PORA director: House Bill 2034 must be killed

House Bill 2034, which would keep home owners associations such as SCHOA and PORA from enforcing CC&Rs related to public streets, has passed the state House of Representatives and will now move on to the Senate.

PORA Director Bill Hansen said it must be stopped and Monday urged Sun City West and Sun City residents to do all they can to block it.

"If this thing passes, then the county will have to come in to enforce violations on the streets," Hansen said. "They'll come in, put up signage and clutter our beautiful streets and landscapes."

Hansen said he also believes violations will go largely unpunished.

"The (Maricopa County) Sheriff's Office will have to enforce, it, and right now the Sheriff can't even transport a prisoner on time, let alone deal with any of the over 40,000 outstanding warrants he's got," Hansen said. "So I think we can all see how a parking violation will fall pretty low on the priority list."

The controversy over HB2034 came to a head in late May, at a legislative forum featuring Rep. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix (who sponsored the bill), Rep. Judy Burges of Skull Valley, R-District 4, and Sens. Bob Burns of Peoria, R-District 9, and Jack Harper of Surprise, R-District 4. What was to include any topic the audience in attendance wished to discussed quickly became almost entirely about Barto's bill.

Hansen said he was pleased with the reception Barto received from the 65 people of Sun City and Sun City West who attended.

"I give her a lot of credit for stepping into the thick of it," Hansen said. "But what she said about this bill not really changing anything is the most twisted tale in the whole of the political lexicon. This would result in a great deal of change."

Hansen said he is thankful for the support of Harper, whom he said has been helpful since the meeting. But more than Harper speaking against HB2034 on the Senate floor, Hansen said they will need as many e-mails and phone calls to legislators as they can get. The bill is currently awaiting action in the Government Institutions Committee, chaired by Senator Jay Tibshraeny of Chandler, R-District 21.

"Sometimes in their haste to end the session, bills get overlooked and just passed," Hansen said. "We have to make sure that does not happen."

Hansen encouraged everyone opposed to the bill to e-mail Tibshraeny at jtibshraeny@azleg.gov to let him know how they feel.

Jeff Dempsey may be reached at 623-876-2531 or jdempsey@yourwestvalley.com.