Update on bills that weaken our Democracy at AZ Legislator: Call Governor to veto SB 1451

Monday night - well actually very early Tuesday morning, the first session of the 54^th Legislature (FINALLY!) adjourned sine die. This session saw some egregious attacks on democracy, but also glimpses of progress and hope for expanding access to the ballot and fighting corruption. In the coming days, we'll be putting together a full analysis of democracy issues this session. For now, here are some quick updates on bills that were alive until the bitter end.

SB1451 - (Sen. Leach)

On top of the myriad rules that already exist, SB 1451 places technical requirements on paid petition circulators for initiatives. This thinly veiled attempt to make it easier to toss disqualify otherwise valid signatures passed both chambers in the waning days of session and now sits on Gov. Ducey's desk. 

Contact Gov. Ducey: 

Email. engage@az.gov.
Phone. Phoenix: 602.542.4331. Tucson: 520.628.6580.
Address. 1700 West Washington Street. Phoenix, Arizona 85007

https://azgovernor.gov/engage/form/contact-governor-ducey

HCR2005/SCR1023 - (Rep. Kavanagh + Sen. Kerr)

These bills would have referred to the 2020 ballot a question requiring statewide initiatives to hit the statewide 10% threshold in each of the 30 legislative districts - making it nearly impossible for anyone with limited resources to qualify an idea for the ballot. Thankfully, both bills failed to receive a vote in their respective chambers.

 HB2616 - (Rep. Townsend)

Would have imposed unlimited civil fines of $25 per form per day and criminal penalties (up to a four-month jail sentence) on anyone who turned in a voter registration form after an arbitrary deadline. The bill failed to pass the House floor. Simply stated, we don’t think honest actors should face a potential criminal penalty for registering people to vote.

SB1188 - (Sen. Ugenti Rita)

Would purge Arizona voters off of their county's Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL) if they do not vote by mail for two consecutive election cycles. This would have taken the “permanent” out of permanent early voting, and thankfully did not receive a vote on the House floor.

If there's one thing we can say with certainty after this legislative session, it's that the job of protecting democracy is never over. 

- Arizona Advocacy Network 

Tell legislators: Protect Citizen's Initiatives and Voting Advocates

Tomorrow both chambers are really amping up their wars on democracy. 

The Arizona Legislature is about to vote on a series of extreme measures that would make grassroots ballot initiatives almost impossible.   It's all expected to happen at 10 am tomorrow. 

These bills, SB1451 and SCR1023/HCR2005, would hugely increase the cost & difficulty of the initiative process, and would essentially give the residents of any legislative district in Arizona the ability to veto an initiative before it even got to the ballot.

Minimum wage initiatives? Gone. Pro-education initiatives? Gone. Anti-corruption initiatives? Gone.

Politicians may not always agree with voters. But that doesn't mean they should attack our constitutional right to participate in direct democracy and make our voices heard.

Protect your rights! Make a quick call to your state legislators now and tell them to vote NO on any bills that interfere with the ballot initiative process. 

SCR1023 and HCR2005, the bills requiring initiatives to get a certain number of signatures from EVERY legislative district, will be debated on the Senate & House floor tomorrow. These bills would be referred to the ballot for voter’s approval in 2020 – and would be the ballot measure to end all ballot measures. The requirements laid out in both bills represent the MOST EXTREME HURDLE of its kind anywhere in the country. By doing so, this would make it easier to get something on the ballot in Scottsdale than in Maryvale – rather than treating voters equally.

SB1451, stricter requirements for initiatives, is ALSO going to be debated on the House floor.

And as if that wasn’t enough – so is HB2616, the bill that would criminalize voter registration volunteers.

IF YOU CAN DRIVE CALLS TO YOUR LEGISLATORS, PLEASE DO and ask them to VOTE NO on ALL of the above bills. Find your legislator and a convenient call script HERE.

Script: 

My name is [your name] and I am a voter in your district. I am calling to ask you to vote NO on SB1451 and SCR1023/HCR2005, which would make grassroots ballot initiatives almost impossible.

- Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation
http://www.azadvocacy.org/

ACTION ALERT: Proposed State Legislation Makes Democracy Harder

This week at the State Capitol there are some serious threats to election access and the initiative process and we need your help to stop them!

In the House Elections Committee

HB 2616 would make it a crime to register people to vote as part of your job. This would criminalize everyone from organizers to librarians who register people to vote. Reach out to your Representatives and have your voice heard.

If you have Tuesday, February 19th free, please join AZAN for a “pack the room” event during the House Elections Committee (2 - 8 p.m.) to show the members how dangerous this attack on our democracy is. For more information, or to share with your networks, click HERE.

Or

Sign into the Request to Speak system at the State Legislature website. After clicking on Request to Speak and then New Request, fill out the form with HB2616 in the House Election Committee.  ** See complete directions below.

NOTE: You must be signed up for the Request to Speak system first, which might take a day or so. So sign up right away.

Meanwhile...

Sign this petition. 

Ballot Measure Attack

Also up on Tuesday is HCR 2005, which would place even more barriers on the citizen initiative process by preventing initiatives and referendum from making it onto the ballot if too few signatures are gathered in even one of the thirty legislative districts.

Note: This didn't come up on Request to Speak. But you can call in. 

Kelly Townsend (Chair)	LD 16	R	ktownsend@azleg.gov	602.926.3298
Frank Carroll (Vice-Chair)	LD 22	R	fcarroll@azleg.gov	602.926.3249
Shawnna Bolick	LD 20	R	sbolick@azleg.gov	602.926.3244
John Fillmore	LD 16	R	jfillmore@azleg.gov	602.926.3187
Jennifer Jermaine	LD 18	D	jjermaine@azleg.gov	602.926.5170
Warren Petersen	LD 12	R	wpetersen@azleg.gov	602.926.4136
Diego Rodriguez	LD 27	D	drodriguez@azleg.gov	602.926.3285
Athena Salman	LD 26	D	asalman@azleg.gov	602.926.4858
Raquel Teran	LD 30	D	rteran@azleg.gov	602.926.3308
Bob Thorpe	LD 6	R	bthorpe@azleg.gov	602.926.5219

In the Senate Judiciary Committee

SCR1023 is the exact same bill as HCR 2005 and will be heard at 9 a.m. on Thursday, February 21st. It would place even more barriers on the citizen initiative process by preventing initiatives and referendum from making it onto the ballot if too few signatures are gathered in even one of the thirty legislative districts. Reach out to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee or use the Request to Speak System to have your voice heard.

Eddie Farnsworth (Chair)	LD 12	R	efarnsworth@azleg.gov	602.965.5735
Rick Gray (Vice Chair)	LD 21	R	rgray@azleg.gov	602.965.5413
Sonny Borrelli	LD 5	R	sborrelli@azleg.gov	602.965.5051
Lupe Contreras	LD 19	D	lcontreras@azleg.gov	602.965.5284
Andrea Dalessandro	LD 2	D	adalessandro@azleg.gov	602.965.5342
Vince Leach	LD 11	R	vleach@azleg.gov	602.965.3106
Marin Quezada	LD 29	D	mquezada@azleg.gov	602.965.5911

Use the legislature's Request to Speak system to log in and voice your opinion on these bills. If you don't have a Request to Speak account yet, sign up for one here. 

- Arizona Advocacy Network and Foundation
http://www.azadvocacy.org/

**How to weigh in on Request to Speak online:

Sign in.

https://apps.azleg.gov/account/signon

In the left column: click on Request to Speak.

In the left column: click on New Request

Fill in the form:

Click on House or Senate

Scroll down for the committee (House Election Committee or Senate Judiciary Committee)

In the Search Phrase box: fill in the bill number (HB2616 or SCR1023.)

Click on SEARCH

A rectangle box will pop up. Click the blue Add Request button to the right. 

At Request to Speak

Pick thumbs up or down (or neutral).

Indicate that you won't be speaking. (Unless you are speaking in-person at the Capitol.)

Leave a short comment for the public record (250 characters) 

SUBMIT. 

Thanks for participating in our democracy!