Opponents of Axon Law In Arizona To File Challenge In Court of Appeals

TAAAZE To Defend Voters’ Rights

Opposition Will Appeal Superior Court Ruling That Upheld Controversial “Axon Law” That Enabled Wildly Unpopular Apartment Megaplex 

(Scottsdale, Ariz.)  An appeal will be filed that challenges Arizona’s controversial Axon Law, Senate Bill 1543, which shields unpopular zoning decisions from the ballot box.

The appeal will be filed on or before June 15^th.

SB 1543 prevents voters from challenging certain rezoning decisions, including a rezoning in Scottsdale that gave Axon permission to build nearly 1,900 apartments near Hayden and the 101 despite massive public opposition.

TAAAZE (Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions) leads the opposition to the apartment complex and to the legislation that prevents a public vote.

In 2024 TAAAZE submitted nearly 27 thousand signatures to challenge a previous lame duck council decision to green light Axon’s plans to build nearly 1,900 apartments near Hayden and the 101 in north Scottsdale. Soon after Axon employed a legion of lobbyists and lawyers to get a bill passed that steps on voters’ rights by preventing some zoning issues, such as Axon’s, from going to the ballot box.

Before the lame duck council decision, Axon already had approval to build its new world headquarters at the site. Its subsequent request to build one of the largest apartment projects in state history was unnecessary and represents a greedy profit grab by a multi-billion-dollar corporation.

On May 14^th a Maricopa County Superior Court Judge raised questions about the Axon Law but ultimately ruled Arizona’s ban on so-called “special legislation,” does not apply to the Axon Bill. TAAAZE will appeal that decision.

TAAAZE Chairman and former Scottsdale City Councilman Bob Littlefield said, “If the Axon Bill can trample on the rights of Scottsdale voters, then no city is safe from bad zoning decisions. There is nothing appealing about the way Axon has bullied this community to get what to wants. That’s why we will file this appeal to protect the rights of ALL Arizona voters.”

Attorney Jean-Jacques Cabou, a Partner at Perkins Coie, is representing TAAAZE in its appeal. “The Axon Law is the very definition of special legislation, which is prohibited by the Arizona Constitution. We are confident the Court of Appeals will uphold the Constitution and strike down the Axon Law.” said Cabou.

A second lawsuit, challenging Scottsdale’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Axon to proceed with the massive apartment complex, will be heard in Superior Court June 5^th.  The MOU ignores water supply requirements and lets Axon police its own construction sidestepping traditional city staff oversight.