1. GOVERNOR HOBBS REACHES A NEW HIGH – 60 VETOED BILLS, with still 50+ Bills on her desk awaiting a decision.  AND, there still remains Bills in both the House and Senate Floors to be heard.
2. No Legislative session next week as the Legislature is taking off a week for Spring break.  AND, because of the removal of Representative Liz Harris, the House is minus one Representative.  This vote is crucial to getting Bills past off the Floor.  This should be decided soon by the Board of Supervisors (BOS) once a name or names, up to three, are submitted by LD13 to the BOS for review.
3. Tuesday, April 18, will be the 100^th Day of this Legislative Session.  Happy Spring Break…

NOW BACK TO OUR REGULAR NEWS…

The future cannot come soon enough for the Legislature.  Wednesday was a dark day for the House as the Members voted to expel a Republican legislator for disorderly conduct.  I presume that taking away her committees was not a strong enough message, but to expel her from the legislature made a Bigger Point…

Now, we have a conundrum.

How do we pass any legislation in the House without Majority vote?  We are at a stalemate until that decision is reversed, or until another Representative is brought in to help with the vote discrepancy.  The future is about to unfold some secrets…

The House now sits with 30 Republicans and 29 Democrats.

In another building at the Capital the 9^th Floor (Governor) was buzzing away with a new title:  the ‘Veto Queen’.  To date (4/14), 60 Bills have been vetoed, with 11 this week.  Busy Bee.  She gets top billing for the most vetoes by any Governor… and the session is not over yet.

BILLS VETOED

The Veto Queen kept her ink pen filled with vetoing 11 more Bills this week while signing 22 Bills into law.  Her current totals are:  Signed into law 51, and vetoed 60.  There are still numerous Bills left on her desk (OVER 50) to decide their fate, and many more in Legislature awaiting Floor action.

Two important Bills the Governor vetoed this week are SB1074 and HB2675.  Let me briefly review them.

SB 1074 would have prohibited the use of electronic voting equipment as the primary method for tabulating votes in any city, town, county, state or federal election, unless the outlined requirements were met, as well as prescribed requirements relating to the source codes for electronic voting equipment.

Besides the fact, the election equipment could not have been used in Arizona unless they, and their individual components, were produced entirely by American manufacturers, not imported from overseas.

The Governor used some lame political answer to veto the Bill stating that S.B. 1074 requires “election equipment that does not exist, and neither strengthens democracy or ensures that Arizonans can better exercise their fundamental right to vote.”

My favorite Bill HB2675 was also on the Veto Spree.  This Bill would have declared that drug cartels are terrorist organizations and required the Arizona Department of Homeland Security (AZDOHS) to do everything within its authority to address the threat that drug cartels pose.  Governor Dearest said in part, “Labeling drug cartels as terrorist organizations to deploy state resources is not a real solution and is not a state function.”

She thinks it should be left up to the U.S. Department of State…  not her issue to contend with.

BILLS SENT TO THE GOVERNOR WAITING FOR PENDING DECISION

With over 161+ Bills having been sent to the Governor and only 111 being responded too, and with many still awaiting Floor action in the legislature, looks like the Veto Queen and the Legislature may still have about 2 months more to go.

Remember, we still have the Budget to deal with.  The State would become a “frozen monument” with a closed-door government as of June 30, if the Budget is not figured out.

BILLS VETOED BY THE GOVERNOR THIS WEEK

This past week alone THE Governor vetoed 11 Bills, with 6 Bills in one day.  They are listed below:

1. HB2212   criminal damage; trespassing; critical facilities            4/11
2. HB2442   temporary non-expansion area                                  4/11
3. HB2552   voting; elections; tally; prohibition                            4/12
4. HB2675   drug cartels; terrorist organizations                           4/11
5. HB2754   criminal liability; enterprises                                     4/12
6. SB1005    unjustified actions; parental rights                            4/11
7. SB1027    carfentanil; fentanyl; threshold amount; minors          4/11
8. SB1109    prohibited weapons; muffling device; repeal               4/11
9. SB1166    public employees; postsecondary degree requirements  4/7
10. SB1236    blockchain technology; tax; fee; prohibition               4/12
11. SB1251    working animals; restrictions; prohibition                   4/12

BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE GOVERNOR THIS WEEK

This past week the Governor signed 22 Bills into law.  They are:

1. HB2066   banks; financial institutions; personal information       4/11
2. HB2197   wills; electronic signatures; requirements                   4/11
3. HB2433   pensions; domestic relations orders                           4/11
4. HB2473   dental hygienists; scope of practice                           4/11
5. HB2498   do-not-call list; text messages                                   4/12
6. HB2589   emergency medical technicians; military reciprocity     4/12
7. SB1052    insurance coverage; biomarker testing                      4/11
8. SB1097    truck routes; signage                                               4/11
9. SB1176    health professionals; address; confidentiality              4/12
10. SB1294    sex offender registration; online identifiers                 4/12
11. SB1603    hospital; price transparency                                      4/12
12. SB1650    auditor general; duties; access                                  4/12

13. HB2005 foreign captive insurers; definition                              4/13
14. HB2006 insurance; liquidity; definition                                    4/13
15. HB2008 ASRS; contribution prepayment                                   4/13
16. HB2009 ASRS; retirement application; changes                         4/13
17. HB2011 state board of accountancy; continuation                    4/13
18. HB2015 retirement plans; plan election; rehire                         4/13
19. HB2016 food handler certificates; training; exemption              4/13
20. HB2029 ASRS; supplemental deferral plan; participation           4/13
21. HB2052 counties; advertising contracts; term; notice                4/13
22. HB2055 probation; work time costs; reporting                         4/13

CITIZEN LEGISLATOR

The future has a way of appearing unannounced.  We need to be prepared for it.  Either we plan now for tomorrow or we will be left holding our problems unattended.  Review the possible solutions I have laid out in the attachment, AND NEXT COMES THE FUTURE FINAL 041423

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR

The RTS (Request to Speak) system is a necessary component to our legislative process.  This is an excellent way to share your positions on a particular Bill and let your legislator know that you support his/her legislation.  Please review this site and make sure you know how to use it properly.  The legislators depend a lot on your opinions and this is where you share them.

The link to sign up for the RTS system can be found here:  https://www.azleg.gov/alispdfs/Using_the_Request_to_Speak_Program.pdf

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Once again, as a gentle reminder to all of the people who just joined these updates, this is how to read the attachments.  All the Bills listed on the attachments are mostly ALL the Republican Introduced Bills.

2023 AZ STATE LEGISLATIVE BILLS AND ACTIONS 041523 VERSION

The Bills highlighted in Green are the GOP Bills I monitor on a daily basis.  The Bills highlighted in Blue are Democratic Bills I thought were necessary to follow.  The Bills highlighted in Gray, are ones introduced by LD2 legislators, Senator Kaiser and Representative Wilmeth.

And, the Bills highlighted with yellow in the status and date columns, are noted for your review to see their progression in the legislative process.  All Bills are up to date through 4//23.

Remember, each Bill Number listed is a link to the Bill itself and you can access the status, documents and Agenda’s by clicking onto the link.  Even though I monitor and keep track of the Bills daily, I only send out Updates on the weekends.  So, if you want daily updates on any Bill, just click onto the Bill Number, and go to Overview or Status, for real-time information.  Don’t forget, there is an attachment with the Abbreviations used in the legislature to make your reading easier to understand.

As always, if there are Bills that I am not specifically monitoring, PLEASE let me know and I will add them to my list for you.

 

Attachments:

1. List of Abbreviations
2. List of Introduced Bills
3. Vetting Questions of All Candidates
4. And Next Comes the Future Final

 

Respectfully,

Linda Brickman,

Chairman of LD2 Legislative Committee

Email:  Luvbug1611@cox.net

Cell:  602-330-9422

 

SESSION STATISTICS

Days of Session: 97

Bills Posted: 1630

Bills Transmitted to the Governor: 100+ (50 this week)

Bills Vetoed: 60

Bills Signed: 51

Resolutions Posted: 104

Resolutions Sent to the SOS: 19

1. HCM2002    federal lands housing shortage
2. HCM2003    critical minerals; copper; urging the president
3. HCM2004    urging Congress; national forest health
4. HCM2007    state immigration enforcement; urging Congress
5. HCR2001     school district expenditures; authorizations
6. HCR2027     Russell Pearce; death resolution
7. HCR2033     primary elections; eligible candidates
8. HCR2037     Assyrian New Year; recognizing
9. HCR2044     Assyrian Genocide; recognition
10. HCR2045     Jack Jackson, Sr.; death resolution
11. HCR2047     twentieth anniversary; death; Lori Piestewa
12. HCR2048     Joe Hart; death resolution
13. HR2002       securing America’s lands; foreign interference
14. HR2003       Liz Harris; expulsion
15. SCR1006     death benefit; assault; first responders
16. SCR1020     James Henderson; death resolution
17. SR1004       Mel Hannah; death resolution
18. SCR1037        presidential electors; constitutional appointments

(NOW; elections; systems; equipment)

1. SCR1039     Ted Williams; death resolution

Bills Vetoed:  60

1. SB1184        Municipal tax exemption; residential leases      VETOED       2/23
2. SB1248        Scope of practice; process; repeal                   VETOED       3/3
3. Senate Budget Bills SB1523 through SB1535 (13 Bills)          VETOED       2/16
4. SB1305        race; ethnicity; prohibited instruction [CRT Bill] VETOED       3/9
5. SB1063        food municipal tax; exemption                        VETOED       3/28
6. SB1096        firearms; contracts; prohibited practices           VETOED       3/28
7. SB1024              public rights-of-way; unlawful acts                   VETOED       3/30
8. SB1250        employers; vaccines; religious exemption         VETOED       3/30
9. HB2056        dry washes; permit program exemption           VETOED       4/3
10. HB2427 domestic violence; pregnant victim; sentencing VETOED     4/3
11. HB2440        electric energy; power companies; priorities VETOED  4/3
12. HB2472        social credit; use; prohibition                VETOED       4/3
13. HB2322        active-early voting lists; removed           VETOED       4/6
14. HB2437        transmission lines; applications; exceptions VETOED   4/5
15. HB2477              electoral college; support                                     VETOED       4/5
16. HB2535        private property; wells; regulation; prohibition     VETOED       4/5
17. HB2586        ADOT dynamic message signs               VETOED       4/5
18. SB1162        home-based businesses; restrictions; prohibition VETOED  4/4
19. SB1600        infants; born alive; requirements            VETOED       4/6
20. SB1009               criminal damage; monuments; memorials; statues VETOED    4/5
21. SB1074        election; contest; technical correction     VETOED       4/6
22. SB1253        sex offender registration; school notification VETOED        4/6
23. SB1257        water resources; assistant director         VETOED       4/6
24. SB1428        political subdivisions; gun shows; preemption     VETOED       4/6
25. HB2415        active early voting lists; removal            VETOED       4/6
26. HB2212        criminal damage; trespassing; critical facilities            4/11
27. HB2442        temporary non-expansion area                                  4/11
28. HB2552        voting; elections; tally; prohibition                            4/12
29. HB2675        drug cartels; terrorist organizations                           4/11
30. HB2754        criminal liability; enterprises                                     4/12
31. SB1005        unjustified actions; parental rights                            4/11
32. SB1027        carfentanil; fentanyl; threshold amount; minors          4/11
33. SB1109        prohibited weapons; muffling device; repeal               4/11
34. SB1166        public employees; postsecondary degree requirements  4/7
35. SB1236        blockchain technology; tax; fee; prohibition               4/12
36. SB1251        working animals; restrictions; prohibition                   4/12
37. HB2570 – 2582       12 Additional Budget Bills from the House

Bills Signed:  51

1. SB1103           administrative review; approvals; developments
2. SB1171           conformity; internal revenue code
3. SB1036           setting aside conviction; certificate eligibility
4. SB1051           census adjustment; population threshold
5. SB1078           podiatric medical assistants; radiation; exemption
6. SB1173           public retirement systems; plan election
7. SB1190           technical correction; collection agencies; licenses
8. SB1211           county attorney; representation; duties
9. SB1218           naturopathic physicians medical board
10. SB1283           dental board; annual report; website
11. SB1473           corrections act of 2023
12. SB1130           deferred payments; prohibition
13. SB1049           homeowners’ associations; Betsy Ross Flag