By Daniel Stefanski |
An Arizona lawmaker was recognized for her efforts on behalf of law enforcement this past legislative session.
On Tuesday, the Arizona House Republicans Conference announced that freshman State Representative Selina Bliss “was recently honored by the Arizona Constable Association for her dedicated efforts in support of Arizona constables.” Those efforts included the sponsoring of HB 2617 in 2023, which would have fixed “a disparity in current state law whereby retired constables have more extensive carry rights and protections than their active-duty counterparts.”
In a statement, Bliss said, “It is an honor to champion our law enforcement and peace officers in Arizona. HB2617 reflects our commitment to ensuring that constables, as essential members of our law enforcement community, are afforded the necessary privileges and protections to carry out their duties effectively. This bipartisan effort reflects our collective dedication to strengthening public safety and supporting those who are sworn to serve and protect on the front lines.”
The honor from the Arizona Constable Association follows one given earlier this year to Bliss from the Arizona Citizens Defense League, which named the Republican Representative from northern Arizona as its “Legislator of the Year.”
Representative Bliss wasted no time in coming to the legislature and working to achieve results for her constituents and Arizonans. Bliss introduced HB 2617, which would have “allowed a constable or deputy constable to carry a firearm, both on and off duty and in the same manner as other certified peace officers, if the constable or deputy constable is in compliance with the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) firearms requirements and has fulfilled all other requirements as prescribed.” The first-term legislator told AZ Free News that she had introduced the bill after learning from her own Yavapai County Constable Ron Williams “that constables and deputy constables are not part of the list in ARS 38-1113, which covers off-duty carry of firearms by peace officers.”
Even though the legislation passed out of the State House with broad bipartisan support on May 15, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the bill four days later. In the governor’s veto letter to House Speaker Ben Toma, Hobbs said, “I am concerned that this bill would have expanded the authority of constables to carry a gun while off-duty whereby some constables may choose to view themselves as having a ‘duty to respond’ when they are off duty.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
