New Laws in Arizona: Sales Tax Exemption, Abortion Drugs Controversy, Gun Dealers vs Mexico

In the new legislative session, Arizona lawmakers are considering a law that will eliminate sales tax on food (groceries) and on residential rentals.  Currently, certain cities and towns in Arizona do charge tax on food and rent.  If the legislation passes, about $300 million in tax revenue would be lost. Presumably, the cities and towns that currently charge the taxes would have to find other revenue sources or make budget cuts.

The Scottsdale division of Alliance Defending Freedom, an American conservative Christian legal advocacy group, is representing a group of doctors who oppose abortion. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, the doctors, want to make so-called “abortion pills” illegal, even though the drugs were approved by the FDA.  No date for the hearing has been set, yet.

In a clash over national values, five Arizona gun dealers are being sued by the country of Mexico.  Mexico contends that these gun dealers are selling assault weapons to “straw men” who purchase the guns to give to others – in this case, cartel members.  Mexico says the dealers were reckless in selling these weapons because they should have known the guns would end up in the hands of cartel members to be used for illegal purposes.  The five gun dealers have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.  Mexico has sixty days to respond.  The court will decide whether this case proceeds to trial.