The 2026 legislative session is still a couple months away, but bill filing has officially begun.
Why it matters: Pre-filing will give us an early glimpse at lawmakers' priorities in a year that's likely to be dominated by the budget, which is expected to face a shortfall due to declining state revenues and cuts to federal funding.
State of play: Bill filing in the Arizona House and Senate opened Saturday.
Each chamber has already seen its first piece of legislation introduced — identical proposed ballot measures that would amend the Arizona constitution, imposing new restrictions on early voting and making other changes to election law.
What's next: The session will officially commence on Jan. 12.
