Other Notable Votes
One was HB4001, legislation regulating electronic cigarettes and vaping products. I introduced legislation this session in partnership with the American Cancer Society focused on reducing youth access to vaping products and strengthening oversight of the industry. While HB4001 moves the conversation forward, I ultimately voted no because I had concerns that the regulatory structure and enforcement mechanisms were not yet fully cohesive. Protecting kids from nicotine addiction and predatory marketing remains important work, and I hope we continue improving this policy in future sessions.
I also voted no on SB1118, which narrows the applicability of Arizona's middle housing law. My vote is not opposition to historic neighborhoods or the concerns many residents raised, on most of those concerns we share common ground. The difference of opinion is whether this policy carries the right approach and if those decisions are best addressed at the state or local level.
Over the past year, I have spent a great deal of time speaking with historic neighbors, city officials, preservation advocates, housing experts, and community stakeholders. Our historic neighborhoods are an important part of Phoenix's identity, and I appreciate everyone who took the time to engage in these conversations. From hearing their concerns, I crafted legislation with preservation experts to significantly increase penalties for improper demolition and create a funding source to support historic preservation.
With middle housing, local historic zoning overlays remain fully in place. These overlays include design review requirements, public input processes, demolition delays and other development standards intended to preserve neighborhood character and historic integrity. Because these protections are established and administered locally, cities retain the ability to strengthen preservation standards and adopt additional safeguards that reflect the needs of individual neighborhoods.
Another example of shared agreement at the local level is expanding the area where middle housing can be built beyond the boundaries of historic districts, an approach that Tucson and Flagstaff have already adopted.
As Arizona's housing shortage continues to worsen, we are seeing working people pushed out of communities they call home. Tragically, seniors, families, and young adults are now the the groups seeing the highest increases in homelessness.
Communities thrive when no one neighborhood is asked to take on too much change, but also when no neighborhood is asked to take on too little.
I believe we can preserve historic neighborhoods while also creating housing opportunities for future generations, and I remain committed to working with neighbors and stakeholders to find that balance.
Continuing on the housing front, Governor Hobbs signed two bills this week that I supported:
HB2999 reforms how certain development impact fees are assessed and applied, helping ensure infrastructure costs are allocated more fairly and reducing costs that can ultimately be passed on to future homeowners and renters.
HB2946 provides greater flexibility in the timing of development-related fees, helping projects move forward and improving access to financing.
Like most housing policy, no bill is a silver bullet, but both are practical steps toward increasing housing production and improving affordability.
Budget Mystery Revealed
As you know, Governor Hobbs vetoed the Republican-only budget in early May, and Republicans then recessed us for the remainder of the month. It looks like we are finally walking into a week of budget decisions ready to be voted on.
There has been positive budget news recently, with April revenue collections exceeding expectations by $115 million, providing additional cushion to maintain important programs and services that many Arizonans rely on.
While I don't expect a final agreement overnight, I remain hopeful that we can reach a bipartisan budget that reflects Arizona's priorities and makes meaningful investments in the areas that matter most to families.
As always, thank you for staying engaged, reaching out, and sharing your perspectives. The emails, calls, conversations at community events, and even the occasional disagreement all make me a better legislator and help me represent our district more effectively.
