Arizona: Senate defeats (twice) plan to prohibit state courts from enforcing federal court rulings; tie vote results in failed bill

A bill that would prohibit Arizona state courts and other state entities from enforcing federal “actions”, including federal court rulings, as “commandeering” state officials failed by the narrowest of margins in the Senate twice in the last two weeks, this after having easily cleared the House.

Arizona HB 2201, was rejected by the Senate on a 14-15 vote on April 5, with one senator absent. A motion to reconsider was filed and the vote retaken on April 13, this time resulting in a 15-15 tie. Because Arizona does not have a Lt. Governor, there was no way to break the tie and the bill failed.