Legislative schedule - week starting 7/6/2025

Not much to report this week, as the lege is out of session and many members are still on vacation.

Actually, nothing is scheduled for this week - no interim, ad hoc, or "special" committees.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/29/2025

The Senate passed a budget to avoid a government shutdown and Governor Hobbs signed it into law, and the lege has gone home, so there is absolutely nothing scheduled for next week.

The Independence Day holiday next Friday may have have something to do with that.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/22/2025 UPDATE

I'm guessing that a special session of the state legislature is coming our way.

On Tuesday, 6/24 

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House Appropriation meets at 10 a.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: 13 bills, all related to the House Budget. all to be considered as part of a single motion.  No public comment need be solicited.

House Rules meets at noon in HHR4..  On the agenda: the 13 House budget bills.

The Committee of the Whole (COW) sessions 2 -8 are all pertaining to the House budget bill; COW1 has two bills on it that seem to have to be returned to the Senate, which has adjourned already.  So that COW session may (or may not) be cancelled.

No amendments to the House budget have been posted as yet, so if passed as is, the House budget will differ from the Senate budget. 

Meaning that, as of the end of the month, the State of Arizona will have no budget.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/22/2025

Well, the Senate has adjourned for the year without the House passing a budget.  The House slated to consider one on Monday, but if they don't, or if anything they pass differs from what the Senate has passed, a special session may be necessary.

From AZ Mirror, written by Caitlin Sievers -

Political chaos erupts as Arizona Senate passes budget and ends session unilaterally

The Arizona Senate has officially ended its work for this legislative session after passing its budget bills in a marathon of amendments and votes on Thursday, just hours after a tentative agreement with Republicans in the House of Representatives fell apart and that chamber went home. 

The day was marked by long-winded speeches and fiery disagreements both between and within political parties. Just minutes after voting on the final budget bill a little before 2 a.m. Friday,  the Senate took a bipartisan vote to end the session — also known as sine die. That vote comes before the House has voted on the budget bills that just passed through the Senate, forcing the chamber to confront the June 30 deadline to pass the budget on its own. 

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday, 6/23 

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Senate Director Nominations meets at 1:15 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills; one director nomination, Karen Peters, AZ Department of Environmental Quality.

It's on the schedule for now, but given that Senate has bugged out, this one may be cancelled.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/15/2025 UPDATE

Like an infestation of athlete's foot fungus, THEY'RE BAAACK.

The lege isn't on hiatus any longer and the people of Arizona are back in jeopardy.

Well, as predicted, the committee schedule has changed.

On Tuesday, 6/17  

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Senate Appropriations meets at 9:30 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: 18 bills, including 16 budget bills.  There are two SCR bills on the agenda; SCR1041 would lift the aggregate expenditure limit for public schools in FY2026 and SCR1042 would do the same for FY2027.  Both have clauses requiring a 2/3 vote for passage.

House Rules meets at 1 p.m. in HHR4.  On the agenda: two bills, neither budget-related.

House Appropriations meets at 2 p.m. in HHR1.  On the agenda: five bills, four with strikers. The striker to HCR2031 would change it to a proposal to submit to voters a pay raise for teachers, including those employed by charter schools; the one for HCR2058 would, conditioned on voter approval of the first measure and this measure, do many things, including increasing reporting requirements related to teacher salaries on schools; the one for SB1082 would bar a "foreign principal from a designated country" from owning or acquiring real property in AZ (without identifying the country); and the one for SB1470 would freeze enrollment in and reduce funding for AHCCCS.

On Wednesday, 6/18 

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Senate Director Nomination meets at 10 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, one director nomination - Karen Peters for the Department of Environmental Quality.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/8/2025 UPDATE

Well, the budget logjam seems to have been broken, though the original Senate and House versions of the budget may have some differences.

First, the Senate activity.

On Friday, 6/13 

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Senate Rules meets at 11:45 a.m. in (Senate) Caucus Room 1.  On the agenda: no bills, one item.

The House has introduced 15 budget-related bills, starting with HB2947.

Now the fun/popcorn eating begins. :)

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/8/2025

Not much is on the lege's schedule as yet, though the budget could drop at any time.

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previo

On Monday, 6/9 - Nada.

On Tuesday, 6 10 

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Senate Education and Technology meets at 9 a.m.is SHR1.  On the agenda: no bills, two board nominations:

Dr. José Luis Cruz Rivera for the State Board of Education 

Felipe Jose Garcia for the Arizona Board of Regents

Senate Director Nominations meets (finally!) at 10:30 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, one director nomination - 

Kimberly Ann O'Connor for the Arizona Department of Homeland Security

It's not yet on the schedule, but the legislature has been conducting floor activity on Wednesdays.  They did so last Wednesday and I expect that they will continue to do so, at least until a budget drops.

Then all hell will break loose.

One bill that may make a return is SB1230.  It failed last Wednesday on a roll call vote, but was approved for reconsideration by a voice vote.

The bill would mandate funding for clinical trials of marijuana, and as it would alter a voter-passed measure, it needs a 3/4 vote from each chamber of the legislature to pass into law.

It reached that threshold in the Senate (barely!) but didn't quite reach that threshold in the House.

My guess? 

Even if the supporters of the bill get the votes of every member who missed the original vote AND are are able to change the minds, and votes, of a few of the opponents, they still won't reach the needed threshold of 45 votes.

In other words, it may not actually return

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/1/2025 UPDATE

Tomorrow, 6/5, Senate Director Nominations was scheduled to meet, but that's been pulled from the schedule.  

Guess the nominee for the Arizona Department of Homeland Security doesn't have strong enough ties to neo-Nazi movement to suit the Rs on the committee.

On Friday, 6/6 -

Joint Legislative Audit Committee meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills; reviews and discussions of three audits.

Legislative schedule - week starting 6/1/2025

Right now, there's nothing on the official schedule, but Rs in the legislature and the Ds in Governor Hobbs' office are busily negotiating a budget deal, which could drop at any time.

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

Legislative schedule - week starting 5/25/2025

They're still (mostly) on vacation, though a few executive nominations will be considered by Senate committees this week.

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday, 5/26 (Memorial Day) and Tuesday, 5/27 - nada.

On Wednesday, 5/28 

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Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109. On the agenda: no bills; three commission/board appointments.

Xavier Carpio for the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission

Jeff Weintraub for the Arizona State Lottery Commission

Terressa DeHaven for the State Liquor Board

Senate Committee on Director Nominations meets at 10 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills; one director nomination.

Carlos Contreras for the Office of Economic Opportunity.

Senate Government meets at 2 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: no bills; one board/commission appointment.

Jenny Domingo for the Governor's Regulatory Review Council 

Even when the lege is on vacation, their efforts against the public interest continue

Corporate profits must be protected at all costs...especially when those costs are borne by others.

From Arizona Capitol Times, written by Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services, dated 5/14/2025 -

State Republicans want to block Biden national monument

Key Points:

• Arizona Republicans are pushing to void a newly designated national monument

• Opponents of the monument argue the designation harms Arizona’s economy

• The monument sits on large uranium and water reserves

Rebuffed by a federal judge, Republican state legislative leaders want an appellate court to give them a chance to void the decision by former President Biden to designate nearly a million acres in northern Arizona as a national monument.

In new filings on May 14, attorney Justin Smith is arguing that U.S. District Court Judge Stephen McNamee got it wrong in January when he concluded that House Speaker Steve Montenegro and Senate President Warren Petersen have no legal standing to challenge creation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

Guessing that AZ taxpayers are picking up the tab for Montenegro's and Petersen's litigation and the continuation of it.

Legislative schedule - week starting 5/18/2025

There's nada scheduled for the week as the elected denizens of the state legislative buildings are on vacation.

Legislative schedule - week starting 5/11/2025

I would say that "'Hurry up and wait' time continues at the state Capitol...until a budget drops"...but they're going on vacation going back to their district to meet with constituents until after Memorial Day.

Nobody will be surprised when industry lobbyists list this period on their expense reports as "legislator outreach" or some such innocuous-sounding garbage.

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday, 5/12 

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There's one meeting on the schedule for the week, and it's both early in the week and early in the day (Monday meetings are usually in the afternoon).

Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Family Court Orders meets at 9 a.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: no bills; two presentations on...wait for the surprise...*family court orders*.

After that, nada.

Legislative schedule - week starting 5/4/2025 UPDATE

There's been an addition to this week's schedule of committee meetings at the state legislature.

On Thursday, 5/1 -

Senate Director Nominations meets at 9:30 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, one executive nomination - Robyn Sahid, Commissioner, State Land Department.

Legislative schedule - week starting 5/4/2025

"Hurry up and wait" time continues at the state Capitol...until a budget drops.

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

Almost nothing is officially scheduled for this week...almost nothing.

On Monday, 5/5 and Tuesday, 5/6 - nada.

On Wednesday, 5/7 

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Senate Education and Transportation meets at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1.  On the agenda: no bills; consideration of two nominations to state boards - Binky Jones, State Board for Charter Schools and Lee Stein, Arizona Board of Regents.

On Thursday, 5/8 - nada.

Legislative schedule - week starting 4/27/2025 UPDATE

There's been an addition to this week's schedule of committee meetings at the state legislature.

On Thursday, 5/1 -

Senate Director Nominations meets at 9:30 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, one executive nomination -

Carmen Heredia as director of Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)

Well, the bill to let legislative Rs subpoena folks under penalty of arrest is dead*

* = Of course, the old adage at the legislature is that nothing is dead until sine die (aka - the legislature adjourns for the year).

A couple of days ago, I wrote a post about about HB2824.

While it was amended in the Senate and had to return to the House for them to approve the changes, the deadline for bills to be heard in conference committee for differences to be hashed out has passed.

From the AZSenate's 2025 timeline -

Republican Rep. Tony Rivero should broaden his reading list

I was going to title this one "Republicans in the AZ legislature to the people of AZ: do as we say, not as we do" but one thing in the following story caught my attention.

From the AZ Capitol Times, written by Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services -

State Republicans push measure to punish false testimony 

in the Legislature

Key Points:

• HB2824 allows committee chairs to compel testimony without majority approval

• False testimony could result in perjury charges

• Democrats want a provision to hold legislators to the same standard

State lawmakers have approved a measure to allow any lawmaker who chairs a legislative committee to issue a subpoena and send out a sheriff’s deputy to arrest anyone who refuses to submit to questioning or produce documents.

The part/quote that got my attention (emphasis added by me)?

But Rivero told Capitol Media Services that the Legislature, as “the supreme lawmaking body” in the state, has a special role.

"Supreme lawmaking body"?  Really?

To attribute a quote to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (attribute = I don't know that she ever actually said this):

"Hold my beer."

Justice Ginsburg wrote the majority opinion in the USSC's 2015 ruling in the case of Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission.

That ruling upheld the right of the people approve laws, even those that override the interests of members of the legislature.

The case really should have been named "Arizona's Legislative Republicans v. The People Of Arizona."

This bill proves that while the case is in the past, the hatred that Arizona's Legislative Republicans have for the People Of Arizona still festers.

SCOTUSblog has complete coverage of the case here.

HB2824, the bill in question, was amended in the Senate (to make a bad bill worse) so it heads back to the House, where the majority caucus has already recommended concurrence.

Legislative schedule - week starting 4/20/2025 UPDATE

There's been an addition to this week's schedule of committee meetings at the state legislature.

Senate Director Nominations meets at 9:30 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills; one executive nomination - Kathryn Ptak as Director of the Department of Child Safety.

She seems to well liked by Rs in general...but none of them are on this committee.

One person who is?

State Sen. John Kavanagh, sponsor of SB1734, a bill that infamously reduces benefits/compensation for parents caring for their children with developmental disabilities.

While Ptak's nomination isn't for an agency  that covers that area, it may be close enough for Kavanagh et. al.

I expect some verbal fireworks from the Rs on the committee before they tank her nomination.

However, Ptak is a trained attorney.  Not only does she know how to fence with words, she may use words that are bigger than Kavanagh et. al. have heard.

Legislative schedule - week starting 4/20/2025

"Hurry up and wait time" continues at the Capitol while rank-and-file Rs and all Ds wait for the leadership in the lege and Governor Hobbs to work out a state budget.

Which may not happen until it hits 100 every day in Phoenix and the lege wants to get out of town before it hits 110 every day.

Schedules can, and frequently do, change at any moment when the legislature is in session.  So pay attention.

Note: HHR refers to a hearing room in the House building; SHR refers to one in the Senate building.

Note2: Generally, I'll only specify bills that look to spread propaganda.  Other bills may be more conventionally bad (think: corrupt or other misuses of public monies and/or authority).  My recommendation is that if an agenda covers an area of interest to you, read the entire agenda.

Note3: Each chamber's respective Rules Committee meets on Monday, the House's in HHR4, generally at 1 p.m. and the Senate's in Senate Caucus Room 1, generally also at 1 p.m.  Both committees serve as rubber stamps for bills leadership wants to be advanced and gatekeepers for measures that leadership wants stopped.

Note4: Meeting start times may be listed, but are flexible.  Before journeying to the Capitol or viewing the meeting online, verify the start time.

Note5: Watch for strikers, or strike everything amendments.  Those involve inserting language that replaces the entirety of a bill.  Those can be introduced at any time and can make a previously harmless bill become a very bad one. 

On Monday 4/21 - No committees scheduled to meet, at this point.

On Tuesday, 4/22 

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Arizona Off Highway Vehicle Study Committee meets at 2 p.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills, four presentations.

On Wednesday 4/23 

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Joint Committee on Capital Review (JCCR) meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: no bills; three items slated to he voted on en masse as part of the consent agenda.

Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency meets at 9 a.m. in SHR109.  On the agenda: three executive nominations for the Arizona Racing Commission.

Normally, I'd see two meetings scheduled for the same place and time and speculate that one would have to be moved, but I expect the JCCR meeting will be *very* short.  The meetings may be piggy-backed.

On Thursday, 4/24 - nada.