by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 2, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
An Arizona lawmaker is working on legislation to protect his constituents from government overreach.
This week, State Senator J.D. Mesnard introduced SCR 1009 to “remove an exception from the Arizona constitution that allows government bureaucrats to assess uncapped fees without first getting a two-thirds vote from the legislature.” If passed by both chambers of the Arizona Legislature, the measure would be referred to a future statewide ballot for voter approval.
According to the press release issued by Mesnard, a Republican, SCR 1009 was deemed necessary because of a loophole that was uncovered from a previously approved voter initiative, Proposition 108, back in 1992. Prop 108 mandated a two-thirds vote of the Arizona Legislature to increase taxes, fees, and assessments on the state’s taxpayers. However, as was discovered in later years, there was an exception that was granted for fees that would be assessed by state officers or agencies. That loophole, per Mesnard, has led to hundreds of millions of dollars of fees for Arizonans, leading to the need for a measure like SCR 1009 to correct the problem and close the loophole that was being exploited by rogue bureaucrats.
In a statement announcing the introduction of the ballot measure, Senator Mesnard said, “The people have entrusted their elected officials with the power to make policies, including assessing any taxes or fees, not delegate that responsibility to unelected government officials. When Arizona voters approved Prop. 108, their intentions were clear; they wanted to set a higher threshold when imposing a greater financial burden on the people, not make it easier to do so. The current law is highly attractive to those who wish to game the system and impose fees that they know will not receive a supermajority vote from the legislature. This bill is a significant step towards protecting Arizona taxpayers from unchecked financial burdens while ensuring the legislature cannot shirk its sacred duty.”
The release from the longtime east valley legislator added that “by having a proper check and balance in place, the ballot referral will ensure that the state government is not permitted to make major financial decisions without first getting approval of two-thirds of the legislature, as the people intended. This measure will help restore fiscal accountability, halt government overreach, and protect taxpayers from unauthorized financial obligations.”
SCR 1009 will first be considered in the Arizona Senate. If it is successful in this chamber, the measure will move to the Arizona House of Representatives for consideration. If both the state Senate and House approve of this measure, SCR 1009 will be transmitted to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office for inclusion on the 2026 November General Election ballot, bypassing the Governor’s Office entirely.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Mar 4, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
For over a decade, Arizona Legislative Republicans have not had to worry about a governor who may be inclined to use executive actions to unnecessarily regulate businesses around the state. They’re now advancing a bill to protect businesses in their districts from any new regulatory overreach that could be coming from the new Democrat Chief Executive on the Ninth Floor of Arizona’s Executive Tower.
This week, the Arizona House passed HB 2254, sponsored by Representative Justin Wilmeth. The bill “requires a proposed rule that will increase regulatory costs in excess of $500,000 within two years after implementation to be ratified by the Legislature,” according to the overview provided by the State House. 31 Republicans voted for the legislation, opposed by 27 Democrats. Two Democrats did not vote (Representatives Stacey Travers and Amish Shah).
Representative Wilmeth issued the following statement after his bill’s party-line passage in the House: “Burdensome regulations can lead to higher prices, fewer small businesses, and fewer jobs. HB 2254 says legislative approval would be required before high-cost rules could be implemented by the state. Executive agencies would have to get buy-in from the Legislature before they could move forward with major regulations. It will increase government accountability by strengthening oversight on unelected bureaucrats and help keep government regulations in check.”
Earlier last month, HB 2254 passed the House Government Committee with a partisan 5-4 vote and the House Rules Committee with a unanimous 8-0 vote.
Republican Legislators did not have to take precautions when it came to protecting Arizona businesses from the heavy and onerous hand of state government during the previous administration. Former Governor Doug Ducey led the way for the Grand Canyon State and the nation by “eliminat(ing) or improv(ing) over 3,365 regulations since 2015 – the equivalent of a $183 million tax cut.”
Representatives from the Sierra Club – Grand Canyon Chapter, AZ Solar Energy Industries, and WM E Morris Institute for Justice opposed the bill’s passage through the House process. Stephen Shadegg from Americans for Prosperity Arizona supported this legislation.
HB 2254 now heads to the Arizona Senate. If it clears that chamber, it will await its fate at the hands of a governor who will have to decide whether to voluntarily allow a Republican-led legislature to hold her regulatory actions accountable to their oversight.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | May 29, 2022 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
The overwhelming majority of people are done with COVID restrictions. Just look at the reaction when mask mandates were put to an end on airplanes last month. Cheering. Celebration. Throwing masks away. There’s nothing surprising about this—unless of course you’re a member of the liberal media.
With a desire to tackle COVID overreach head on, our own state lawmakers got to work last year. And through a series of Budget Reconciliation Bills, they took important steps to protect Arizonans from more COVID mandates.
But then in November, some of the protections were thrown out in court on procedural grounds. Thankfully, the Arizona legislature didn’t ignore the problem and got back to work this year. Now, they have passed several significant bills that are officially signed into law to protect against future COVID and government overreach…
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