Legislative Update and Request to Speak actions on bills that make it harder to vote

This week, legislators exempted themselves from the public records law and will now destroy emails to and from them and their staff after 90 days and texts immediately, passed a bill to try to allow for the destruction of desert washes on private property, and also advanced a bill to refer to the ballot a measure to make it more difficult to pass citizen initiatives that are constitutional amendments. The legislative majority also passed rules to limit debate on bills and vote explanation to shut down the minority party. It seems like some of these legislators forget that they are supposed to represent and work for the people.

Several bad bills were proposed that make it more difficult to vote or to enact a Citizens Initiative. Please, use the Request to Speak app on the state legislature website to register your opposition while they are still in committee. 

Sign in here: https://apps.azleg.gov/account/signon

If you have not registered for the Request to Speak system, we encourage you to do so now as it will take a day or two for the account be activated at the Capitol. Here is a link for signing up. To learn more about how to use the Request to Speak System, you can sign up for one of the trainings sponsored by Civic Engagement Beyond Voting. Here is their sign up link.

Or check out these written instructions: 

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

Monday, January 30th

Senate Committee on Elections at 2:00 PM
Members of the public may access a livestream of the meeting here.

Presentation • Election Mechanics Part 2 by Shelby Busch, We the People AZ Alliance (more election conspiracies)

• SB1066 election mailings; third-party disclosures (Kavanagh) requires any nongovernmental entity that mails an official election-related document or looks like one to include the disclosure "not from a government agency" on the outside of the envelope. This is indirect way to try to discredit legitimate mailings from the League of Women Voters and others who do voter registration. OPPOSE
• SB1135 spoiled early ballots; election day (Kavanagh) requires an early ballot not delivered or mailed to the county recorder to be exchanged by the voter at a polling place by 7:00 p.m. on election day in order to be counted and valid and removes a voter who exchanges an early ballot for a regular ballot from the Active Early Voter List. It repeals a county board of supervisors' authority to establish the use of emergency voting centers. This would result in more people getting purged from the early voting list and having fewer voting opportunities. OPPOSE
• SB1141 early ballot drop off; identification (Hoffman: Borrelli, Farnsworth, et al.) requires additional voter ID to drop off an early ballot. This is unnecessary as they already have the signature verification. OPPOSE
• SB1170 ballot drop boxes; prohibition (Hoffman: Borrelli, Farnsworth, et al.) prohibits unmonitored drop boxes. OPPOSE

Wednesday, February 1st

Senate Committee on Government at 8:30 AM

• SCR1015 initiative; referendum; signatures; legislative districts (Mesnard: Bennett, Kaiser, et al.) refers to the ballot that would require a proportionate percentage of petition signatures from each legislative district to put a measure on the ballot. This would be extremely difficult and expensive and put ballot measures more in the hands of the wealthy. OPPOSE

House Committee on Municipal Oversight & Elections at 2:00 PM
Members of the public may access a livestream of the meeting here.

• HB2233 election contests; procedures (Harris: Jones, McGarr) allows early ballots to be challenged due to any inconsistencies in personal information or signature. This is unnecessary and will result in more delays as people frequently have changes in their signature due to illness, age, etc. Elected officials follow up on those and should not have to now also deal with a flood of individual challenges from election deniers. OPPOSE
• HB2304 voting locations; precinct-based (McGarr: Biasiucci, Jones) allows only precinct-based polling locations, so no early ballot locations that allow any county to vote. OPPOSE
• HB2307 elections; hand counting; machines; prohibition (McGarr: Biasiucci, Griffin, et al.) requires all ballots to be hand counted. This would take forever and be less accurate. OPPOSE
• HB2415 active early voting lists; removal (Biasiucci: Bliss, Carbone) removes voters from the active early voting list if they fail to vote early in one election cycle, instead of two. This will result in a significant purge of this list and in fewer people voting. OPPOSE 

To weigh in on bills that affect our environment and water, go here: 

http://desktopactivisttucson.blogspot.com/2023/01/request-to-speak-on-bills-that-hurt.html