CEBV Weekly: January 30, 2023
Bonkers bills run amok. Veto letters we agree with. And, a budget already?
Lawmakers only have 3 more weeks of committee hearings to get their bills past the first deadline. That means the agendas these next three weeks will likely be some of the longest of the year. And the bills are real gems: culture-war nonsense, attacks on our freedoms to vote, and as always, tax cuts.
Take a deep breath and remember that Gov. Hobbs gets the last word on everything except a ballot referral. (She has a veto stamp, which she says she’s not afraid to use.) Remember, too, that our RTS comments are frequently read into the record in committee hearings and on the floor. Reporters use them in articles. And… they can also be used in a veto letter! So speak up: the governor needs to know the people’s thoughts, and our voices have suddenly become more important than ever.
In other news, Republican legislative leadership say they plan to introduce status quo budget bills this week. Such bills wouldn’t take into account the looming fiscal crisis of lawmakers’ own creation that nonpartisan budget analysts foresee. The idea is to refuse Gov. Hobbs as much leverage as possible on spending negotiations. But legislative Democrats say the plan "lacks any true vision for the financial future of our state," which means every Republican has to be on board. Several Republicans opposed last year's budget for "excessive spending," and that fringe ideology has only grown since last year. And even if they do get every Republican on board, Gov. Hobbs still has the last word.
So, we’ll believe it when we see it. Write your talking points into the record, then grab some popcorn for the partisan mudslinging and “the cynical last gasps of an increasingly desperate Republican majority that recognizes its grip on power at the Capitol is slipping, but is unwilling to deal with that reality.” The winds of change are blowing.
⏰ If you have 10 minutes: Contact your senator and representatives. Ask them to oppose tax cut bills SB1063, SB1184 and HB2067. Tell them you expect them to move Arizona forward without cratering our bottom line. If you’ve already contacted them, do it again!
⏰⏰ If you have 30 minutes: Use Request to Speak on bills in committee. (Yes, all of them.)
⏰⏰⏰ If you have another 30 minutes: Contact House Republicans as listed on the good bills we’ve highlighted.
⏰⏰⏰⏰ If you have 45 minutes: Testify at a committee hearing! Contact Brandy Reese, our Testimony Coordinator, at brandy@cebv.us. CEBV will be there with you every step of the way. We will help you shape your message, go with you for moral support, and do whatever we can to support you and help you make your voice heard.
⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰ If you have 60 minutes: Join us on Zoom at 4pm on Sunday for our next CEBV Happy Hour. This week features a dose of unshakable optimism: our own Brandy Reese, along with former LD7 candidate Kyle Nitschke, will discuss the benefits and challenges of running in an “unwinnable” district.
Spotlight Bill 1: Sales Tax Bans Hurt Cities
This year, Republican lawmakers have decided to try to ban cities from charging sales taxes on rent and groceries. Together, these bans would cost over $380 million a year — impacting police, fire, roads, libraries, parks, and many other things residents care about. The League of Arizona Cities and Towns strongly opposes these bills, saying it would force cities to either raise taxes elsewhere or cut services. Rural communities, where the tax base is not as diverse, would be the hardest hit.
When challenged to justify these enormous cuts, Republicans point to “record state-shared revenues” (money the state agrees to give cities). However, lawmakers increased these in 2021 specifically to offset the negative impacts of the giant tax cuts they passed for the rich. That money takes 2 years to work down to cities, which means it’s just now starting to do so — and that, thanks to the oncoming budget slowdown, it will all disappear in the next two years. Using it to try to justify brand-new harmful tax cuts is a deceptive bait and switch.
SB1063, SB1184 and HB2067 are all scheduled for committees on Wednesday. Contact your senator to OPPOSE the first two and your representatives to OPPOSE the other.
Spotlight Bill 2: Attack on Direct Democracy
For several years in a row, in an unceasing effort to throttle the citizens’ initiative & referendum process, anti-democracy lawmakers have pushed a bill to require that ballot measures collect signatures from a percentage of voters in each of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts (instead of the current statewide percentage): 10% for initiatives and 15% for a constitutional amendment.
This measure would mean special interest groups could easily block any initiatives they didn’t like from ever reaching the ballot. They’d simply need to pour attention onto one tiny area of the state, and to harass and intimidate the signature collectors there — just as a handful of protesters well-financed by the American Federation for Children and the Goldwater Institute did last summer to volunteers with Save Our Schools Arizona.
SCR1015 will be heard in committee on Wednesday. Contact your senator to OPPOSE.
Buckle up: there are nearly 3 dozen bills here. Consider doing your RTS day by day.
Monday
SB1105, sponsored by Frank Carroll (R-28), would require elections officials to immediately tabulate early ballots that are brought to the polls on Election Day, rather than putting them through the signature verification process. Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer says that would break the chain of ballot custody, harming election integrity. Scheduled for Senate Elections Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1108, sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), penalizes cities such as Flagstaff and Tucson for voting to set a higher minimum wage than the state’s. It allows individuals and corporations to deduct from their taxes some of the difference between the local and state minimum wages. These tax credits would then be deducted from the revenues the state is supposed to share with cities. Any unused tax credits could be rolled over for five years. This aims to punish cities for providing a living wage for their residents, as well as preempting local authority. The bill has no fiscal note to estimate the impact. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1122, sponsored by David Farnsworth (R-10), asks voters to extend a longtime Maricopa County half-cent sales tax. This funding is crucial for freeways, roads and public transit across metro Phoenix. The legislature passed a similar bill last session to extend the tax for 25 years, which then-Gov. Ducey vetoed. This bill would extend the tax for 15 years. However, it also slashes the funding for public transit from one-third of the total to just 5%, and specifically excludes commuter rail, light rail or streetcars — a provision that prevents the bill from truly addressing transportation needs in Arizona’s largest metro area. Scheduled for Senate Transportation & Technology Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1135, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would force voters who try to return their early ballots at the polls on Election Day to fill out an in-person ballot instead. In November 2022, nearly 1 in 5 voters chose to return their early ballots on Election Day. This bill would also end “emergency voting,” as in-person voting the weekend before Election Day is called. Our lawmakers should be making it easier, not harder, for us to vote. Scheduled for Senate Elections Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1141, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would require anyone who turns in an early ballot at the polls to show ID, and if they turn in more than one ballot, to sign an affidavit. Knowing violators would be subject to a class 5 felony. The claim that people dropping off multiple ballots is somehow proof of election fraud is patently false. The only case ever prosecuted in Arizona is a 66-year-old grandmother who collected four ballots in 2020. Scheduled for Senate Elections Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1170, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would ban unmonitored drop boxes. These are accessible, convenient, reliable, secure, and hugely popular, yet some lawmakers continue to insist without evidence that they increase election fraud. Scheduled for Senate Elections Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HB2474, sponsored by Steve Montenegro (R-29), would ban immunizations that have received FDA emergency use authorization from being required for school attendance. By advancing bills like this one, politicians are simply advancing conspiracy theories that crack the door open for measles and other diseases to resume killing our citizens. Scheduled for House Health & Human Services Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HB2309, sponsored by Rachel Jones (R-17), would ban Arizona and all its counties and cities from complying with US law if it’s inconsistent with Arizona law regarding the authority of state and local law enforcement agencies. Perhaps some legislators need pocket copies of the US Constitution? Article VI, Paragraph 2, known as the “supremacy clause,” states that the federal constitution and laws take precedence over state ones — not the other way around. Scheduled for House Military Affairs & Public Safety, Monday. OPPOSE.
Tuesday
HB2108, sponsored by David Livingston (R-28), would force unemployment recipients to submit documentation of at least 5 work search actions each week. If someone refuses a “suitable” job offer or fails to appear for a scheduled interview, the prospective employer would be required to report them to DES. Unemployment is already hard enough without punitive bills like this one. At a weekly maximum of just $320, Arizona ranks in the bottom 5 nationally for unemployment benefits. Currently people must lose their job through no fault of their own or a compelling personal reason in order to be eligible for unemployment. Scheduled for House Commerce Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2458, sponsored by Beverly Pingerelli (R-28), is the third straight year for a bill that would ban teaching controversial topics in schools and drive further distrust of educators. Teachers could be disciplined up to losing their teaching certificate, and school districts would face penalties of up to $5,000. To prepare children for the future, we need to teach them balanced history so they can learn from the mistakes of our past, and support critical thinking which teaches kids to interpret and analyze ideas on their own. The Advanced Placement program will not recognize schools that ban certain concepts. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2472, sponsored by Steve Montenegro (R-29), would ban the state from requiring banks to use a “social credit score” when evaluating loan worthiness. Driven by a panic that society will hold extremists accountable for their actions, the goal is to stop "discrimination" based on political affiliation or social or environmental values. This is absurd: unlike race, religion or gender, political opinion isn’t covered by fair lending laws. Similar to a failed bill from last year. One recent study says such efforts could cost Arizona millions. Scheduled for House Commerce Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HCR2001, sponsored by David Cook (R-7), would waive Arizona’s archaic school spending cap for one year, averting teacher layoffs, program cuts and school closures. Without this waiver, the public district schools which serve 70% of the state’s schoolchildren will be legally unable to spend $1.4 billion in funds the Legislature has already allocated to them, and would have to cut spending for this school year by nearly 20% across the board. The bill will require a two-thirds supermajority vote before March 1. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. SUPPORT.
Wednesday
SB1063, sponsored by Sonny Borrelli (R-30), would ban cities from charging sales taxes on food items. This change would cost the 65 Arizona cities who currently tax food over $150 million a year; lawmakers should not force such a drastic blanket change to cities’ budgets without consulting them. Preemption (legislation that blocks cities’ right to govern themselves) is, sadly, a cherished tradition at the Arizona Capitol — and cutting taxes (and therefore revenue) is a poor solution to Arizona’s problems. Duplicate bill HB2061, sponsored by Leo Biasiucci (R-30), has already made it through its committee. Scheduled for Senate Commerce Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1087, sponsored by Anthony Kern (R-27), would force state regulatory boards and agencies to waive or reduce license fees if their bank balance hits a certain amount. Spurred on by lobbyists at the Goldwater Institute, Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity, and other large national think tanks, Republican lawmakers routinely sponsor deregulation measures that would harm public safety and state finances. Scheduled for Senate Commerce Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1096, sponsored by Frank Carroll (R-28), would ban government and banks from contracting with any company that "discriminates" against weapons manufacturers. The bill seeks to stop the recent trend of banks exercising their right to do business with whom they choose by ending loans to gun companies. Ironically, the bill follows an Arizona Supreme Court ruling proclaiming a constitutional right to refuse to provide custom wedding invitations for same-sex couples. A previous year’s attempt at this bill was backed by the NRA. Scheduled for Senate Commerce Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1138, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would ban banks that do business in Arizona from "discriminating" based on political affiliation or social or environmental values. This would force banks to support polluters and gun makers, in opposition to current divestment trends. Similar to a failed bill from last year and several other bills in motion this session. One recent study says such efforts could cost Arizona millions. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1139, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would require state retirement funds to evaluate their investments solely based on finances. A bill from the same sponsor last session crusaded against “pro-abortion, pro-sex-ed” banks. This culture war against an imaginary problem could create real consequences for those who depend on Arizona’s retirement system. An ill-considered blanket mandate such as this could leave half a million teachers, municipal workers and other government employees with retirement accounts that are unable to invest in most major companies, and may create a minefield for investors and pension fund managers. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1184, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-2), would ban cities from charging sales tax on rent. Last year, the League of Arizona Cities and Towns strongly opposed a similar bill, saying it would force cities to either raise taxes elsewhere or cut services. Currently, 71 of Arizona’s 91 cities use these taxes to help fund police, fire, libraries, parks and other services. According to last year’s fiscal note, the bill would cost $202 million a year. Duplicate bill HB2067, sponsored by Neal Carter (R-15), is also in committee this week. Scheduled for Senate Commerce Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SCR1015, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would ask voters to restrict Arizona’s initiative and referendum process by requiring that ballot measures collect signatures from a percentage of voters in each of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts: 10% for initiatives and 15% for a constitutional amendment. This would effectively give any single district veto power over the rest, allowing the most extreme area in the state to veto measures that have broad support. Motivated by majority lawmakers’ increasing frustration with voters going around them to pass initiatives lawmakers don’t like. Nearly identical measures have been proposed for four consecutive years. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2067, sponsored by Neal Carter (R-15), would ban cities from charging sales tax on rent. Last year, the League of Arizona Cities and Towns strongly opposed a similar bill, saying it would force cities to either raise taxes elsewhere or cut services. Currently, 71 of Arizona’s 91 cities use these taxes to help fund police, fire, libraries, parks and other services. According to last year’s fiscal note, the bill would cost $202 million a year. Duplicate bill SB1184, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-2), is also in committee this week. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2161, sponsored by Judy Schwiebert (D-2), would cap yearly rent increases at 10%, or 5% over inflation, whichever is less. An exception is made if a dwelling unit is substantially remodeled. Rents have been skyrocketing, with a corresponding rise in homelessness. Scheduled for House Regulatory Affairs Committee, Wednesday. SUPPORT.
HB2222, sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), would waive fees for driver licenses and state IDs for people experiencing homelessness. This good idea, long championed by former House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding, deserves to become law. Scheduled for House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Wednesday. SUPPORT.
HB2233, sponsored by Liz Harris (R-13), would allow any Arizona voter to contest a election for any statewide office or ballot measure for election inconsistencies like ballot chain of custody or mismatched signatures. These challengers would be allowed to paw through ballots and “thoroughly examine” them for inconsistencies. The Arizona Supreme Court would be required to hear the case. This bill is bonkers in so many ways, we don’t know where to begin. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2304, sponsored by Cory McGarr (R-17), would ban county-based voting centers and mandate that counties return to precinct-style voting. The voting center model has numerous benefits, including voter convenience, financial savings, and increased turnout. Lawmakers should be making it easier, not harder, for us to vote. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2307, sponsored by Cory McGarr (R-17), would require all county and city elections to tabulate votes by hand. This is a terrible idea. On top of being slower, hand counts are more inaccurate and vastly more expensive. Driven by conspiracy theorists who believe elections are being somehow stolen by an mysterious algorithm. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2379, sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), would ban cities and counties from requiring any hotel or motel to participate in housing voucher programs that house homeless individuals or families in unoccupied guest rooms. This bill represents NIMBYism at its worst. Arizona has one of the worst homelessness crises in the nation, with a 23% increase last year alone; housing vouchers for apartments remain in short supply. Social service agencies often use hotel vouchers to temporarily shelter homeless people during bad weather or natural disasters; they give people the dignity of privacy, and also can accommodate couples, families and people with pets. Research has shown that quickly moving people into housing can solve long-term homelessness. Blanket bans like this one are mean-spirited and do nothing to address the crisis. Scheduled for House Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2394, sponsored by Austin Smith (R-29), bans Arizona and its cities and counties from enforcing any tax on firearms or ammo, on the grounds that it “might create a chilling effect on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens.” The federal government has taxed these items since 1919. Another legislator who needs a pocket copy of the US Constitution and knowledge of the “supremacy clause”! Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2411, sponsored by David Cook (R-7), would punish the Scottsdale mayor and city council for refusing to sell water to roughly 500 residents of Rio Verde Foothills, a high-priced unincorporated area near Scottsdale. The bill mandates that the city either resume sales or assume liability for any fire damage, health problems or attorney fees in Rio Verde, along with seeing the mayor’s and city council’s own personal water services cut off. For years, Scottsdale sold water to private haulers to truck to extravagant homes without city services or working wells. Due to the extreme drought, in 2021, Scottsdale notified Rio Verde that they would begin restricting water sales only to homes within city limits. This bill is a punitive measure that lacks any actual solution to larger water issues. Scheduled for House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2415, sponsored by Leo Biasiucci (R-30), 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 any given election cycle. The current law requires voters to participate in two back-to-back primary and general elections before being dropped from the AEVL. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2502, sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), would force courts to retroactively apply child support for pregnancies. This so-called “fetal personhood” bill is an attempt to give fetuses the same legal rights as people. Driven by anti-abortion crusaders who want to see a constitutional ban on reproductive freedoms, this incredibly unpopular, anti-scientific concept would also criminalize IVF and many forms of contraception. The US Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge forcing fetal personhood in October. Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
Thursday
SB1028, sponsored by Anthony Kern (R-27), would classify drag performances as “adult cabaret” (a category historically limited to strip shows) and ban them from public property or anywhere else a minor may be able to see them. This not only legitimizes real harassment, but could also ban everything from drag story hours for kids to performances of Cabaret, Rent and even Peter Pan. A first violation would carry to up to 6 months in jail; a subsequent violation would be a felony. Similar attacks on free expression have been proposed in at least 10 states this year. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary Committee, Thursday. OPPOSE.
SB1159, sponsored by Christine Marsh (D-4), would legalize drug testing equipment that is used to identify or analyze the strength, effectiveness, or purity of drugs. Possessing such equipment is currently a felony. Marsh lost her son to a fentanyl overdose after he took a pill that he didn’t know was laced with the potent synthetic opioid. Fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment of cancer but is now increasingly added to street drugs, making them even more deadly. This bill would provide another tool to increase public safety. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary Committee, Thursday. SUPPORT.
We’re leveraging our collective power! Two weeks ago, we used My Bill Positions (which we’ve fondly nicknamed “RTS 2.0”) to build support for the bills below. Last week, we made calls to urge hearings. If you called last week, please call again! Only sustained effort can unstick these bills.
If a bill is not assigned to any committee, contact House Speaker Ben Toma to ask him to assign it. If he’s already assigned the bill, contact the committee chair and ask them to put the bill on an agenda. All contact info is listed below.
HB2071, sponsored by Laura Terech (D-4), would finally ban corporal punishment in schools. How is this still a law? The subject is even more relevant in light of new Supt. Tom Horne’s recent eyebrow-raising comments regarding “discipline.” Contact House Education Chair Beverly Pingerelli (R-28)(bpingerelli@azleg.gov / 602-926-3396) and House Judiciary Chair Quang Nguyen (R-1) (qnguyen@azleg.gov / 602-926-3258) to ask that the bill be placed on an agenda. SUPPORT.
HB2137, sponsored by Athena Salman (D-8), would expand eligibility for the Children's Health Insurance Program (KidsCare) to low-income working families who earn under 250 percent of the federal poverty level (about $69,000/yr for a family of 4). KidsCare is a critical need. Right now, Arizona has one of the lowest eligibility thresholds, and accordingly, also the 4th highest rate of uninsured children in the country. 30,000 Arizona kids don’t have health care. The federal government will match Arizona’s investment 5-to-1. Contact House Health Chair Steve Montenegro (R-29) (smontenegro@azleg.gov / 602-926-3635) and House Appropriations Chair David Livingston (R-28) (dlivingston@azleg.gov / 602-926-4178) to ask that the bill be placed on an agenda. SUPPORT.
HB2141, sponsored by Athena Salman (D-8), would require Arizona's Medicaid program to provide comprehensive dental care for pregnant women ages 21+. Dental care for pregnant women is essential for the health of women and babies, and the state's investment would be met with federal dollars. This is at least the sixth consecutive year this proposal has been introduced. Time to pass it already! Contact House Health Chair Steve Montenegro (R-29) (smontenegro@azleg.gov / 602-926-3635) and House Appropriations Chair David Livingston (R-28) (dlivingston@azleg.gov / 602-926-4178) to ask that the bill be placed on an agenda. SUPPORT.
HB2154, sponsored by Keith Seaman (D-16), would cap School Tuition Organization (STO) administration costs at 5%. STOs are a type of private school voucher funded by dollar-for-dollar tax credits, and are currently allowed to keep 10% of donations for administration. This means these lucrative businesses are allowed to pocket $25 million (and growing) in Arizona taxpayer funds each year. Other states cap administration fees at 3-5% maximum. Former state senator Steve Yarbrough helped design Arizona’s STO program for his own personal profit. Contact House Speaker Ben Toma (R-27) (btoma@azleg.gov / 602-926-3298) to ask him to assign the bill to a committee. SUPPORT.
HB2256, sponsored by Andrés Cano (D-20), would increase Arizona’s investment in the Housing Trust Fund to $150 million. The fund provided $10 to $20 million a year for housing for people experiencing homelessness. The money was diverted to the state's general fund during the Great Recession; lawmakers reinstituted it last year. Arizona desperately needs more affordable housing. Metro Phoenix led the nation in rent increases in 2021, and now ranks in the top 10 nationwide for the most severe shortages. Housing analysts have been asking for more investment in the fund for years. Contact House Speaker Ben Toma (R-27) (btoma@azleg.gov / 602-926-3298) to ask him to assign the bill to a committee. SUPPORT.
HB2351, sponsored by Patricia Contreras (D-12), would ban health care professionals from using the abusive, widely discredited practice of LGBT “conversion therapy” on minors. These methods can include electric shocks, induced vomiting, or elastic bands snapped against the skin to create negative associations with same-sex attraction; hypnosis; masculinity workshops; and spiritual counseling. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and other national organizations oppose this "therapy” as destructive and unprofessional. Contact House Health Chair Steve Montenegro (R-29) (smontenegro@azleg.gov / 602-926-3635) and House Judiciary Chair Quang Nguyen (R-1) (qnguyen@azleg.gov / 602-926-3258) to ask that the bill be placed on an agenda. SUPPORT.
2023 Session Timeline
Monday, 1/30 Senate bill introduction deadline Monday, 2/6 House bill introduction deadline Friday, 2/17 Last day for a bill to get out of committees in its originating house Monday, 2/20 Crossover Week begins (most committee hearings are suspended) Friday, 3/24 Last day for a bill to get out of committees in its crossover house Saturday, 4/22 100th Day of Session (the stated end goal; can be changed)
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