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How the Arizona Legislature Works
90 seats in the Arizona Legislature: 30 Legislative Districts. Each district has one senator and two house members (30 Senate seats and 60 House seats)
To qualify as a legislator, one must be:
- At least 25 years of age at the time of taking office,
- Resident of the state for the previous three years and a resident of the county for at least one year before election,
- Cannot be employed by the state or any county, city or town. This prohibition does not extend to public school teachers.
- Cannot be under guardianship or convicted of a felony, unless their right to vote has been restored.
Arizona elects 30 state senators and 60 house members.
All state representatives are elected every two years, and elections happen on even years. State representatives may only serve four consecutive terms in their office and must wait one full term before serving in that same office again.
Legislators are responsible for:
- Drafting and introducing bills
- Voting to pass or kill bills
- Debating the merits of bills
- The Arizona Legislative session starts on the 2nd Monday of January every year.
The legislature adjourns sine die (i.e., terminates for the year) no later than the Saturday of the week in which the 100th day from the beginning of the regular session falls. The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House may, by rule, extend the session up to seven additional days. Thereafter, the session can only be extended by a majority vote of members present of each house.
Legislative advocacy
First things first: Find your legislator -> https://www.azleg.gov/findmylegislator
If your legislators don’t hear from you, they assume you approve of their actions.
Ways to contact your legislators - Call or write them
- TIP 1: Know your house and senate district and the names of your legislators.
- TIP 2: Plan out what you will say.
- TIP 3: Remember to mention the bill number (if any) and why you are calling or writing.
- TIP 4: Make it short and sweet. Get to your point quickly.
- TIP 5: Tell a personal story they can connect to.
- TIP 6: Problem, solution, action (i.e. “Vote yes on HB xxxx!”)
Meet them in person
- STEP ONE: Schedule your meeting.
- STEP TWO: Be flexible and patient.
- STEP THREE: Prepare and educate yourself. Establish clear goals.
- STEP FOUR: Follow up and say thank you!
Engage with them on social media
- TIP 1: Follow and comment on your legislator’s page.
- TIP 2: Ask them where they stand on issues.
- TIP 3: Urge them to support or oppose bills.
- TIP 4: Share our content on social media @acluaz — Twitter, Facebook, Instagram — and tag your legislator.
Request to Speak
During the legislative session, the ACLU of Arizona is busy defending your rights at the state Capitol. It's important for our state legislators and politicians to know we are watching their votes on certain bills. We understand that not everyone can come to the Capitol every day to help us advocate for our rights, but you can support or oppose bills from the comfort of your own home! Find out how you can advocate from home here.