A bill sponsored by Rep. Shawnna Bolick would give the Arizona Legislature, long controlled by the GOP, the power to revoke the certification of presidential electors chosen by Arizona voters.
The Phoenix Republican, who did not respond to a request for comment, issued a statement Thursday criticizing media coverage of the legislation, which has garnered national attention.
“The mainstream media is using this elections bill as click bait to generate misleading headlines. This bill would give the Arizona Legislature back the power it delegated to certify the electors. It is a good, democratic check and balance," Bolick said.
In practice, the bill would allow legislators, by a majority vote, to overturn the results of a Democratic election in Arizona. By law, the state determines which slate of electors cast Arizona's 11 electoral college votes by the winner of the popular vote. In the 2020 General Election, that winner was President Joe Biden, who defeated the incumbent, former President Donald Trump.
Some Arizona Republicans called for the Legislature to overturn that result and criticized state officials, including Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, for certifying Democratic electors for Biden in late November. Republicans used false accusations that the presidential election was stolen or fraudulent to justify calls to overturn the results.
Bolick serves as the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, making it likely that the bill will at least make it to a vote on the House floor. Committee chairs often use their power to set committee agendas to ensure their own bills advance through the legislative process.
