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Arizona’s legislative session this year was filled with plenty of dramatic exchanges between lawmakers, grandstanding and several appearances by top Trump administration officials. Yet, some legislators were around more than others to actually witness the chaos.
According to attendance records from the Arizona Legislature reviewed by Phoenix New Times, eight state representatives missed more than 10 days of the 77 days the Arizona House of Representatives held a formal floor session. In the Arizona Senate, which has 66 floor sessions, four senators missed 10 days or more.
Notably, members of the minority Democratic Party had more absences than their majority counterparts. But when you can’t even get a bill heard, it might not be all that motivating to show up.
However, attendance records varied widely. During the 2025 session, the average lawmaker missed four days, and 56% of members of the Arizona Legislature missed three days. Only 11 of the body’s 90 members who served in this year’s legislature had perfect attendance.
It’s not surprising that most lawmakers wouldn’t be there every single day. Arizona has a part-time legislature that only pays lawmakers an annual salary of $24,000, requiring many legislators to hold other jobs. Additionally, sessions generally occur Monday through Thursday from early January until late April or early May. The 2025 session, though, lasted into late June as legislators and Gov. Katie Hobbs tried to negotiate a bipartisan budget that could win the approval of a Republican-dominated legislature and a Democratic governor.
When legislators miss a floor session, they are marked either “absent” or “excused.” For an absence to be excused, the Arizona House Speaker or Senate President must approve. Judging by the numbers, the leaders of both bodies hardly ever say no.
Like last year, zero Senators had an unexcused absence, through Senate President Warren Petersen handed out 129 excused absences. On the House side, representatives had 35 unexcused absences, while 221 were excused by House Speaker Steve Montenegro during his first session as speaker.
In the Senate, lawmakers can also be marked as “excused & seated,” which means they missed the roll call but did show up. Notably, in addition to racking up 11 excused absences, Democrat Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales was marked late 16 times, the most of any senator, which she attributed to other meetings in the Capitol running over time.
Though they aren’t paid much in salary, Arizona legislators do receive a per diem, the value of which depends on where they live. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Maricopa County-based lawmakers get $35 a day for the first 120 days of the session, after which it drops to $10 a day. in 2023, per the NCSL, lawmakers outside the county received $238 a day for the first 120 days and half that thereafter.
Here are the Arizona lawmakers who missed the most lawmaking in 2025.
1. Rep. Anna Abeytia: 18 days out
Nonexcused absences: 3Excused absences: 15
Present: 60
This was Abeytia’s first session in the House, representing parts of west Phoenix, Maryvale and south Glendale. The Democrat previously served as the president of the Cartwright Elementary School District Governing Board, but didn’t win reelection in 2024. Abeytia didn’t respond to New Times' request for comment, but told the Yellow Sheet Report at the end of May that her absences were related to caring for her sick 2-year-old.
2. Rep. Stacey Travers: 13 days out
Nonexcused absences: 0Excused absences: 13
Present: 64
This past session was Travers’ second representing Legislative District 12, which covers parts of Ahwatukee, south Tempe and west Chandler. The Democrat told New Times that she missed days this session due to being a caretaker for her mom, who experienced a variety of health issues during the session. Additionally, Travers is a “sandwich parent” — caring for two young kids and her own parents — which sometimes causes her to miss floor sessions.
3. Rep. Joseph Chaplik: 12 days out
Nonexcused absences: 2Excused absences: 10
Present: 65
Chaplik has been serving north Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Anthem and New River since 2021 as a member of the Freedom Caucus. The Republican butted heads with the head of Scottsdale-based Taser company Axon over the company’s planned campus, which would bring more apartments to the area. Chaplik did not respond to New Times' questions about his absences.
Tie-4. Rep. Stephanie Simacek: 11 days out
Nonexcused absences: 0Excused absences: 11
Present: 66
Simacek represents a party-split north Phoenix District and just wrapped up her first session in the legislature. She also serves on the Deer Valley Unified School District governing board. In an email to New Times, Simacek said a few of her absences came from attending a conference related to that position in Atlanta. She also said that as a single mother, her position’s low salary makes childcare unaffordable, so she stays home with her daughter when she gets sick.
Tie-4. Sen. Sally Ann Gonzales: 11 days out
Nonexcused absences: 0Excused absences: 11
Present: 39
Late: 16
Gonzales has served in the Arizona legislature since the late 1990s in both the House and Senate. In an interview with New Times, the Tucson Democrat attributed her absences to a car accident she got into during the session. This caused her to miss multiple days due to chiropractor appointments for neck and back injuries. She also missed days for dentist appointments, a women in government conference in Louisiana and for religious reasons, she said.
Last year, Gonzales had the seventh-most absences of any legislator with eight missed days.
State Sen. Jake Hoffman.
Gage Skidmore/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Tie-4. Rep. Jake Hoffman: 11 days out
Nonexcused absences: 0Excused absences: 11
Present: 45
Late: 10
Hoffman, a far-right Republican who founded the Arizona Freedom Caucus, didn’t directly explain his absences in a texted statement to New Times. He wrote that proud of his “98% voting record this legislative session” and added that it's “truly unfortunate” that the Arizona Legislature “refuses to treat its members with the respect of not forcing them to drive to the Capitol, sometimes traveling hours each direction, on days when no floor business will be conducted." Hoffman was referencing that actual legislative business occurred on only three of the 11 floor sessions he missed. For the others, lawmakers only recited the Pledge of Allegiance, prayer and raised any “points of personal privilege.”
Hoffman made national headlines as one of the 11 fake electors indicted by an Arizona grand jury over an alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election. He has also used his influence to tap far-right Republicans to primary GOP officeholders. He helped get Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap elected to his position and recruited State Treasurer Kimberly Yee to run against Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne next year.
Last year, Hoffman had the second-most absences in the legislature with 12.
Tie-7. Rep. Seth Blattman: 10 days out
Nonexcused absences: 0Excused absences: 10
Present: 67
Blattman represents Mesa area and has been in the Arizona Legislature since 2022. The Democrat did not respond to New Times' request to comment on his absences.
Tie-7. Rep. Junelle Cavero: 10 days out
Nonexcused absences: 2Excused absences: 8
Present: 67
Cavero joined the Arizona Legislature in the middle of the 2024 session following the resignation of Rep. Marcelino Quiñonez to run for Phoenix City Council. The Democrat won her election to represent south Phoenix and Guadalupe in November 2024. She did not respond to New Times’ request to comment on her absences.
State Rep. Alma Hernandez
Gage Skidmore/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
Tie-7. Rep. Alma Hernandez: 10 days out
Nonexcused absences: 6Excused absences: 4
Present: 67
Hernandez, a Democrat who represents parts of Pima County and Tucson, has served in the Arizona Legislature since 2019. She didn’t directly address her absences in a statement to New Times, but wrote that she’s proud to have “passed more laws than any other Democrat” and added that “the demands of public service often extend beyond the session calendar, and occasional scheduling conflicts cannot be avoided.”
Last year, Hernandez tied for the fifth-most absences in the legislature with nine.
Tie-7. Rep. Myron Tsosie: 10 days out
Nonexcused absences: 0Excused absences: 10
Present: 67
Tsosie serves one of the largest and most northern districts in the legislature, representing all of Apache County and parts of Coconino, Gila, Graham, Mohave, Navajo and Pinal counties. He’s been a member of the legislature since 2019. Tsosie did not respond to New Times’ request to comment on his absences.
Tie-7. Sen. Lela Alston: 10 days out
Nonexcused absences: 0Excused absences: 10
Present: 52
Late: 4
A staple of the Arizona Legislature and the state’s Democratic Party, Alston has served in the legislature since 1977. She represents parts of downtown, central and north Phoenix. In an interview with New Times, Alston shared that both of her two children died during this year's session, which led her to take time off to care for them in their final days and attend family funerals. The father of her children also died in 2024.
Last year, Alston tied for 10th with six absences.
Tie-7. Sen. Rosanna Gabaldón: 10 days out
Nonexcused absences: 0Excused absences: 10
Present: 54
Late: 2
Gabaldón has served in the Arizona Legislature since 2021, representing parts of Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz counties, including Tucson and Bisbee. In a statement emailed to New Times, the Democrat said that her absences were due to personal health issues related to an illness and needing to take care of family matters.
Gabaldón also tied for 10th last year with six absences.
