The biggest news from the legislature this week involves the budget, and it is not good. The Republicans so far have failed to agree on a budget that straddles a fine line between preserving conservative values and being acceptable to Hobbs.
For more details on what is happening and why, click HERE
Other than the budget, the most significant action this week was the final approval of senate bill SCR1044. This bill has been transmitted to the secretary of state for inclusion in the November ballot for the voters to approve or reject. It is a ballot measure proposing to amend the Arizona Constitution to revise the judicial retention process by requiring a vote of retention only in specified circumstances. One of the reasons why this is so controversial is that lately there has been a movement aimed to remove judges who have ruled in a manner that they do not like. In other words, the question of retention is becoming more based on political consideration and less on whether the judges follow the law and interpret it properly.
The ability of voters to remove judges they do not like will be severely diminished if SCR1044 is approved by the voters in November.
Two other important or controversial bills that advanced were:
HB2389 This is a freedom-to-travel bill. That freedom is an essential component of overall freedom in a free society. It prohibits the sale or lease of a motor vehicle that has a mechanism that may remotely shut off the vehicle without the owner’s consent and preempts the state from prohibiting or restricting a motor vehicle’s manufacture, sale or use solely because the vehicle does not contain an outlined feature or technology that is not a mechanism.
HB2719 If enacted, this bill will be a huge step toward fiscally responsible behavior regarding bond issue elections. It consolidates local bond elections to occur only in even numbered years and requires a majority vote of at least 60 percent to create an indebtedness or issue bonds.
Overall, it was a very active week for the legislature. There were a lot of final and third reading votes, most of them dealing with housekeeping issues. Here are the results:
| HB2003 | replacement lines; structures; commission hearings | PASSED |
| HB2009 | subdivisions; acting in concert (NOW: real estate; subdivisions; employment agreements) |
PASSED |
| HB2014 | wells; intention to drill; appropriation (NOW: water infrastructure; bonds) |
FAILED |
| HB2017 | assured water supply; commingling | PASSED |
| HB2020 | long-term storage; stormwater; rainwater; rules | PASSED |
| HB2034 | DOC officers; personnel system; covered | PASSED |
| HB2060 | irrigation non-expansion area; substitution; acres | PASSED |
| HB2062 | assured water supply; certificate; model | PASSED |
| HB2097 | gray water; definition; residential standards | FAILED |
| HB2127 | assured water supply certificate; effluent | PASSED |
| HB2244 | misbranding; misrepresenting; food products (NOW: misrepresenting; food products) |
FAILED |
| HB2376 | federal government; land acquisition; consent | PASSED |
| HB2377 | federal lands; state management costs | PASSED |
| HB2389 | vehicle sales; emergency stop; prohibition (NOW: motor vehicles; features; technology; prohibition) |
PASSED |
| HB2481 | open meetings; public body; legislature | FAILED |
| HB2573 | use fuel dispenser labels; penalties | PASSED |
| HB2665 | child sex trafficking; facilitating prostitution | PASSED |
| HB2719 | bond elections; date; voter turnout (NOW: bond elections; date; supermajority vote) |
PASSED |
| HB2735 | ABOR; course approval; accounting system | PASSED |
| HB2742 | aggravated assault; transit; airport; rail | PASSED |
| HCR2051 | rural communities; groundwater; tools | PASSED |
| SB1665 | municipal development; permits; review | FAILED |
| SB1677 | firefighters; peace officers; PTSD; therapy | FAILED |
| SB1687 | drive by shooting; weapon discharge | FAILED |
| SCR1023 | general election day; all offices | FAILED |
| SCR1044 | judicial retention elections | PASSED |
In the governor’s front, here is a summary of her activity so far.
| Sent to governor | 278 |
| Vetoed by governor | 59 |
| Signed by governor | 202 |
For more details, go to https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview and click on “Search” on the menu on left-hand side of the page, which has a black background.