AZ Legislative Update 04-14-2022
There were discussions about tax cuts, water policies, and budget priorities at the Capitol this week, but none of them happened in public. Meetings between legislative leaders happened behind closed doors and did not lead to action on top priorities.
The House and Senate spent little time in floor sessions. When they did convene, legislators’ absences prevented votes on controversial bills. Both chambers adjourned early for the holiday weekend.
Some bills did advance, despite the unambitious schedules. House members gave preliminary approval to a bill that would add new paths to teacher certification and voted to study the use of hydrogen, alter safety inspection requirements for rideshare vehicles, and delay the implementation of a new law on voter citizenship requirements.
In the Senate, lawmakers agreed to create a Mormon migration monument, expand access to a National Guard tuition reimbursement program, and alter placement and evaluation procedures at the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
Legislators failed to pass bills that would have created a new committee to study data on DUIs, and alter regulations on money transmitters and out-of-state banks doing business in Arizona.
Arizona’s New Laws
Governor Ducey signed 17 bills this week – including a new requirement for schools to give students a daily moment of silence. The Governor has signed a total of 135 bills into law and has not issued any vetoes.
What’s Next?
Legislators have a variety of ideas about how the rest of the legislative session should unfold. Some Republicans hope to enact just a “skinny budget” – a basic continuation of state spending without additional tax cuts or investments – and adjourn so they can go home and focus on their re-election campaigns. Others in the Republican caucus want to stay until they have successfully re-enacted income tax cuts. Democrats have ideas about how the growing state budget surplus should be spent, and they remain hopeful they’ll be invited into budget negotiations. A small bipartisan coalition continues to hope they will find support to enact their not-yet-published proposal to increase education funding and expand the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program.
One thing is clear: Legislators are not getting along. House and Senate Republican leaders do not appear to be on the same page about how to continue budget negotiations, and disagreements between individual legislators have fractured relationships within and between each political party.
Tuesday marks the 100th day of the session, and House and Senate rules direct the legislature to end the work of the session by the end of next week. That seems unlikely. Apart from the budget, the House and Senate have almost 400 bills still eligible to move toward the Governor’s desk.
In the Elections
The Arizona Democratic Party asked the Attorney General to look into the Arizona Independent Redistricting Committee’s process. High-profile and controversial issues activate voters on both sides of the policies. You can submit your questions to candidates for the upcoming Arizona Clean Elections debates.
In the Courts
The state and schools disagree about education funding. A federal appeals court will allow Democrats to challenge the way Arizona orders candidate names on ballots. Representative Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley) and two Arizona Congressmen asked a court to throw out a lawsuit that claims they cannot hold public office because they participated in the January 6 events at the U.S. Capitol.
In the News
Representative Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley) asked the federal government to audit voting machines. Arizona lost former Representative Daniel Peaches. The Arizona Department of Health Services is using social media to warn minors about vaping.
On the Bright Side…