While the state legislature is in session, I share abbreviated versions of the Sierra Club's Legislative Report and post Request to Speak actions separately. If you would like to recieve these actions sooner, you may want to sign up for their report.
Legislative Update for the week of March 20th
It appears that the Arizona Legislature has killed most of the handful of positive bills that were advancing, including three electric vehicle bills sponsored by Senator Victoria Steele. There are still a few good ones in the mix, however, including one sponsored by Senator Paul Boyer -- SB1246 expedites acquisition of electric school buses. It will likely go to the House floor next week. SB1270 is another. It was amended to increase the funding for the State Parks Heritage Fund to $5 million per year, still short of the $10 million the voters intended, but closer.
Thankfully, a number of the bad elections bills are hitting speedbumps in the Senate and have been voted down, but there are still plenty to go around. See below and the committee agendas for more on that.
There was another question and answer session on the House floor regarding the proposed Arizona Water Augmentation Authority. The bill is getting a lukewarm response from many and strong opposition from others. They are not planning to move it until they have the votes and they do not have the votes for it right now.
HB2492 voter registration; verification; citizenship (Hoffman: Blackman, Carter, et al.) is likely to go to the Senate floor this week. It requires people who register to vote with a passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or a tribal ID to submit additional documents proving residency. It also includes new restrictions for federal-only voters, including that they may not vote by mail, and it requires those who have previously registered to vote to provide additional identification. Tell your senator to oppose HB2492!
Send a message to your Senator here.
HB2289 will have a strike-everything amendment on elections; identification; revisions; tabulation; mail-in that prohibits all in-person early voting and eliminates vote by mail, except for people who are visually impaired, are serving in the military overseas or who are hospitalized or out of the state on Election Day. This would affect most Arizonans as more than 70% of us vote by mail. Many people will be showing up at the Senate Government Committee on Monday to oppose this bill.
HB2101 electric energy; reliability; public policy (Griffin: Abraham, Blackman, et al.) will likely be up for reconsideration in the Senate this week. HB2101 repeals provisions in the law that create parameters for retail competition of electricity. We are opposed to the bill as we have concerns about how it will affect community choice aggregation of electricity overall and rooftop solar in Salt River Project (SRP) territory. SRP brought this to the legislature without any kind of stakeholder process or thorough review of the impacts of the bill. Tell your senator to please vote No on HB2101 and also reach out to Senators Alston, Contreras, Gabaldon, and Rios and ask them to vote No!
You can find senators phone numbers here.
HB2055 Harquahala non-expansion area; groundwater transportation (Griffin: Bowers) will also come to the Senate floor this week. This bill allows private water companies such as EPCOR to import water from the Harquahala Valley and into the active management areas (AMAs) for development. Currently only cities can do that. This exacerbates creation of this groundwater depletion sacrifice zone and gives private water interests more control of water. The legislature should be placing additional limits on groundwater pumping not facilitating more.
Send a message to your senator to oppose HB2055!
HB2411 coal combustion residuals program (Griffin) will also likely come to the floor of the Senate this week. It authorizes the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to seek assumption of the coal ash program from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Coal ash is toxic and can result in contamination of our waters if not adequately regulated. We are concerned that ADEQ is too cozy with the utilities and that it would not properly enforce this program, plus ADEQ is already not properly implementing some of the federal programs it already has. Call your senator to oppose this too!
You can find senators phone numbers here.
HB2181 Now: game and fish; taking wolves (Cook) will likely result in additional unlawful killings of wolves. It forbids the Arizona Game and Fish Commission from prohibiting any person from killing a wolf that is actively threatening or attacking a person (unnecessary as anyone can kill an animal if they feel threatened), livestock, or other domestic animal. These latter provisions will invite baiting of wolves -- the last thing these endangered animals need is less protection or more people gunning for them.
Tell your Senator to vote No on HB2181 here.
Legislative Update for the week of March 20th
It appears that the Arizona Legislature has killed most of the handful of positive bills that were advancing, including three electric vehicle bills sponsored by Senator Victoria Steele. There are still a few good ones in the mix, however, including one sponsored by Senator Paul Boyer -- SB1246 expedites acquisition of electric school buses. It will likely go to the House floor next week. SB1270 is another. It was amended to increase the funding for the State Parks Heritage Fund to $5 million per year, still short of the $10 million the voters intended, but closer.
Thankfully, a number of the bad elections bills are hitting speedbumps in the Senate and have been voted down, but there are still plenty to go around. See below and the committee agendas for more on that.
There was another question and answer session on the House floor regarding the proposed Arizona Water Augmentation Authority. The bill is getting a lukewarm response from many and strong opposition from others. They are not planning to move it until they have the votes and they do not have the votes for it right now.
HB2492 voter registration; verification; citizenship (Hoffman: Blackman, Carter, et al.) is likely to go to the Senate floor this week. It requires people who register to vote with a passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or a tribal ID to submit additional documents proving residency. It also includes new restrictions for federal-only voters, including that they may not vote by mail, and it requires those who have previously registered to vote to provide additional identification. Tell your senator to oppose HB2492!
Send a message to your Senator here.
HB2289 will have a strike-everything amendment on elections; identification; revisions; tabulation; mail-in that prohibits all in-person early voting and eliminates vote by mail, except for people who are visually impaired, are serving in the military overseas or who are hospitalized or out of the state on Election Day. This would affect most Arizonans as more than 70% of us vote by mail. Many people will be showing up at the Senate Government Committee on Monday to oppose this bill.
HB2101 electric energy; reliability; public policy (Griffin: Abraham, Blackman, et al.) will likely be up for reconsideration in the Senate this week. HB2101 repeals provisions in the law that create parameters for retail competition of electricity. We are opposed to the bill as we have concerns about how it will affect community choice aggregation of electricity overall and rooftop solar in Salt River Project (SRP) territory. SRP brought this to the legislature without any kind of stakeholder process or thorough review of the impacts of the bill. Tell your senator to please vote No on HB2101 and also reach out to Senators Alston, Contreras, Gabaldon, and Rios and ask them to vote No!
You can find senators phone numbers here.
HB2055 Harquahala non-expansion area; groundwater transportation (Griffin: Bowers) will also come to the Senate floor this week. This bill allows private water companies such as EPCOR to import water from the Harquahala Valley and into the active management areas (AMAs) for development. Currently only cities can do that. This exacerbates creation of this groundwater depletion sacrifice zone and gives private water interests more control of water. The legislature should be placing additional limits on groundwater pumping not facilitating more.
Send a message to your senator to oppose HB2055!
HB2411 coal combustion residuals program (Griffin) will also likely come to the floor of the Senate this week. It authorizes the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) to seek assumption of the coal ash program from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Coal ash is toxic and can result in contamination of our waters if not adequately regulated. We are concerned that ADEQ is too cozy with the utilities and that it would not properly enforce this program, plus ADEQ is already not properly implementing some of the federal programs it already has. Call your senator to oppose this too!
You can find senators phone numbers here.
HB2181 Now: game and fish; taking wolves (Cook) will likely result in additional unlawful killings of wolves. It forbids the Arizona Game and Fish Commission from prohibiting any person from killing a wolf that is actively threatening or attacking a person (unnecessary as anyone can kill an animal if they feel threatened), livestock, or other domestic animal. These latter provisions will invite baiting of wolves -- the last thing these endangered animals need is less protection or more people gunning for them.
Tell your Senator to vote No on HB2181 here.
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