The Arizona House has passed a bill that would repeal the state’s Presidential Preference Election.

The proposal by House Speaker David Gowan would stop state funding of the primary election though it does set aside over $6 million to reimburse counties for this year’s election.

Supporters believe taxpayers should not be paying for the election because the bulk of Arizona voters are independent, and independents cannot vote in the PPE.

Opponents of the Bill included Democrat Randy Friese of Tucson. He said if state funding ends, special interest groups could step in.

“If the democratic party has a hard time finding money to run it’s own Presidential Preference Primary, could George Soros come in and give money? What’s his agenda? And the same on the other side,” Friese said.

A repeal would mean it would be up to political parties to raise their own funds to hold future presidential primaries.

The bill now moves to the Senate.