Arizona voting center ban looks stalled and more happening at the Capitol
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A voting center at Tolleson City Hall in 2022. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios
It was another busy week at the Arizona Capitol.
Here's what your lawmakers were up to.
🗳 House Republicans approved a proposed ballot measure to ban voting centers and force counties to use precinct-based voting.
- Yes, but: Sen. Ken Bennett (R-Prescott) told Axios he'll oppose the measure in the Senate, which means it likely doesn't have enough votes to pass.
🏫 A proposed ballot measure that would've asked voters to bar trans-inclusive policies at schools failed by one vote in the Senate. It also would have prohibited teachers from using students' preferred pronouns and names without parental permission.
- A regular bill that would require schools to inform parents if their underage children ask to use a different pronoun did pass the Senate, but it is likely to be vetoed if it gets to Hobbs.
⛪ Religious institutions would be able to fast-track affordable housing development on their property under a "Yes in God's backyard" bill approved by the House on Thursday.
⛺ Property owners who independently mitigate issues caused by homeless encampments would get tax breaks if cities fail to enforce laws against public camping, loitering and public intoxication under a proposed ballot measure OK'd by House Republicans.
- The plan lacks bipartisan support, but as a ballot referral it doesn't need Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs' signature.
⛔ A bill that would make illegal immigration a state crime is on its way to Hobbs' desk after the House gave it final approval on Wednesday.
- Hobbs has already said she'll veto it.
💻 The Senate passed two bipartisan bills aimed at combating deepfakes in elections.
- One would make it a felony to use deepfakes to defraud or harass people in any circumstances and another would make it a criminal offense not to disclose that election deepfakes are generated by AI.
- Both bills now move to the House.
🍄 Psilocybin would become legal for mental health treatment under a bill that passed out of the Senate with broad bipartisan support.
- The bill now goes to the House.
🛫 Don't expect much action in the House next week: 17 representatives plan to take a six-day trip to Israel.
- The Senate voted to block the trip under a law requiring adjournment of more than three days to be approved by the other chamber, but Speaker Ben Toma said there's a legal workaround.
- Meanwhile, Hobbs led a trade delegation on a trip to Mexico on Wednesday.