Capitol roundup: Lawmakers send Hobbs bills on vapes, shade and more
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Lawmakers kept busy this week while Gov. Katie Hobbs and Republican legislative leadership continued working toward an elusive bipartisan budget deal.
⛱️ Homeowners associations wouldn't be able to prohibit backyard shade structures but could regulate style, placement and size under a bill passed by the House, which is now on Hobbs' desk.
🏘️ Legislation to exempt historic neighborhoods from a 2025 law limiting cities' ability to restrict "middle housing," such as duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and townhomes, was defeated in the House.
💨 The House gave final approval to a bill that would crack down on marketing and sales of vaping products to minors. It awaits Hobbs' signature or veto.
💔 A bill limiting post-divorce spousal maintenance payments to four years awaits a final vote after receiving preliminary approval in the House.
⚖️ Judges could designate some lower-level felony convictions as class 1 misdemeanors for first-time offenders under a bill that the House passed unanimously, sending it to the governor's desk.
💰 Meanwhile, Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) told Axios he believes they're 99% of the way there on the budget — it was 97% nearly a month ago, when talks restarted — but the last 1% is the hardest.
- The budget could be done by the end of next week if a "couple of major issues, not necessarily big money issues, are resolved," Senate Appropriations Committee chair John Kavanagh (R-Fountain Hills) told Axios.
- "Of course, things could always go south fast," he added.