2019 Arizona legislative session
| Arizona State Legislature | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | 4 terms (8 years) |
| Session start: | January 14, 2019 |
| Session end: | May 28, 2019 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Karen Fann (R) |
| House Speaker: | Russell Bowers (R) |
| Majority Leader: | Senate: Rick Gray (R) House: Warren Petersen (R) |
| Minority Leader: | Senate: David Bradley (D) House: Charlene Fernandez (D) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 30 (Senate), 60 (House) |
| Length of term: | 2 years (Senate), 2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Art 4, Arizona Constitution |
| Salary: | $24,000/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 6, 2018 Senate House |
| Next election: | November 3, 2020 Senate House |
| Redistricting: | Arizona Redistricting Commission |
Arizona convened its legislative session on January 14, 2019, and legislators remained in session until May 28, 2019. No party had a veto-proof supermajority this legislative session, just as in 2018. Following the 2018 election, Republicans had a 17-13 majority in the Senate and a 31-29 majority in the House. Republicans also controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta.
Click the links to read more about the 2020 state Senate and state House elections.
Click the links to read more about the 2018 state Senate and state House elections.
Partisan control in 2019
- See also: State government trifectas
Arizona was one of 22 Republican state government trifectas at the start of 2019 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one 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 one of 28 state legislatures where no one 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 2019 legislative session.
Arizona State Senate
| Party | As of January 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 13 | |
| Republican Party | 17 | |
| Total | 30 | |
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 2018. 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: 1992-2018
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15* | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Republicans | 18 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15* | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
From 1992 to 2018, Republicans held control of the chamber after every election 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.
Arizona House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2019 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 29 | |
| Republican Party | 31 | |
| Total | 60 | |
Since Arizona achieved statehood in 1912 to 2018, the state House was dominated by each party for a long stretch of time. From 1912 to 1966, Democrats had a strong hold on 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 2019, had not won it back. The table below shows the partisan history of the Arizona House following every general election from 1992 to 2018. 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: 1992-2018
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 25 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 27 | 25 | 20 | 24 | 22 | 25 | 29 |
| Republicans | 35 | 38 | 38 | 40 | 36 | 39 | 38 | 33 | 35 | 40 | 36 | 38 | 35 | 31 |
From 1992 to 2018, Republicans won consistent but not overwhelming 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 2018 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 eclipse 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.
Leadership in 2019
Arizona State Senate
- Senate president: Karen Fann (R)
- Majority leader: Rick Gray (R)
- Minority leader: David Bradley (D)
Arizona House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: Russell Bowers (R)
- Majority leader: Warren Petersen (R)
- Minority leader: Charlene Fernandez (D)
Regular session
The following widget shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2019 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 yet in 2019. 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 2019 legislative session, there were 48 standing committees in Arizona's state government, including 16 joint legislative committees, 15 state Senate committees, and 17 state House committees.
Joint legislative committees
Senate committees
- Director Nominations
- Ethics Committee
- Finance Committee
- Government Committee
- Natural Resources Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Senate Education and Transportation Committee
- Senate Ethics Committee
- Senate Federalism Committee
- Senate Health and Human Services Committee
- Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee
- Senate Military Affairs and Border Security Committee
- Senate Public Safety Committee
- Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
House committees
- Federalism, Military Affairs, and 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
- International Trade Committee
- Land, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs
- Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee
- Public Safety and Law Enforcement Committee
- Regulatory Affairs Committee
- Science and Technology Committee
- Transportation and Infrastructure 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 context:
- A total of 116 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Arizona from 1996 to 2018.
- From 1996 to 2018, the number of measures on statewide ballots ranged from three to 19.
- From 1996 to 2018, an average of 10 measures appeared on the ballot in Arizona during even-numbered election years. The median number of measures was between eight and nine.
- From 1996 to 2018, 57 percent (66 of 116) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots during even-numbered years were approved, and 43 percent (50 of 116) were defeated.
| Ballot measures in Arizona, 1995-2018 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Average | Median | Minimum | Maximum | |
| All measures | 116 | 66 | 56.9% | 50 | 43.1% | 9.7 | 8.5 | 3 | 19 | |
| Initiated statues and amendments | 38 | 23 | 60.5% | 15 | 39.5% | 3.2 | 2.0 | 0 | 10 | |
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 |
See also
| Elections | Arizona State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
