​Phoenix, AZ – Last week, Governor Hobbs followed through on her promise to build an Arizona where everyone can thrive.

On Monday, Governor Hobbs announced that in partnership with the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt, she will forgive up to $2 billion in outstanding medical debt for an estimated one million Arizonans. This is the most significant medical debt relief effort by any state government in history.

Later in the week, she joined Senator Priya Sundareshan, and Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton to hold a press event urging the legislature to pass the Right to Contraception Act and protect Arizonans’ reproductive freedoms.

Governor Hobbs also announced Arizona’s economy is strong. February's job report showed total nonfarm employment increased by 81,800, significantly more than the 64,000 figure from original estimates.

Finally, Governor Katie Hobbs joined the Arizona State Land Department to announce that Fondomonte is officially no longer pumping Arizona water in the Butler Valley groundwater basin because of the decisive action she took in terminating and declining to renew their leases.

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The Hill: Governor Canceling $2B in Medical Debt for up to 1M Arizonans

• Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) announced a program on Monday that will cancel $2 billion in medical debt for Arizonans.

• Hobbs said that by using up to $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, Arizona is “working with partners” at the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt to buy back “up to approximately $2 billion worth of medical debt held by Arizonans.”
• Jeff Smedsrud, a board member for RIP Medical Debt, said at the press conference that the program will eliminate debt for individuals earning less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level, or whose debt equals 5 percent or more of their annual income.

KGUN 9 News: Governor Hobbs Announces $2B in AZ Medical Debt to be Cleared Through Buyback Partnership

• Governor Katie Hobbs is launching a new partnership to wipe away $2 billion of medical debt for families statewide.

• Arizona will now be using about $30 million in leftover COVID funding to negotiate with hospitals and debt collectors and then the non-profit RIP Medical Debt will buy out what's left.
• To qualify for the relief your salary can be up to 4-times the federal poverty level. That's about $60,000 for individuals, $80,000 for a family of two, and just over $100,000 for a family of three.

KJZZ: Arizona Gov. Hobbs, Democrats Call on Republicans to Hear Birth Control Bill

• Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Democratic lawmakers are calling on Republicans to consider a bill that would enshrine the right to obtain birth control products in state law.

• Sen. Priya Sundareshan and Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton sponsored the legislation, also called the Arizona’s Right to Contraception Act, in January. They say it would ensure that Arizonans’ reproductive health care decisions are kept between them and their doctors.
• Hobbs said Republican leaders should bring the bill up for consideration.

FOX 10: Arizona Right to Contraception Act: Proposed Bill Would Codify Birth Control Access

• Gov. Katie Hobbs is pushing for a bill that would codify the right to contraception into Arizona law.
  "Arizonans have made their voices loud and clear: they will not accept any more attacks to access on basic reproductive health care," said Gov. Hobbs. "Legislators should know that any attempt to take away reproductive rights will quickly meet with my veto pen."
• The Arizona Right to Contraception Act would ensure Arizonans have access to birth control "as the Supreme Court and legislators across the country threaten basic reproductive freedoms," according a statement from the governor's office.

Office of Economic Opportunity: Total Nonfarm Employment Increased by 81,800 Jobs Year Over Year in January 2024 Arizona Unemployment Remained at 4.2%

• Month over month, Arizona’s SA labor force increased by 6,111 individuals, or 0.2%. Year over year, the SA labor force increased by 85,639 individuals, or 2.4%.
• Arizona NSA nonfarm employment increased by 81,800 jobs or 2.6% in January year over year. Private sector employment increased by 71,700 jobs year over year, while government employment increased by 10,100 jobs year over year.

KTAR News: Saudi Dairy Company Fondomonte Ceases Water Pumping in Far West Arizona

• A Saudi dairy company that once pumped water through a lease on local farmland in far west Arizona has officially ceased operations.
  Fondomonte Arizona, a subsidiary of Almarai Co., was no longer irrigating water at any of its four Butler Valley leases as of Feb. 15, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced.

• It was also confirmed through visual inspections that Fondomonte was in the process of vacating the property, although an appeal filed by the company is pending.
• “I am proud to deliver this not just for the La Paz County community, but for the entire state of Arizona and will continue taking decisive action to protect Arizona’s water so we can thrive for generations to come,” Hobbs said in a press release.

Arizona’s Family: “Governor Katie Hobbs Says Fondomonte Has Officially Stopped Pumping Groundwater”