Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is defending a 2014 law that says if petition circulators don’t show up in court, none of the petitions they gathered will be counted. Hobbs wants a federal judge to dismiss a challenge to that law, which she voted for as a state senator.
In new legal filings, Hobbs said the law serves a legitimate purpose and doesn’t excessively burden the right to circulate petitions or to vote.
Hobbs also disputed arguments that the law violates the First Amendment by making it less likely that initiatives will qualify for the ballot.
An attorney for Hobbs wrote "The First Amendment does not mandate that ballot access be easy.”
No date has been set for a hearing on the latest federal court lawsuit.
