By Regan Priest | Arizona Capitol Times
Key Points:
- The Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board was dissolved on July 1
- A bipartisan extension bill died in the Senate despite clearing the House
- Attorney General Kris Mayes will continue the board’s work informally
On July 1, the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board was quietly shuttered, more than six decades after the Legislature established it to track civil rights in the Grand Canyon State.
The Republican-controlled Legislature failed to send a bill to Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk during the legislative session extending the board’s statutory life, effectively killing it.
The abrupt end of a decades-old, oft-forgotten advisory board was largely overshadowed by the larger political battles of the 2026 session. But Attorney General Kris Mayes vowed on July 2 to continue the board as an informal council within her office.
“This work is too important to let it go unfinished,” Mayes said in a statement. “For nearly 60 years, Arizonans with different political beliefs and from different backgrounds have volunteered to work collaboratively with their government on civil rights — and my office is committed to making sure that legacy continues, regardless of the decision made by the Legislature this year.”
