If it wasn’t already apparent, the Republican-led Arizona Legislature and the state’s Democrat chief executive will not be coming together anytime soon on measures pertaining to election integrity.
On Wednesday, Senator J.D. Mesnard issued a press release to announce that Governor Katie Hobbs had vetoed a number of his bills “aimed at increasing voter confidence, convenience, transparency and timeliness of election results.”
The bills Mesnard was referring to were SB 1595, SB 1596, and SB 1598. SB 1595 would have “prescribed additional requirements for an early ballot to be counted and valid, required a voter to present valid identification by the prescribed days after an election for a ballot that was delivered by a voter’s agents or a voter who does not provide sufficient identification, removed the requirement that the period of early voting must end at 5:00pm on the Friday preceding the election, and deemed the early ballot of a voter who is issued an early ballot during the early voting period after confirming identification and stamped as ready for tabulating.”
SB 1596 would have “required a state, county, city, town or school district office to provide sufficient space for use as a polling place for an election when requested by the officer in charge of elections.”
SB 1598 would have “allowed a candidate for federal office to designate a representative who may act as an observer at a counting center and prescribed requirements relating to the conduct of party representatives, challengers and observers.”
Senator Mesnard released a statement in conjunction with his release, saying, “To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. Elections are becoming more chaotic and more controversial in Arizona with each passing cycle. We’ve seen it take weeks, sometimes more than a month, to count ballots and determine the winners of races. Following the last election, I heard more complaints across the political spectrum about the length of time it takes Arizona to finish counting than I did any other issue, and it’s a problem we can easily solve. Ignoring these problems is a complete disservice to our voters who are taking their precious time to exercise their civic duty. We can’t just kick the can down the road every year. My proposals were commonsense, practical to implement and would have made a real difference in tackling some of the issues voters continue to complain about. I look forward to trying again to provide impactful election reform next session.”
The governor didn’t have much to add in her veto letters for the three bills. For SB 1595, she wrote, “This bill fails to meaningfully address the real challenges facing Arizona voters.” For SB 1596, Hobbs explained: “This bill creates an unfunded and untenable mandate for schools and communities. This bill once had an appropriation, demonstrating that it needs funding to be viable. However, it was not included in the budget, and as such, I cannot support it.” And for SB 1598, Hobbs stated, “As it is not clear what problem this bill is attempting to address or if any such problem exists, I cannot support it.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
On Tuesday, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed the Republican-led Prop 400 legislation, which was transmitted to her office last week.
Hobbs provided a statement on Twitter, justifying her decision, writing, “I just vetoed the partisan Prop 400 bill that fails to adequately support Arizona’s economic growth and does nothing to attract new business or create good-paying jobs. I strongly encourage the Legislature to vote on the compromise supported by a bipartisan majority in the House and Senate, business and labor leaders, and Maricopa County Mayors.”
I just vetoed the partisan Prop 400 bill that fails to adequately support Arizona's economic growth and does nothing to attract new business or create good-paying jobs. I strongly encourage the Legislature to vote on the compromise supported by a bipartisan majority in the House…
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) June 20, 2023
Mesa Mayor John Giles, a Republican, praised the governor for her decision. Giles stated, “Thank you, Governor Hobbs, for your veto. We hope the Legislature will reconsider the cities’ Prop 400 compromise bill, to deliver quality-of-life benefits for all residents and strengthen our economy. Cities are committed to getting a balanced, multi-modal plan to the voters.”
Thank you @GovernorHobbs for your veto. We hope the Legislature will reconsider the cities’ Prop 400 compromise bill, to deliver quality-of-life benefits for all residents and strengthen our economy. Cities are committed to getting a balanced, multi-modal plan to the voters. https://t.co/la0BQoeRuv
On the other side of the political aisle, Democrat Mayor Kate Gallego also expressed her gratitude for Hobbs’ veto, tweeting, “Thank you, Governor Hobbs. We need a transportation plan that will support economic growth for years to come, and that’s not what this bill would have delivered. It’s time for the legislature to pass the plan that’s been endorsed by all our region’s mayors and tribal leaders.”
Thank you, @GovernorHobbs. We need a transportation plan that will support economic growth for years to come, and that’s not what this bill would have delivered.
It’s time for the legislature to pass the plan that’s been endorsed by all our region’s mayors and tribal leaders. https://t.co/UAPDUua5Uc
A spokesperson for the Arizona Senate Republican caucus told AZ Free News, “We put a good bill on her desk that passed with Majority support. Her and MAG’s proposal doesn’t have the votes she claims it does. We’re willing to come back to the table to negotiate in good faith, and we will consider all reasonable requests, but we won’t vote on a plan that doesn’t focus the majority of taxpayer dollars towards freeways and roads, which are the transportation options our citizens rely on to get to and from on a daily basis.”
SB 1246, as amended, passed the state house with a 31-26 vote (three members not voting) and the state senate with a 16-12 tally (two members not voting).
“We’re actually making you keep your word. That’s terrible, right?”
President @votewarren outlines the Prop 400 extension proposed and supported by Republican Legislators while exposing the original proposal and the Governor's lack of willingness to work together to form a… pic.twitter.com/CljJ0rJG14
After the Legislature passed its proposal, the Arizona Freedom Caucus released a statement, touting the plan and calling on the governor to sign the bill on her desk. The Caucus wrote, “The passage of the conservative Prop 400 plan is a major victory for Valley commuters and taxpayers by fully funding highways and arterial roadway projects, eliminating any opportunity for the expansion of the utterly failed light rail system, and providing a guaranteed tax cut of $241 million. Additionally, the conservative Prop 400 plan provides voters the opportunity to cut their sales tax at the ballot box by more than $3.37 billion. Unlike the MAG and Hobbs’ plans, the conservative Prop 400 plan properly prioritizes building better freeways and roadways while simultaneously reducing commute times, traffic congestion, and taxes – a true win-win.”
.@KatieHobbs is wildly out of touch with hardworking Arizonans.
The conservative Prop 400 plan is a major victory for Valley commuters and taxpayers.
✅ Fully funds highways and arterial roadway projects ✅ Eliminates any opportunity for the expansion of the utterly failed… pic.twitter.com/VdfAQ21Zl6
— Arizona Freedom Caucus (@AZFreedomCaucus) June 14, 2023
A bipartisan group of Valley mayors, however – including Gallego and Giles – issued a statement last week to denounce the Republican legislators’ plan for Prop 400 and to threaten to circumvent the House and Senate. The six mayors stated that the Republican lawmakers’ “priorities involving transportation just don’t mesh with the realities of where we are as the fastest-growing county in the U.S. We are unalterably opposed to their plan, and if no solution is reached, we will have no choice but to get this before voters in 2024.”
A small group of state lawmakers is blocking our unanimously approved transportation plan from going to Maricopa County voters.
Tonight, I joined a bipartisan group of fellow mayors to say if no solution is reached for Prop 400, we will find a way to get this to voters in 2024. pic.twitter.com/vQmZwlucq5
— Mayor Brigette Peterson (@GilbertAZMayor) June 14, 2023
House Speaker Ben Toma has taken exception to Hobbs’ public comments and negotiating abilities over Prop 400, telling reporters previously, “The Governor has chosen to be an uncompromising conduit for an inefficient MAG proposal that does not have sufficient votes to succeed in the House. I remain willing to negotiate, but their take-or-leave-it attitude is decidedly unproductive.”
Last month, the governor created unrest over ongoing negotiations, allegedly sending out a tweet that highlighted her fight with Republicans at the Legislature at the same time she was meeting with Senate President Warren Petersen.
This is a bizarre tweet. We had just started a meeting with the governor about prop 400 while this tweet was sent out. Our plan has more roads, less congestion and is a better value to the taxpayer. https://t.co/cfBF0GGM9v
As the Arizona legislative session drags on into the summer months, Senate leaders are issuing guidance over lawmakers’ per diems.
On Monday, the Senate Majority Leadership team sent out correspondence over per diems – specifically, legislators’ “opportunity to opt out of ‘per diem’ or subsistence payments during this current legislative break.”
The release states that “Members of the Legislature earn an annual salary of $24,000 per year for their service. However, A.R.S § 41- 1104 allows members to collect subsistence pay for each day the Legislature is in session, which may be used on living expenses, such as lodging and meals. After 120 days of session, which was May 9, members who live in Maricopa County collect $10 per day, while members who live outside of Maricopa County collect $119 per day.”
According to the Senate Republicans, under subsection D of A.R.S § 41-1104, ‘each member of the Legislature may elect to opt out of receiving subsistence payments.’ “At the time the Legislator submits a request to opt out of their subsistence payments, they may identify an end date for that request.”
The Arizona Senate Democrats Caucus quickly pounced on the release, calling it a “stunt:” This stunt proves two things: 1) Republicans have acted irresponsibly and are trying to shift blame. 2) We must sine die immediately. This will be the longest session in our state’s history – it’s time to close the door on session and stop holding members hostage.”
This stunt proves two things:
1) Republicans have acted irresponsibly and are trying to shift blame. 2) We must sine die immediately.
This will be the longest session in our state’s history – it's time to close the door on session and stop holding members hostage. https://t.co/QAWOLQfbGu
— Arizona Senate Democrats (@AZSenateDems) June 19, 2023
The Arizona Senate Republicans Caucus Twitter account responded to the accusation, posting, “Says the Caucus who turned a blind eye to Mendez collecting his per diem last session without ever coming to the Senate to do the job his constituents elected him to do. Nice virtue signaling though!!”
Says the Caucus who turned a blind eye to Mendez collecting his per diem last session without ever coming to the Senate to do the job his constituents elected him to do. Nice virtue signaling though!! 🤣
Senate Republicans used the release to announce their plans to bring Members back into session, writing, “The Senate adjourned on the evening of Tuesday, June 13 and will reconvene on Monday, July 31. If all 30 members receive subsistence pay during this eight-week period, this would cost the State a total of $83,944, before taxes. However, had the Legislative session ended the week of June 13, the maximum cost to the State would have been a total of $36,960, as members may receive subsistence payments during the interim.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Another Arizona Republican-led effort to scale back the ESG movement in the state has been rejected by Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs.
On Monday, Senator Anthony Kern issued a press release, announcing that Governor Hobbs vetoed SB 1611, which he sponsored and which would have “countered the rapidly increasing use of environmental, social, or governance standards (ESG) scores to compel the business practices of private companies.”
In a statement, Kern expressed disappointment with the governor’s action, saying, “This bill would have ensured our state contracts do not push the goals of ESG in Arizona. If an organization supports ESG, we simply should not offer them a state contract. Tax dollars should not go to partisan organizations and organizations that implement politically driven policies. The Governor had the opportunity to put a stop to this clear form of discrimination, and instead, chose to support it.”
Senator Kern’s release elaborated on the purpose of his legislation and the importance of this proposal for the Grand Canyon State: “This bill specified a public entity may not implement an ESG policy as a condition of entering or renewing a contract with a company. ESG describes a set of standards imposed on companies to manipulate businesses and investors into compliance with Leftist political ideologies at the expense of free-market capitalism and investor returns. This system is similar to the concept of a credit score. If you don’t score high enough on their liberal meter, you could be rejected from doing business with these groups.”
Hobbs didn’t have much to say in her customary veto letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, writing, “I do not believe that tying the hands of the State’s procurement and investment professionals is in the best interests of the people of Arizona.”
After being introduced, SB 1611 was assigned to the Senate Government Committee, where it passed 4-3 – before clearing the full chamber 16-12 (with two members not voting). The legislation was transmitted to the House of Representatives and designated to the Government Committee, where it was approved with a 5-4 vote. The House then gave the green light for the bill 31-27 (with one member not voting and one seat vacant).
The governor’s veto of SB 1611 occurred on the same day she turned aside another, similar bill, which was SB 1500, sponsored by Senator Frank Carroll. That legislation would have “empowered (the) Arizona State Treasurer to eliminate ESG consideration from all state investments by requiring investments be made in the sole interest of the taxpayer.” Carroll pushed back in a statement this week, writing, “My interest is in protecting taxpayer dollars and protecting pensions. I sponsored this bill to get politics out of the pensions of public employees and public officials who have earned the right to financial stability after dedicating their lives to public service.”
Arizona Republicans and Democrats are unlikely to come together on the ESG issue as Hobbs has proven with her vetoes of bills from the legislature. Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes has also taken her office in a different direction than that of her predecessor, stopping an ongoing investigation into the ESG movement soon after she took her post. Mayes said at the time, “The state of Arizona is not going to stand in the way of corporations’ efforts to move in the right direction.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’ historic veto streak has uncovered another disappointed legislator.
On Monday, Republican Senator Frank Carroll issued a press release to highlight Governor Hobbs’ veto of his bill, SB 1500, “which would have empowered (the) Arizona State Treasurer to eliminate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) consideration from all state investments by requiring investments be made in the sole interest of the taxpayer.”
Hobbs justified her reasoning for the veto in a customary letter to the Arizona Senate President, writing, “Politicizing decisions best made by the state’s investment professionals can harm our state’s long-term fiscal health.”
Senator Carroll was unhappy with the governor’s action on his proposal, saying, “My interest is in protecting taxpayer dollars and protecting pensions. I sponsored this bill to get politics out of the pensions of public employees and public officials who have earned the right to financial stability after dedicating their lives to public service. By definition, pecuniary means, ‘relating to or consisting of money.’ That is the criteria by which taxpayer dollars should be invested, not a social system used to push political agendas.”
The lawmaker’s release further explained why SB 1500 would have been so important for Arizona, stating, “An investment evaluation, conducted by the State Treasurer, must be based on financial and economic factors, and not to promote nonpecuniary benefits, other nonpecuniary social goals or take unnecessary investment risks. This bill aimed to protect government employees who pay into a retirement fund, where that money is then invested by the State Treasurer. The growing practice of ESG policies being imposed on companies is cause for concern, as it deviates from typical investing and business practices to consider non-financial information about a company, and ultimately prioritizes liberal ideology and goals over investor returns.”
SB 1500 was first passed by the Senate on February 28 with a 16-14 vote after clearing the Government Committee earlier in the month 5-3. When the bill was transmitted to the House of Representatives, it first obtained approval from the Government Committee before receiving the green light from the full chamber with a 31-27 vote (one member not voting and one seat vacant).
Senators Ken Bennett, David Gowan, Sine Kerr, Janae Shamp; and Representatives Michael Carbone, Neal Carter, Tim Dunn, Teresa Martinez, Quang Nguyen, Austin Smith, and Justin Wilmeth co-sponsored the legislation.
Representatives from the Climate Cabinet Action, Sierra Club – Grand Canyon Chapter, and the Arizona Association of Counties expressed opposition to the bill as it made its way through the legislative process.
The governor’s veto continues an abrupt shift in state policy over the ESG issue, which has largely devolved into a Republican versus Democrat fight. Prior to 2023, Arizona had two statewide officials, who were extremely active in fighting back against the ESG movement with former Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Treasurer Kimberly Yee.
However, the transition of power in the Arizona Attorney General’s Office halted Brnovich’s investigative efforts into this movement. Kris Mayes, Arizona’s new top prosecutor, stopped an ongoing investigation from her predecessor, saying, “corporations increasingly realize that investing in sustainability is both good for our country, our environment, and public health and good for their bottom lines. The state of Arizona is not going to stand in the way of corporations’ efforts to move in the right direction.”
“Corporations increasingly realize that investing in sustainability is both good for our country, our environment, and public health and good for their bottom lines,” Mayes said in a statement. https://t.co/tfc75ZGlJZ
But State Treasurer Kimberly Yee continues to be an active opponent of ESG. Her office took several positions and actions against ESG during her first term, including revising the Arizona State Treasurer’s Office Investment Policy Statement to ensure that the Office “investments are not subject to the subjective political whims of the ESG standards.” Yee stated, “This is about maintaining American free-market principles that our country was founded upon and not allowing environmental or social goals to dictate how taxpayer monies are managed.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
