Oppose SCR1010: Reject Politically Motivated Impeachment Amendment

I urge you to vote against SCR1010 in the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee on Wednesday. This resolution would ask Arizona voters to amend our constitution to allow the legislature to impeach elected officials and judges for "failing to follow and enforce a state law or court rule," a dangerously vague standard that invites partisan abuse of the impeachment process. The timing and sponsorship of this resolution reveal its true purpose. For three years, Republican legislators have targeted Democratic statewide officials with politically motivated complaints. They accused Governor Hobbs of violating state law for not nominating agency directors, conveniently ignoring that Republican senators refused to confirm her nominees. They attempted to investigate Attorney General Mayes for "operating outside her authority" by declining to enforce laws she determined were unconstitutional, which is precisely the discretion prosecutors must exercise. SCR1010 would weaponize impeachment by replacing the traditional standard of serious misconduct with subjective determinations about whether officials are "following" laws. This creates a mechanism for the majority party to remove elected officials from the opposing party whenever they disagree with enforcement priorities or legal interpretations. Judges who issue rulings the legislature dislikes could face impeachment threats. Attorneys general who decline to defend unconstitutional statutes could be removed from office. Arizona already has a remedy for officials who fail to perform their duties adequately. Voters can replace them at the ballot box. That is how democracy functions. The impeachment process exists for genuine misconduct, not policy disagreements or differing legal interpretations. This resolution would clutter the ballot with a constitutional amendment designed to settle partisan scores rather than improve governance. It undermines the separation of powers and the independence of elected officials who answer to voters, not to legislative majorities. I ask you to oppose SCR1010 and trust Arizona voters to hold their elected officials accountable through elections, not through politically motivated impeachment proceedings.