Nearly everyone engaged in current events enough to read our content understands that the state legislature passes laws in Arizona. However, not everyone is aware that the legislature can also pass bills for the sake of putting them to a public vote on your election ballot. And it is precisely through this mechanism that Arizona Republicans are making a bet on this year’s election.
House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 2060 is currently making its way through the legislature; it states that every municipality who receives welfare benefits must ensure that employers comply with the E-Verify system which confirms or denies the legal status of people in its employment. Non-compliance will lead to a loss of those benefits from the state level.
As referenced before, this particular bill will not go through the normal mechanism of bill-passing. It has already passed through the House, and if it makes it through the Senate (which is likely), it will be on the ballot in November and will become law if over 50% of voters vote for it.
However, astute followers of politics may already be aware of the political game being played here. Immigration has surged in importance recently as the Biden administration has utterly failed to stem the tide of illegal immigration levels which are overwhelming not just border towns, but also numerous sanctuary cities. It is an issue that the Democrats are seen to be on the wrong side of by the strong majority of voters, and one that could incentivize more people to vote. And that is the clear bet that the Republicans are making: that it will be a motivating factor for relatively reluctant Republican voters to show up on Election Day.
Mind you, this is not an unusual tactic, one that Democrats utilize as well. Even though Katie Hobbs is comfortable in the Governor’s seat for at least two more years, Democrat-aligned groups are currently getting signatures to put an abortion-protection initiative on the ballot. While the protection and furthering of abortion rights is the primary objective, it is widely assumed that it will help turn left-leaning women out to vote.
This comes at a critical time for Arizona Republicans. After all, they hold tenuous one seat majorities in both the state House of Representatives and Senate, one that could easily be upended by a single issue such as abortion. So to a degree, this is a counterbalance to the attempts to frame this upcoming election as one focused on abortion and give the Republican base further reasons to come out to vote and make it all the way through the ballot.
Much can be said about whether or not it is the correct approach to deal with a significant issue. It is unlikely to end illegal immigration and may place additional burdens on small business owners, even if it may be a step in the right direction. But one thing is more clear: it is a cagey political move by Republicans.