Week Eleven: Fifty-Fifth Legislature — Second Regular Session
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Story of the Week: Bad Bills headed to Ducey’s Desk
This week, the Arizona State Legislature passed multiple bills on third read that are headed to Governor Ducey to be signed. After a hard fight on the floor from Democrats, advocates, and grassroots organizations, Republicans had the numbers to pass an abortion ban after 15 weeks, banning trans youth from playing sports and from gender affirming care, and pass legislation to effectively kick millions of Arizona's voter rolls.
It was the last week for committee hearings at the Arizona Legislature, meaning House bills will no longer be heard in the Senate and Senate bills will no longer be heard in the House. Only Appropriations committees in the House and Senate will continue to hear bills moving forward.
The Good
HB2309 – Rep. Jennifer Jermaine sponsored a bill that requires peace officers to inform juveniles of their rights in language that is comprehensible to a juvenile and notify their legal custodian; passed out of Senate Judiciary and heads to the Senate floor.
HCM2002 – Rep. Andrea Dalessandro sponsored a resolution that urges Congress to restore the Cherrybell mailing center which serves more than 1.8 million people in Tucson; passed out of Senate Government and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2639 – Rep. Jennifer Pawlik sponsored a bill that establishes the month of May to be observed as Asian American and Pacific Islander Month; passed out of Senate Government and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2532 – Rep. Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren sponsored a bill that creates license plates to honor Diné college and the Navajo Nation; passed out of Senate Transportation and Technology and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2437 – Rep. Jennifer Longdon sponsored a bill to creates special Arizona Beekeeper plates and fund; passed out of Senate Transportation and Technology and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2208 – Rep. Kelli Butler establishes ovarian cancer awareness special plates and the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Special Plate Fund; passed out of Senate Transportation and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2438 – Rep. Jennifer Longdon introduced a massage therapy license reform bill that includes fingerprint clearance cards and the board to post online both disciplinary and non-disciplinary actions taken against a licensed massage therapist; passed out of Senate Health and Human Services and heads to the Senate floor.
The Bad
SB1164 – Sen. Nancy Barto will introduce a 15 week, Mississippi-style, ban on abortion; passed out the House and will head to the Governor’s desk.
SB1165 – Sen. Nancy Barto sponsored a bill that would prevent transgender girls from participating in youth sports; passed out of the House and will head to the Governor’s desk.
SB1138 – Sen. Warren Petersen sponsored a bill that prohibits gender affirming medical care to any person who is under 18 years of age; passed out of the House and will head to the Governor’s desk.
HB2492 – Rep. Jake Hoffman sponsored a bill that outlines additional requirements to be verified before a person is properly registered to vote, making it increasingly more difficult for new voters to register; passed out of the Senate as amended and heads to the Governor’s desk.
HB2289 – Rep. John Fillmore sponsored a voter intimidation bill that party representatives shall remain in the polling place until completion of the tabulation of votes in the polling place; passed out of Senate Government and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2238 – Rep. Jake Hoffman sponsored a bill that would prohibit the use of unmonitored drop boxes to collect election ballots, which are critical to voting access in rural and tribal communities; passed out of Senate Government and heads to the Senate floor.
HB2448 – Rep. Quang Nguyen sponsored a bill that requires firearm safety training for public school students in grades 6 through 12; passed out of House Education and heads to the House floor.
SB1259 – Sen. J.D. Mesnard sponsored a bill that allows the Attorney General (AG), Secretary of State (SOS) or Legislative Council to request a recount in an election or portion of an election. It also allows an Arizona resident to file an action and bond in superior court for a recount of any election or portion of an election that is not subject to an automatic recount; passed out of House Government and Elections and heads to the House floor.
The Ugly
This week was challenging on all fronts, we won't sugar coat it. Republicans celebrated very harmful bills passing out of the Legislature, while advocates for fairness, progress and equality fought hard to defeat these attacks.
We won’t reiterate the shameful bills they have passed, and the bills that are in the works. Just know – we can and will fight back by flipping the legislature from red to blue. Help us from now until November here.