Arizona Morning Roundup, 8-18

Like shelter pets, sometimes we don’t adopt the stories, the stories adopt us. Here are some of the Arizona developments we’re following while eating our protein-enhanced granola:

•The Protect Education Act is on life support this morning. After county validity reviewscompleted, opponents project that Prop. 212 will finish roughly 10,000-plus valid signatures short of the 255,949 needed. We must admit, we find the result surprising, giving that the proposition’s supporters submitted well over 400,000 signatures to review. This isn’t just serious ballot jeopardy. The Prop’s fate lies in the hands of the Arizona Supreme Court, is now considering the appeal over which signatures can legally be excluded. What does this mean for your children’s education? Who knows? By the time this is all decided, you’ll be grandparents.

•Hot tip: Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes doesn’t get along with the Trump Administration. On Monday’s rare election-security call between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and state election officials, Adrian Fontes told CISA officials he did not trust them and later told the website Votebeat, “They don’t work with us, they work against us.” Participants said the agency offered little concrete assurance of renewed federal election-security assistance for November after the Trump administration’s retreat from CISA’s previous role. As Prince once sang, in this life, you’re on your own. And states won’t be getting any help from a federal government that sometimes seems to view elections as optional.

•In his first extensive questioning since becoming Governor Katie Hobbs’ running mate, former Mesa Mayor John Giles said he still considers himself “pro-life,”while also confirming that he voted for Proposition 139’s constitutional abortion protections and would defend them in office. He also referred to transgender bathroom policies as a “red herring” and said that when it comes to school choice, that toothpaste is out of the tube.” If the job of lieutenant governor is to come up with amusing political metaphors, then Giles is already uniquely qualified. He also said that he can’t think of any substantive issues where he disagrees with Hobbs, though his own statements show that he does, sometimes. We’re already sensing a premise for a great unlikely-roommate sitcom pilot.