Oppose SB1066: Protect Scientific Research from Political Prosecution

I urge you to oppose SB1066 when it comes before the Senate Judiciary and Elections Committee on Wednesday. This bill would allow the Attorney General or county attorneys to sue researchers who "knowingly or recklessly publish fraudulent scientific research," creating a dangerous precedent for politically motivated attacks on legitimate science. While addressing misinformation in research is a worthy goal, SB1066 would achieve the opposite effect. The bill provides no clear definition of what constitutes "fraudulent" research, leaving scientists vulnerable to lawsuits based on political disagreement rather than actual scientific misconduct. Peer review, replication studies, and existing professional standards already provide robust mechanisms for identifying and correcting flawed research without government intervention. The real threat to scientific integrity today is politicization. Researchers studying climate change, public health, and other contentious topics already face harassment and intimidation. SB1066 would weaponize the legal system against scientists whose findings conflict with political preferences. This chilling effect would discourage researchers from pursuing controversial but important questions, driving talent and funding out of Arizona institutions. Scientific progress depends on the freedom to publish findings, even when those findings are later revised or disproven. Genuine fraud is already addressed through existing legal frameworks and professional ethics boards. What SB1066 adds is the power for elected prosecutors to second-guess peer-reviewed research based on their own political agendas. Arizona's universities and research institutions contribute significantly to our economy and reputation. This bill would damage that standing while doing nothing to address the actual sources of scientific misinformation, which largely come from unregulated online sources and advocacy organizations rather than academic researchers subject to rigorous review processes. I ask you to vote no on SB1066 and protect Arizona's scientific community from politically motivated prosecution. The solution to bad science is more science, not lawsuits.