By Caitlin Sievers | AZ Mirror
Republicans in the Arizona Legislature want to use county sheriff’s departments to force people to comply with their subpoenas, and for anyone who speaks in front of a legislative committee to do so at risk of perjury.
“You shouldn’t be allowed to come down to the legislature and lie to us in the committee, which, unfortunately, far too many people do,” Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, said of the proposal during a March 19 Senate Government Committee hearing.
House Bill 2824, sponsored by Rep. Tony Rivero, a Peoria Republican, would allow the Senate president, speaker of the House of Representatives or any legislative committee to find a subpoenaed person in contempt. Currently, a person who ignores a subpoena or refuses to testify can only be found in contempt if the full 60-member House or 30-member Senate votes on a resolution.
Rivero’s proposal would allow those accused of contempt to supply evidence to refute the allegations, but would put the power to find someone in contempt in the hands of just a few people instead of the full Senate or House.
