Referendum definition – Arizona Is one of only 23 states where voters have the right to
*refer* a law (after the Governor signs it) to the ballot. The law does not go
into effect unless the VOTERS pass it. (It only goes to the ballot IF enough
valid petition signatures are collected.)
Initiative definition – Arizona voters can collect enough valid signatures to place a
proposed law onto the election ballot.
(The referendum petitions each need 118,823 valid signatures
turned in before September 28, 2021. The initiatives need 237,645 valid sigs
before July 8, 2022.)
1.
“PEVL Purge”, SB1485. Sponsor: Arizona
Deserves Better
The best
known of the passed/signed voting suppression bills, it turns “PEVL” into
“Evil”.
Overview: "This petition seeks to refer
SB1485 to the ballot for a vote. This bill substantially changes the Permanent
Early Voting List (PEVL), now used by most Arizonans to vote. It renames the
list and purges it periodically. Government notices would be sent to people
based on their frequency of early voting. People who are mailed notices would
be required to respond to stay on the list. If enough people sign this
petition, the people of Arizona will be able to vote to prevent this bill from
becoming law and keep the Permanent Early Voting List. "
Summary: SB1485 is trying to fix a non-existent
problem. The effect is to make it more difficult for
citizens to participate in the election process… for no valid reason. For
example, if a person is an infrequent voter (votes only in presidential elections) and misses one
presidential election, they can be taken off of early voting/PEVL. NOTE: There are laws already in place to clean up
the PEVL list of people who have moved (etc), and there is no “fraud problem”
this law would fix.
2.
HB2569. Sponsor: Arizona Deserves Better
This
referendum would allow counties to receive private grants to help with
voter registration or early voting efforts. The Legislature does not always
provide requested funding.
Overview: "This petition seeks to refer
HB 2569 to the ballot for a vote. HB 2569 stops elections officials from
receiving private grants to help them run elections or register voters, even if
the Legislature provides inadequate funding for elections administration and
voter registration. Election officials have used grant funds to purchase
equipment used to provide timely and accurate election results. If enough
people sign this petition, the voters will decide whether election officials
should be allowed to accept private grants. "
Summary: In the last election cycle, grants
were given to counties to support early voting. For example, Facebook’s Mark
Zuckerberg gave grants supporting early voting efforts in Maricopa County (i.e.
providing more drop box locations, etc.). The grant – with non-partisan
conditions - was approved by the County Board. This new law would prevent
grants being accepted in the future. The referendum’s purpose is to continue
allowing grants to be accepted to fund early voting (etc) efforts in the
future.
3.
SB1828 (Sxns 13, 15). Sponsor: Invest In
Arizona
This is
one of the three measures passed to try to un-do the Invest In Ed initiative
passed by voters. It is the “flat tax” law.
Overview: "This petition seeks to
refer sections 13 and 15 of 2021 Laws, Chapter 412 (SB 1828). Sections 13 and
15 together create new income tax brackets and rates that apply when state
general fund revenue exceeds certain amounts."
Summary: This massive budget bill reduces state revenues by
$1.9B/yr. It gives wealthiest Arizonans the biggest tax break by making flatter
tax brackets. This referendum would prevent the legislature from circumventing
the will of the people to fund our public education.
4. SB1827 (Sxn 4). Sponsor: Invest In
Arizona
This is the 2nd
anti-Invest In Ed law pushed by Gov. Ducey. It cuts K-12 spending by $250M+/yr.
Overview: "This petition seeks to
refer Section 4 of 2021 Laws, Chapter 411 (SB 1827). Section 4 creates a
maximum combined individual income tax rate of 4.5%, inclusive of the regular
income tax imposed by A.R.S. § 43-1011 and the 3.5% income tax surcharge
imposed by A.R.S. § 43-1013 (which was approved by Arizona voters in 2020 as
Proposition 208). If a taxpayer's total tax rate exceeds 4.5%, the regular
income tax rate imposed by A.R.S. § 43-1011 would be automatically reduced to
cap the taxpayer's total tax rate at 4.5%."
Summary: This budget bill would prevent our state from
collecting money from the wealthiest Arizonians – to fund education. It would
shrink the general fund by almost $500M/yr and cut K-12 spending by $250M+/yr. This
referendum would prevent the legislature from circumventing the will of the
people to fund our public education.
5. Anti-voting omnibus bill. SB1819
(Sxns 4, 5, 21, 25, 33). Sponsor: Arizona Deserves Better
This picks out
several of the worst election measures thrown into a budget bill. Many of these
had failed to pass the Legislature earlier under regular procedures. Here’s a
summary:
1a) Ordering Arizona Game & Fish Department to conduct voter
registration efforts;
1b) allowing the Legislature to designate an individual or company to
have access to voter registration databases and make sure that registrants who
do not provide proof of citizenship can only vote for President and Congress;
2) calling for ballot paper to contain watermarks, bar codes and other *possible*
anti-fraud measures;
3) spends $500,000 to investigate social media platforms and search
engines to see whether they help some candidates and/or hurt others;
4) tasking the Auditor General to report on voter registration and
outreach events attended by the Secretary of State and the Maricopa County and
Pima County Recorders (item one also would require those elected officials to
publicly report their event calendars);
5) removes Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ authority to defend
court cases about elections, and gives it to Republican Attorney General Mark
Brnovich. (Really! It shifts back after they leave those offices!)
6. “Small business” tax credit bill.
SB1783. Sponsor: Invest In Arizona
This clever
effort to un-do Invest In Ed redefines “small business” to include nearly every
wealthy individual, and allows them to take a “small business tax credit” for
the amount that would have gone to education funding.
Overview: "This petition seeks to
refer 2021 Laws, Chapter 436 (SB 1783). The principal provisions of this bill
would: (a) allow "small business taxpayer[s]," as defined in the
bill, to elect to report certain forms of income as "small business
income" and pay taxes on that income at rates set by the bill and (b)
establish new income tax brackets and rates for trusts and estates."
Summary: This bill would stop more than
$290M/year from K-12 education – one-third of the Invest In Ed funds.
7. Initiative: Voters’ Right To Know.
Sponsor: Stop Dark Money
Overview: "This Voters' Right to Know
Act secures for Arizona voters the right to know who is trying to influence
Arizona elections using paid, public communications. It eliminates dark money
barricades. Any person spending over $50,000 on statewide campaigns or $25,000
on other campaigns must disclose the original sources (people or corporations
who actually earned the money) of contributions over $5,000. They must also
disclose their largest donors on campaign materials. The Act will also protect
local policymakers' ability to require additional disclosures. The Citizens
Clean Elections Commission, a non-partisan, voter-established body, will
enforce this Act. Violations could incur substantial penalties."
8. Initiative: Predatory Medical Debt
Collection Protection Act. Sponsor: Healthcare Rising AZ
Overview: "Caps interest rate on
"medical debt," as defined in the Act; applies this cap to judgements
on medical debt as well as to medical debt incurred. Increases the value of assets
-- a homestead, certain household possessions, a motor vehicle, funds in a
single bank account, and disposable earnings -- protected from certain legal
processes to collect debt. Annually adjusts these amended exemptions for
inflation beginning 2024. Allows courts to further reduce the amount of
disposable earnings subject to garnishment in some cases of extreme economic
hardship. Does not affect existing contracts. Does not change existing law
regarding secured debt."
--To read full texts of any of these laws or initiatives – as well as the
others on file – use this link to an updated page of the Arizona Secretary of
State’s site: https://bit.ly/AZInitsAndReferenda
--Sponsoring organizations: ArizonaDeservesBetter.com, InvestInAZNow.com,
StopDarkMoney.com, HealthCareRisingAZ.org
-- Explanatory Articles: Election omnibus referendum: https://bit.ly/AZp1925; PEVL Purge referendum: https://bit.ly/AZp1921; Invest In Ed referenda: https://bit.ly/AZp1926, https://bit.ly/3wuSQH9
--Prepared by Marion and Paul Weich (Questions/suggestions 602-908-9132)
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