COCONINO COUNTY DEMOCRATS ARIZONA LEGISLATIVE ALERT
February 6, 2023
Below is our Arizona Legislature Alert for this week. Our representatives continue to be busy – mostly suppressing the vote, imposing restrictions on public schools, arbitrary constraints on cities and counties, etc. The reason there are so many bills in this alert is that TODAY 2/6 is the deadline for introducing new bills.
Please take whatever time you can to use RTS (Request to Speak) to voice your position on the bills outlined in the attached. Better yet, end and email or make a phone call to your representative to really let them know how you feel.
Remember that Civic Engagement Beyond Voting holds a hour long “Happy Hour” every Sunday at 4:00 PM to review what the legislature is up to. It is well worth your time. You can find a link to CEBV registration form to attend these zoom sessions here.
LD 7 REPRESENTATIVE SPONSORS
SB 1235 – OPPOSE – (Wendy Rogers) Would make bitcoin legal tender in Arizona. The Wall Street Journal says bitcoin should be banned, calling it “a gambling contract with a nearly 100% edge for the house.” USE RTS
SB 1236 OPPOSE – (Rogers) Would ban cities and counties from charging taxes or fees on blockchain technology, a form of crypto. USE RTS
SB 1240 – OPPOSE – (Rogers) Asks voters to exempt “virtual currency” from taxation. USE RTS
SB 1114 – OPPOSE – (Rogers) Would appropriate $3.64 Million to the existing hyperbaric oxygen therapy fund for military veterans. Such therapy can be sued for serious infections. It is likely this is an attempt to get state funding for fraudulent COVID treatment. USE RTS
SB 1234 – OPPOSE – (Rogers) Would ban the use of photo radar. Conspicuous fixed cameras reduce traffic crashes and injuries by up to 35 percent. Direct threat to public safety. USE RTS
HB 2411 – OPPOSE (Cook) Would punish Scottsdale mayor and city council for refusing to sell water to residents of Rio Verde Foothills, a high priced unincorporated area near Scottsdale. Scottsdale notified Rio Verde residents two years ago that Scottsdale was going to only sell water to residents inside Scottsdale city limits. This is clearly a punitive measure against Scottsdale and makes no attempt to address the bigger water scarcity issue. USE RTS
HB 2287 – ??? – (Cook) Would appropriate $14 Million from the Arizona State General Fund to complete the construction of the Lowell Observatory’s Astronomy Discovery Center. This is a major addition to Lowell and will provide a wide variety of educational and experiential science exposure to many local and visitors to Flagstaff. If you support Lowell use RTS 2.0 to support – it is a lot of money but its up to you.
TRANSPORTATION
SB 1122 – OPPOSE – Would extend the longtime Maricopa County half-cent sales tax that funds crucial freeways, roads and public transportation across Metro Phoenix. Unfortunately, the bill prevents spending on any commuter rail, light rail or streetcars – hence prevents the County from addressing real transportation needs. USE RTS!
VOTING SUPPRESSION
SB 1140 – OPPOSE – Would ban county-based voting centers and mandate that counties return to precinct-style voting. The voting center concept is very beneficial – it provides voter convenience, financial savings and increased turnout. USE RTS!
SB 1141 – OPPOSE – Would require anyone who turns in an early ballot at the polls to show ID and if they turn in more than one ballot (say for a spouse or other relative) to sign an affidavit. Clearly an attempt to intimidate voters! USE RTS!
SB 1143 – OPPOSE – Would ban anyone except political parties and election officials from distributing early ballot or early voting request forms to voters. Why shouldn’t regular folks help their neighbors register to vote the way they want to? Could this end early voting sign up at the DMV? USE RTS
SB 1144 – OPPOSE – Would ban “electronic vote adjudication”, – the process to resolve ballots with some errors – a process that is used today only sparingly. No good reason to ban such a practice. USE RTS
SB 1170 – OPPOSE – Would ban unmonitored drop boxes. These are accessible, convenient, reliable and secure and HUGELY POPULAR!! USE RTS!
SB 1213 – OPPOSE – Would mandate the Legislative Council, not the Secretary of State, create the official elections procedure manual. Can you imagine what that would do to our elections!! USE RTSs
SB 1273 – OPPOSE – Would require early ballots to include the warning that it is a class 6 felony to knowingly collect voted or unvoted early ballots from another person. Clearly a scare tactic to prevent people from legally returning their family’s ballots. USE RTS
SB 1287 – OPPOSE – Would force the postponement of an official election canvass or certification of results if returns are found to be “in question”. A bill in search of a nonexistent problem. USE RTS
SB 1324 and HB 2560 – OPPOSE – Would require copies of digital ballot images to be made publicly available online. This is a recommendation of the Cyber Ninjas after their failed ballot review. An obvious invasion of privacy and a continuing attempt to undermine Arizona’s election process. USE RTS.
HB 2078 – OPPOSE – Would set up mandatory election audit process that candidates, political parties and PAC’s could exploit. USE RTS
HB 2231 – OPPOSE – Would ban nearly all early voting!!!!!! USE RTS
HB 2415 – OPPOSE – Would further restrict the state’s early voting list (AEVL) by stripping voters if they fail to vote their early ballots in all elections within a given election cycle. USE RTS!
HCR 2033 – OPPOSE – Would ask voters to enshrine our current direct primary system in the state constitution -making if nearly impossible to explore other options such as rank-choice voting. USE RTS.
EDUCATION
SB 1243 – OPPOSE – Would eliminate some categories from STO (School Tuition Organization) vouchers – hence reduce tracking and making it easier for SRO’s to take in more money with less admin costs. Also would circumvent the requirement that students attend public schools first. USE RTS
HB 2332 – OPPOSE – Would require public district and charter schools to provide students with firearms training between grades 6 and 12. It also allows schools to accept in-kind donations of materials, equipment or services for the training from anyone with NO safety provisions. USE RTS.
HB 2523 – OPPOSE – Would require all K-12 students at a public or charter school to recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily. In 1943 the US Supreme Court ruled that no school or government can compel someone to recite the Pledge because forcing them violates the First Amendment. USE RTS
SB 1231 – SUPPORT – Would repeal AZ’s inequitable “results-based funding” program and redirect the money to early childhood education. The current results-based funding criteria rewards wealthier school districts and further widens the resource gap between wealthy schools and less affluent public schools. USE RTS
SB 1305 – OPPOSE – This is an “anti CRT” bill – fueled by anti-public school culture wars. It would ban teaching “controversial topics” in public schools (but NOT ESA taxpayer funded private schools). This is a terrible bill and would further increase the distrust of educators. USE RTS.
SB 1564 – OPPOSE – Would mandate that students at small private schools or who use the ESA vouchers must be allowed to try out for interscholastic activities at PUBLIC schools! Clearly a terrible bill. USE RTS
SB 1657 – OPPOSE – Would reinstate statewide testing to graduate from high school. In 2015 Republican lawmakers overwhelmingly chose to repeal this requirement. This bill contains no exceptions for students with many forms of special needs who struggle to pass standardized tests. USE RTS.
HB 2546 – OPPOSE – Would force any school district with 35,000 students to call an election to decide whether to split the district into two or more. This is meant to allow wealthier areas to break away from poorer ones contributing to greater differentiation in resources with our schools. USE RTS
GOVERNANCE
SB 1245 – OPPOSE – Would ban cities and counties from using vehicle license tax revenue for anything except transportation. State has no business micro managing local decisions on how to use revenues. USE RTS.
SB 1265 – OPPOSE – Would ban the use of rank-choice voting Arizona. This is a practice that leads to more centrist candidates becoming elected – no wonder the MAGA republicans are afraid of this. USE RTS
TAXATION
SB 1260 – OPPOSE – Would accelerate tax cuts on Arizona “small business” income to 2.5%. Most
corporations in AZ pay only the minimum tax of $50 anyway. Too many tax cuts!! USE RTS
SB 1263 – OPPOSE – Would exempt all class 1 and class 2 commercial business property from state taxes. This includes golf courses, shopping centers, utility and agriculture. Surely these businesses should contribute to the support structures that serve them and are paid from state funds. USE RTS
SB 1276 – OPPOSE – Would accelerate tax cuts on class 1 property – golf courses, shopping centers, utilities. Another attempt to reduce state revenue. USE RTS
HOMELESS
HB 2284 – OPPOSE – Would create state funded “tent cities” for anyone experiencing homelessness. It would segregate and criminalize people without dealing with the homelessness issue. AZ has a serious homeless crises and real solutions are needed not attempts to criminalize the condition for people. USE RTS.
SCR 1011 – OPPOSE – Would ask voters to allow the Housing Trust Fund to be used to fund state-funded “tent cities” for those experiencing homelessness. It would penalize cities with high homelessness rates than the state average and thus encourage cities to simply evict people. Another attempt to segregate and criminalize the homeless condition. USE RTS
PUBLIC SAFETY
HB 2316 – OPPOSE – A very broad anti-science bill that would make it a “discriminatory practice” for anyone in the state to withhold employment from an unvaccinated person. It bans vaccine requirements for schools and child care. Ridiculous!! Use RTS
HB 2467 and SB 1249 – OPPOSE – Would require the Arizona Medical Board to grant a medical license to international graduates who have NOT completed an accredited US residency. A Koch-backed libertarian measure. USE RTS
SB 1250 – OPPOSE – Would force employers to allow employees to claim a religious exemption from the COVID or flu vaccines, or any vaccination FDA-approved for emergency use. Such a claim could not be challenged or questioned. USE RTS
SB 1254 – OPPOSE – Would remove the current requirement that prescribed opioids must have a red cap on the pill container. Such a requirement is meant to warn people that the prescription use should be used with caution. USE RTS
HB 2303 – OPPOSE – Would ban private companies within Arizona from asking about an employee’s vaccination records as a condition of employment. USE RTS
SB 1331 – OPPOSE – Would ban school governing boards from restricting or prohibiting the parent of a student from carrying or transporting a firearm on school property if the parent possesses a valid concealed weapons permit (something that is ridiculously easy to get). USE RTS
SB 1428 – OPPOSE – Would ban cities from prohibiting or regulating gun shows within their boundaries. Unregulated gun shows can be a magnet for traffickers to obtain large quantities of weapons without background checks. Terrible bill!! USE RTS.
SOCIAL SAFETY NET
HB 2108 – OPPOSE – Would add additional requirements and hurdles to those seeking unemployment insurance. Arizona pays the SECOND LOWEST benefit of any state already and the amount hasn’t been raised since 2004!! People who are out of work need help not hinderance! USE RTS!
SB 1167 – OPPOSE – Would tie length of unemployment relief to Arizona’s unemployment rate. This would disproportionately harm rural areas and people of color, who typically have higher rates of unemployment compared to the state average. USE RTS
LGBTQ RIGHTS
SB 1026 – OPPOSE – Would threaten school funding by prohibiting organizations that receive state tax dollars from hosting “drag shows” to entertain people under 18. The definition of “drag shows” is board enough to include school plays (such as Shakespeare) or football players who dress up as cheerleaders for pep rallies. USE RTS
SB 1030 – OPPOSE – Would mandate that counties change their zoning laws to define business that hold “drag shows” as adult-oriented and would also ban the beloved Sunday drag brunch. The goal seems to be to mislead the public, intimidate LGBTQ people by perpetuating false, offensive narratives. USE RTS
HB 2517 – OPPOSE – Would require state documents to identify people as either male or female. This narrow, unscientific belief that there are only two genders has infected our politics and culture. This is a serious and complicated issue and it deserves careful consideration and compassion. USE RTS
ENVIRONMENTAL
HB 2505 – SUPPORT – Continues the recreation coordinating commission through 2029. This commission reviews and provides comments on statewide recreation issues for state parks. USE RTS
HB 2506 – SUPPORT – Continues the Arizona State Park board until 2029. USE RTS
HB 2518 – SUPPORT – Appropriates $3.5 Million to the State Parks Board for Prescott and Prescott Valley to establish the Glassford Dells regional park. USE RTS
HCM2022 – OPPOSE – Sends a message to Congress to open up more public land to development! USE RTS
HCM 2004 – OPPOSE – Has a lot of misinformation and urges Congress to change the management of the National Forests. USE RTS
HB 2535 – OPPOSE – Would exempt private water wells on private property from regulation. USE RTS
SB 1224 – SUPPORT – Would restore the $10 million allocation from lottery dollars for the State Parks Heritage Fund for trails, protecting cultural sites, education ,etc. USE RTS.
SB 1093 – OPPOSE – Another attempt to punish Scottsdale for not selling water to Rio Verde community. USE RTS.
SB 1392 – SUPPORT – Would appropriate an unspecified amount for a state park at the headwaters of the Verde River. USE RTS
SB 1714 – SUPPORT – Would appropriate $250,000 for the Arizona Trail Fund. USE RTS.
Here is the contact information for our Legislators:
AZ SENATE:
LD 1 – Ken Bennett 602-926-5874
LD 7 – Wendy Rogers 602-926-3042
LD 6 – Theresa Hatathlie 602-926-5160
President Warren Petersen 602-926-4136
Majority Ldr Sonny Borrelli 602-926-5031
Minority Ldr Raquel Teran 602-926-3308
AZ HOUSE:
LD 1 – Selina Bliss 602-926-4018
LD 1 – Quang Nguyen 602-926-3258
LD 7 – David Cook 602-926-5162
LD 7 – David Marshall 602-926-3579
LD 6 – Mae Peshlakai 602-926-3708
LD 6 – Myron Tsosie 602-926-3157
Speaker Ben Toma 602-926-3298
Majority Ldr Leo Biasiucci 602-926-3018
Minority Ldr Andres Cano 602-926-3027
E-Mail Contact for Governor Katie Hobbs:
https://azgovernor.gov/contact/form/contact-governor-hobbs