Government Impact Team Update – May 31st

Government Impact Team Update – May 31st

Active bills just passed in the AZ legislature, please contact Gov Ducey to support and sign these important bills here  :

  • SB1260 – short title: election registration; early voting; move notice – this has a number of changes to Arizona statutes 16-165, 16-544 and 16-1016 relating to conduct of elections.
    • cancels a voter registration (and early voting list if applicable) when the county recorder gets confirmation from another county that a person has registered in that other county.
    • Requires a person that receives an early ballot at an address at which another person formerly resided, to write “not at this address” on the envelope and place the mail piece in the US postal service box.
    • Adds to the class 5 felony list, a person who knowingly provides a mechanism for voting to another person who is registered in another state, including by forwarding an early ballot addressed to the other person.
  • SB1362 – early ballot on-site tabulation – again this bill has a number of changes and additions to the Arizona statues related to early ballots.
    • this bill adds consideration of early ballots when defining number of voting locations to ensure wait times to vote do not exceed the current requirements.
    • Allows for tabulation of early voter ballots on-site at locations as long as the proper new additions of process are followed such as the qualified elector presents their early voter ballot and presents their ID, the processing of the early voter ballot is kept separate from the other ballots, provide adequate poll workers, election officials and equipment necessary to conduct voting pursuant to the law, categorize and tally separately in the official canvass by precinct, reconcile for that polling place or voting center the number of electors who appear on the signature roster or e-pollbook with the number of completed early ballot affidavits and the voted early ballots tabulated on site.

Unfortunately, Ducey just vetoed HB2617 with this explanation: “Our lawfully registered voters deserve to know that their right to vote will not be disturbed without sufficient due process.  This provision leaves our election system vulnerable to bad actors who could seek to falsely allege a voter is not a qualified elector.”  Except he must have missed actual words in the bill that I have highlighted below

  • HB2617 – voter registration; cancellations – This bill requires the recorder to cancel voter registration when they confirm 
    • a voter has died, 
    • has been issued a driver’s license or non-operating license in another state, 
    • is not a US citizen or
    • is not a qualified elector as prescribed by section 16-101.  
    • The recorder will send a notice to the voter asking for proof of their qualification to vote and give them 90 days to respondIf no response is received their voter registration will be cancelled.  
    • This bill also requires the county recorder, the Secretary of State and the jury commissioner to provide reports regularly to validate the voter registration rolls against other databases such as driver’s license, social security and department of health services records as further assurance the voter database has only qualified electors. 
    • Please let Ducey know you do not agree with his veto!

You can thank Ducey for signing these into law:

  • HB2237 – prohibits same day voter registration, and makes it a class 6 felony for anyone to do so.  Ducey signed this on May 23rd, 2022.
  • HB2453 – prohibits governmental entities from requiring masks on the government entity’s property. Ducey signed this on May 20th, 2022.

Pray for Uvalde and the families that lost precious young children to the senseless mass shooting last week at Robb Elementary School

  • An off-duty Texas Border Patrol agent, Jacob Albarado rushed into Robb Elementary School with a shotgun and rescued several-dozen children and his daughter during a mass shooting on Tuesday May 24th after his wife sent him a text message. His wife, a fourth-grade teacher at the school in Uvalde wrote, “There’s an active shooter, Help,” she sent, adding: “I love you.”
  • Albarado was at the barber, got out of his seat and took the barber’s shotgun to the school. His daughter, who went to the school, was locked inside a bathroom while his wife hid underneath desks with students.
  • The 18-year-old suspect, shot and killed 19 students and two teachers in another part of the school. Officials on Thursday said that he shot his grandmother, texted a stranger online that he was going to shoot up a school, crashed a truck, fired shots at a funeral home, and then apparently walked into the school, which was unlocked.
  • Many folks are calling for hardening schools as we harden airports etc.  Please pray that schools are afforded the ability to do this as appropriate.  Pray for the families.  May God comfort them.

Speaking Up can Make a Difference as we brace for woke businesses engaging in so-called “Pride Month” in June

  • Prepare to be engulfed in every color of the rainbow under the ever-growing alphabet of the LGBTQ+ movement. It is no longer just about acceptance, but rather all must submit at the expense of your own beliefs of humanity, sexuality and even your understanding of science and biology!
  • But make no mistake, your actions can make a difference. Just this week, State Farm rescinded (https://newsroom.statefarm.com/state-farm-response-on-gendercool-project/) its collaboration with the program GenderCool, which promotes transgender and other sexuality related books in kindergarten and other elementary grade level classes. Once word got out and the phrase, “Like a creepy neighbor, State Farm is there” caught on, customers complained (https://www.foxnews.com/media/state-farm-scraps-gender-identity-project-neighbor) to their local agents and the company pulled back.
  • Leftists in Washington have been trying to pass the Equality Act, (https://www.dailysignal.com/2021/02/24/how-equality-act-would-impose-transgender-ideology-on-everyone/) which would enshrine radical gender ideology in civil rights law and increase sexualization of youth.  It is the GIT team’s belief that this bill should never be passed.
  • If the make-up of the Arizona Legislature changes in November, we would likely see an aggressive attempt to pass a law like this year’s  HB 2802, which would codify the LGBTQ agenda into state law at the expense of free speech, parental rights, and religious freedom.
  • But, if Arizona voters elect more pro-family legislators this year, we would likely see more bills like SB 1138, which Arizona lawmakers passed this session and Governor Ducey signed. It prohibits irreversible gender related surgeries on minors. 
  • Our primary is August 2nd.  Let’s make sure we vet our Arizona legislative candidates in our districts and help elect God-fearing Conservative representatives.