Tucson urging high court to overturn law penalizing cities

The city of Tucson wants the Arizona Supreme Court to find a 2016 law allowing the state to withhold funding from cities that have ordinances that conflict with state laws violates the state Constitution.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office will try to counter that argument in arguments before the court on Tuesday.

Brnovich determined that a Tucson policy to destroy guns seized by its police department may violate a 2013 law requiring them to be sold. He’s asking the court to make a final decision and trigger a provision that the state withhold tax money from the city.

Tucson’s lawyers say the whole 2016 law that set up a way for cities to be investigated and penalized for violating state law is unconstitutional.

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