A March 8 incident encapsulated Sen. Justine Wadsackβs short, eventful time in the Legislature so far.
Wadsack, a Republican, told the state House Judiciary Committee that day she knew of βhundreds if not over a thousand people that tried to sue doctors, state officials, county officials, city officialsβ over vaccine and mask mandates.
βThese attorneys came to me telling me they were restricted from taking any of those cases,β Wadsack went on. βIf they did, the Arizona State Bar would immediately disbar them.β
When state Rep. Analise Ortiz, a Democrat from the Phoenix area, pressed her for evidence, Wadsack snapped, βI donβt owe you anything in the way of proof.β
She told a big story, she got pushback from opponents, she flashed disdain at them, and she went on to win. For that day at least.
Itβs been a lively first couple of months in the Legislature for Wadsack. Sheβs dived head first into culture-war issues, proposing or supporting bills to regulate drag shows, to let parents suggest banning books in schools, and to regulate the use of studentsβ pronouns in schools, among other things.
Sheβs tried to ban charter cities, to force cities to destroy homeless camps, and, in the March 8 case, to end the requirement that attorneys belong to the State Bar.
As sheβs energetically engaged in the culture wars at the Capitol, sheβs also continued to embrace conspiracy theories online and do social-media battle with her opponents.
β#J6 is a lieβ she proclaimed on Twitter March 7. She was responding to Fox News host Tucker Carlsonβs attempt at showing that the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol was not how it has been portrayed β an act by Trump supporters to stop the transfer of power.
Noting that three hazardous materials spills occurred in one week nationwide, including one in Tucson, she proclaimed βTHIS FEELS ORGANIZEDβ and used the hashtag #BiohazardAttacks.
Criticized for her focus on trans issues, Wadsack told one Twitter critic:Β βShame on you for your stalking comments on a sitting senatorβs Twitter.β She called another critic βsoy boy.β
Wadsack declined to answer 10 questions I emailed her last week about her political approach, her experience in the Legislature and some of her specific battles. Sheβs asked me not to contact her by cell phone.
Her combative engagement wins her fans amongΒ conservative Republicans. Dave Smith, the chair of the Pima County GOP told me, βI think sheβs done an outstanding job.β
βIβve appreciated her ability to generate legislation about issues weβre concerned about,β said Smith, a resident of the Wadsackβs legislative district. βI understand why the Democrats would be upset because sheβs not the supine Republican theyβre used to.β
Wadsack and theΒ two House members from her district benefited from a redistricting process that created a gerrymandered district wrapped around the Tucson area, from Marana, across the Santa Catalina Mountains, south over the Tanque Verde area and all the way to Vail.
It resulted from a deliberate effort by the chair of the redistricting commission, Erika Neuberg, to get more representation for βright of center folksβ in the Tucson area. The Southern Arizona Leadership Council supported the effort, as did then-Sen. Vince Leach, who fought for his residence to be included in this new district.
He succeeded in helping create the district with a Republican advantage of 5 percentage points only to lose the primary to Wadsack.
While Wadsackβs aggressiveness may please her supporters, sheβs also making enemies. Leach has already filed to run against her for the seat in 2024. He told me many of Wadsackβs bills are just βwindow dressingβ β submitted but never even assigned to committees.
βSometimes people get the horse in front of the cart, and donβt think about the long term ramifications,β he said. βYou need to think before you just drop bills.β
In particular, he noted, legislators need to think about what the Democratic governor, Katie Hobbs, will sign. In February, Wadsack stood and turned her back to Hobbs when she delivered her state of the state speech, which wonβt help her get bills signed.
Democrats, of course, donβt appreciate the disdain that Wadsack sometimes treats them with. The episode with Ortiz certainly rankled. In the exchange, Ortiz was composed, but Wadsack lashed out at being questioned.
βWe are elected to make evidence-based decisions, and we owe that to the people we represent,β Ortiz told me Tuesday. βFor Ms. Wadsack to say she doesnβt owe me evidence β it wasnβt about me.β
One of Wadsackβs constituents, John Higgins, shared with me email exchanges heβs had with her. On Jan. 19, he wrote to her:
βDear Sen. Wadsack, I have been looking at the bills you have sponsored or co-sponsored to deal with current housing crisis in Arizona, especially in Pinal and Pima Counites. I see you co-sponsored HB2377 which forbids cities from forcing motels, motels and landlords to accept housing vouchers for poor homeless people. Do you have any other ideas or plans (government, private, voluntary) to deal with the lack of affordable housing for families, and for homeless veterans, youth on their own and mentally ill persons?β
Wadsackβs Jan. 23 response: βDo not contact me. You are a opinion journalist who write hit pieces, but you donβt disclose your intent. Your past communications have been out of line. Please stop.β
What was that all about? Higgins has written letters to the editor of the Star criticizing Wadsack.
Wadsackβs contempt toward Democrats and critics is likely to be her Achilles heel. Already, Democrats in LD 17 are preparing a recall campaign against her.
Christina Rodriguez, who is organizing the recall campaign, said they plan to drum up support in April, then formally launch the 120-day signature-gathering in May.
βThis has been kind of a deluge of bad policy,β she said of Wadsackβs performance. βItβs a clear division between district and legislator.β
So, Wadsack may get bills passed in the closely divided Senate, and she may even get some through the House, though her bill about the State Bar is stuck there now.
But itβs undetermined yet whether burning hot with righteousness is a way for her to turn bills into laws and put policies in place.