year's re-election campaign will be his last. The Tucson Democrat was first elected to Congress in 2002. (Roll Call)

It's a heavy-hitter concert weekend in Phoenix.

🌽 Korn

Get ready to rock with this popular nu metal band.

• Tonight at 6:30pm; Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre; Buy tickets

🕺 Pitbull

Mr. Worldwide is sure to give you "Everything Tonight" at his "Party After Dark Tour."

• Tomorrow at 8pm; Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre; Buy tickets

🐉 Imagine Dragons

This band will make you a "Believer" with their "Loom World Tour."

• Sunday at 7pm; Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre; Buy tickets

Full October events guide

Get your brand in front of highly engaged readers in Phoenix.

What's in it for you:

• Reach civic minded leaders and smart professionals.
• Support local journalism with Axios Local.

Learn more about advertising with us.

🍎🍯 Jeremy wishes everyone a happy year 5785. Shana Tova!

🪩 Jessica is sad she's not seeing Mr. Worldwide this weekend.

This newsletter was edited by Gigi Sukin.