Your District 4 office has spearheaded several state legislative initiatives this session that significantly affect our region, our communities, our safety, and potentially our lives. It is noteworthy that while in the (super) minority on the Board of Supervisors politically, we have been able to garner unanimous support for these very important efforts from my Board colleagues.
Through the agenda compilation process, we have directed our Pima County legislative lobbyist to work with state legislators to introduce bills designed to address, and resolve, wildfire/flood mitigation, home title fraud, and home owner’s insurance availability and premium affordability concerns.
Predictably, we have had successes and setbacks, and as we navigate through this legislative session, we wanted to report the current status, as we go to press, of these measures:
• House Bill 2292: Wildfire authority fund is still moving forward. It will enhance our ability to get additional funding for wildfire danger mitigation activities.
• House Bill 2619: Post-wildfire flood mitigation is still moving, and will enhance flood mitigation and remediation measures after wildfires.
We are told that both of these bills have a good chance of passage and signature by the governor. They will help with wildfire impacts short term and with insurance rates, longer term.
The governor’s budget provides additional monies for wildfire mitigation and we all continue to push for that. The legislature has not released any form of budget yet.
Other bills that would have made more significant modifications to insurance policies, such as providing for longer times before cancellation and more accurate underwriting standards, did not move forward this session.
We are told that the utility danger plan, which includes public safety power shutoffs, submitted by Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest utility, has been approved by the Arizona Division of Emergency Management. Tucson Electric Power’s similar plan is pending and is something we’re monitoring. It also will have minor insurance rate implications.
• Senate Bill 1479: The most significant home title fraud bill submitted this session, and a decent step forward, was signed recently by the governor and will become law on the general effective date, 90 days after the legislature adjourns.
We will continue to devote our efforts to these issues, and even though we might not succeed completely as we hoped this session, we are firm in our belief that by bringing attention to their importance, legislators will take notice and continue to battle on our behalf. Updates to follow as the legislative session and fiscal year deadline draw closer. And, yes, I love being your Supervisor.
Pima County Supervisor Steve Christy, District 4
33 N. Stone Avenue, Floor 11
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-724-8094
district4@pima.gov
