25th Arizona Territorial Legislature

The 25th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was the final session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Phoenix, Arizona, and ran from January 18 till March 18, 1909. Its actions include the creation of Greenlee County, establishing the Arizona Pioneers' Home, and requiring primary elections.

Arizona was still seeking statehood. After years of electing a Democrat as the territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress, feelings in the territory were that a Republican could have better results achieving statehood in a Republican controlled Congress. This sentiment helped Ralph H. Cameron defeat long term territorial Delegate Mark Smith.

President Theodore Roosevelt renominated Governor Joseph Henry Kibbey for a second term on December 16, 1908. Mining interests and other political opponents delayed confirmation until after Roosevelt left office. When President William Howard Taft took office, he decided to appoint Richard Elihu Sloan and as a result Kibbey left office on May 1, 1909.

The session ran from January 18 till March 18, 1909. It passed 107 bills into law.

Governor Kibbey gave his address to the session during the afternoon of January 19, 1909. The lengthy speech dealt with generalities and descriptive principles but gave few specific recommendations. The governor was pleased with the financial position and economic development of the territory and its roughly 200,000 residents. While he deferred asking for additional reforms in the area of mine taxation till a state legislature could be convened, Kibbey asked for establishment of a territorial railroad commission to work with the Interstate Commerce Commission. Additionally, the governor expressed his view that this would be the final session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature.

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