CEBV Weekly: June 30, 2025
The legislature has gone home. Here's what they did — and what you can do.
When we last left our intrepid readers, our state was teetering on the precipice of a government shutdown, with a handful of petulant House Republican lawmakers standing at obstinate odds against the rest of the Legislature in a high-stakes game of “budget chicken.” We’re happy to report that, this week, the House blinked. Lawmakers have passed a budget and adjourned for good.
For a rundown of the drama, keep reading. If you just want action items and a budget summary, skip to the next section.
Another round of hearings. The week opened with another House Appropriations Committee hearing on the second House “go-it-alone” budget. Compared with their first rogue attempt, far fewer folks showed up to testify, and the committee rooms weren’t filled. (It’s almost like everyone knew it was pointless!)
Happy to hurt Arizonans. Those who did testify explained that the second sham budget’s lack of funding would hurt real people, and how exactly that would happen. Livingston told each person who testified that he supported their asks and would love to fund them, but “the state of Arizona just can't do that today” — making it clear he intended to hurt Arizonans if he didn't get exactly what he wanted.
Desperate. During the hearing, Livingston was clearly nervous, and rambled at length. He warned that the House wouldn’t pass any other budget: “What the governor's staff needs to understand is that this is her last chance.” He even suggested the Senate and Hobbs should approve his rogue budget to avoid a shutdown, then call special sessions to add funding for various high-priority areas. That’s laughable. Hobbs’ main budget leverage is the fact that she must sign off for government to keep running, and everyone knows it. Hobbs has made quite a few decisions we haven’t agreed with, but hoping she’d fall for such a transparent ploy demonstrated deep desperation on Livingston’s part.
On borrowed time. In Tuesday’s Republican caucus meeting, House speaker Steve Montenegro let his frustration show — something which usually happens only behind closed doors — and interrupted Livingston’s blathering: “Chairman, I think we’ve heard enough.”
As chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, Livingston is currently the chamber’s top budget negotiator, but we’ll see what changes get made between now and next January. We may not have to wait long. On Friday, Senate Republicans replaced their Majority Leader, booting fringe MAGA anti-vaccine cultist Janae Shamp (R-29) in favor of key budget negotiator John Kavanagh (R-3).
An exercise in futility. On Wednesday, with a series of mass motions (which we’ve never before seen happen with budget bills), the Senate passed BOTH sham House budgets. The 28 bills all passed along party lines, with only Republicans in support. Senate president Warren Petersen said he allowed the votes “out of respect,” then made it clear in his comments what he really thought.
Vetoed. As promised, Gov. Hobbs vetoed both sham budgets within moments of their being transmitted to her office. Hobbs now holds a new record for the most vetoes in any legislative session: a jaw-dropping 169 bills. (She’s rightly proud of the record.)
Accepting defeat. Sulking, the House first read the Senate budget on Wednesday, voted to dispense with the 3-day requirement, and passed it on Thursday. Even as the House votes were just getting under way, the Senate shared on social media that the two sides had finalized a deal. The bills had broad support; each budget bill passed with between 40 and 42 yes votes. Accepted amendments were very minor; hostile floor amendments from fringe Republicans (such as the one just below) all roundly failed.
It’s done. Both chambers adjourned sine die (a Latin term meaning the session is fully concluded and cannot reconvene) midday Friday. The best part of the legislature being out of session is knowing they can do no further harm, at least for now.
Keep reading for a rundown of what’s in the budget, as well as which other bills lawmakers passed at the last minute. Hint: our 2026 ballots got a bit longer, and you have veto letters to write!
⏰ If you have 10 minutes: Directly contact the lawmakers in the “Hall of Shame” section below to tell them what you think.
⏰⏰ If you have 20 minutes: Also contact Gov. Katie Hobbs (602-542-4331 / engage@az.gov) and ask her to veto two bills on her desk, SB1001 and SB1019.
⏰⏰⏰ If you have 30 minutes: Also sign up for one or more of our summertime Civics trainings, our upcoming Conversation with Local First AZ founder Kimber Lanning, or another CEBV Zoom event.
⏰⏰⏰⏰ If you have 60 minutes: Join us on Zoom for our last CEBV Happy Hour conversation of 2025, with a state legislative rundown and budget updates. Happy Hour meets every Sunday at 4 PM through the end of legislative session. Sign up in advance here.
What’s in This Budget?
The Senate-negotiated budget passed the House on Thursday night with only very minor changes. Here are a few of its most notable provisions, most of which were there from the beginning:
Public Safety
full, ongoing funding for AHCCCS (Arizona’s Medicaid program) and the Division of Developmental Disabilities
permanent 15% pay raise for firefighters
permanent 5% pay raise for DPS officers
one-time 4% bonus for corrections officers
$5 million to sheriffs for border enforcement, with the same language as every other year1
Education
$360 million to backfill Prop 123 funding, which previously flowed from the state land trust, due to failure to negotiate a renewal
$183 million in one-time funding for school repairs (roughly 30% of what was needed)
$29 million in one-time District Additional Assistance and $37 million in one-time Opportunity Weight funding for at-risk students
$3.8 million in one-time school meal grants
two-year waiver of AEL school spending cap
$52 million to backfill overspending on ESA vouchers, with no reforms
Some Democrats refused to vote for the plan, correctly arguing it shortchanges important priorities while continuing to spend nearly $1 billion on the universal voucher plan. Lauren Kuby (D-8) said universal vouchers are “a scam that drained over $1 billion from our treasury and has taken money from our public schools in the name of subsidizing wealthy Arizonans for attending private schools. It’s wrong.” Hobbs, in a prepared statement, made no mention of vouchers. (Arizona Daily Star)
“We’re holding the line on school choice, and I’m proud of that.” House speaker Steve Montenegro (R-29) to the Arizona Capitol Times
Transportation
$119 million for road projects mostly in Republican districts, including SR 347 in southeastern Maricopa County and I-10 in western Maricopa County
Tax Carve-Outs
Property tax exemption for disabled veterans
Doubling of business property tax exemption
For more details on what’s in this budget, check out reporting from the Arizona Daily Star, the Arizona Republic or KJZZ Phoenix.
If you’re dissatisfied, that’s valid. This year’s budget moves the needle in a few areas, but otherwise largely maintains the unacceptable status quo. Over the years, our lawmakers have chosen to direct our state tax dollars toward tax cuts, vouchers, and now billionaire baseball team owners — and our state has been left with little funding for anything else.
Perhaps it will make you feel better to know that indicted fake elector and disgraced troll farmer Jake Hoffman is extremely upset and ranting at length on social media. (We think he should stop trying to destroy our government and go spend time with his wife and his newborn baby.)
Another Ballot Measure
At the last minute, the Senate advanced ballot referral HCR2055 along partisan lines, with only Republicans in support. This bill, which will now appear on our November 2026 ballot, asks voters to declare that drug cartels are terrorist organizations.
Don’t be fooled. The Brennan Center for Justice warns this could harm large numbers of people with no connection to drug trafficking, let alone terrorism. Churches, synagogues, food banks and other organizations serving migrant communities face particular risk given the broad sweep of the bill. It will likely endanger US-owned international companies, leaving them vulnerable to sanctions and heightening their risk of criminal prosecution (as cartels operate in sectors like agriculture and tourism). Critically, it will have a negative, destructive impact on US-Mexico relations. And some lawmakers say it’s unconstitutional: Catherine Miranda (D-11) warned it violates the Supremacy Clause, which gives the federal government authority on immigration issues.
The Cutting Room Floor
Lawmakers also tried to advance other dangerous provisions at the last minute, but fortunately failed. These included:
SCR1002, asking voters to ban the use of photo radar despite its many safety benefits
HCR2013, asking voters to restrict early ballot dropoffs to end the Friday before Election Day, and to ax what used to be Arizona’s Permanent Early Voting List by requiring early voters to reconfirm their status each election cycle
SB1470, stripping people from AHCCCS (Arizona’s Medicaid program) by freezing enrollment for various groups
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This past week, Gov. Hobbs exercised her power to protect Arizonans from the following harmful, CEBV-opposed legislation. The number of bills she’s vetoed this year now stands at 169 — a new record.
On the Governor’s Desk
Even when we expect these bills to receive a veto, it remains important to contact the governor’s office to request one. This demonstrates that her actions have strong public support. Learn how to write a veto letter by reading our guide here.
SB1001 (Mesnard, R-13) would require voters to drop off their early ballots by the Friday before Election Day. This would remove voters' ability to use drop boxes the weekend before the election or to drop ballots off on Election Day unless we stood in line and showed ID. Hundreds of thousands of voters would have to wait in long lines to cast ballots, decreasing voter turnout and engagement; in November 2024, Maricopa County alone saw over 225,000 ballots dropped off across 240 voting locations.
SB1019 (Rogers, R-7) would ban the use of photo radar, though numerous studies have found both speed and red-light cameras offer many safety benefits. Conspicuous, fixed cameras reduce traffic crashes and injuries by up to 35 percent. Nobody likes a ticket, but Arizona has had speed cameras since 1987 for good reason. Repealing photo radar will lead to more dangerous roads and more collisions. Incredibly, far-right extremists are calling photo radar “totalitarianism“ and “mass surveillance,” and are arguing this bill “will single-handedly stop the World Economic Forum's globalist agenda.” Some Republicans were reportedly “not happy” that they were asked to vote on this ban, but voted yes nonetheless.
Vetoed: Tuesday, June 24
HB2610 (Gress, R-4) would have required all school board members to be fired if their districts went into receivership (a situation where someone takes over the district's finances and operations, overriding decisions of the local board and superintendent). The sponsor said the bill was intended as a punishment and warning for all public schools.
One of our tasks as engaged citizens is to hold our allies accountable. This section calls out those who support harmful bills. We ask them to heed and do better.
👎 Cesar Aguilar (D-26), 👎 Alma Hernandez (D-20) and 👎 Consuelo Hernandez (D-21) for voting YES on SB1019. This bill would ban the use of photo radar, putting Arizonans at greater risk on the roads. Cameras reduce traffic crashes and injuries by up to 35 percent. SB1019 is now on the governor’s desk for her signature or veto.
👎 Alma Hernandez (D-20) and 👎 Lydia Hernandez (D-24) for voting NO on SCR1041 and SCR1042, which waived the archaic AEL school spending cap for the next two school years. These bills avert teacher layoffs, program cuts and school closures. Without the waivers, the public district schools which serve 70% of the state’s schoolchildren would be legally unable to spend $1.4 billion in funds the Legislature has already allocated to them. There is no reason for someone who purports to support public schools to vote no on these bills. (Plus Lydia Hernandez serves on a school board, which means she knows exactly the effect a NO vote here has.) Fortunately, the bills will take effect regardless of their votes, as SCR1041 and SCR1042 passed with the needed supermajorities to become law.
👎 Eighteen of the House’s 27 Democratic lawmakers for voting YES on HB2704. This bill, which will divert $500 million in tax dollars over 30 years from the state of Arizona and its counties and cities to subsidize a billionaire-owned, highly lucrative sports franchise, could not have advanced without their support.
If you had hopes that the governor would veto this insane waste of taxpayer dollars, we’re sorry to report that she signed the bill on Friday. Her office pushed hard for the giveaway, even negotiating the amendments that got the bill across the finish line.
Contact the legislators who voted YES on this bill as follows to express your displeasure:
Cesar Aguilar: caguilar@azleg.gov or 602-926-3953
Lorena Austin: laustin@azleg.gov or 602-926-3968
Seth Blattman: sblattman@azleg.gov or 602-926-3996
Janeen Connolly: jconnolly@azleg.gov or 602-926-3300
Lupe Contreras: lcontreras@azleg.gov or 602-926-5284
Alma Hernandez: ahernandez@azleg.gov or 602-926-3136
Consuelo Hernandez: chernandez@azleg.gov or 602-926-3523
Lydia Hernandez: lhernandez@azleg.gov or 602-926-3553
Sarah Liguori: sliguori@azleg.gov or 602-926-3264
Elda Luna-Nájera: eluna-najera@azleg.gov or 602-926-3881
Aaron Marquez: amarquez@azleg.gov or 602-926-3179
Mae Peshlakai: mpeshlakai@azleg.gov or 602-926-3708
Mariana Sandoval: msandoval@azleg.gov or 602-926-3740
Stephanie Stahl Hamilton: sstahlhamilton@azleg.gov or 602-926-3279
Stacey Travers: stravers@azleg.gov or 602-926-3917
Myron Tsosie: mtsosie@azleg.gov or 602-926-3157
Betty Villegas: bvillegas@azleg.gov or 602-926-3027
Kevin Volk: kvolk@azleg.gov or 602-926-3498
Gov. Katie Hobbs: engage@az.gov or 602-542-4331
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Some centrist Democratic lawmakers styled themselves very upset over this budget provision. However, as the Arizona Agenda and multiple other news outlets noted, every single budget these lawmakers have ever voted for contained that same language. It's far more likely that, unlike in past years, these lawmakers didn't see their own line items negotiated into this year's budget, leading to the ruffled feathers.