Justine Wadsack, a Tucson Republican, believes that individuals searching for new homes may prefer to reside in a legislative district where their political views are represented.
However, current state laws prevent real estate agents from providing this information regarding legislative districts for Congress, county supervisors, or city councils.
To address this, Wadsack proposed Senate Bill 1581, which not only repeals the prohibition but also mandates that real estate agents must actively provide this information to home buyers.
Wadsack emphasized the significance of buying a house, calling it the “biggest, biggest investment that anybody can make.”
She argued that buyers should be aware of the political makeup of the area they are moving into, stating that knowing whether it is a Democrat or Republican area could make it easier for them to engage with their city council members.
The bill draws on existing Arizona law, which already requires real estate agents using the Multiple Listing Service to disclose the school district in which a home is located.
Wadsack cited examples where buyers specifically request homes within certain school districts and how this information is critical in their decision-making process.
Wadsack highlighted the bipartisan nature of her proposal, noting that individuals may also prefer to be represented by a specific party or candidate, such as Democratic Senator Priya Sundareshan.
She emphasized that the bill does not disclose the names or political affiliations of representatives, only the numerical designation of the political districts.
However, Senator Juan Mendez, a Democrat from Tempe, expressed concerns about the potential consequences of removing these restrictions.
He suggested that disclosing political districts could lead to discriminatory practices similar to redlining, where certain neighborhoods were deemed high risk based on racial characteristics.
Despite these concerns, Wadsack’s legislation passed the Senate Government Committee with a 5-1 vote and will now move to the full Senate for further consideration.
