Request to Speak to Protect Our Right to Vote

Please weigh in on the following voting and transportation bills while they are still in committee. 

NOTE: There is one strike-everything (S/E) amendment. These are amendments that eliminate the original bill and replace it with a brand new one. It is very confusing to the public and generally does not serve the public interest.

Sign into the Request to Speak here: https://apps.azleg.gov/account/signon

If you haven't signed up for the system, you can find the form here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdjBMoAJrjHD57GGegmdUCKAowcr93K4vQA6a7_AjyElBtrQ/viewform

Directions on how to navigate the system:

https://desktopactivisttucson.blogspot.com/2018/03/request-to-speak-time.html

If you don't have much time, I recommend you weigh in on these two bills: 

• HB2814 noncustodial federal monies; appropriation that would require legislative appropriation of block grants and other federal funds for meeting requirements of federal laws and rules. This would include some Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act dollars, for example. The legislature would likely sit on them and further hinder implementation.OPPOSE

• HCM2012 antiquities act; exception (Griffin: Biasiucci, Diaz, et al.) asks Congress to exempt Arizona from the Antiquities Act to prevent protection of lands and historic areas as national monuments. Our most recent National Monument is the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument and Grand Canyon National Park. They want to reverse it because they want to mine for uranium there. OPPOSE
  

If you haven't weighed in on the environmental bills being heard on Tuesday, you can find them here:

https://desktopactivisttucson.blogspot.com/2025/02/request-to-speak-on-bills-that-weaken.html

Wednesday, February 20th
 

House Government Committee at 8:00 AM

• HCR2049 sovereign authority (Powell: Biasiucci, Blackman, et al) basically says Arizona has no intention of abiding by federal laws. OPPOSE

Senate Public Safety Committee at 1:30 PM

• SB1517 off-highway vehicles; weight (Dunn) increases the weight of what is considered an off-highway vehicle from 2,500 to 3,500 pounds. This will result in more harm to land and trails as these heavier vehicles do more damage and kick up more dust. OPPOSE

Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee at 1:30 PM
Members of the public may attend in person or access a livestream of the meeting here.

• SB1001 early ballots; identification; tabulation (Mesnard) would no longer allow people to just drop off their early ballots at polling places, but instead would require them to get in line and show ID. It also limits on-site early voting and no longer allows early ballots to be dropped off at county recorders on Election Day. OPPOSE
• SB1098 early ballot drop off; identification (Hoffman: Chaplik, Hendrix, et al.) requires ID for dropping off early ballots at polling places or voting centers. This is unnecessary as a signature is fine for mailed ballots, why not when you drop them off? OPPOSE
• SB1455 election officials; oversight; candidates (Farnsworth) prohibits anyone who is a candidate and has election administration responsibilities from engaging in those activities. This would preclude the secretary of state from overseeing the elections and running for office. Likewise with county recorders. It seems like it would not be workable. OPPOSE
• SB1541 early voting list; ten years (Carroll) requires people to reup being on the active early voting list every ten years. Why? If you are on it and are voting, that should be enough. They keep looking for ways to kick people off what used to be a permanent early voting list. OPPOSE
• SB1560 referendums; strict compliance (Leach) makes it easier to reject an application for a referendum (a bill that is referred to the ballot). That includes hard fought for citizens' initiatives. OPPOSE
• SCR1030 general elections; required tally (Mesnard) refers a proposed constitutional amendment to require that 95 percent of votes be counted within one day of the election. This puts speed over accuracy and ignores that there might be issues that would delay the count. OPPOSE

House Appropriations Committee at 2:00 PM

• HB2814 noncustodial federal monies; appropriation (Fink: Livingston, Way) would require legislative appropriation of block grants and other federal funds for meeting requirements of federal laws and rules. This would include some Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act dollars, for example. The legislature would likely sit on them and further hinder implementation. OPPOSE
• HCR2015 federal funds; legislative approval (Fink) refers a measure to the ballot to amend the constitution to allow the legislature to approve appropriation and expenditure of federal dollars. This would limit the state's ability to implement important programs such as those funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. OPPOSE

House Federalism, Military Affairs, & Elections Committee at 2:00 PM.

• HB2154 early voting list; undeliverable ballots (Keshel: Fink, Gillette, et al) removes the requirement to try and contact the voter to update their address if the ballot notice for early voting is returned undeliverable. Why? So more people get removed from the list. OPPOSE
• HB2631 election procedures manual; legislative approval (Kolodin) would have the chairs of the elections committees in the House and Senate approve the election procedures manual. This would further politicize this manual which really should just be to have an orderly election. OPPOSE
• HB2914 registration; signatures; audits; ballots; procedures (Gillette) Requires nomination petitions for presidential candidates to be filed 75 days before the election and have to be signed by 3% of registered voters in the state. This would have made it impossible for Kamala Harris to appear on the ballot here. It is unnecessary. OPPOSE
• HCM2012 antiquities act; exception (Griffin: Biasiucci, Diaz, et al.) asks Congress to exempt Arizona from the Antiquities Act to prevent protection of lands and historic areas as national monuments. Our most recent National Monument is the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument and Grand Canyon National Park. They want to reverse it because they want to mine for uranium there. OPPOSE
• HCM2013 equal access; justice; act; repeal (Griffin) includes a lot of provisions that are inaccurate about this act, including that it is extensively abused by environmental groups. It asks Congress to amend the act to limit access to the legal system for redress. OPPOSE
• HCM2015 proof of citizenship; voter registration (Kolodin: Carter P, Gillette)This memorial asks Congress to get rid of the Federal election-only status that is allowed by Federal law. They want to change Federal law to require voters in Federal elections to meet state requirements rather than Federal requirements. OPPOSE

House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee at 2:00 PM 

• HB2234 Interstate 11; environmental; engineering; study (Martinez: Carter P, Gress) directs the Arizona Department of Transportation to conduct the Tier 2 engineering study for I-11. This freeway would cause great harm by fragmenting habitat and opening up more areas for development. OPPOSE.
• HB2863 trailers; HOV lanes; prohibition (Carter N) prohibits vehicles with trailers and semi-trailers from driving in the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. This could help limit the backup on the HOV lanes. SUPPORT
• HB2887 alternative fuel vehicles; HOV lanes (Volk) allows for an alternative fuel vehicle to get a sticker which allows them to drive in the HOV lane. SUPPORT