By Daniel Stefanski |

Ahead of the upcoming session, Arizona legislative Republicans are working on commonsense solutions to problems that their constituents are facing.

Late last year, Clay Robinson shared a story on X about the context to a bill introduced by State Representative Pamela Carter for the next legislative session – HB 2009. Robinson wrote, “A couple weeks ago, during deployment pre-mobilization, our JAG officer was signing ADOT vehicle license tax waivers for service members.”

He added, “Of course, I wanted to take advantage of this exemption. When I called ADOT, they had informed me that if I had already paid the tax for the year, I could not use it for a refund and instead could use it when I get back, per existing statute. Understandable, but annoying.”

When Robinson realized that there could be a statutory fix to this issue, he touched base with state legislators in an attempt to make his proposal a reality. According to Robinson, “The fix would be simple: allow for refunds, and create a 30-day window prior to mobilization with valid orders to use the exemption.”

In addition to Carter, who introduced the legislation, Robinson thanked her colleagues, Representatives Matthew Gress, John Gillette, and Rachel Jones, “for being responsive and open to constituent ideas.”

Gress responded to Robinson, saying, “Thanks for bringing this idea to us, Clay Robinson. This is what representative government looks like! A great bill sponsored by a great seat mate, Pamela Carter.”

Robinson ended his post with an encouragement to other Arizonans who might have other proposals to bring before their legislators. He said, “All this to say: you DO have a voice in your government. You CAN change the law. Mine is a small change, but I believe it will help more service members in the Arizona National Guard who are mobilized to support contingency operations across the globe and remove unnecessary barriers to financial assistance. HB 2009 still has a long way to go, but I’m excited to be a part of the process, even from a distance!”

The 57th Legislature – First Regular Session is quickly approaching, with Arizona Republicans controlling more seats in both the state House and Senate than the previous two years. Republicans will be again forced to contend with a divided state government with Democrat Katie Hobbs occupying the Governor’s Office.

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.