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Joseph Chaplik on the Floor of the House
State 48 News @thestate48news
Major Drama on Arizona House Floor Over Controversial" Axon Bill". "This bill only affects my district, how is that fair?" Today on the Arizona House floor, heated debate erupted over SB1543—a strike-everything amendment bill dubbed the “Axon Bill.” The legislation mandates that municipalities with populations between 200,000 and 500,000 allow hotel and apartments/multifamily residential use as ancillary to light industrial zoning—without requiring public hearings—if the use is located within an international headquarters campus. Rep. Joseph Chaplik, whose district includes Scottsdale—a city directly impacted by the bill—delivered a passionate speech opposing the measure.
At the 5:25 mark during his House floor remarks, Rep. Joseph Chaplik referenced a prior conversation he also had with State 48 News, recounting a direct exchange with an Axon executive. “And what happened? Did we ask for an apology? We gave them the keys to the House for three weeks. Four weeks. To come and talk to every one of these legislators. Instead of being reprimanded and asked to make a formal apology to this institution.” He continued, “No, I’ve never seen anything like it in the five years I’ve been down here—where we’ve given one company access to every member to manipulate for the vote.”
Chaplik detailed the political fallout in Scottsdale following the proposed development, noting that the City has faced significant challenges since the election of a new mayor and councilmembers—changes he attributes to public backlash over the apartment units tied to the Axon headquarters project.
Here is a recap of the first 3 of 5 amendments Rep. Chaplik introduced to tighten SB1543. #state48news #azleg
See Joseph Chaplik on the floor HERE.
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