CEBV Weekly: May 22, 2023

How many "spring breaks" does this one make?

We almost can’t believe we have to write this, but it’s true. Arizona lawmakers are taking yet another break from the Capitol — this time for an entire month.

Last week, the House plowed through a vast list of culture-war bills (see the May 15 Weekly for a full rundown). Many of those bills are now on Gov. Hobbs’ desk for her expected vetoes, though we were pleased to see a few didn’t make it there (see Spotlight below for those details).

The official line is that they intend to use the time to hammer out deals on high-stakes transportation and housing bills. They plan to try to advance a handful of controversial housing bills that would attempt to address affordability by gutting zoning restrictions, and it’s widely expected that Gov. Hobbs and Republican lawmakers have cut a deal to renew Proposition 400 (a half-cent sales tax in Maricopa County to fund transportation infrastructure) that involves Hobbs giving in on a rental tax cut bill she previously vetoed. But an unknown number of lawmakers will also be away on vacation — and since it’s hard to pass legislation along partisan lines without all 31 Republican votes, the legislature does not plan to gavel back in until June 12.

House Minority Assistant Leader Lupe Contreras (D-22) said in a May 15 Democratic caucus meeting that only Republican members’ schedules were considered for the break, and he has never been asked about his schedule by majority leadership in his 11 years at the Legislature.

Is it time for the Legislature to sine die (adjourn for the year) yet? We submit that the answer is an emphatic YES.

⏰ If you have 15 minutes: If you have a Republican representative, write to them to express your displeasure with the slew of culture-war bills they passed last week, with every single Republican in support. (If not, write to the House Speaker or Senate President.) See the “Bills on the Floor” section of the May 15 Weekly for that list.

⏰⏰⏰⏰ If you have 60 minutes: Join us on Zoom at 4 PM on Sunday for our next CEBV Happy Hour. This week, we’re featuring John Dacey with Abolish Private Prisons.

Good News: Bills on The Trash Heap

The bills listed here failed their final votes last Monday thanks to all Democrats and Rep. David Cook (R-7) voting no. As Cook explained to press, "Sen. Hoffman and I have a serious disagreement on a lot of policy issues." It’s a tiny ray of common sense at the Capitol, and we’re glad to see it.

SB1092, Kern (R-27), would fine the Bar and the state Supreme Court if they “infringe” on “political speech” of lawyers. The bill would aid freshman lawmaker Alex Kolodin (R-3), who is under investigation by the State Bar for filing bad-faith lawsuits over the 2020 election, as well as Kern himself, whose lawyers were ordered to pay $75,000 in legal fees after the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt. FAILED its House floor vote.

SB1140, Hoffman (R-15), would force counties to 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. FAILED its House floor vote.

SB1141, 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. Violators would be subject to a class 5 felony. FAILED its House floor vote.

SB1142, Hoffman (R-15), would require publicly posted lists of each event the Secretary of State or a county recorder attends and provides voter registration services. Hoffman said his intent is to open elections officials to complaints under a 2016 law that allows any state lawmaker to order the Attorney General to investigate whether counties are violating state law. GOP lawmakers have traditionally used these complaints to block policies they disagree with. FAILED its House floor vote.

SB1143, Hoffman (R-15), would ban anyone except political parties and election officials from distributing early ballot or early voting request forms to voters. Why shouldn’t regular people be able to help their neighbors register to vote the way they want to? FAILED its House floor vote.

SB1144, Hoffman (R-15), would outlaw “central bank digital currency” and make any coin containing precious metals legal tender in Arizona. The sponsor introduced his bill as saying we are “in the middle of an imploding banking system,” a belief that the federal government is conspiring to cause a central banking crisis, and “the end of Western civilization as we know it.” FAILED its House floor vote.

Use Request to Speak. Our elected officials need to know what we think!

Use our website. Civic Engagement Beyond Voting’s website features tons of resources, including a RTS training video that’s 5 minutes well spent.

Attend our Happy Hours. At this week’s Zoom RTS Happy Hour, we’re featuring John Dacey from Abolish Private Prisons. As always, we’ll also have legislative info and Q&A with Melinda. We’ll meet every Sunday at 4 PM through the end of session; sign up in advance here.

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