Arizona Senate passes resolution criticizing Attorney General Kris Mayes, 17-13

The Arizona Senate on Jan. 30 passed Senate Resolution 1036, a measure that formally criticized Attorney General Kris Mayes for recent public comments about federal immigration enforcement and urged her to "retract her dangerous rhetoric" and consider resigning if she has lost the trust of law enforcement.

The resolution passed on a roll-call vote of 17 ayes to 13 nays after the majority moved to suspend several Senate rules and advance the item directly to the floor. Sponsors argued the attorney general's public statements on use of force and self-defense were "materially incomplete, inaccurate, and insufficiently qualified," creating a foreseeable risk of harm and public confusion, and that some statewide law enforcement organizations had described the statements as harmful.

Why it matters: The resolution addresses the public role of Arizona's chief legal officer and foregrounds a debate over whether public warnings about federal enforcement tactics can be read as endorsing or inciting violence. Supporters said the text is necessary to protect officers and public safety; opponents said the resolution misquotes the attorney general, politicizes routine legal guidance, and was rushed onto the floor without committee review.

Supporters of SR 1036 said the attorney general's remarks improperly simplified a complex area of law and risked giving individuals a justification for lethal force. "Because of that unprecedented action taken by our top law enforcement officer, I believe that the rule should be bypassed," said Senator Hoffman in explaining his vote to advance the resolution, adding that he believed the attorney general's comments had "called for, aiding people in shooting members of law enforcement." Supporters pointed to law-enforcement groups who had expressed alarm and argued the resolution was a public-health and safety response.

Opponents countered that the attorney general was warning Arizonans about encounters with poorly identified federal agents and urging people to report possible misconduct, not encouraging violence. "Attorney general Mayes never encouraged violence against law enforcement. That is false in this resolution," said Senator Epstein, who read and quoted the attorney general's public statement on the floor and described subsequent clarifying language issued by her office.

Procedure and votes: The majority invoked a rule suspension to advance the measure, prompting objections from the minority who said the resolution should have gone through committees and public comment. The sponsor offered a floor amendment adding two findings that statewide law-enforcement organizations had criticized the attorney general and that state resources had been used to solicit complaints; the amendment was adopted on a division and the final passage vote was 17-13.

What the resolution says and does: SR 1036 affirms that the Arizona Constitution makes the attorney general the state's chief legal officer, asserts the attorney general's prior statements about self-defense and interactions with law enforcement were incomplete or inaccurate as written in the transcript, calls for corrective public guidance that accurately reflects Arizona law, and urges the attorney general to retract her remarks and, if trust is irreparably lost, to resign. The Senate instructed the secretary to record and transmit the resolution.

What remains unresolved: The resolution is an expression of the Senate's position; it does not create criminal liability or change statute. Opponents argued the resolution rests on a misreading of the attorney general's words and that it will not improve public safety. Supporters said it is a necessary rebuke and public-warning response.

Next steps: The resolution will be transmitted as the Senate directed. Lawmakers and stakeholders will likely continue to debate the substance in committee hearings or future floor discussion, but SR 1036 itself is a nonbinding statement of the Senate's disapproval.

Sources: Floor debate and roll-call recorded during the Arizona State Senate session on Jan. 30, 2026.