Brewer Signs Bill To Repeal Controversial Election Law

Published: Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 2:33pm
Updated: Thursday, February 27, 2014 - 2:36pm

Gov. Jan Brewer has signed into law a measure that repeals a controversial election law approved last year. 

Last June, the governor signed House Bill 2305 into law. Among many other provisions, it increased the number of signatures some party’s candidates needed to collect to get on the ballot, and allowed county recorders to remove voters from the Permanent Early Voting List.

After the bill was signed into law, a coalition of opponents collected enough signatures to refer the law to the ballot, putting its implementation on hold – that vote was scheduled for November. By signing this year’s bill, the governor heads off the referendum.

Repeal supporters have argued they’re listening to the voters who didn’t like the law. But referendum supporters worry lawmakers wanted to repeal the law, stop the vote and then re-enact some provisions of the law one-by-one.