Arizona’s House and Senate are supposed to be a part-time Legislature that finishes up its work by the end of April each year, but lawmakers regularly overshoot that deadline by months as they debate budgets, bills and other issues.
One lawmaker is trying to change that.
Under the current rules, the Legislature is supposed to begin its work on the second Monday of January and end no later than the Saturday after the 100th day of session, which lands toward the end of April.
But that end date lacks teeth, and legislative rules make it easy for lawmakers to repeatedly push those deadlines.
That’s why Rep. Justin Wilmeth (R-Phoenix) is backing a new piece of legislation that would create a firm April 30 deadline for the Legislature to adjourn. If HCR 2005 passes out of the Legislature, it will go to the ballot in November and ask voters to put that firm deadline into the state Constitution.
“My big thing and why I decided to do this was that, yes, this is a part-time Legislature,” Wilmeth said. “This is how it's designed. It's supposed to be four months. That's why we have that rule, but right now we're going seven months.”
Wilmeth said adding a hard deadline would give lawmakers time to focus on other parts of their lives, such as family vacations.
Many lawmakers, who earn a $24,000 annual salary at the Capitol, also have day jobs, which can become harder to manage as the session drags out. In fact, multiple lawmakers have stepped down or chosen not to seek re-election in recent years, citing low pay and the demands of the job.
Over the past five years, the Legislature has never adjourned earlier than June 15. In 2023, it recorded its longest session ever, ending after 204 days on July 31.
“We're going to July 1 basically now every year, and that's unacceptable to me,” Wilmeth said. “And I have basically just decided that we cannot self-check ourselves, so I want the voters to check it for us because the voters deserve what we've promised them, and that's a part-time Legislature.”
A legislator’s primary job is to work with the governor to pass a state budget every year, and tense negotiations over those spending plans have routinely pushed legislative sessions right up to the June 30 deadline to avoid a government shutdown.
That has been especially true since Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs took office, pitting her against the Republican-controlled state legislature.
But even former Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, experienced lengthy legislative sessions during his two terms, with sessions during his final two years in office ending in June.
Wilmeth said he isn’t too concerned about lawmakers failing to pass a budget if the deadline is changed, saying the negotiations that are usually pushed to June will likely just move up to April over time.
And, even if that doesn’t happen, the governor and legislative leaders could continue to hash out a budget deal after other lawmakers go home. The governor retains the power to call special legislative sessions under Wilmeth’s plan, meaning they could bring lawmakers back to the Capitol when the time is right.
“So I can see a world where we have to adjourn in 2027 without a budget, but then what happens at that point is the House and Senate leadership and the governor will still do what they've been doing, right?” Wilmeth said.
In order to send his proposal to voters, Wilmeth will first have to win support from his fellow lawmakers.
Rep. Lupe Contreras (D-Avondale) said he thinks the idea is worth discussing.
“When I first was thinking about running, I was told that there were shorter sessions and then this is my start of my 14th … I've had more longer sessions than not,” Contreras said.
Contreras has served in both the House and Senate since 2013.
“One time when Ducey got us out of here — I think we were here for three months, and that was awesome,” Contreras said. “But it would be nice to have shorter sessions.”
Wilmeth said shortening the session would give lawmakers more time to spend with family, start campaigning during election season or just take a break.
“Everybody loves it so far. I have not had anybody tell me to my face they hate it,” Wilmeth said, though he acknowledged some lawmakers from outside Maricopa County may not be in favor of the change.
Those lawmakers receive higher per diem payments than in-county lawmakers. Those rates are cut back if the Legislature remains in session beyond 120 days, but recent reporting indicates those per diems significantly boost the pay for select lawmakers.
According to the Arizona Mirror, lawmakers from outside Maricopa County were paid an average of $45,500 in per diem on top of their salary in 2023. In-county lawmakers were paid about $5,700.
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