House Dems at full strength – again

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, which is responsible for filling vacancies in Arizona's legislative districts, held a meeting on Tuesday, March 22, 2023, where they appointed Kelli Butler to fill the last remaining vacancy in the Arizona State House of Representatives. With Butler's appointment, the Democratic Party now holds a 26-seat majority in the House, bringing the chamber one step closer to reaching its full membership of 60 representatives before the critical deadline.

The vacancy arose when former Representative Mitzi Epstein resigned from her seat in Legislative District 28 due to health reasons in February 2023. The Democratic Party nominated Butler, a former state representative and current executive director of Planned Parenthood Arizona, as their candidate to fill the position.

Butler's appointment comes at a crucial time for Arizona's Democratic legislators, as they are working to pass legislation that would repeal the territorial-era abortion ban currently in place in the state. The ban, which dates back to 1864, makes performing or attempting to perform an abortion a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. With a full Democratic majority in the House, Democrats are optimistic about their chances of passing the bill through the chamber and sending it to the Senate for consideration.

However, it is important to note that even with a Democratic majority in the House and Senate, the bill still faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Arizona State Senate and the potential veto from Republican Governor Katie Hobbs. Additionally, any legislation passed by the Arizona legislature could be subject to legal challenges due to ongoing litigation regarding abortion rights in the state.

In summary, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Kelli Butler to fill the last remaining vacancy in the Arizona State House of Representatives on March 22, 2023. Her appointment brings the Democratic Party one step closer to reaching full membership in the chamber and allows them to push forward with their efforts to repeal the territorial-era abortion ban. However, the bill's passage is not guaranteed due to the Republican control of the Senate and potential veto from Governor Hobbs, as well as ongoing legal challenges to abortion rights in Arizona.