State Senator TJ Shope surprised his colleagues on Tuesday, when he indicated he would not support a popular bill, SCR 1003, that sends to the voters a ballot measure to limit the governor’s executive powers. Shope had previously supported the bill, sponsored by Sen. Warren Petersen, along with all of the Republican senators when it passed their chamber earlier this Legislative Session.
The bill was amended in the House and was sent back to the Senate for final reconciliation and approval before it could be sent to the governor for final approval.
Every Republican supported SCR1003 when it passed the Senate in February. Four months later the House finally sent an amended version back to the Senate. Now we’re hearing that @TJShopeforAZ has flip-flopped, & is blocking it from final passage. Sen. Shope: please support SCR1003 pic.twitter.com/7BWqeBzOKA
— RLC of Arizona (@RLCAZ) June 29, 2021
Because the bill deals with reigning in a governor’s executive powers, Capitol insiders believe Shope’s opposition stems from his allegiance to the Governor rather than the voters who elected him.
As amended the bill:
- Authorizes the Governor to proclaim a state of emergency as provided by law.
- Stipulates that a state of emergency, except for a state of war emergency, terminates by proclamation of the Governor or by concurrent resolution of the Legislature.
- Directs the Governor to call a special session to assemble the Legislature within 10 days to determine whether to terminate or modify the state of emergency and to address matters by enacting laws or issuing legislative orders.
- Asserts that legislative orders have the same authority as executive orders.
- Outlines the powers, processes and procedures of the Legislature when called into a special session during a state of emergency.
- Specifies that a special session may not adjourn until the state of emergency that caused the special session is terminated.
- Provides requirements for when the Governor protests any actions due to the issuance of a legislative order or terminations or modifications of an executive order.
- Prohibits the Governor, if the Legislature terminates a state of emergency, from proclaiming a new state of emergency arising out of the same conditions.
- Stipulates that if the proclaimed state of emergency is terminated by the Legislature, the Governor may not proclaim a new state of emergency arising out of the same conditions for which the terminated state of emergency was proclaimed.
- Directs the Secretary of State to submit this proposition to the voters at the next general election
Shope had been preparing to run for Congress until Arizona was determined to not get an extra Congressional seat, so he is rumored to have shifted his attention to a potential run for State Treasurer, and would be counting heavily on support from Gov. Ducey’s donors to help overcome his relatively liberal voting record.
“It should not have come as a surprise to anyone that Shope would stab conservatives in the back. He has been doing this for the last few sessions. He has been getting away with it because under current conditions, any one Republican legislator can defeat any conservative bill by simply joining the Democrats,” one conservative lobbyist told the ADI. ” Most Republican legislators are hardworking, honest people, but there are a handful of bottom feeders like Shope, who will put personal gain ahead of what is good for the state.”