Sen. David Gowan

Maddy summarySB 1282 creates a new offense called "aggravated unlawful flight" for drivers who recklessly endanger others while fleeing police. It classifies this as a class 4 felony generally, but elevates it to a class 2 felony if the driver causes serious injury, transports a minor under 15, or was already violating specific traffic laws (like driving under suspension). Convicted individuals in the class 2 felony scenario must serve at least four months in prison before becoming eligible for probation or early release. The bill directly affects drivers who flee law enforcement in a reckless manner, with stricter penalties for certain aggravating circumstances.

Maddy summarySB 1584, now vetoed by the Governor, requires Arizona state and local government agencies to hire public employees based solely on merit - defined as objective qualifications like skills, experience, and job performance - rather than factors like race, ethnicity, sex, or national origin. The bill prohibits policies that manipulate workforce composition based on protected characteristics, except to maintain color-blind, race-neutral hiring compliant with existing antidiscrimination laws. It allows legal action for violations, with prevailing parties entitled to attorney fees and costs. The bill would have directly affected all state and local government hiring practices in Arizona.

Maddy summarySB 1441 would require school board elections in Arizona to be nonpartisan by removing political party designations from ballots for school district governing board candidates. The bill would amend election statutes to place school board candidates in a "Nonpartisan Ballot" section, listing their names without party labels or partisan titles. This change would directly affect all Arizona school districts and candidates running for school board positions by eliminating party affiliations from the ballot. The bill passed the legislature in April 2025 but was vetoed by the governor, so it did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 2733 grants legal immunity to Arizona government agencies and employees (like law enforcement) who intercept, disable, or destroy unmanned aircraft (drones) within 30 miles of the state's international border. It protects them from liability for injuries caused during these actions unless they intentionally harmed someone or were grossly negligent. The law specifically applies to drone operators (defined as anyone controlling a drone, including owners or groups acting together) and covers contractors working for government entities. This bill directly affects border enforcement practices and drone operators operating near Arizona's international border.

Maddy summarySB 1163 modifies Arizona's emergency mental health admission process to specifically include veterans. It allows police officers employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take veterans into custody and transport them to evaluation agencies when they are deemed a danger to self or others due to a mental disorder. The bill clarifies that VA police officers can act under the same emergency procedures as regular peace officers, including transporting veterans to screening or evaluation facilities without requiring a written application in urgent cases. This directly affects veterans experiencing acute mental health crises who might otherwise require standard police intervention. The law ensures VA police can participate in emergency transport under existing statutory requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SB 1700) sets specific deadlines for county tax appeal boards to issue decisions on property tax assessments in Arizona. It requires county boards to decide on regular appeals by October 15, on certain appeals by the third Friday in November before the tax year, and on personal property appeals by December 1 of the tax year. These deadlines apply to all property owners appealing their tax assessments, ensuring timely resolution without exceeding the original assessed value set by county assessors. The bill modifies procedural timelines for county tax boards but does not change tax rates or valuation methods.

Maddy summarySB 1106, titled "Ava's Law," modifies Arizona's public entity liability rules regarding sexual offenses. It clarifies that public entities (like schools or government agencies) generally cannot be held liable for sexual offenses committed by employees against minors or children with disabilities, **unless** the entity violated a duty to check employee backgrounds or failed to report known risks. The law applies only to offenses occurring on or after December 31, 2027, and does not affect liability for vehicle-related incidents or emergency care. This bill focuses on defining specific circumstances where public entities may face liability, not broader policy changes.

Maddy summaryHB 2083 amends Arizona's Game and Fish Commission membership rules. It requires the governor to appoint five commission members who must include at least one cattleman or rancher, with no more than three from the same political party and no two members from the same county. The bill also specifies that members serve five-year terms, receive compensation from the game and fish fund, and must attend at least quarterly meetings. This bill directly affects how the commission is structured and who can serve on it, without changing wildlife management policies.

Maddy summaryHB 2094 amends Arizona law to clarify the definition of "contiguous" for real estate purposes. It specifies that contiguous land parcels share a common boundary or are separated only by a private road, while excluding parcels divided by natural/man-made barriers or publicly maintained roads (like highways used by the public for five+ years). This definition directly affects real estate developers, brokers, and sellers when marketing land, particularly in master-planned communities where multiple subdivisions might be promoted together. The change aims to resolve ambiguity in how land parcels are grouped for sales and marketing under existing regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 2090 prohibits individuals or groups from acting together to divide a single parcel of land into six or more lots within ten years, which would bypass standard land subdivision regulations. This directly affects property owners, developers, and real estate entities who might attempt to circumvent rules through multiple transactions or owners. The law specifies exceptions for family relationships, well-sharing agreements, road maintenance agreements, and using the same contractor in counties under 500,000 residents. It clarifies that either the county or the state real estate department can enforce this rule, but not both, while updating related land division approval processes.