Citing death threats, lawmakers on May 3 passed a bill intended to keep home addresses from being made public if a judge consents, but how the new law actually works. It’s not clear if it works or if anyone can still verify that MPs live in their homes. districts they represent.

Senators TJ Shape, R-Coolidge, supported the billsaid it hoped the Office of the Secretary of State would handle verification of lawmakers’ residency.

Lawyers for Senate rules also said it was up to the secretary of state to decide how to implement the bill.

George Diaz, the secretary of state’s director of government relations, said he wasn’t sure if the office would consider a candidate’s address. There are.”

Secretary of State spokesperson Paul Smith Leonard said compiling the addresses of election officials was important to their offices, adding: We are reviewing the wording of the bill for that purpose,” he reiterated.

It’s also not clear if Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs will sign the bill or veto it. Hobbes’ spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Members of Congress must reside in the constituency they represent, but no body is required to verify their residency. The Office of the Secretary of State has these addresses but has not investigated their residency. Reporters often do, but bills don’t stipulate either.

Senator TJ Shope, R-Coolidge (Photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr)

Mr. Shope had previously considered adding a clause that would allow the secretary of state to verify a candidate’s address, but that amendment never materialized.

Increased threats of violence against public officials have led to the creation of legislation. Shoppe, Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe, Senator Jake Hoffman and R-Queen Creek are just a few who say they have received death threats.

“Because of the level of threat I received, I had to install over $10,000 worth of security equipment cameras in my home. I know it’s the same for members on both sides of the aisle.” said Hoffman.

Former Senators Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Paul Boyer received death threats during a Senate audit of the 2020 election.

Shope’s bill adds election officials, who have faced increased hostility in recent years, to the list of individuals who can ask a judge to seal their records.

“It drove me crazy, especially given all the insecurity that has existed over the last five years … I couldn’t afford to give those people the slightest protection,” said Arizona County Association executive director. Jen Marson said. She reiterated that the bill would not automatically seal the addresses of all civil servants.

Former Cochise County elections official Lisa Mara quit her job last year, citing a threatening work environment. Overall, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes supported the bill because the top election officials in her 10 counties in Arizona recently resigned.

“Key to our support is a language that allows us to edit the addresses of election officials,” said Smith-Leonard.

Fontes recently asked Hobbs to provide security for his office after receiving threatening phone calls when he took office, and eventually he hired his own security.

Last week, a man pleaded guilty to making death threats against Maricopa County Registrar Steven Richer and his family.

Protecting families was a big reason lawmakers gave in supporting the bill. Lawmakers asked for the job, they said, but their loved ones didn’t.

“This is one of the few things my wife has asked me to bill,” Schop said.

The law does not include a mechanism to ensure lawmakers with sealed records reside in their districts.

Other candidates or political opponents usually file residency challenges in court against lawmakers who have won elections to represent one district but have been accused, and sometimes confirmed, of living in another district. I did.

These residency challenges are already very difficult to prove, and courts have long interpreted the law to allow lawmakers to claim residency wherever they “intend” to return.

Democrat consultant Tony Kani said: With every lawful death threat an elected official has had so hot from the election-denying crowd, you can understand why this is being approved. ”

The bill passed the Senate 26-3, with one vacancy. Only Senator Hoffman, Senator Anthony Kahn (R-Glendale), and Senator David Farnsworth (R-Mesa) voted No.

Hoffman said the bill is too broad and applies to too many people.

Epstein said after the vote that she would support a bill change that would allow someone to verify a lawmaker’s residency, but it came too late. joked.

“It seems like such a good idea, but it’s gone now. There’s always another session, so I’ll make a note of it soon.”

Another question is whether the law will remove addresses from public view entirely. The addresses of civil servants are recorded in many places, but the bill only mentions some of their positions.

Shope’s invoice Specifically directing county assessors, treasurers, and registrars to block public viewing of the addresses of “trusted” property if the judge agrees with the agency’s request, but the Secretary of State No mention of rooms.

The Secretary of State lists lawmakers’ addresses on the campaign finance portal and candidate submissions. These things are required by separate laws that Shope’s bill does not address.

Arizona the law requires The Secretary of State will put an address on campaign finance reports, unless the address is “protected from public disclosure pursuant to Sections 16-153,” and while addressed in Shope’s bill, Shope states that “nearly 100 % I’m sure,” he said. Future candidates’ addresses can still be found on campaign finance documents.

Section 13-2401 of the bill makes it a crime to post the address of a public official or elections official on the Internet. Violation of it is a felony, and there is no language clarifying whether the penalties apply to existing portals online, such as the Secretary of State-controlled campaign finance portal.

A public official like the Secretary of State who knowingly posted one of those addresses would be guilty of another type of felony under the bill.

“People need to be able to see, know and be able to see where their elected representatives live,” said Republican consultant Barrett Merson.

He added that he was sympathetic to the argument to protect lawmakers, but said addresses must be available somewhere. Marson said

Yellow Sheet Editor Wayne Schutsky contributed to this report.