Arizona Legislature

A wave of red-clad teachers will crash upon the Arizona state Capitol on Thursday for an unprecedented job action that will close schools for a majority of the state's public school students, part of an educator uprising that's also bubbled up in Colorado.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has signed legislation exempting coal used in a power plant on the Navajo Nation from the state's sales tax to help make it more attractive for a new buyer.

The only two black members of the Arizona Legislature were formally chastised for speaking out against a Republican lawmaker's published column, which included a racial slur and they say derided black activists while attempting to discredit leaders of a teacher group protesting for better pay.

A day ahead of a scheduled walk off the job, Arizona teachers are holding walk-in protests outside public schools.

Americans overwhelmingly believe teachers don't make enough money, and half say they'd support paying higher taxes to give educators a raise.