What is the process for establishing a new state according to the Arizona Constitution?

The process for establishing a new state as outlined in the Arizona Constitution aligns with the authority granted to Congress by the U.S. Constitution. Under Article IV, Section 3, it is specified that Congress has the power to admit new states into the Union. This means that any process for creating a new state must ultimately be approved by Congress, which evaluates the petition for statehood based on various factors, including the population and governance structure of the proposed state.

While state governance processes like referendums or legislative votes may be involved in the preliminary steps of requesting statehood, the final decision lies with Congress. This principle underscores the federal structure of the United States, where the states are united under national authority for matters involving statehood.

The other options suggest processes that do not align with this constitutional framework. For instance, the notion of the governor acting independently does not recognize the necessity for federal approval, while the suggestion of a public referendum and the state legislature voting on statehood may form part of a local process, they cannot supersede the requirement that Congress must ultimately admit any new state. Hence, Congress's authority to admit new states is the cornerstone of the statehood process.