Week Ten: Fifty-Fifth Legislature — Second Regular Session
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Story of the Week: Kill Prop 208, Make It Harder to Vote.
Some voter suppression bills died these pasts two weeks but we’re still monitoring more as they move through the Arizona State Legislature. Some of these bad bills include:
HB2492 which outlines additional requirements to be verified before a person is properly registered to vote, & booting voters from the rolls if they don’t provide proof of citizenship ASAP.
HB2241 – which requires voters to bring ID with them when they drop off early ballots.
HB2617 which outlines additional reasons for voter registration to be canceled which will ultimately be used to remove voters from the rolls.
We’re working to fight back against these harmful bills by making calls to voters and to legislators. Want to help us? Be sure to open our Friday emails written by our Accountability Manager, Hayley Robinson to learn about every legislative volunteer opportunity happening around the state.
The Good
HB2652 – Rep. Diego Espinoza sponsored a bill that would deem it unlawful for a person to solicit, advertise or possess a used catalytic converter or any nonferrous parts of a catalytic converter; passed the Senate Transportation and Technology and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2651 – Rep. Brian Fernandez sponsored a bill to appropriate $33,000,000 from the State General Fund in Fiscal Year 2023 to the Arizona Department of Transportation to distribute to Yuma County to construct, widen, repair and upgrade Cesar Chavez Boulevard in the City of San Luis; passed the Senate Appropriations and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2600 – Rep. Diego Espinoza sponsored a bill to appropriate $25,000,000 from the state General Fund in Fiscal Year 2023 to the Arizona Department of Transportation to distribute to the City of Tolleson for the Loop 101 slip ramp access project; passed Senate Appropriations and heads to the Senate floor.
SB1476 – Sen. Kelly Townsend sponsored a bill which requires each ballot in an election to be consecutively numbered with a unique number and requires ballots to be accounted for in a chain of custody document or log; FAILED on the Senate floor.
SB1570 – Sen. Kelly Townsend sponsored a bill which prohibits any voting equipment used in a polling place or voting center or any tabulation equipment used at a central counting center or other tabulation center from having internet access and restricts who may be present at the tabulation of votes to only authorized personnel, including political party observers; FAILED on the Senate floor.
SB1572 – Sen. Kelly Townsend sponsored a bill that requires a county recorder, 10 days before the primary and general election, to publish a list of all eligible voters, including persons on the inactive voter list, on the county recorder's website; FAILED on the Senate floor.
SB1056 – Sen. Kelly Townsend sponsored a bill that declares, as an invalid ballot, any misplaced ballots that are not included in the initial tally at a polling place, counting center or early election board. It also classifies misplacing a ballot prior to the initial tally as a class 2 misdemeanor; FAILEDon the Senate floor.
The Bad
SB1362 – Sen. J.D. Mesnard sponsored a bill that requires, by the 2024 general election, every county recorder to provide a method for an elector to have the elector's completed early ballot tabulated on-site at a polling place or voting center according to outlined requirements; passed out of Senate and heads to House Government and Elections.
SB1211 – Sen. Nancy Barto sponsored a bill that requires each school operated by a school district or charter school to post on its website a list of learning materials and activities including specified information and specified time frames depending on the topic; passed the Senate and heads to the House.
HB2161 – Rep. Steve Kaiser sponsored a bill that would force teachers to ‘out’ LGBTQ students to parents; passed out of Senate Education and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2495 – Rep. Jake Hoffman sponsored a bill to ban sexually explicit materials being taught in schools, with the utilmate goal of banning comprehensive sex ed; passed out of Senate Education and heads to the Senate floor.
The Ugly
A 30 year lack of investment in our schools is nothing to cheer about.
After the courts overturned the will of the people by ruling Prop 208 violated the Arizona Constitution, State Rep. Jeff Weninger took to Twitter to celebrate Arizona students going another school year without a fully funded education.
