Going Over Hobbs Head to the Voters

That seems to be a worthwhile gamble for Republicans who, so far this year, have pushed voter referrals ranging from truncating term limits for the State Mine Inspector to legalizing semiautomatic weapons.

Before the legislative session started, Republican leadership began pushing a plan to speed up election results by getting rid of voters’ ability to drop off their early ballots on Election Day. That was the first (and so far, only) bill Hobbs vetoed this year.

Now, Republicans are banking on Rep. Alexander Kolodin’s HCR2013 which asks voters to cut off early ballot drop-offs on the Friday before Election Day. The ballot referral also prohibits foreign money in election administration.

Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Rachel Keshel’s HCR2002 would ask voters to eliminate voting centers where they can cast their ballots at any location. Instead, voters would only be allowed to vote at their neighborhood polling place.

After successfully making it a state crime to be an undocumented immigrant, Republicans now want to ask voters to conduct a census every 10 years counting only legal citizens. Republican Sen. Jake Hoffman’s SCR1022 would cost $5 million a year and make the independent redistricting commission draw new legislative districts based on the immigrant-less count, assuming voters approve it.

House Speaker Steve Montenegro’s HCR2055 would ask voters to declare drug cartels terrorist organizations and make the Arizona Department of Homeland Security do “everything within its authority to address the threat posed by drug cartels.” It strategically says people who are here illegally can’t use the measure to support an asylum claim. Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations in January.

Montenegro is also taking a note from the Trump administration by asking voters to implement a statewide DEI ban through HCR2042. That voter referral would prohibit hiring using “preferential treatment” based on race or ethnicity.

Kolodin, meanwhile, wants voters to decide whether death row inmates should be killed by firing squad instead of lethal injection. He cited recent botched lethal injections in his support of HCR2024, and said death by gunfire is more humane.

The Freedom Caucus Republican also wants Arizonans to be legally allowed to possess silencers, automatic firearms and short-barreled rifles. They’re trying to ask voters to approve that through HCR2037.

A few of the ballot referrals lawmakers are advancing this year would directly affect them.

Republican Rep. Lisa Fink’s HCR2015 would ask voters to give lawmakers control of federal funds like grants and general revenue-sharing money. The Governor’s Office currently controls federal funding that’s not designated to a specific entity like a city or town, such as the pandemic-era American Rescue Plan dollars.

Lawmakers also think it’s time for a pay raise, even though voters have consistently told them no. Republican Sen. John Kavanagh wants voters to boost legislators’ pay from $24,000 to $48,000 through SCR1003. The last time voters approved a legislative pay raise was in 1998. They’ve shot down six attempts to raise lawmakers’ pay in the 27 years since. But Kavanagh’s ballot referral would negate the need to keep asking voters — it would automatically increase lawmakers’ pay to keep up with inflation going forward.

Republican Rep. Quang Nguyen’s bipartisan HCR2053 would remove lawmakers’ immunity from receiving speeding tickets — and something tells us that if voters get the chance, they’ll approve it. Both Sen. Mark Finchem and former Sen. Justine Wadsack recently tried to claim legislative immunity to get out of traffic tickets, and Hoffman recently avoided a speeding ticket when a cop took it upon himself to grant the lawmaker immunity.

But lawmakers wouldn’t have to worry about speeding or red light traffic cameras if voters back Sen. Wendy Rogers’ SCR1002. The measure asks voters to ban using photo enforcement systems to issue tickets for speeding or running a red light.

Rogers combined two of her favorite things — lower taxes and cryptocurrency — to concoct SCR1001. The referral would ask voters to exempt virtual currency from property taxation.

Kolodin also wants property tax exemptions, but for combat veterans with a service-related disability through HCR2023. Plus, he wants voters to let the Legislature get rid of any agency rule that costs taxpayers more than $1 million a year. HCR2038 is a simplified version of Prop 315, which failed on last year’s ballot. It would have prevented a rule from taking place if it cost more than $500,000 over five years, and Kolodin thinks voters will support the measure if it’s phrased more clearly.

Lawmakers also want to limit cities, towns and counties from collecting taxes.

Rep. Jeff Weninger and Hoffman are running mirror bills to ask voters to bar the collection of taxes based on vehicle miles traveled. It’s a move to preemptively ban any future plans to supplement the gas tax with the rising use of electric cars. Last year, then-Sen. Ken Bennett joined Democrats to kill the measure.

Senate President Warren Petersen is championing SCR1008, a voter referral to require a two-thirds vote from city councils and county boards to raise local taxes. And Rep. Leo Biasiucci’s HCR2021 has some Democratic support to let voters limit city sales taxes on groceries to 2%.