GOVERNMENT
the lawmakers were diplomatic enough not to broach in interviews. Going against the grain The passage of HB 2557 in the House Appropriations Committee is a crucial step toward the estimated $143 million needed to widen the Pinal County portion of State Route 347. But it didn’t pass by unanimous verdict. The five abstentions came from House Democrats, who all voted “present” as opposed to “yea” or “nay.” All except for Rep. Kevin Volk, the only Democrat who crossed the aisle to support the measure. It’s not the first time he’s done such a thing. The freshman lawmaker from the traditionally conservative District 17 in Tucson is a political newbie and has been getting skewered by the Left for his legislative choices recently. But he’s doing the opposite of Keith Seaman’s failed red-district-Dem playbook. Volk in February voted with Republicans in favor of HB 2606, which appropriated $50 million for the Arizona Department of Public Safety to “deter and apprehend” unlawful border crossers. It was a move that led to immigrants’ rights activists calling him a sellout and racist. His reason? It’s what his constituents wanted. And sitting on the House Appropriations Committee listening to statistics about Maricopa’s traffic, the fatalities, the impacts on home and work lives — it sounded familiar. “It reminds me of some of the fastest growing areas in my district, particularly the Marana area,” Volk told InMaricopa . A 2024 data study listed Marana as the No. 33 fastest growing city in the country. Maricopa came in seventh place on the same list. And while he and his constituents may not be directly impacted by commuting on SR 347, Volk said voting in favor of the bill was part of the “greater good.” “While we are elected to represent our district and we’re directly answerable to the constituents of our legislative districts, our charge is to serve the greater good of the State of Arizona. That includes all folks in Arizona,” he said. However, it’s also likely the votes — along with his infamous bill making “howdy” the official legal greeting in Arizona — were attempts to build rapport as a lonely Democrat in MAGA country. “I am the type of person — and I made this commitment to my voters — that I will always
Reps. Teresa Martinez and Alexander Kolodin (R-Scottsdale) speak inside the Arizona House of Representatives chambers March 4.
The Dem and the MAGA who said no to fixing SR 347 Senate Bill 1617, introduced by Shope, requests the $49 million already allocated for the Riggs Road overpass on State Route 347 be made available this year. Of the 10 members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Lauren Kuby (D-Tempe) was the lone “nay” vote Feb. 18 despite telling at least one Maricopa official and SR 347 advocates that she would support the bill. During the vote, she explained that she was concerned if the overpass funding were to “leapfrog ahead,” the Arizona Department of Transportation could push back other infrastructure projects already slated for its five- year plan. Presumably, projects in her district. She reiterated that point in an interview with InMaricopa a few days later and chalked her vote, which shocked Maricopans, up to “misinformation.” “I had some misinformation, frankly, that this was going to basically bump other projects, and it was going to leapfrog over another project that might have had a higher priority,” Kuby said in the interview. “Sen. [Vince] Leach (R-Saddlebrooke) talked to me afterwards and I got verification from ADOT, so that made me feel more comfortable.” When the bill went through the Senate for a third reading, Kuby fell in line and voted in support of it.
work together with anyone in order to get the best outcomes for districts in our state,” Volk said. “My colleagues, they all bring different experiences and different perspectives to the legislature.” Volk’s colleagues are Rep. Rachel Jones and Sen. Justine Wadsack, two extremely far- right Tucson Republicans who are part of the Arizona Freedom Caucus. Both have espoused unfounded conspiracy theories related to the 2020 election and the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Jones last year introduced legislation that would have declared Donald Trump the 2024 presidential election winner even if Kamala Harris won the Electoral College. I am the type of person — and I made this commitment to my voters — that I will always work together with anyone in order to get the best outcomes for districts in our state.” REP. KEVIN VOLK (D-TUCSON)
InMaricopa.com | April 2025
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