May 25, 2026
When "religious freedom" really just means the freedom to harass others. Inching closer to a budget. Call your lawmakers.
One of the main dangers of this time of year is that our lawmakers are making all their decisions behind closed doors. When we as citizens lose the opportunity to observe and weigh in on a process that is supposed to involve us, the danger rises. Our elected representatives may choose to side with lobbyists and special interests to make disastrous out-of-touch decisions, which would have provoked a massive public outcry if only we'd known about those decisions while they were being made.
Our chief case in point this week is the behind-the-scenes negotiation on HB4117. Under the guise of "protecting religious activities," this bill would shred our First Amendment right to protest, and could subject health clinic workers and LGBTQ+ advocates to felony charges just for protecting themselves against harassment. Even worse, it holds a chance of being signed into law, making it critical that we speak out. See the "Spotlight" section below for more.
Meanwhile, budget negotiations appear to be ramping up. While rank-and-file lawmakers remain recessed with little official work to do, Gov. Hobbs is meeting daily with Republican legislative leaders. Current conditions point to negotiated budget bills moving next week, the first week of June.
Wayne Schutsky
We can't even express how ecstatic we'd be if lawmakers passed a budget by June 5 — before the deadline of June 30 — and went home for good weeks earlier than we expected them to. As we always say, no one is safe until the legislature adjourns, and when they do, we breathe a massive sigh of relief. But their adjournment must not happen at the expense of our constitutional rights or the services Arizonans depend on. Lawmakers need to not just do their job, but do it right. See "What Can I Do?" below for action items.
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⏰ If you have 5 minutes: Contact your own state senator and request that they oppose HB4117 when it comes up for a vote. See "Spotlight" below for details.
⏰⏰ If you have 15 minutes: Contact Republican legislative budget negotiators (below). Remind them we expect them to build a budget that funds the services Arizonans depend on, not to slash and burn. You can contact these lawmakers regardless of what district you live in, as they are negotiating on behalf of the entire state.
☎️ Steve Montenegro (House, R-29) • smontenegro@azleg.gov • 602-926-3635
☎️ Michael Carbone (House, R-25) • mcarbone@azleg.gov • 602-926-4038
☎️ Warren Petersen (Senate, R-14) • wpetersen@azleg.gov • 602-926-4136
⏰⏰⏰ If you have 30 minutes: Contact Gov. Hobbs at 602-542-4331 or engage@az.gov and thank her for vetoing SB1058 and SB1237. See "Veto Watch" below for details.
⏰⏰⏰⏰ If you have 45 minutes: Scan the list of ballot referral measures that are still alive (especially those marked in the list as high priority), and contact your senator on HCRs and your representatives on SCRs with your expectations. This is especially important if you have Republican lawmakers. We must not allow these harmful measures to get wrapped into negotiations as the price of someone’s budget vote.
⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰ If you have 60 minutes: We've cancelled our Happy Hour conversation for this week due to the Memorial Day holiday and the slow pace of the legislature. Use the extra time to fill your cups (e.g., take an early-morning walk, listen to a favorite album, do something to commemorate those who defended our freedom, etc.). Then be sure to register for next week's conversation on May 31, and mark your calendars — we expect it to be hopping!
Lawmakers are working behind the scenes to approve the so-called "Don Lemon bill¹" that protects harassment outside Planned Parenthood clinics and Pride events in the name of "religious freedom." Unfortunately, we can't depend on Gov. Hobbs' veto stamp to quash it: this issue requires us to get loud.
HB4117 makes it a felony to "intentionally disrupt a religious service or activity" and specifies that a "place of religious worship" may be "any location, whether public or private." This would effectively greenlight hate-based disruption targeted at anything fundamentalists don't like, allowing it nearly anywhere. We're talking legalized harassment on sidewalks outside abortion clinics, on street corners at Pride events, at private businesses that ordinarily restrict disrupters from accessing their property, and possibly even in your own living room. Any agitator has only to say they are engaging in "religious activity" to claim these additional protections.
Conversely, the bill would also subject anyone who protests political events at churches, such as Trump’s recent speech at Dream City Church, to heightened felony criminal charges for "disrupting a religious activity." Volunteers at health care clinics (which are facing increased post-Dobbs harassment) who attempt to shield patients from protests could also be at risk of felony charges for interacting with the protesters.
Unfortunately, some are spinning this bill as a solution to the rise of antisemitic hate speech, arguing that existing disorderly conduct laws are insufficient and that this change would target protesters who interfere with worshippers at churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious locations. Sources say Gov. Hobbs has indicated a desire to sign the bill and is asking for amendments to make it more palatable. But turning it into something narrowly tailored is likely an impossible task given the stance of its author: Senate Majority Leader John Kavanagh (R-3) has drawn a hard line, saying opponents are “hallucinating” in their concerns. This stance is disingenuous at best given HB4117's lack of carve-outs and its vague, overbroad language. It's dangerous to our First Amendment rights and begs for a constitutional challenge.
Possible or not, lawmakers are working behind the scenes on those amendments. If we don't speak up, HB4117 could get jammed through in these last days of session. Contact your state senator to ask that they OPPOSE this harmful bill. The below senators particularly need to hear from you:
▶️ Eva Diaz (D-22) • eva.diaz@azleg.gov • 602-926-3473
▶️ Teresa Hatathlie (D-6) • thatathlie@azleg.gov • 602-926-5160
▶️ Kiana Sears (D-9) • ksears@azleg.gov • 602-926-3374
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After sitting on these bills for over a month, the Senate finally saw fit to transmit them to Gov. Hobbs. In response, she exercised her power to protect Arizonans from harmful legislation. Her veto count this year now stands at 63 bills. Contact her office to say thank you for vetoing these CEBV-opposed bills: 602-542-4331 or engage@az.gov.
🐟 SB1058 (Rogers, R-7) would have banned banks and credit cards from using merchant category codes that identify gun retailers or the purchase of guns or ammo. These codes are an important tool in flagging suspicious gun purchases, which helps curb gun violence.
SB1237 (Kavanagh, R-3) would have required Arizona's secretary of state to consult with county recorders and the chairs and ranking members of the legislature's elections committees before creating Arizona's election procedures manual. This politically motivated bill, spurred by Republican sour grapes over voters electing Democrats as statewide officials, comes after two years of failed lawsuits in which Republicans tried and failed to impose their own wishes on the manual.
2026 Session Timeline
Monday 6/1: The House returns to session after an extended break
Wednesday 6/24: Early voting begins for the 7/21 primary election
Tuesday 6/30: Constitutionally mandated deadline to pass a state budget
Committees & Contacts
Here's a handy list of lawmaker contact info, committee chairs and assignments.
CEBV Action Linktree
Want other ways to take action? Need to stay informed? Looking for our social media, inspiration, or self-care tips? Look no further than our Linktree.
Congratulations, you made it to the end! Please enjoy Stephen Colbert's very last musical number on "The Late Show" (😭) with a star-studded cast:
- Remember when federal agents arrested journalist Don Lemon for his presence in an official capacity at an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a Minnesota church service? This action, which was broadly viewed as an unconstitutional overreach, is a perfect example of what could legally happen in Arizona if HB4117 becomes law.
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