By Matthew Holloway |
Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed 88 bills in a single day last week, rejecting Republican-backed legislation dealing with gender-transition procedures for minors, immigration enforcement, election administration, medical mandates, civics instruction, religious instruction, photo radar penalties, parents’ rights, and local business regulations.
The Governor’s Office listed 72 bills signed and 88 bills vetoed in a June 19 legislative action update.
The vetoes were wide-ranging, from mundane measures to controversial ones: from refusing to lower Arizona’s learner’s permit age to 15 to refusing to prohibit the application of Sharia law in Arizona courts to prohibiting illegal immigrants from accessing banking services.
Among the highest-profile vetoes were the three measures dealing with gender-transition procedures. Hobbs vetoed SB 1015, dealing with provider liability for gender-transition procedures; SB 1094, dealing with civil liability for gender-reassignment surgery; and SB 1095, dealing with gender-transition procedures for minors.
In her veto letter, Hobbs wrote, “It is already unlawful to perform gender transition surgery on minors in Arizona; therefore, this legislation is unnecessary.”
Potentially one of the most politically significant vetoes was SB 1186, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope (R-LD16), which would have required companies holding or seeking state contracts and certain state grants to disclose anything of value provided during the previous five years to the Governor, campaign-related entities, inaugural funds, joint fundraising committees, and organizations supporting the Governor or opposing the Governor’s political opponents.
Senate Republicans said the veto came as Hobbs remains under investigation over allegations involving donations connected to Sunshine Residential Homes and a subsequent rate increase approved by the Department of Child Safety. Hobbs dismissed the legislation as a “political stunt.”
Hobbs also vetoed SB 1055, sponsored by Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-LD7), which would have required U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection to be immediately notified when an unlawfully present alien is arrested by a state or local law enforcement agency for a violation of state or local law.
In her veto letter, Hobbs said existing law already allows law enforcement officers to contact immigration enforcement when they have reasonable suspicion regarding a person’s immigration status. She said the bill could strain resources, increase workload, and divert law enforcement attention from public safety duties.
Another immigration-related measure, SB 1520, would have dealt with immigration data sharing by state agencies. Hobbs wrote in her veto letter that the bill was “unconstitutional” and risked violating federal and state privacy laws.
Rogers responded in a statement from the Arizona Senate GOP Caucus, saying:
“Governor Hobbs continues to show just how disconnected she is from the reality many Arizona families face every day. These bills were not extreme. They were practical steps to help enforce existing laws, improve cooperation with federal authorities, ensure taxpayer-funded benefits go to those legally entitled to receive them, and prevent Arizona from becoming a magnet for illegal immigration. Arizonans have already spoken.”
The veto list also included several election-related measures. Hobbs vetoed SB 1057, which dealt with fraud countermeasures for paper ballots. In her veto letter, Hobbs said she remained confident in Arizona election officials’ ability to administer free and fair elections “without added expense and complexity.”
Hobbs also rejected SB 1429, sponsored by Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R-LD13), which would have required ballot measure petition circulators to disclose whether they were paid circulators, volunteers, or out-of-state residents. In her veto letter, Hobbs wrote that the bill “would further narrow the pathway for citizens’ initiatives and referenda at the local level.”
Additional election-related vetoes listed by the Governor’s Office included SB 1037, dealing with voting equipment, internet access, and custody; SB 1038, dealing with cast vote records as public records; SB 1040, dealing with voter registration rolls and internet access; and SB 1060, dealing with voter registration and temporary absence.
Hobbs vetoed two measures dealing with vaccines, masks, and medical interventions. HB 2086 dealt with vaccination mandates and masks, while HB 2248, titled the “Arizona Medical Freedom Act,” would have barred businesses, schools, and state or local government entities from requiring certain medical interventions as a condition of services, entry, employment, government benefits, or transportation, with exceptions.
In her veto letter, Hobbs wrote, “Vaccines save lives,” and said Arizona law already provides robust exemptions to immunization requirements. She added that diseases once eliminated are “making a comeback in Arizona’s playgrounds and classrooms because of dangerous misinformation.”
Education-related vetoes included SB 1572, sponsored by Sen. Mark Finchem (R-LD1), which dealt with public school civics instruction requirements. Hobbs wrote in her veto letter that she was confident the curriculum outlined in the bill was already adequately covered during the school year, including through the Sandra Day O’Connor Civics Celebration Day and the Arizona Civics Test. “Changes to civics education should go through experts, not the legislature,” Hobbs wrote.
Hobbs also vetoed SB 1741, which dealt with released-time courses for public school students. The measure would have expanded access to off-campus religious instruction during the school day if a student’s parent provided written consent and the course provider met statutory requirements. In her veto letter, Hobbs wrote that Arizona has “a robust school choice system,” and said public school instructional time should be used for standards-aligned instruction.
Hobbs vetoed SB 1624, sponsored by Sen. David Gowan (R-LD19), which would have capped civil penalties for photo radar speeding violations at $75. The measure also would have barred the Motor Vehicle Division from reporting certain speed-camera violations to insurers and prevented those citations from being used as points for license suspension. Hobbs wrote in her veto letter that the bill undermined cities’ ability to make their own decisions about law enforcement policies.
Another vetoed bill, HB 2460, sponsored by Rep. Nick Kupper (R-LD25), would have barred municipalities and counties from imposing penalties on businesses for stolen or abandoned movable property, including shopping carts and hand-held baskets. In her veto letter, Hobbs wrote that the bill “delves into a truly local issue that is best resolved between businesses and their local elected leaders.”
The Governor’s Office also listed vetoes of HB 2249, a parents’ bill of rights remedy, and HB 2830, a bill on fetal and prenatal development instruction. Hobbs said in her HB 2249 veto letter that parents already have the right to direct their children’s education and upbringing, and that the bill would threaten schools and educators with “exorbitant financial penalties.” In her HB 2830 veto letter, Hobbs wrote that instructional requirements should be left to experts rather than “politicians trying to force mandates on our teachers.”
The 88-bill veto sweep drew criticism from Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Andy Biggs. In a post to X, Biggs wrote, “The Katie Hobbs record: 541 vetoes, 45th in Affordability, 0 victories for Arizonans. We cannot afford four more years of the Veto Queen!”
The Biggs War Room account wrote, “Katie Hobbs just vetoed 88 bills in one day, bringing her near 150 vetoes this session.”
“This is not leadership,” the War Room added. “This is the Hobbs agenda in black and white. Arizona does not need another four years of common-sense reform dying under a veto pen. It needs a Governor’s Office that will sign real reform, protect families, defend taxpayers, and put Arizona voters first.”
The Governor’s Office also announced 72 signed bills on June 19, including measures dealing with candidate financial disclosures, worker death benefits, law enforcement reinstatement costs, health care licensing, missing and kidnapped children reporting requirements, assisted living facilities, and Department of Child Safety procedures.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
