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• 00:52:11.520> important<00:52:12.559> uh<00:52:13.200> chair<00:52:13.440> Gila
• <00:52:15.200> Uh also important uh chair Gila. Hi. Uh also important uh chair Gila. Hi.

Keywords: 910, house, all

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• Gila County... ...methamphetamine were seized.
• Gila County, I don't think this is the same fiscal year, Senator, but they got just over $500,000 in

Summary: The Military Affairs and Border Security Committee heard several bills. HB 2416 would appropriate $20 million for Department of Public Safety border support, including equipment, law enforcement positions, and grants to local governments for border-related enforcement and detention costs. Supporters, including the Arizona Sheriffs Association, said the funds are fully used each year and are largely spent on drug interdiction, especially against fentanyl and methamphetamine. Opponents argued the bill’s immigration-enforcement language was too broad and that the money should instead go to health care, education, food assistance, or prevention programs. The committee approved HB 2416 on a 4-3 vote. The committee also heard HB 2806, which would require county recorders, ADOT, and AHCCCS to use the federal SAVE system and report citizenship-verification results to JLBC and the Auditor General. The ACLU of Arizona opposed the bill, saying SAVE is not designed to determine voter eligibility, could wrongly flag eligible citizens, and would likely lead to litigation and confusion. Several members questioned the need for the bill, noting existing citizenship requirements and current use of SAVE in some agencies, while others supported it as a way to ensure only citizens access voting and benefits. HB 2806 passed 4-3. HB 2663, a technical cleanup bill updating military leave language for state and local employees serving in the National Guard or Reserves, drew little opposition and passed unanimously. HB 2759 would appropriate $500,000 to the Department of Veterans Services for a grant program with Yavapai County educational institutions to help veterans with emergency housing, equipment, professional development, and other shortfalls tied to delayed GI Bill payments. Testimony supported expanding help for veterans, but some members raised concerns that the bill was limited to Yavapai County and included private institutions; the sponsor and witnesses said it could serve as a pilot and potentially expand statewide. The committee approved HB 2759 on a 4-3 vote.

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• It includes much area there in the Gila and works on many land management concerns with our federal government
• In fact, I'll take a second, Senator, to brag on our Gila area soil and water districts who...
• say, with the rehab and restoration after the Black Fire that destroyed over 3 million acres in the Gila

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• There are portions of the Gila and Salt River that are currently being adjudicated that they are a part
• There are portions of the Gila and Salt River that are currently being adjudicated that they are a part

Keywords: 1182, all

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• For example, in the Gila, we have work...
• For example, in the Gila, we have watershed districts, and these people own land within the watershed

Keywords: 996, all

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• For rural Arizona, this is even more critical in counties like Coconino, Apache, La Paz, and Gila.
• For rural Arizona, this is even more critical in counties like Coconino, Apache, LaPaz, Gila, Tourism

Bills: HB2107, HB2588, HB2946, HB2950

Keywords: SNAP, nutrition assistance, fast food, vitamins, waiver, food policy, municipal planning, homeowner association, building permits, single-family home, property rights, design standards, development fees, municipalities, infrastructure, public services, annual reporting, property development, tourism improvement area, TIA

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• I am from Gila County, so...
• In other words, I'm from Gila County, so there couldn't be another commissioner...
• Chair Medea, I represent Gila County, James Guggenauer. Our chair is Marsha Su.

Bills: HB2023, HB2100, HB2147, HB2158, HB2159, HB2162, HB2197, HB2497, HB2787, HCM2006

Keywords: land division, property disclosure, real estate, affidavit, Arizona Revised Statutes, small land subdivision, land use, real estate regulation, county ordinance, water supply requirements, property access, civil penalties, wildlife management, deer permits, private land, landowner rights, human-wildlife conflict, predatory animals, hunting regulations, game and fish

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• Democratic Whip from Legislative District 12, which is Tempe, Chandler, Ahwatukee, and part of the Gila
• where we asked the legislature... ...to pass legislation in the late 1990s to allow Santa Cruz County, Gila

Keywords: 1182, all

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• The Gila Valley Library does a STEM camp in the summers, and they do about three hours of STEM activities
• The Gila Valley Library also sponsors the local farmers market.

Keywords: 996, all

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• I'm the mayor of the City of Globe, and I'm here on behalf of the City of Globe, Gila County, and the
• ...City of Globe, Gila County, and the town of Miami.
• I'm here for your support for the Gila County Flood Relief Fund.
• Am I correct that I did not see any money in the budget for any of the Gila County flooding?

Bills: HB4138, HB4139, HB4140, HB4141, HB4142, HB4143, HB4144, HB4145, HB4146, HB4147, HB4148, HB4149, HB4150, HB4151, HB4152, HB4153, SB1831, SB1832, SB1833, SB1834, SB1835, SB1836, SB1837, SB1838, SB1839, SB1840, SB1841, SB1842, SB1843, SB1844, SB1845, SB1846

Keywords: appropriations, education funding, health care, general fund, state budget, local funding, gaming, pari-mutuel, horse racing, regulatory assessment, first-time starters, budget implementation, federal funds, government services, budget stabilization, financial reporting, capital outlay, infrastructure, veterans services, highway construction

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• like Eagles Nest, Navajo Lake, wildlife management areas on the Rio Chama and the Cimarron and the Gila
• It's a big place. ...and the Cimarron and the Gila. All of that is driving.

Keywords: 996, all

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• The Chia Ndenda Nation of New Mexico, we are the descendants of what were known as the Gila and Mambres
• what was called the Pueblo of San Antonio, the Senecu, and he was the leader of what were called the Gila

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• Grant County is the gateway to the Gila National Forest and the wilderness.
• President, Grant County also hosts the annual Tour of the Gila, and that's something that everyone here
• Not just New Mexico's best hunting, but North America's best hunting is out of that Gila National Forest

Keywords: 996, all

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• Glendale, a little bit of Goodyear, Avondale, Tolleson, and a little bit of Litchfield Park and the Gila
• I represent one-third of Arizona in the southern part, starting in Goodyear, south of McDowell, Gila

Bills: HB2016, HB2104, HB2105, HB2288, HB2289

Keywords: tax penalties, filing, tax returns, administration, Arizona Revised Statutes, agricultural property, classification, county assessor, property inspection, appeal process, property tax, agricultural classification, Department of Revenue, property valuation, inspection notice, inspection report, on-site inspection, full cash value, rural land, farm land

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• we got some advice from other individuals that had been through a fire up in Rio Doce before in the Gila
• I'm highlighting the Black Fire, which was in southwest New Mexico, that impacted the Gila and the Mimbres

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• I'm the mayor of the City of Globe, and I'm here on behalf of the City of Globe, Gila County, and the
• I'm here for your support for the Gila County Flood Relief Fund.
• And I did not see any money in the budget for any of the Gila County flooding. Is that right, Mr.

Summary: The joint appropriations committee met on April 28 to review the FY 2027 budget package, including the general appropriations feed bills (HB 4138 and SB 1831) and related budget reconciliation measures. Staff described the budget as including about $17.96 billion in general fund appropriations, a one-time transfer of state monies to increase revenues, a 5% lump-sum reduction to most agencies’ discretionary general fund budgets, and several one-time restorations or continuations for items such as school facilities, child care, child safety, corrections stipends, and public safety operating costs. Members spent much of the meeting debating how the across-the-board cuts would be implemented, which programs might be affected, and how fund sweeps from prior-year appropriations and special funds would work, including questions about universities, public safety, rural hospitals, transportation grants, the Corporation Commission, and health insurance costs for state employees and troopers. A major point of discussion was the impact on universities and higher education. Arizona Board of Regents representatives said the proposed reductions and fund sweeps would affect already obligated dollars, research, staffing, and student aid programs, and could force difficult decisions about programs such as the Promise Program, Teachers Academy, and other pass-through funds. Committee members also raised concerns about whether the cuts could lead to tuition increases or reductions in services, while majority members emphasized that agencies and the executive branch should decide how to absorb the reductions. Another major topic was health care and the state employee health plan: staff explained that the budget includes a $228 million general fund infusion to stabilize the plan, while a separate reconciliation bill would raise employee premiums over three years. Members also discussed whether the budget’s changes to AHCCCS/Access and hospital eligibility rules could increase costs for hospitals and reduce coverage. Public testimony largely opposed the budget. Speakers from Opportunity Arizona, the Arizona Board of Regents, and local governments argued that the proposal would shift costs onto working families, reduce support for education, housing, SNAP, health care, and rural infrastructure, and protect tax benefits for data centers and higher-income taxpayers. A mayor from Globe asked for state help after severe flooding damaged roads, water lines, and homes, while a motorcycle safety advocate asked the committee to review a DPS motorcycle safety fund appropriation. Committee members and staff repeatedly clarified that some items discussed were one-time appropriations not continued into FY 2027, that some fund sweeps were from unspent or unencumbered balances, and that the committee planned to take a mass roll-call vote on the budget bills at the end of the meeting.

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• The bill specifies that the feasibility study must be conducted in the areas of Gila Bend, Ranegras Plain
• The feasibility study must be conducted in the areas of Gila Bend, Ranegras Plain, the West Salt River
• June of 2024, twenty-one study areas were identified, and four were selected for further evaluation: Gila

Bills: HB2042, HB2052, HB2055, HB2056, HB2094, HB2098, HB2185, HB2328, HB2758, HB2798

Keywords: solar radiation management, environment, prohibition, Arizona Revised Statutes, public health, complaint process, Attorney General, groundwater management, water conservation, irrigation, water supply, brackish groundwater, water supply development, desalination, water infrastructure, financial assistance, environmental reviews, brackish water, groundwater, water resources

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• As we said, we've been working with the Gila National Forest and we did much the same thing.
• So, with the Forest Supervisor of the Gila, the Forest Supervisor of the Carson, they have pulled together
• They've done like Gila monster stuff.
• species: spring snails, Rio Grande chub and suckers, leopard frogs, ribbon snakes, garter Snakes, Gila

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• I represent the Gila River Indian Community and they are opposed to. ...potential changes to the legislation
• I represent the Gila River Indian Community and they are opposed to.
• I represent the Gila River Indian Community, and they are opposed to this legislation.
• I represent the Gila River Indian Community, and they are opposed in requesting a no vote, and I am in

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to radiation protection in cardiac catheterization labs and later a stem cell/regenerative therapy bill. On SB 1121, which would allow hospitals with radiation protection systems to let clinicians forgo lead aprons if they work in the designated safety area and use real-time dosimetry, testimony was largely supportive or neutral after a late amendment gave radiation safety officers discretion to require protective gear if exposures approach thresholds. The committee adopted the amendment and passed SB 1121 on a 9-1 vote. SB 1120, a more prescriptive bill requiring at least 50% of cath lab rooms in hospitals to be equipped with the radiation protection system, drew divided testimony: sponsors and several physicians argued it would reduce orthopedic injury and radiation exposure and improve recruitment and retention, while hospital and radiology groups objected to the mandate, cost, limited vendor pool, and lack of clarity in the bill’s definitions. After adopting an amendment excluding children’s hospitals, the committee deadlocked 6-6 and SB 1120 failed to pass. The committee then considered SB 1118, which would appropriate $3 million to help rural hospitals install radiation protection systems in cath lab rooms. The sponsor said the funding would help rural facilities meet the same safety goals, and the committee passed the bill 6-5. The committee also heard SB 1214, a “guardrails” bill regulating non-FDA-approved stem cell and regenerative therapies, requiring informed consent, sourcing and reporting standards, advertising limits, and civil penalties for violations. Supporters said it would protect patients while allowing access to promising therapies; some members raised concerns about evidence and commercialization, but after adopting a technical amendment, the bill passed 9-3. The transcript ended as the committee moved on to SB 1630, which would seek federal approval for a home- and community-based service benefit for adults with serious mental illness; the sponsor described it as a capped, Medicaid-based community care option, and Access testified neutral while estimating a fiscal impact, but no final action on SB 1630 appears in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Um, Senator Gila and, uh, members, I'm Eric Soderome.
• cough and clears throat] [cough and clears throat] Um,<00:26:07.440> Senator<00:26:08.720> Gila
• and<00:26:09.919> uh,<00:26:10.480> members,<00:26:10.960> I'm Um, Senator Gila
• and uh, members, I'm Um, Senator Gila and uh, members, I'm Eric<00:26:11.440> Soderome.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Transportation Committee met on February 5 and heard testimony on a long agenda of transportation-related bills. Early measures included HB 2392, which would create an employer tax credit for transportation demand management benefits; HB 2462, which would bar auto manufacturers and dealers from charging post-sale fees for already-installed hardware; and HB 2423, which would require diesel sold for on-road use to contain at least 5% biodiesel. HB 2392 drew support from the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization and one individual, with the Department of Taxation and the Tax Foundation offering comments. HB 2462 drew support from DCCA and one individual, while the Alliance for Automotive Innovation opposed it. HB 2423 drew comments from the Hawaii State Energy Office and Hawaii Farm Bureau, support from Pacific Biodiesel and the Hawaii Transportation Association, and a question from the chair about whether biodiesel is exported; the witness said production stays local. The committee also heard HB 1771 on voluntary carbon offsets for air travel, HB 2081 on requiring firefighters exempt from CDL rules to follow equivalent alcohol and substance abuse policies, HB 2334 on allowing the Department of Transportation to assume NEPA responsibilities for certain projects, and HB 2336 on DOT agreements with the Department of Defense for work at military installations using federal funds. HB 1771 drew comments from Life of the Land warning that carbon offsets are often unreliable and could create liability, while Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines offered comments. HB 2081 received support from DOT, county human resources offices, fire departments, and county officials, with the Hawaii Firefighters Association in opposition. HB 2334 was supported by DOT, and the director said other states using NEPA assignment can complete projects in about half the time. HB 2336 was supported by DOT, HIEMA, DBEDT’s military relations office, and the Hawaii Military Affairs Council; the committee discussed the administrative fee as a way to recover costs under an intergovernmental agreement. The most extensive testimony centered on HB 1666, which would limit new motor vehicle markups above 5% of MSRP and require recordkeeping. Multiple dealer groups and the Hawaii Automobile Dealers Association opposed it, arguing it would threaten dealership operations, especially in Hawaii’s high-cost market and for vehicles without an MSRP. The committee also heard HB 2375 on uniform towing and parking enforcement standards on state and leased lands, including notice, disability protections, payment safeguards, and public reporting; DLNR, DAGS, and several advocacy groups testified, with strong public support and concerns about towing practices and ADA compliance. HB 2415, which would appropriate funds for crosswalks near school properties, drew support from DOT, DOE, and the Hawaii Bicycling League, and the committee discussed how counties would request projects and how funding would be allocated. Finally, HB 2451, which would move Hawaii toward fare-free public transit beginning in 2027 and create a dedicated funding source through a petroleum tax increase, received broad support from DOT, the Energy Office, public health and advocacy groups, and many individuals; DOE testified that it currently uses about $2.1 million for student bus passes and that the program is tied to savings from inactive school bus routes.