Governor Ducey Signs Smart on Crime Criminal Justice Reform Bills, Driverless Vehicle Bill

Mar 26, 2021 by AFP

PHOENIX, AZ – Americans for Prosperity-Arizona (AFP-AZ) today commended Governor Doug Ducey for signing three bills into law that improve the state’s criminal justice system and solidifying Arizona’s place as a national leader in technology and innovation for autonomous vehicles.

Governor Ducey signed two criminal justice reform bills into law. One bill, H.B. 2166, sponsored by Representative Blackman, requires the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission to conduct a comprehensive survey of data from all criminal justice agencies for what is currently collected and readily reportable. The other bill, H.B. 2318, sponsored by Representative Toma, gives prosecutors and judges the ability to ensure individuals convicted of a first-time offense do not receive disproportionately high sentences. The governor also signed H.B. 2813, sponsored by Representative Weninger, into law. The bill codifies Governor Ducey’s 2015 executive order on autonomous vehicles that includes a reasonable, light-handed approach to regulation and a focus on public safety.

AFP-AZ advocated for the three bills throughout the legislative process, testifying before committees and connecting Arizonans with their legislators to urge them to support the bills.

AFP-AZ State Director Stephen Shadegg released the following statement:

“With the stroke of his pen, Governor Ducey cemented Arizona as a leader in the advancement of driverless vehicles and made our criminal justice system smarter on crime and softer on taxpayers. The status quo of our criminal justice system costs taxpayers millions of dollars and perpetuates a cycle of recidivism. These two criminal justice reform bills will help give lawmakers and researchers the data they need to find solutions to safely reduce the costs of our criminal justice system and improve public safety, while also ensuring fair and proportional sentencing. We thank Governor Ducey for signing these bills into law that will improve Arizonans’ lives by breaking down barriers for innovation, promoting public safety, and ensuring our criminal justice system priorities redemption over punitive sentencing.”

Background:

In 2019, Arizona experienced 129,000 vehicle crashes, nearly 1,000 of them resulting in fatalities and over 53,000 injuries – with about 94% of the crashes being attributed to human error. Supporting H.B. 2813 will allow for the advancement of technology that will keep Arizonans safe.