The Fifty-Sixth Arizona Legislature Kicks-off the 2025 Session

The Arizona legislature reconvened on January 8, and several key factors have begun to shape the session:

• It’s an election year, and that will impact everything from the length of the session to the way legislators vote and how they interact with each other. It could also lead to some new faces at the Capitol if current lawmakers opt to resign in order to focus on their campaigns for Congressional seats.
• Several vacancies have resulted in a lot of turnover. This session the Arizona House of Representatives gained one member and lost three. Jevin Hodge (D-Tempe), a social impact consultant and former congressional candidate, joined the legislature to fill the seat vacated when Representative Athena Salman (D-Tempe) resigned last year. Representative Amish Shah (D-Phoenix) resigned to focus on his race for Congress, and Representative Leezah Sun (D-Phoenix) resigned just before a House vote on her expulsion. There was bipartisan support for Sun’s departure after the House Ethics Committee determined she had engaged in disorderly conduct while in office. Representative Jennifer Longdon (D-Phoenix) resigned to work with the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, so there are now three vacant seats in the House.
• Arizona’s state government is divided between political parties, and that will influence every discussion and outcome from this session. Expect tension from the narrow, one-vote majority Republicans hold over Democrats in the House and Senate. 
• There’s no budget surplus anymore, and policymakers will have to craft a financial plan for the state without additional funds to convince legislators to vote for it. Economists predict a deficit of more than $800 million this year. Legislators have addressed prior budget shortfalls with spending cuts, funding sweeps, and shifts of costs onto local governments. This year, the state also has $1.5 billion in its savings account to consider as it seeks solutions. The conversation about spending and saving will take center stage as lawmakers fight for their priorities in budget negotiations.