Sen. Wendy Rogers’ effort to rename a rural Arizona highway after President Donald Trump again failed to make it out of the Legislature.
It’s the third time Rogers has backed legislation to rename State Route 260 “the Donald J. Trump Highway.” The 217-mile highway runs from Payson to Show Low across parts of Rogers’ district.
“I will bring it back next year and I will bring it back the following year, because we will honor this great President Donald J. Trump,” Rogers said.
The Senate voted 15-9 on the measure, but legislation needs 16 votes to pass out of the chamber. Republicans hold 17 seats in the Senate, but Sen. Shawnna Bolick (R-Phoenix) missed the vote, and Sen. Frank Carroll (R-Peoria) voted against the legislation.
Carroll said he would like to see Loop 303 in the West Valley named for Trump after the president’s term is over.
“The constituents in my district would love this to be named at a highway in my district,” he said.
Democratic senators unanimously opposed the measure.
Sen. Mitzi Epstein (D-Tempe) argued Trump was undeserving of the honor. She pointed to the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Trump’s history of legal trouble, including his 34 felony convictions for falsifying business records to conceal high money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
“We should name our public places after people who have led exemplary lives, not after a person who has led a disgraceful personal life,” Epstein said.
Even if it passed, the legislation is purely ceremonial. It functions as an official request to the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historical Names to rename the highway but does not carry the force of law.
And there are other problems.
Sen. Theresa Hatahlie (D-Coalmine Mesa) pointed out that the Arizona board follows the policies of the United States Board on Geographic Names, which states that geographic features should only be renamed after a person who has been dead for at least five years.
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