By Staff Reporter |

Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed legislation to establish a memorial license plate honoring the late Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder, Charlie Kirk. 

Kirk was assassinated last September while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson, was motivated by Kirk’s Christianity and conservatism. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in the ongoing case. 

Hobbs said license plates should remain nonpartisan, though she said she condemned the political violence that killed Kirk. 

Gubernatorial candidate, Congressman Andy Biggs blasted Hobbs’ veto.

“Charlie Kirk was one of America’s most influential voices and leaders. He made his home in Arizona, building a company and raising a family in this state before he was assassinated because of his political beliefs,” said Biggs. “Katie Hobbs had a chance to honor Charlie and she vetoed it. A simple license plate for Arizonans to show they stand with Charlie for freedom and Katie Hobbs vetoed it. We should not forget this petty and callous act.”

“Charlie Kirk’s assassination is tragic and a horrifying act of violence. In America, we resolve our political differences at the ballot box. No matter who it targets, political violence puts us all in harm’s way and damages our sacred democratic institutions,” said Hobbs. “I will continue working toward solutions that bring people together, but this bill falls short of that standard by inserting politics into a function of government that should remain nonpartisan.” 

The state does offer at least one other license plate that could be considered partisan: Arizona Life Coalition has a “Choose Life” license plate.

Hobbs has exhibited zero tolerance for advocacy for political violence in her office. Months into office, Hobbs’ press secretary at the time, Josselyn Berry-Barker, resigned after promoting the shooting of those opposed to transgenderism. 

Several months after her resignation, Berry posted on Threads that she wasn’t “sorry for sh*t,” and bragged about her immediate hiring by the progressive nonprofit, ProgressNow, which reportedly hired her on with a six-figure salary. According to her social media and LinkedIn posts, Berry no longer lives in Arizona, is no longer employed with that nonprofit, and has been out of work since early 2025. 

Sen. Jake Hoffman, the bill sponsor, issued a response calling Hobbs “hypocritical” and partisan for her veto. Hoffman said Hobbs’ reduction of Kirk’s legacy to partisanship was an inappropriate diminishment of his impact on civic education and voter turnout. 

“Even in the wake of a global civil rights leader — an Arizona resident and her own constituent — being assassinated in broad daylight for his defense of the First Amendment, Hobbs couldn’t find the human decency to put her far-left extremism aside simply to allow those who wish to honor him to do so,” said Hoffman.

Hoffman cited other cases of the memorialization of individuals that could be said to invoke partisanship, such as the freeway named after Democratic Congressman Ed Pastor. 

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