Appeal Likely After Judge Upholds Arizona’s Controversial Axon Law

A Setback For Voters’ Rights.

Superior Court Judge Upholds “Axon Law” With Second Case Challenging Scottsdale Approval Set For June 5th.

Opponents  Likely To Appeal.
Axon Law Shields Controversial Zoning Decisions, Such As A Giant Apartment Complex In Scottsdale, From The Voters.

(Scottsdale, Ariz.)  Opponents almost certainly will appeal now that a Maricopa County Superior Court judge has upheld Senate Bill 1543 also known as the “Axon Law.”

This legislation makes it impossible to challenge certain rezoning decisions at the ballot box such as Axon’s rezoning request to build nearly 1,900 apartments near Hayden and the 101 in north Scottsdale.

In December 2024 TAAAZE (Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions) submitted nearly 27 thousand signatures to challenge a previous lame duck council decision to approve Taser manufacturer Axon’s rezoning request to build nearly 1,900 apartments in north Scottsdale.

Axon then convinced the Arizona Legislature and the Governor to void constitutional rights and pass the Axon Bill that prevents some zoning issues, such as Axon’s, from going to the ballot box.

Though raising several questions about the bill, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Herrod determined the Arizona Constitution’s ban on so-called “special legislation,” does not apply to the Axon Bill.

TAAAZE Chairman and former Scottsdale City Councilman Bob Littlefield said, “Neighborhoods and voting rights are at stake and that’s why we are looking at all our options including an appeal. Axon’s lawyers and lobbyists may have won this round, but the fight is not over, especially with our second case pending against the November 2025 city approval set to be heard in early June. Plenty of issues over the years have been approved in Superior Court only to have them overturned later at the Court of Appeals and the Arizona Supreme Court.”

A second lawsuit, challenging Scottsdale’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Axon to proceed with its massive apartment complex, is still pending and will be heard in Superior Court June 5^th. Among other things, the MOU sidesteps traditional water supply requirements during a time of drought and grants Axon unprecedented rights to police its own construction rather than have city staff do so as has been the case for every other development in the city’s history since inception.