CEBV Weekly: March 17, 2025
Long committee agendas. Unrealistic budget expectations. Cueing up another lengthy ballot. Using our voices.
It’s now that time of year where we know what ideas are still alive and in motion at the Legislature, and we can devote our energy to stopping the bad bills and promoting the good ones (yes, there are some!). Just 150 of the 1,802 bills introduced so far this session are still worthy of our attention, and that includes the ones in this Weekly.
March at the legislature means long committee agendas, though thankfully not as long as we saw in January. The deadline for House bills to be heard in Senate committees and Senate bills to be heard in House committees is next Friday, March 28. Because of rules on when and how committee chairs must release agendas, bills must make it onto those agendas by the end of this week to have a chance of becoming 2025 law (at least by conventional means). That means there’s an end in sight: there are only two more weeks of committee hearings (three if you count the catchall desperation of the final Appropriations hearings), making next week the last week for long committee agendas and heavy Request to Speak action.
What happens after that, you may ask? Lawmakers will turn their attention in earnest to their only constitutionally mandated task, the passage of a state budget. This rarely happens before mid-May, yet Republicans are ratcheting up their bluster and political grandstanding. For example, Rep. David Livingston (R-28) said this week that his "goal is to pass a budget and sine die1 before May 1." We think the last time the legislature passed a budget that early was in 2011.2 Livingston acknowledged that budget negotiations haven’t even started yet — though Gov. Hobbs released her executive budget proposal on January 17 — but he said budgets "can happen very fast" and implied that Hobbs will quickly agree to his caucus’s priorities.
Unrealistic doesn’t even begin to describe this.
Thankfully, our opposition doesn’t need to last forever. We must use every tool in our toolbox: RTS, committee testimony, calls, emails, meetings with lawmakers, letters to the editor, op-eds, talking with friends and family, and all forms of citizen pressure we can muster.
As always, the conversations on which lawmaker will support what bill are happening primarily behind the scenes, so if you care about an issue, make it public. Write to your representatives, use social media, pen a Letter to the Editor, give committee testimony, and talk with friends, family and neighbors. These are all great ways to get the issue on the radar.
⏰ If you have 10 minutes: Act on the eight Spotlight bills by using Request to Speak and contacting lawmakers directly to OPPOSE.
⏰⏰ If you have 30 minutes: Also use Request to Speak on the other bills in committees this week. Refer to the information, links and talking points in this Weekly to craft your own comments to lawmakers.
⏰⏰⏰ If you have 60 minutes: Join us on Zoom for our next CEBV Happy Hour conversation. This week, our agenda is unparalleled: after our usual state legislative rundown, we’ll welcome our guest, Attorney General Kris Mayes! Happy Hour meets every Sunday at 4 PM through the end of legislative session. Sign up in advance here.
In a desperate attempt to circumvent the governor’s veto pen, lawmakers are queueing up another ridiculously long ballot for us in 2026. These eight measures are in committees this week:
SCR1002 (Rogers, R-7), banning the use of photo radar, despite its many safety benefits, to stop “mass surveillance” and the “globalist agenda”
SCR1008 (Petersen, R-14), requiring a two-thirds supermajority vote for cities and counties to approve increases in taxes, fees or assessments, setting local governments up to wither the same way state government has over decades
SCR1009 (Mesnard, R-13), requiring a two-thirds supermajority vote in the Legislature for statewide fees and assessments, closing off one of the last remaining avenues the state has to raise badly needed revenue
HCR2015 (Fink, R-27), allowing the legislature to direct federal “block grant” funding however they wish, including to private school vouchers for the wealthy
HCR2023 (Kolodin, R-3), exploiting disabled combat veterans as a tool to wither the General Fund by exempting them from property taxes beginning in 2027
HCR2041 (Montenegro, R-29), asking Congress to call an Article V constitutional convention for Congressional term limits, which could result in a "runaway convention" and a whole new form of government — an especially terrifying prospect given the destructive overreach of our current federal regime
HCR2042 (Montenegro, R-29), enshrining racism and teaching bans in the state Constitution, and allowing the legislature to "prescribe related practices or concepts" to also ban
HCR2057 (Keshel, R-17), attacking direct democracy by requiring ballot measures to collect signatures from a percentage of voters in all of Arizona’s 15 counties
Overloaded ballots cause a host of elections issues, including high printing and mailing costs, mail ballot delivery delays, increased need for elections workers, voter fatigue and confusion, long lines and paper jams at polling places, delays in vote counting, and more. Even if you put aside the (nonexistent) merits of these proposals, it’s clear that loading up our ballots (again) carries heavy consequences.
This past week, one Democratic lawmaker suggested the Legislature should check itself by raising the vote threshold for lawmakers to put measures on our ballot. Maybe Hell the Legislature will freeze over and that will actually happen. Until then, we must push our Republican majority to exercise some restraint, and to put the needs of our state above their desire to try to “gotcha” Gov. Hobbs.
Democracy
SB1013, sponsored by Warren Petersen (R-14), asks voters to amend the Arizona Constitution to require a two-thirds supermajority vote for cities and counties to approve increases in taxes, fees or assessments. A similar Constitutional provision for tax increases has shrunk state government over decades and made it nearly impossible to fund our state’s many needs and priorities. This obstructionist, top-down move would hamstring our local governments with the same problem, and would have an extreme impact on Arizona residents as the state has pushed many of its costs for essential services onto local governments. Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1025, sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would allow the state treasurer and state retirement systems to invest up to 10% of their public monies in "virtual currency." The volatility and risk of cryptocurrency makes it a terrible retirement investment. Crypto is speculative, has no intrinsic value, and is not backed by any regulatory mechanism. Its value changes constantly and dramatically; over the past 10 years, it has been 5 to 10 times as volatile as the US stock market, which adds a huge risk to a portfolio even with a small amount invested. Even the most aggressive investment advisors recommend that investors make it less than 10% of their portfolio. This bill would gamble with our tax dollars and Arizonans’ lifetime savings. Scheduled for House Commerce Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1098, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would require voters to show ID in order to drop off their early ballots. Anyone delivering ballots for a family or household member would have to provide ID and attest to their relationship with the voter. Violations would be a jaw-dropping class 5 felony, with penalties of up to 2.5 years in prison for a first offense. Scheduled for House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1123, sponsored by Mark Finchem (R-1), would require our ballot paper to include specific "anti-fraud countermeasures." The requirements are written so narrowly that only one vendor is qualified: Authentix, a company with ties to Finchem. As one critic says, this “reeks of being a shady backroom deal.” Listen to Lauren Kuby (D-8) discuss the inherent conflict of interest here. Scheduled for House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1237, sponsored by Warren Petersen (R-14), would ban full-time state employees from working remotely. A similar move on the national level is intended to slash the federal workforce through attrition. Remote work offers numerous benefits, including increased flexibility, a better work-life balance, cost savings, and access to a wider talent pool, while also boosting productivity and reducing absenteeism and traffic. This bill would move us in the wrong direction. Scheduled for House Regulatory Oversight Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1319, sponsored by Tim Dunn (R-25), would allow Arizona to train and certify election officials during the first six months of even-numbered federal election years. Current state law only allows certified officer training during odd years, which means temporary staff must be certified a full year before they are hired to help tabulate ballots. The change would allow smaller counties to count ballots much faster by hiring temporary workers, sending them to a state training, and employing them through the November election. Scheduled for House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections, Wednesday. SUPPORT.
SB1371, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would slash the amount of income tax that seniors pay on 401(k) and IRA income. The bill's fiscal note estimates the cost at nearly $400 million a year. Using a revolving cast of sympathetic recipients, Republican lawmakers have for decades systematically slashed state revenues, increasing tax carve-outs from $16 billion in 2014 to nearly $30 billion in 2024. These tax cuts hurt Arizona’s ability to properly fund our public schools and services. Our budget is in the bottom 5 states in per capita spending nationally, and our schools are funded at 49th in the country. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1378, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would ban homeowners’ associations and planned communities from restricting the display of Trump flags. Currently, whether we can display signs and flags with the name of a public official or candidate hinges on whether the person appears on the next ballot. The core job of a homeowner’s association is to preserve property values, which it does through overseeing aspects like aesthetics. These associations have the private right to restrict the display of controversial eyesores. Scheduled for House Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1534, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would allow for more partisan ballot language, transferring the responsibility for preparing the summary of ballot initiatives and referenda from the Secretary of State to the Legislative Council and removing the requirement for the Attorney General to approve the summaries. This is yet another effort to curtail the citizens' initiative and referendum process granted by our state constitution. Passed the Senate party lines 3/5. Scheduled for House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SCR1002, sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would ask voters to ban the use of photo radar. 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 call photo radar “totalitarianism“ and “mass surveillance,” and argue this bill “will single-handedly stop the World Economic Forum's globalist agenda.” Gov. Hobbs has vetoed similar bills, but this measure would head directly to the ballot. Scheduled for House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SCR1008, scheduled for Warren Petersen (R-14), asks voters to amend the Arizona Constitution to require a two-thirds supermajority vote for cities and counties to approve increases in taxes, fees or assessments. A similar Constitutional provision for taxes has strangled state government over decades and made it nearly impossible to fund our state’s many needs and priorities. This obstructionist, top-down move would hamstring our local governments with the same problem, and would have an extreme impact as the state has pushed many of its costs onto local governments. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SCR1009, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would ask voters to amend the Arizona Constitution to require a two-thirds supermajority vote in the Legislature for statewide fees and assessments. A similar Constitutional provision for taxes has strangled state government over decades, making it nearly impossible to fund our state’s many needs and priorities. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
Furious about what our “representatives” are up to? Attend our Letters to the Editor training this Monday night. Learn how to write an effective and persuasive message, and help change the conversation in your community!
HB2547, sponsored by Lupe Diaz (R-19), would strip public funding from health centers that mention abortion to patients. This would defund clinics that provide other reproductive and health care services if they inform women that they are legally entitled to terminate a pregnancy, blatantly violating the recently voter-approved Prop 139. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2601, sponsored by Nick Kupper (R-25), would exempt individuals under the age of 18 from Arizona income tax if their gross income is less than $50,000. Minors rely on public transportation, roads, schools and other services in order to join the workforce, and should support these public goods like everyone else. The fiscal note estimates the move would cost the General Fund $8 million per year; it also notes that the estimate is "uncertain," likely lowballed. Scheduled for Senate Appropriations Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2606, sponsored by Quang Nguyen (R-1), would appropriate $50 million from the state general fund to the Arizona Department of Public Safety to enforce “border-related crimes.” This would not only fund racial profiling, but could trigger a constitutional challenge to Prop 314, which made illegally crossing the federal border a state crime and allows local police to detain and arrest migrants. Republican lawmakers didn’t allocate any funding to enforce the measure, and the Arizona Constitution says ballot measures that increase state spending must provide the cost from somewhere other than the general fund. Scheduled for Senate Military Affairs & Border Security Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HB2631, sponsored by Alexander Kolodin (R-3), would take oversight of the Election Procedures Manual away from the Attorney General (currently a Democrat) and give it to the House and Senate Elections committee chairs (currently Republicans). This politically motivated move is not in the best interest of our elections; the legislature and state Republican Party have been demanding control of the manual in court to mixed results. A power grab like this would give them exactly what they want, and voters would suffer for it. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2681, sponsored by Rachel Keshel (R-17), would impose new requirements and restrictions on the use of abortion-inducing drugs, blatantly violating the recently voter-approved Prop 139. A similar bill failed a floor vote in 2022 after several Republicans voted no, pointing out the drugs are also used to treat miscarriages and Cushing's Syndrome. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2824, sponsored by Tony Rivero (R-27), would allow the legislature to arrest anyone who refuses to comply with a subpoena they issued — including another elected official — and physically haul them before a committee. This is a clear response to a partisan stunt orchestrated last year: some of the furthest-right members of the Legislature convened a committee hearing to call for the impeachment of Attorney General Kris Mayes for protecting Arizonans from legislators’ overreach. Mayes, along with all legislative Democrats, refused to attend the hearing, pointing out (rightly) that it was based on nothing more than the far right disagreeing with Mayes, and "makes a mockery of real legislative oversight." Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HCR2023, sponsored by Alexander Kolodin (R-3), would ask voters to exempt disabled combat veterans from property taxes beginning in 2027. Using a revolving cast of sympathetic recipients, Republican lawmakers have for decades systematically slashed state revenues, increasing tax carve-outs from $16 billion in 2014 to nearly $30 billion in 2024. These tax cuts hurt Arizona’s ability to properly fund our public schools and services, especially because our laws encourage one-way ratcheting: the legislature can reduce them with a simple majority but needs a two-thirds supermajority to raise them. As a result, our budget is one of the smallest per capita in the US, and our public schools are funded at 49th in the country. We can no longer afford to hand out tax cuts like candy. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HCR2041, sponsored by Steve Montenegro (R-29), would add Arizona’s name to a list of states asking Congress to call an Article V constitutional convention to propose Congressional term limits in the US Constitution. This is dangerous; there are absolutely no rules for an Article V convention in the Constitution. Experts (like Antonin Scalia) say there is no way to limit a convention to the stated intent. Just as the 1787 convention went far beyond its stated purposes, this bill could result in a "runaway convention" and a whole new form of government — an especially terrifying prospect given the destructive actions of our current federal regime. Scheduled for Senate Regulatory Affairs & Government Reform Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HCR2057, sponsored by Rachel Keshel (R-17), would ask voters to further restrict Arizona’s initiative and referendum process by requiring that ballot measures collect signatures from a percentage of voters in all of Arizona’s 15 counties. This would effectively give any single county veto power over the rest, allowing the most extreme area of the state to veto measures that have broad support. The measure is motivated by majority lawmakers’ increasing frustration with voters going around them to pass initiatives lawmakers don’t like. Voters just rejected a similar measure, the "dangerous" Prop 134, just last November. Scheduled for Senate Judiciary & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
Education
SB1036, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would expand an existing law that bans cities, counties and school districts from using taxpayer dollars to convince voters to cast their ballots a certain way. Any Arizona resident could file suit, and if they win, that resident would get a $5,000 taxpayer-sponsored reward. The sponsor says he's looking to encourage these lawsuits to combat what he sees as an increasingly prevalent problem, and isn't concerned about frivolous suits. Scheduled for House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1097, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would require public district schools to be closed on every regular primary and general election day, and to provide their gymnasiums for use as polling places upon request. Teachers would be required to attend inservice training and banned from taking a vacation day, presumably to keep them from working the polls. Arizona and the nation are already struggling to find enough election workers; it makes no sense to legislate a ban on teachers doing their patriotic duty — to say nothing of the disruption this would cause to families. Whether schools offer their space for elections should be left up to local decisions. Scheduled for House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1301, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would require public schools to add Asian American history to their instruction requirements. This is an unfunded mandate, with no appropriation for curriculum resources or educator training. State lawmakers shouldn’t be mandating curriculum; that’s the job of educators who are trained in curriculum development. Priya Sundareshan, who sponsored a similar bill in 2023, explained her NO vote on this bill by saying she now understands what a burden these sorts of mandates place on public schools. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1694, sponsored by David Farnsworth (R-10), would ban Arizona universities from receiving state funds in any fiscal year in which they offer "courses on diversity, equity, and inclusion." These frameworks seek to promote fair treatment of all people, particularly groups that have historically been underrepresented or subject to discrimination. This bill not only pretends our differences don’t exist, but would hamstring the ability of our state universities to provide a competitive education compared to other states that have no such asinine requirement. As one student pointed out, “This is not about money; this is about erasure.” Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2167, sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), would ban school districts from holding an override election for one year if they fail to correct a financial reporting deficiency within 90 days of receiving notice from the auditor general. The bill also penalizes districts by removing 1% per month of the district's budget after 18 months until the Auditor General reports compliance. This unnecessarily punitive bill is inspired by troubles which have been uncovered and solved thanks to the robust accountability requirements in place for public schools. Meanwhile, ESA vouchers are costing our state $1 billion every year with zero accountability. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2640, sponsored by Matt Gress (R-4), incentivizes local public schools to sell their campuses to private schools, accelerating school privatization and hurting neighborhood schools. The bill is the sponsor's response to Phoenix El's decision to not renew a lease for ASU Prep; the building was leased below fair market value for years before the board voted to terminate the lease. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2670, sponsored by Rachel Keshel (R-17), would require public schools to include fetal development, reproductive and pregnancy instruction in their 7th- and 8th-grade health curriculum, with an individual opt-out provision. Arizona is one of only two states that mandates parents must opt their kids in before public schools can teach sex education at any level. How are teachers supposed to explain pregnancy and fetal development to students whose parents don’t agree to allow them to hear the rest of the conversation? This unfunded, nonsensical mandate puts a significant burden on already overstretched and under-resourced schools, and transparently politicizes teachers in the process. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2814 and HCR2015, sponsored by Lisa Fink (R-27), would let the legislature direct federal funding however they wish if Trump dissolves the Department of Education and turns the money into block grants to states for them to spend as they please, with no strings attached. This could allow Arizona to redirect federal funds meant for high-need kids to private school vouchers for the wealthy. As a ballot referral, HCR2015 would circumvent the governor's veto. Both are scheduled for Senate Appropriations Committee, Tuesday (HB2814 FAILED 5-5, 3/11; HCR2015 was discussed and HELD, 3/11). OPPOSE.
HB2867, sponsored by Michael Way (R-15), would ban public schools from teaching, promoting, funding or training students in antisemitic conduct. Students and parents could sue for damages, and teachers could lose their certifications. The bill defines "antisemitism" in part as creating "a hostile educational environment" — often coded language for avoiding any discussion that deals with thought-provoking or difficult subjects. Proponents of the bill purposely conflate the legitimate outcry against civilian casualties in Gaza with antisemitism and support for terrorism. This warped definition of "antisemitism" is being weaponized to silence dissent; ICE has begun unlawfully abducting people and revoking visas for exercising their First Amendment right to peacefully protest. Scheduled for Senate Education Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2880, sponsored by Alma Hernandez (D-20), would ban “encampments” on university and community college campuses. Universities have long been a place for student protests; nowadays is no exception. School administrators can choose to impose time, place and manner restrictions on protests, but lawmakers shouldn’t target encampments just because they dislike pro-Palestinian views. Scheduled for Senate Public Safety Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HCR2042, sponsored by Steve Montenegro (R-29), asks voters to enshrine racism in the state Constitution. This culture-war-driven measure would prevent the state from giving BIPOC-owned businesses any preference in state contracts, keep school districts from specifically hiring BIPOC teachers in an effort to increase representation, block teachers from discussing inclusion and equity issues that have arisen despite the 14th Amendment, ban certain content from being taught in schools, and block trainings on how to support LGBTQ+ staff and students. This would negatively impact student learning, harm teacher retention and recruitment, and do nothing to prevent discrimination in taxpayer-funded private schools receiving ESA vouchers. The legislature would be allowed to also "prescribe related practices or concepts" to ban, an open-ended provision that would tack on any conceivable misguided notion. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
LGBTQ+
HB2113, sponsored by Nick Kupper (R-25), would ban the display of certain flags on public property in Arizona, such as LGBTQ+ Pride and Black Lives Matter flags. The flags would be banned from state, city, county and school buildings on the grounds that they promote "divisive messages." The bill, which appears to be driven by the anti-LGBTQ+ hate group Libs of Tiktok, is so far-reaching that people with flag stickers on their cars who drive onto public property would be breaking the law. It presents free speech issues and will cause vulnerable students to feel uncomfortable or unsafe in school simply for being who they are. A family was recently run out of a far East Valley community for displaying a Pride flag. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2438, sponsored by Rachel Keshel (R-17), is a "blatantly anti-trans" bill that would ban judges from issuing an order to amend a birth certificate. The goal is to prevent the state from having to accurately reflect the identities of transgender people on their birth certificates. In August, a federal judge ruled that an Arizona law requiring proof of gender-affirming surgery before amending a birth certificate is an unconstitutional violation of equal protection and due process rights. Scheduled for Senate Health & Human Services Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
Water
SB1114, sponsored by Tim Dunn (R-25), would require the Arizona Department of Water Resources to approve a Certificate of Assured Water Supply if an applicant promises to reduce the remaining volume of groundwater by 15%. This is water management based on nothing more than a promise — not on science or modeling, or the actual physical availability of water. It eliminates important consumer protections in the Groundwater Management Act and would circumvent assured water supply requirements. Scheduled for House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1115, sponsored by Tim Dunn (R-25), would force the Arizona Department of Water Resources to adopt rules to update the project demand calculator for assured water supply every 5 years. The Home Builders Association and Goldwater Institute are suing ADWR over what they claim are unlawful restrictions that have halted some new home construction and caused them financial hardship. This would force ADWR to acquiesce to harmful corporate demands. Scheduled for House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1116, sponsored by Tim Dunn (R-25), requires the director of ADWR to fast-track developers’ applications for alternative groundwater models, including a written response with rationale for any rejections. Developers are pushing for ways around laws that restrict construction in areas without adequate water supply. Scheduled for House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1236, sponsored by Warren Petersen (R-14), would allow the storage of storm water to be used for replenishment credits. This gives people credit for water that generally would be recharged anyway, and would likely result in a net increase in pumping. Scheduled for House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1393, sponsored by TJ Shope (R-16), would allow some water providers to get out of having to replenish groundwater. This would drive unsustainable development and accelerate Arizona’s water demise. Scheduled for House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1518, sponsored by Tim Dunn (R-25), would allow irrigated grandfather rights in a subsequent active management area like Douglas or Willcox to be sold or transferred, leading to more groundwater pumping. Like many other rural basins, Douglas relies solely on groundwater. It pumps out 3 times as much water as it returns to the basin, and its prospects for finding additional water resources are slim. Increasing pumping in this area is a recipe for disaster. Scheduled for House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1523, sponsored by Tim Dunn (R-25), adds new landscaping restrictions for cities within active management areas. The bill includes language that could prevent cities' future water conservation efforts, and does not include language about new development projects or redevelopment. These restrictions would result in minimal if any water savings, while paving the way for unsustainable communities, prioritizing developer interests. Scheduled for House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2274, sponsored by Gail Griffin (R-19), would call a special election for Willcox to decide whether to establish a domestic water improvement district. This does nothing to address the underlying issue of overpumping. The area has been in a drought for 30 years; poor summer monsoons and virtually nonexistent winter rains have left the aquifer with no natural recharge and no way to recover. In December, Gov. Hobbs and the Arizona Department of Water Resources designated Willcox as an Active Management Area, a long-overdue move that protects water for rural communities and the local economies that rely on it. Right now, the area is working on implementing the AMA; this bill distracts from that important work and could even exacerbate groundwater depletion. Scheduled for Senate Natural Resources Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2573, sponsored by Gail Griffin (R-19), carves out an exemption for hydroponic crops and wine grapes to be watered with groundwater in an active management area, calling that a “non-irrigation use.” These crops are clearly agricultural products and should be regulated as such. This would poke yet another big hole in the Groundwater Management Act and destructively undercut the new Willcox AMA. Scheduled for Senate Natural Resources Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
This Monday night, we’ll offer our Letters to the Editor training. Learn how to write an effective and persuasive message, and help change the conversation in your community! The link to sign up, along with so many others, are available on our Linktree:
2025 Session Timeline
Friday, 3/28 Last day for a bill to get out of committees in its crossover house
(and the last day to use RTS until a budget drops)
Tuesday, 4/22 100th Day of Session (the stated end goal; can be changed)
Monday, 6/30 Last day to pass a constitutionally mandated state budgetFlag this handy list of contact info, committee chairs and assignments:
Bookmark CEBV’s Linktree. Want other ways to take action or stay informed? Looking for our social media? It’s all on our Linktree.
“Sine die,” a Latin term that translates to “without a day,” is the official term for the Legislature’s final adjournment of its regular session. It just basically means they’re done.
We are not counting the events of March 2020, when lawmakers passed a “skinny” continuation budget and recessed the legislative session due to COVID.