Will Gov. Doug Ducey sign bill to punish Arizona cities?

Publication Date: 2016-03-16

• Author:Alia Beard Rau and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez
• Publication:The Republic

The future of city and county state-shared revenue is now in the hands of Gov. Doug Ducey.

The House on Wednesday gave final approval to Senate Bill 1487, which would allow any lawmaker to direct the attorney general to investigate a city or county that passes a regulation that may conflict with state law or its constitution. If the attorney general found the community in violation and it was not quickly addressed, the state treasurer would be required to withhold state-shared money until the problem was resolved.

Ducey has five days to sign the bill, veto it or do nothing and allow it to become law. A spokesman for Ducey declined to comment on how the governor may proceed; Ducey typically does not comment on bills before acting on them.

The legislation, introduced by Senate President Andy Biggs, was criticized as "overkill" by one lobbyist on behalf of the cities.  It would give the money withheld from offending local governments to other counties, cities and towns in proportion to their population...