STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – The Arizona Legislature has approved House Concurrent Resolution 2049, a measure asserting Arizona’s right to govern without unconstitutional federal interference. The resolution, passed Tuesday by the Senate after clearing the House in March, declares the state’s authority under the Tenth Amendment and sends a clear message to the federal government: respect the limits of federal power.

“The people of Arizona are not subjects of federal overreach,” said State Representative Khyl Powell, who sponsored the resolution. “HCR2049 reasserts a simple but essential principle—the federal government has no authority to force states to enforcing mandates that violate the Constitution. Arizona will not be conscripted into carrying out unlawful federal dictates. We will defend our sovereignty and the rights of our citizens.”

HCR2049 reaffirms Arizona’s sovereignty under the Ninth and Tenth Amendments and the Arizona Constitution, particularly Article II, Section 3. Proposition 122, approved by voters in 2014, strengthened this provision by restricting the use of state personnel and financial resources to enforce federal actions that exceed the federal government’s constitutionally enumerated powers. The resolution also calls on the federal government to immediately halt such actions and repeal coercive federal laws that impose penalties for noncompliance.

The resolution encourages Arizonans to use lawful remedies when necessary to defend the state’s authority and requires the Secretary of State to transmit the measure to the President of the United States, congressional leaders, state legislatures, and each member of Arizona’s congressional delegation.

HCR2049 directly aligns with the House Republican Majority Plan, which prioritizes protecting individual rights and liberties, limiting federal overreach, and ensuring that government serves the people—not the other way around.

Read the full resolution here: https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/57leg/1R/bills/HCR2049H.pdf.

Khyl Powell is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 14 in Gilbert. He serves as Vice Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.