At a public hearing in Arizona with select members of the state legislature and members of President Donald Trump’s legal team, lawmakers called for their colleagues to back an upcoming resolution that would hold off the release of the state’s electoral colleges votes.
Arizona state Rep. Mark Finchem told reporters during the Nov. 30 hearing that they hope to have a resolution “within the next 24 to 48 hours.” The state holds 11 electoral college votes.
“We are clawing our electoral college votes back, we will not release them,” Finchem said. “That’s what I’m calling on our colleagues in both the House and Senate to do—exercise our plenary authority under the U.S. constitution.”
“There is a legal brief out there that says we are not tethered to state statute when it comes to this one question,” he added.
According to Finchem, the move would be easy to do and would be legally binding.
“A simple majority can call the House and Senate back, and in a day can pass a resolution and cause those electoral votes to basically be held,” he added. “And it is binding—I’ll see y’all in court.”
In total, nine Republican state lawmakers attended the meeting. They had requested permission to hold a formal legislative hearing at the Capitol but were denied by the Republican House speaker and Senate president, according to The Associated Press.