The Arizona State Legislature approved House Concurrent Resolution 2055 (HCR 2055), placing a ballot measure about drug cartels before voters in the 2026 election. If approved, the ballot measure would define drug cartels as terrorist organizations and require the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to “do everything within its authority to address the threat posed by drug cartels.”

In a press release, House Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-29), who introduced the bill, referenced Proposition 314. The proposition, which was approved by 62.6% of voters in 2024, made it a state crime for noncitizens to enter the state unlawfully. Montenegro said the approval of the proposition sends a “clear message that securing our border and stopping cartel-driven crime is a top priority,” and that HCR 2055 will also support that goal. 

A similar bill, which would have designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations, was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) in 2023. In February 2023, Rep. Montenegro introduced House Bill 2675 (HB 2675) into the Arizona State Legislature. The wording of the bill was similar to the wording of HCR 2055 and would have designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations. HB 2675 would not have been placed on the ballot for voters to decide; if it had been signed, it would have become law without voter approval.

In the letter declaring her veto of HB 2675, Gov. Hobbs said, “Labeling drug cartels as terrorist organizations to deploy state resources is not a real solution and is not a state function.” Concerning the Arizona Department of Homeland Security, she said, “It is not a law enforcement agency. It’s clear there is a lack of understanding of what AZDOHS is charged to do for the people of Arizona.”

In Arizona, the governor’s signature is not required to place a legislatively referred state statute on the ballot for voters to decide. Thus, Gov. Hobbs cannot veto HCR 2055 as she did with HB 2675.

The ballot measure resembles the executive order issued by President Trump (R) on January 20. The executive order, one of 26 issued on that date, designated cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. 

If approved by voters, the measure would make Arizona the first state to designate drug cartels as terrorist organizations through a ballot measure. Texas and Florida have taken similar steps, but did so through an executive order and a legislative memorial, respectively.

In September 2022, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations. In February 2024, the Florida State Legislature approved a bill that urged the U.S. Secretary of State to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The bill did not create a binding law in the state, but instead sent a memorial statement to the office of the Secretary of State requesting the federal government designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. 

In addition to state-specific efforts to designate cartels as terrorist organizations, in 2023, a group of 21 state Attorneys General submitted a letter to President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken. The letter requested that the President and Secretary of State “take decisive action against the Mexican drug cartels by designating” them as foreign terrorist organizations. 

In support of the bill, Speaker Steve Montenegro (R-29) said, “[Cartels] are not just smuggling drugs; they are running sophisticated, brutal operations that profit off human misery—trafficking women and children, flooding our streets with fentanyl, and killing Americans at an unprecedented rate. This is a necessary step in our fight to defend Arizona communities, uphold the rule of law, and protect innocent lives.”

The Coconino County Democratic Party opposes the bill. A statement on their website references HCR 2055 as a “do-nothing bill, its prime intent seems to be to clutter up the ballot for no good reason.” 

State Sen. Catherine Miranda (D-11) agreed. She said the ballot measure is “weaponizing the ballot to push the Right’s anti-immigrant agenda.”

The Arizona State Legislature approved the bill with support from Republican legislators. Democratic legislators voted against the proposal. The state House passed HCR 2055 on Feb. 26 in a 32–27 vote, with one Republican representative not voting. The state Senate approved it on June 27 in a 16–13 vote, also with one Republican senator not voting. 

As of June 29, 2025, HCR 2055 is one of three ballot measures on the November 2026 ballot. One, a constitutional amendment, would prohibit the state and local governments from imposing taxes or fees based on vehicle miles traveled and from enacting rules to monitor or limit vehicle miles traveled without the person’s consent. The second, a state statute, would prohibit local governments from imposing or increasing a tax on the sale of food items without voter approval.