Overview
- Sen. John Kavanagh introduced HB2455 after learning the gun that killed Phoenix Officer Nick Erfle remains eligible for auction under a 2013 statute.
- Arizona law currently bars destruction of crime guns and directs agencies to sell them to licensed dealers once investigations end.
- Julie Erfle has sued to block the sale of the weapon used to kill her husband, a case complicated by the absence of a conviction because the shooter died.
- Early drafts tied destruction to homicide convictions, and Kavanagh says he plans to close that gap so murder weapons can be destroyed even without a conviction.
- The proposal is at the introduction stage and still must clear committees, pass both chambers, and be signed by the governor; Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell supports the change.