AFCCA Legislative Updates – June 19, 2026 Sine Die

The Second Regular Session of the Fifty-Seventh Arizona Legislature officially adjourned sine die early Saturday morning after 152 days in session. The Senate gaveled out at approximately 12:30 a.m., followed by the House at 4:45 a.m., bringing the 2026 legislative session to a close. Over the course of the session, lawmakers introduced a total of 2,190 bills, memorials, and resolutions, making it one of the busiest legislative years in recent memory.

After passing an $18.3 billion dollar state budget for FY’27 earlier last week, the Legislature’s final day was marked by the approval of several ballot referral measures that will now be presented to Arizona voters in November. The referrals address a range of issues and policy matters that lawmakers ultimately chose to place before voters for consideration.

2026 Ballot Measures:

In the final hours before adjournment, lawmakers approved seven additional ballot referral measures, bringing the total number of legislative referrals slated for the November ballot to ten. The other three referrals were approved during the 2025 legislative session. Several ballot  referrals are constitutional amendments that can only be enacted with voter approval, while others were referred as an alternative path to the Governor’s veto authority, since ballot measures bypass that process entirely and are directly transmitted to the Secretary of State. Three additional citizen-led initiatives could also appear on the November ballot, contingent on gathering the required signatures by the July 2 deadline.

Here’s a rundown of what legislators have sent to the ballot for the November election:

HCR 2001 (citizenship; identification; contributions; early voting): This measure, sponsored by Representative Alexander Kolodin, would add language to the Arizona Constitution affirming that only citizens may vote and that foreign nationals cannot spend money to influence Arizona elections. The measure also requires identification to be presented “in each election, whether voting in person or by any other method,” language that has prompted differing interpretations as to how it might apply to mail-in voting, which currently relies on signature verification rather than ID submission. How that requirement would be implemented is left to a future legislative session.

HCR 2003 (interscholastic; intramural athletics; biological sex): This measure, sponsored by Representative Selina Bliss, will allow voters to decide on a measure addressing participation in girls’ sports, building on existing law that reserves female athletic teams for students of the female sex. The measure adds new definitions, including defining “sex” based on an individual’s original birth certificate, and addresses locker room and facility use based on sex. The measure’s relationship to ongoing federal litigation on the same subject remains to be seen, with related cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

SCR 1004 (photo enforcement; voter approval): This measure, which was sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers, states that communities could not install new photo enforcement systems without first receiving voter approval through a local ballot measure. Existing camera systems could remain in place, though those contracts would need to be renewed by voters every 10 years. Separately, the Legislature also passed a non-referred bill capping photo radar fines at $75 and limiting how citations can be used, with exceptions for criminal speeding, school zone violations, and red-light violations.This measure is similar to legislation Senator Rogers has introduced in previous years that has been vetoed by the Governor.

HCR 2007/SCR 1032 (instructional expenses; operational spending; enforcement): This measure, sponsored by Representative Matt Gress and Senator Jake Hoffman, would require school districts in Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal counties, along with districts of at least 7,500 students statewide, to direct at least 60% of their budgets toward direct instructional expenses. Districts below that threshold would be required to improve by at least half a percentage point annually, with funding reductions for those that fail to make progress, though the state superintendent could issue a limited number of waivers.

HCR 2044 (preferential treatment; discrimination; prohibited acts): This measure, sponsored by Speaker Steve Montenegro, would expand on Arizona’s existing 2010 voter-approved ban on race-based preferential treatment in public employment, education, and contracting. It would prohibit public funding for offices or programs promoting preferential treatment based on race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, and would bar related training requirements for public employees. This measure is similar to legislation that has been introduced and vetoed by the Governor in previous years.

HCR 2048 (military families; scholarship accounts): This measure, sponsored by Representative Michael Way, would add constitutional protections preventing future restrictions on unused Empowerment Scholarship Account funds for military families, while also including broader language that would void any future ballot initiative imposing such restrictions. The measure follows the breakdown of separate negotiations between legislative leaders and education groups on broader voucher reform.

HCR 2040 (school districts; labor organizations; resources): This measure, sponsored by Representative Justin Olson, would prohibit school districts from using public resources to support the operations of a labor organization, including distributing union materials through district communication systems, and would end the practice of deducting union dues directly from employee paychecks.

2025 Ballot Referrals Re-cap  

SCR 1004 (prohibit tax; monitoring; vehicle mileage): This measure, sponsored by Senator Jake Hoffman, was passed during the 2025 legislative session and would add a provision to the Arizona Constitution prohibiting state and local governments from taxing or imposing fees based on vehicle miles traveled, a mechanism that has been discussed as a potential alternative to the gas tax as electric vehicle adoption increases.

HCR 2021 (food; municipal tax; exemption): This measure, sponsored by Representative Leo Biasiucci, also passed during the 2025 legislative session and would prohibit new local taxes on food sold for human consumption beginning July 1, 2027. Cities with existing food tax rates of 2% or higher could maintain them but not increase them, while cities below that threshold or without an existing tax could only adopt or raise one with local voter approval.

HCR 2055 (drug cartels; terrorist organizations): This measure, sponsored by Speaker Steve Montenegro, was also passed last legislative session and would designate drug cartels as terrorist organizations under state law and direct the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to address the threat they pose, building on the framework established by voters’ 2024 approval of Proposition 314.

In addition to the legislative referrals, three citizen-led initiatives are working to secure a place on the November ballot, each requiring a significant signature-gathering effort ahead of the July 2 deadline.

Right to Early and Mail-In Voting Amendment: A proposed constitutional amendment that would establish a permanent right to early and mail-in voting within the Arizona Constitution, protecting existing mail-in voting structures from future legislative changes.

Healthcare Executive Compensation Limit Initiative: A statutory measure that would place a cap on the maximum annual compensation, bonuses, and incentives allowed for executives and managers of hospitals and healthcare facilities operating within the state.

Empowerment Scholarship Account Reform Initiative: A statutory initiative seeking to implement oversight measures for the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, introducing additional regulatory review under the State Board of Education and restricting how account funds may be utilized.

Sponsors of constitutional amendments must submit 383,923 valid signatures by July 2 to qualify for the general election ballot, while statutory measures require 255,949 signatures by the same deadline.

We will continue to monitor developments on these measures, as well as any citizen-led initiatives that qualify for the ballot, as the November election approaches.

Election Updates: 

With narrow Republican majorities in the House (33-27), and the Senate (17-13), and the November elections fast approaching, we wanted to highlight some of the districts we are monitoring with open seats.

LD 8 (Tempe / South Scottsdale / East Mesa): Legislative District 8 is one of the more progressive democratic strongholds in the state. Senator Lauren Kuby and Representatives Brian Garcia and Janeen Connolly currently represent the district. Senator Kuby faces a Democratic primary challenge from Deborah Nardozzi. In the House race, Claudia Kline has joined Representatives Garcia and Connolly in the Democratic primary for the district’s two seats, while Donald Hawker is running as a Republican.

LD 23 (Yuma to East Valley): Legislative District 23 stretches from Yuma to the East Valley and is currently a split district, represented by Democratic Senator Brian Fernandez, Democratic Representative Marianna Sandoval, and Republican Representative Michele Pena. Senator Fernandez faces a general election challenge from Republican Michelle Altherr. In the House race, Republicans Gary Garcia Snyder and James Holmes are running alongside Representative Pena, while Democrats Emilia Cortez, Juan Guerrero, and Naomi Miguel are competing for the district’s two House seats.

LD 28 (Peoria / Sun City): Legislative District 28 covers northwest Maricopa County and remains a Republican stronghold, currently represented by Senator Frank Carroll and Representatives David Livingston and Beverly Pingerelli. Republican Heather Rooks has joined the House race alongside the incumbents, while Democrats Marc Graham and Barbara Fike are running for the district’s two House seats. In the Senate race, Senator Carroll faces a general election challenge from Democrat Michael Braun.

Key Election Dates / Deadlines: 

Candidate Filling Period: February 21 – March 23, 2026

Voter Registration Deadline: June 22, 2026

Early Voting Begins/Ballots Mailed: June 24, 2026

Primary Election: July 21, 2026

Voter Registration Deadline: October 5, 2026

General Election Early Voting Begins/Ballots Mailed: October 7, 2026

Election Day: November 3, 2026