2023 Arizona legislative session
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| 2023 Arizona legislative session |
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| General information |
| Session start: January 9, 2023 Session end: July 31, 2023 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Warren Petersen House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 5, 2024 Last Election: November 8, 2022 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2023 legislative sessions |
In 2023, the Arizona State Legislature was convened on January 9, 2023, and adjourned on July 31, 2023.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 elections. Republicans won a 16-14 majority in the Senate and a 31-29 majority in the House. Democrats controlled the governorship, creating a divided government. At the start of the 2023 session, Arizona was one of 23 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leadership in 2023
Arizona State Senate
- Senate president: Warren Petersen (R)
- Majority leader: Sonny Borrelli (R)
- Minority leader: Raquel Terán (D)
Arizona House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: Ben Toma (R)
- Majority leader: Leo Biasiucci (R)
- Minority leader: Andres Cano (D)
Partisan control in 2023
- See also: State government trifectas
Arizona was one of 11 states with a divided government at the start of 2023 legislative sessions. A divided government occurs when neither political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Arizona was also one of 23 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Arizona State Legislature in the 2023 legislative session.
Arizona State Senate
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 16 | |
| Total | 30 | |
Arizona House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 29 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | |
| Total | 60 | |
Regular session
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2023 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2023. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2023 legislative session, there were 25 standing committees in Arizona's state government, including 11 state Senate committees, and 14 state House committees.
Senate committees
- Ethics Committee
- Finance Committee
- Government Committee
- Natural Resources and Energy Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Senate Commerce Committee
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Health and Human Services Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
- Transportation and Technology Committee
House committees
- Criminal Justice Reform Committee
- Elections Committee
- Government and Elections Committee
- House Appropriations Committee
- House Commerce Committee
- House Education Committee
- House Health and Human Services Committee
- House Judiciary Committee
- House Rules Committee
- Land & Agriculture
- Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee
- Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee
- Transportation Committee
- Ways and Means Committee
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Arizona Constitution can be amended:
The Arizona Constitution provides for three methods of amending the Arizona Constitution—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention. Arizona requires a simple majority to approve constitutional amendments. Arizona requires a 60% vote to pass ballot measures to approve taxes.
Initiative
- See also: Initiated constitutional amendment
Article 21, citizens have the power to initiate constitutional amendments in Arizona. An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.
In Arizona, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment for the ballot is equal to 15 percent of votes cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election. Petitions can be circulated for up to 24 months. Signatures must be submitted four months prior to the election at which the measure is to appear. A simple majority is required for voter approval. Arizona requires a 60% vote to pass ballot measures to approve taxes.
Legislature
According to Article XVI, the state Legislature can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot for voters to decide. A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Arizona State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 31 votes in the Arizona House of Representatives and 16 votes in the Arizona State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According to Section 2 of Article XXI of the Arizona Constitution, the state legislature can only call for a convention if it is approved by the electorate in a statewide vote. Any amendments, revisions, or proposals of the Constitution require a simple majority vote by the electorate.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Arizona.
Arizona Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Historical Senate control
Since Arizona achieved statehood in 1912 to 1966, the state Senate was controlled by Democrats after nearly every election. However, starting in 1966 Republicans began winning narrow majorities in the chamber, ceding control back to Democrats in just three elections: 1974, 1976, and 1990. The table below shows the partisan history of the Arizona Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Arizona State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15* | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
| Republicans | 18 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15* | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 |
From 1992 to 2022, Republicans held control of the chamber after all elections except one, but elections were competitive as they rarely controlled more than 18 of the chamber's 30 seats. Throughout the period, Republicans usually controlled between 16 and 20 seats, while Democrats controlled between 11 and 14 seats. Democrats won 15 seats in 2000, forcing a power-sharing agreement between the parties where a Republican served as Senate president while Democrats controlled key committees.[1]
Like the Arizona House, the party margins in the Senate were mostly consistent and nonreactive to national trends in the early 21st century. Despite national Democratic gains in 2006 and 2008, Arizona Democrats did not win more than 13 seats in either election and even lost a seat in 2008. The 2010 election was an exception as Senate Republicans won a 21-seat majority, their largest ever in the chamber. However, Democrats won 13 seats in 2012 and retained them in 2014, 2016, and 2018. In 2020, Democrats gained one more seat for a total of 14.
Historical House control
Since Arizona achieved statehood in 1912 to 2022, the state House was controlled by each party for long periods of time. From 1912 to 1966, Democrats controlled the chamber, often winning majorities that controlled more than 50 of the chamber's 60 seats. However, in 1966 the Democrats lost the majority and, as of 2022, had not won it back. The table below shows the partisan history of the Arizona House following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Arizona House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 25 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Republicans | 35 | 38 | 38 | 40 | 36 | 39 | 38 | 33 | 35 | 40 | 36 | 38 | 35 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
From 1992 to 2022, Republicans won majorities, with Democrats usually holding enough seats to control at least one-third of the chamber and be within striking range of a majority in the next election cycle. Throughout the period, each party fluctuated in a range of nine seats, with Republicans holding between 31 and 40 and Democrats holding between 20 and 29. Republicans won the 40 seats required for a two-thirds supermajority just twice, and Democrats never won enough seats to take control of the chamber.
A major theme of partisan majorities in the Arizona House from 1992 to 2022 was consistency, even in the face of national trends. Despite a national push toward the Democratic Party in 2006 and 2008, Arizona Democrats did not occupy more than 27 seats. On the other hand, in 2010—a year when Republicans did well nationally—Arizona Republicans reached the 40-seat mark, giving them control of two-thirds of the chamber. However, their gains receded in the following election and they did not eclipse the 40-seat mark.
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See also
| Elections | Arizona State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes
