State lawmakers have sent Gov. Doug Ducey a bill that would allow him to enforce his demand that local governments fall in line with state policies.
In his State of the State speech earlier this year, the governor decried communities that enact local laws at odds with state law. Much of his complaints had to do with movements for living wages or paid sick leave.
Ducey threatened to use every power he had to bring cities into line, including cutting their state-shared revenues.
The measure sent to him Wednesday does pretty much that. It allows the attorney general to direct the state treasurer to withhold funds from any community whose laws are out of line.
Rep. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, said cities have no problem asking lawmakers to approve measures they want and then enforcing those laws.
"However, when we come up with ideas from constituents, small business owners, that if they don't want to enforce them they just choose not to follow these laws. This is simple. This is an enforcement mechanism so that the laws are followed," Petersen said.
Rep. Bob Robson, R-Chandler, said he shares the frustration about local governments ignoring state laws but was concerned about how the bill would affect residents.
"The problem I have with this legislation is taking state-shared revenue, [and] taking it from the citizens of a community that really had no stake in it other than the people that they hire," he said.
The governor is reviewing the measure.