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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
appropriations; attorney general; investigation; litigation
Purpose
Appropriates $1,000,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2022 and FY 2023 to the Attorney General (AG) for investigation and litigation related to antitrust and voting integrity issues.
Background
Statute enumerates the many duties of the AG. The AG represents political subdivisions, school districts and municipalities in suits pertaining to antitrust, restraint of trade or price-fixing activities or conspiracies. Additionally, the AG is the legal advisor of the departments of the state and renders legal services as the departments require (A.R.S. § 41-192).
The AG approves long-range
plans for developing departmental programs and coordinates the legal services
required by departments of the state or other Arizona agencies (A.R.S.
§ 41-192). The Arizona Legislature appropriated $500,000 in FY 2020 to the
AG for election litigation expenses and $530,000 in FY 2021 to the AG for a
voter fraud unit (FY
2020 State Agency Budgets and FY
2021 State Agency Budgets). Following the appropriation of funds, the AG
established an Election Integrity Unit, which prosecutes anyone found to have
committed voter fraud (AG).
There is a negative fiscal impact of $1,000,000 to the state General Fund in FY 2022 and FY 2023 associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Appropriates $1,000,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2022 and FY 2023 to the AG for investigation and litigation related to antitrust and voting integrity issues.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 9, 2021
JA/RC/kja