The Arizona House Committee on Public Safety and Law Enforcement today passed House Bill 2993, legislation sponsored by House Speaker Steve Montenegro to protect Arizona law enforcement and keep the Department of Public Safety independent of Attorney General Kris Mayes’ political agenda, after Mayes publicly discussed circumstances under which members of the public could use deadly force against police officers.
Mayes’ comments have been condemned by law enforcement leaders and elected officials across Arizona. The Arizona House censured Mayes for her statements.
HB 2993 allows DPS to hire outside legal counsel, ensuring the agency is not forced to rely on an Attorney General’s Office that has chosen political messaging over public safety. The bill also redirects $5 million from the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection-Consumer Fraud Revolving Fund to the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission Fund, shifting resources from press and politics to operations and enforcement.
“Attorney General Mayes does not get to put officers at risk with reckless talk and then expect DPS to trust her office for legal protection,” said Speaker Montenegro. “The House censured her, and we are taking the next step. HB 2993 gives DPS the authority to hire counsel it trusts, without political strings attached. It also moves $5 million out of the Attorney General’s control and into GIITEM, the mission that targets gangs, cartels, and transnational criminals. Arizona is choosing officer safety and enforcement over Mayes’ political games.”
GIITEM is a statewide, multi-agency enforcement effort focused on suppressing criminal gangs and transnational crime and supporting coordinated law enforcement operations across Arizona.
“Public safety is not a press strategy,” Speaker Montenegro said. “This bill protects DPS from interference, strengthens enforcement, and puts resources on the front line where they belong.”
HB 2993 now advances to the full House for consideration.
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