1. Legislative 101: Session Recap and Advocacy Tips League of Arizona Cities and Towns

2. Session at a Glance Adjourned sine die on April 3, 2015 (81 st day) General Effective Date: July 3, 2015 1,163 bills introduced 344 bills sent to the Governor (approx. 30%) 324 bills signed 20 vetoes

3. Session Challenges New Governor, Leadership, and House members Statutory punishments – “Matter of statewide concern” Limited local government experience Budget deficit

4. Session Challenges, cont. Local Government Preemption – Growing trend; several attempts to override local control – Able to defeat large economic impact measures – Factual education the foundation of our success

5. Laws Passed

6. TPT/Budget Bills Passed SB 1446 TPT reform; contractors SB 1471 revenue; budget reconciliation; 2015- 2016

7. League Resolutions Passed H2214 majority vote calculation; municipal elections

8. Preemptions Passed SB 1072 local planning; residential housing; prohibition SB 1079 solid waste collection; multifamily housing SB 1342 responsibility of payment; utility services SB 1241 auxiliary containers; regulation;

9. Failed Bills

10. League Resolution Failed HB 2324 intergovernmental agreements; public agency indemnification

11. Failed Preemptions HB 2254 municipal tax exemption; residential lease HB 2570 municipalities; vegetation requirements; prohibition SB 1167 photo radar; prohibition

12. Failed Gun Bills HB 2320 firearms; permit holders; public places HB 1291 firearms; state preemption; penalties SB 1330 prohibited activities; second amendment violations

13. Failed TPT Bills SB1120 fine art; TPT; exemption SB 1133 TPT; municipalities; customer refund claims HB 2419 prohibited transaction fees; municipalities

14. Future Challenges Budget – school funding, HURF Local decision making preemption Regulatory reform/“small” government Economic development TPT Local Authority and State Transition Elections

15. Influencing the Legislature

16. League Assistance - How Can you get Involved Bulletin Bulletin Monday Call Monday Call Intergov Intergov Request To Speak Request To Speak

17. Influencing the Legislature  Establish relationships  Become a resource  Keep in contact  Meeting do’s and don’ts  Committee testimony  Count votes

18. Establish Relationships  Personal visits  At their office  At your office  Invite to community events  Recognize that you will not agree 100% of time  Tours  Offer to be a resource

19. Become a Resource  Provide factual information  Timely and complete responses to inquiries  Make connections to other resources

20. Keep in Contact  Maintain relationships  Periodically check in  Send notes of recognition for the work they are accomplishing  Don’t always be asking for something

21. Meeting Do’s and Don’ts  Respect the office  Recognize that they may not vote your way 100% of the time  Know your issue and position  Cover one issue at a time  Be clear in what you are asking  Follow up a positive vote with a letter of thanks

22. Role of Committees  Opportunity for legislators to hear public comment  Bills can be assigned to numerous committees: -Sometimes it affects several different areas (i.e., Cities & Transportation) -Sometimes it is done to stall a bill, and prevent its passage  Each committee has an analyst that is knowledgeable in that subject area and is responsible for summarizing the bill

23. Role of Committee Chair  Committee chair is responsible for scheduling each bill for a hearing  Because the committee chair does not have to schedule the bill at all, the committee chair is a powerful role  Many bills are never heard in committee and are essentially “dead” for the rest of the session

24. Before the Committee Hearing  A significant amount of work is done prior to the committee hearing  Lobbyists will try to meet with legislators prior to the hearing to influence their opinion on legislation  If amendments are going to be added to the bill, there are specific deadlines for distribution of amendments  Committee staff must summarize each bill that is scheduled for a committee hearing

25. Committee Testimony  Have reasonable expectations  Respect the process  Be factual  Be concise  No personal attacks or questioning of motives  Avoid being argumentative

26. Committee of the Whole (COW)  COW is when the all members of the Senate or House convene as a committee  Opportunity for debate – begins with bill sponsor briefly explaining bill and other members have the opportunity to comment/ask questions  Committee amendments and COW (floor) amendments are formally added to the bill

27. Count Votes  31 and 16  Know where you stand  Follow up  Reaffirm position

28. After bill passes House/Senate  Bills have to be heard in both chambers – after bill passes House or Senate, it must go to opposite chamber  There are certain dates by which all House bills must pass the House and all Senate bills must pass the Senate -If the bill does not meet these deadlines, it is essentially “dead” (monitor for strikers)

29. Governor’s Actions  After a bill reaches the Governor’s desk, the Governor can do the following: 1. Sign the bill 2. Veto the bill and return it to the House or Senate with a statement of why it was vetoed (Legislature can override with a two-thirds vote of each chamber) 3. Allow the bill to become law without signature – this means that no action is taken on the bill and after 5 days (10 if the Legislature has adjourned), it becomes law

30. Learning More  League of Arizona Cities and Towns www.azleague.org  State Legislature www.azleg.gov  Secretary of State www.azsos.gov  Arizona Capitol Times www.azcapitoltimes.com

31. Questions