Shawnna Bolick

Dollar store Bolles bill: After Republican Rep. Selina Bliss’ bill to allow for a monument to slain Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles (who was assassinated 50 years ago this month) stalled out, GOP Sen. Shawnna Bolick introduced SB1663 — a bill to create a “Freedom of Speech” monument on the Capitol grounds. It would have allowed two dead people’s names to be placed on it every year, but a bipartisan group of House members shot it down. (June 10, 2026)

Distancing themselves: Officials throughout Arizona were quick to denounce Cesar Chavez after the New York Times revealed his long history of sexual abuse, including to girls as young as 13 years old. Hobbs said she won’t formally honor César Chávez Day on March 31, as did the United Farm Workers union that Chávez co-founded, per the Republic’s Stacey Barchenger. Republican state Sen. Shawnna Bolick sponsored an amendment to repeal the holiday, KTAR’s Serena O’Sullivan reports. And Chicanos Por La Causa is removing all artwork depicting Chávez from its facilities in Arizona and seven other states, Stephanie Murray reports for the Republic. (March 23, 2026)

Cheap or affordable: A bill that squeaked through the Arizona Senate and is now being considered in the House would block many municipal design standards in the name of affordable housing, Bob Christie reports for Capitol Media Services. Critics of SB1431 say city officials understand local housing needs better than state lawmakers. They also worry that lowering standards could lead to junky houses or that corporate builders would simply pocket the cash they save by lowering the quality of homes. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick, says housing prices are way too high and some new homebuyers don’t need all the amenities that are currently required, such as garages, paved driveways or backyard patios. Similar bills that went under the moniker “Arizona Starter Homes Act” failed in the Legislature each of the past two years. (April 22, 2026)

(Local) quality control: A bill making its way through the Arizona Senate with bipartisan support would strip away most requirements cities put on home design, like fencing, materials or colors, Cecilia Chan reports for the Gilbert Sun News. SB1431 from Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick aims to make new housing more affordable, and it wouldn’t apply to historic homes. Nick Ponder of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns says states like Texas and Florida passed laws that preempted local control and the quality of housing suffered. “There’s a difference between cheap and affordable,” Ponder said. (March 24, 2026)

Last-ditch attempt: Two GOP lawmakers want to give some “teeth” to oversight of the prison system, but the House didn’t include their plan in last week’s budget bill and Gov. Katie Hobbs is staying mum on whether she supports the idea, Capitol scribe Howie Fischer reports. Now, Sen. Shawnna Bolick and Rep. Walt Blackman are trying to beef up prison oversight in the state budget so officials can deal with complaints raised by the 35,000 inmates in the state prison system, such as poor nutrition and the healthcare problems contended in a long-running federal lawsuit, as well as recent murders, escapes and assaults. (June 13, 2025)

Adapting to the times: In light of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes says candidates can use campaign funds for personal security, the Capitol Times’ Reagan Priest reports. Fontes sent out a memo saying state law isn’t clear on whether campaign funds can be used for that purpose, but his office won’t open any complaints if candidates feel the need to use their campaign haul to pay for a bodyguard or other security needs. Fontes and staff in his office have faced threats of their own, and in 2023, Fontes asked the state to pay for an around-the-clock security detail, which the Department of Public Safety denied. Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick,1 said the decision is a good starting off point, but could require more legislation to restrict what people are allowed to purchase. “If it’s not clearly defined how you want to secure yourself, you might have members who think this is a good time to go out and buy a bunch of firearms or attack dogs or something silly,” Bolick said. (October 7, 2025)

Hail Mary season: Amid the budget mayhem, state lawmakers sent legislation to Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk to punish school board members whose districts are placed into receivership after financial trouble, the Capitol Times’ Jakob Thorington reports. HB2610 is a response to the Isaac Elementary School District’s financial mishandling, and it’s retroactive to make sure Isaac’s district leadership gets the boot. Here’s some other last-minute bills lawmakers advanced last week: — The Senate passed the Diamondbacks bill to funnel state and municipal sales taxes into Chase Field with some last-minute changes, per Fourth Estate 48. The bill now caps taxpayer funding at $500 million, but increases that limit 3% annually and takes additional dollars from Chase Field employees’ income taxes. The bill awaits a final House vote. — Republican lawmakers and Hobbs made a deal on an ag-to-urban bill that lets home builders buy water from farmers in Pinal and Maricopa counties as long as the new developments agree to limit how much groundwater they use, Capitol Media Services’ Bob Christie reports. It’s a win for metro Phoenix developers who can’t build because of assured water supplies, but rural Arizona officials feel left in the waterless dust. It also awaits a House vote. — House lawmakers passed a bill to toughen animal cruelty laws, but it’s a watered-down version of the regulations Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick originally proposed, KJZZ’s Camryn Sanchez writes. The latest version doesn’t require pet owners to provide species-appropriate, edible food and potable water because Republicans said it would hurt farmers with livestock. It now heads to Hobbs’ desk. (June 23, 2025)

Puppies in politics: Gov. Katie Hobbs held puppies at an Arizona Humane Society campus to celebrate a new anti-animal cruelty law that takes effect in September, the Republic’s Stacey Barchenger writes. SB1658 adds failure to provide medical attention to the list of chargeable offenses for animal cruelty, and animal welfare advocates and Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick fought hard to pass a neutered version of the bill after other Republicans said it could penalize farmers with livestock. (July 9, 2025)