by Daniel Stefanski | Jun 8, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Amid a growing issue of homelessness around Arizona – especially in the Phoenix-Metro region – Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs rejected a Republican proposal to help address the problem.
On Monday, Governor Hobbs vetoed SB 1413, sponsored by Senator Justine Wadsack, would have required “a county, city or town, upon notice of the existence of a homeless encampment, to notify the owner to remove the structure from the location;” and would have stated “that persons who violate this prohibition are guilty of criminal trespassing or drug offenses as prescribed.”
In a letter to Senate President Warren Petersen, which explained her justification for the veto, Hobbs wrote: “People become and remain unsheltered for a variety of reasons. This legislation addresses none of those root causes, offers no pathways to assistance, and effectively criminalizes experiencing homelessness.”
Hobbs invited Petersen and his legislative colleagues to join her “in pursuing more productive solutions that respect human and constitutional rights.”
Senator Wadsack responded to the governor’s veto of her bill with a press release that denounced the action from the Ninth Floor of the Arizona Executive Tower, saying: “The City of Phoenix and the City of Tucson are two prime examples of local governments long ignoring a public safety issue that is now spiraling out of control. Murders, drug abuse, sexual assaults, human feces, fires, hypodermic needles and piles of trash are just some of the issues plaguing homeless encampments and spilling into areas where families, children and small businesses inhabit. This bill was to serve as a tool for municipalities to use in an effort to get these individuals off the streets and into services connecting them to shelter, sanitation facilities, health care and meals. Various outreach groups, like Gospel Rescue Mission, have availability right now to serve these individuals and get them back on their feet.”
The bill’s sponsor went on to warn readers about the consequences of the first-year governor’s veto, adding, “If Governor Hobbs’ goal is to turn Arizona into California, her veto of this bill will surely contribute to our state’s demise. In no time, our cities will resemble that of San Francisco, with major corporations withdrawing operations and lawlessness filling our streets. This is unacceptable governance from Hobbs and only advances chaos, not sanity, within our state.”
In March, the piece of legislation passed the state senate with a 16-12 vote (two members not voting). After being transmitted to the House of Representatives, SB 1412 cleared that chamber in May, in a 31-27 vote (with one member not voting and one seat vacant).
Progress Arizona posted its thanks to Governor Hobbs for her veto, tweeting, “Sen Justine Wadsack, an extremist lawmaker from Pima County, spends her time at the #AZLEG bullying unhoused residents, attacking LGBTQ+ people, spreading conspiracy theories & pushing hateful legislation. SB 1413, like many of her horrible proposed bills, would’ve penalized unhoused residents living in encampments with criminal trespassing.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 19, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona’s Democrat Governor may be wearing her record number of legislative vetoes as a badge of honor, but Republicans are attempting to ensure that she bears her actions as a political liability.
After Governor Katie Hobbs used her veto stamp on a bill for the 63rd time since she assumed office, Republicans pushed back against her propensity to reject many of their legislative proposals, providing Arizonans with examples of the bills vetoed by the state’s chief executive.
A release sent out by the Arizona State Senate Republican caucus noted that “Hobbs has so far chosen to alienate the remaining voters who also duly elected their Republican lawmakers to represent them on a variety of issues important to their lives and livelihoods, including:
- Inflation relief in the form of tax cuts on groceries and rent for our hardworking families.
- Requiring power companies to first prioritize affordability for Arizonans as well as grid reliability.
- Harsher punishment for domestic abusers of pregnant women.
- Greater penalties against fentanyl dealers when a child dies from an overdose.
- Declaring drug cartels as terrorist organizations.
- Parental notification of sex offenders on school campuses.
- Prohibiting racist curriculum in public schools.
- Health care requirements of providers for protections of infants born in distress.
- Ban on homeless camps outside of businesses.
- Religious protections for employees required to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Support for small, at-home businesses.”
In addressing the record number of vetoes (and those assuredly to come before the end of the legislative session), Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope issued the following statement: “Vetoing is a tool that weak leaders will use in an effort to control legislative priorities, and we’re witnessing this tactic front and center from Katie Hobbs. Instead of demonstrating diplomacy and bipartisanship, the Governor is showcasing her failure to work across the aisle.
Instead of accomplishing the priorities of our citizens and strengthening our communities, she’s done little outside of hosting press gaggles and photo ops with activists groups and Democrats alike. Republican lawmakers will continue to fight for legislation expected from the voters who elected us into office, and we’ll leave the political games, subsequent chaos and insanity to Governor Hobbs.”
The previous record holder for Arizona legislative vetoes was Democrat Governor Janet Napolitano in 2005, who jettisoned 58 bills that were sent to her desk.
The sheer number of vetoes stand in contrast to Hobbs’ December 14, 2002, tweet as Governor-Elect, where she posted a picture of incoming Republican legislative leaders Warren Petersen and Ben Toma, writing, “Had a productive discussion with Speaker-Elect Ben Toma and President-Elect Warren Petersen this morning. We are ready to find common ground and get to work on behalf of all Arizonans.”
While Hobbs’ record to date hasn’t been comprised of all vetoes, most Republican legislators have been angered by some of her final decisions on their bills and by what they have perceived as a closed door to her office. “Common ground” between the governor and Republicans in the state legislature has yet to be achieved.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 15, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Earlier this week, Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs continued her effort to break Arizona governors’ veto record, vetoing five bills sent to her from the state legislature.
The bills that Hobbs vetoed were HB 2552, HB 2675, HB 2754, SB 1236, and SB 1251.
Former Gov. Janet Napolitano set the record with 58 vetoes.
HB 2552, sponsored by Representative Austin Smith, would have prohibited “certain entities from using a voting method or nomination process that includes the ranking of candidates or allows candidates to be eliminated through multiple rounds of tabulation.” It also would have required “the person who receives the highest number of legal votes in an election to be declared elected.” Hobbs explained that “ranked choice voting is an election process that is used successfully elsewhere in the country.”
HB 2675, sponsored by Representative Steve Montenegro, would have declared “that drug cartels are terrorist organizations and required the Arizona Department of Homeland Security to do everything within its authority to address the threat that drug cartels pose.” Governor Hobbs justified her veto of this bill by saying, “Labeling drug cartels as terrorist organizations to deploy state resources is not a real solution and is not a state function.”
HB 2754, sponsored by Representative Rachel Jones, would have included “nongovernmental organizations in the definition of an enterprise for purposes of criminal liability and subjected an enterprise to criminal liability for the offense of participating in a human smuggling organization.” In announcing her veto of this proposal, Hobbs said, “This bill has unintended consequences for organizations that support immigrants.”
SB 1236, sponsored by Senator Wendy Rogers, would have declared “the regulation of the imposition of a tax or fee on a person or entity running a node on block chain technology to be a matter of statewide concern and preempted further regulation by a city, town or county.” The Governor stated that “this bill broadly defines ‘blockchain technology’ and prevents local policymaking concerning an emergent and potentially energy-intensive economic activity.”
After Hobbs’ action, Senator Rogers tweeted: “Of course Hobbs blocked my bill…anything that encourages the free markets gets torpedoed.”
SB 1251, sponsored by Senator Janae Shamp, would have prohibited “a city, town or county from enacting any ordinance, resolution or policy that prohibits or restricts a person from using a working animal in lawful commerce or for an animal enterprise.” Hobbs wrote that “SB 1251 is a solution in search of a problem. As the bill sponsor stated, no Arizona city, town, or county restricts rodeos or the use of working animals for agricultural or ranching operations. There are also no pending policy proposals to do so anywhere in Arizona.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 13, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
The threat of fentanyl is becoming too great for any political party to ignore, but Democrat Governor Katie Hobbs jettisoned a bipartisan proposal to protect Arizona children from this deadly drug.
Earlier this month, Governor Hobbs vetoed SB 1027, sponsored by Senator Anthony Kern, which would have established “knowingly manufacturing carfentanil, fentanyl or fentanyl memetic substances under any circumstance that causes physical injury to a minor who is under 15 years of age as a class 2 felony offense punishable as a dangerous crime against children and makes changes to existing sentencing provisions for certain narcotic drug offenses.”
Hobbs didn’t elaborate much in her veto letter to the Arizona Legislature, writing, “Last week I signed a bill continuing Arizona’s ‘Good Samaritan Law.’ I fear that this bill, particularly Section 2, would undermine the purpose of that law. I encourage the legislature to send me a narrower bill that focuses on the manufacture of fentanyl.”
Senator Kern, the bill sponsor, issued a press release following the governor’s action on his legislation, “expressing concern and dismay,” stating: “We have been fighting the opioid epidemic not just in Arizona, but nationwide for decades. The least we can do is try to protect our children and future generations from exposure to a deadly drug often laced into opioids. This bill had the support of many Democrats, yet Governor Hobbs continues to show her priorities are out of line.”
Kern then addressed Hobbs’ reference to the ‘Good Samaritan Law,’ saying, “In her veto letter, she claims she didn’t sign the bill out of fear it would undermine the Good Samaritan Law which protects individuals who intervene to save someone experiencing an opioid overdose. Not only is it a misleading stretch to reach this conclusion, Hobbs is more concerned with protecting fentanyl manufacturers and providers than implementing real measures that protect our children and communities from these dangerous drugs. We as legislators have done our job. We created a bill with bipartisan support to tackle a very real and serious issue. Why is Hobbs not doing hers, and instead continuing to play political games?”
In January, the bill passed through Kern’s Senate Judiciary Committee, garnering six votes against one in opposition; Democrat Senators Marsh and Epstein voted with four Republicans on the committee. The full Senate then approved of the measure, 21-8 – with one member not voting. The bill was transmitted to the Arizona House and assigned to the Judiciary Committee, where it passed along party lines, 5-3. The full House then cleared the bill by a bipartisan vote of 35-24 (with one member not voting).
Democrat Representative Analise Ortiz, who voted against the bill in the House Judiciary Committee and on the floor, cheered on the governor’s veto, tweeting, “Thank you, Gov. Hobbs for vetoing SB 1027, a bill that would’ve caused far more harm than good. The evidence shows us that broad criminalization of addiction is not effective. We must get serious about addressing the fentanyl crisis by investing in drug treatment and prevention.”
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Apr 12, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
It’s a tale as old as January 2023: Arizona’s Democrat Governor and Republican-led Legislature aren’t agreeing on much in this session; and they certainly aren’t coming together on issues of election integrity.
Governor Katie Hobbs recently vetoed SB 1074, sponsored by Senator Sonny Borrelli, which would have prohibited “the use of electronic voting equipment as the primary method for tabulating votes in any city, town, county, state or federal election unless the outlined requirements are met.” The legislation would also prescribe “requirements relating to the source codes for electronic voting equipment.”
The governor didn’t provide much information in her veto letter to Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, writing, “The election equipment required by the bill, as well as the problem it purports to solve, does not exist. This bill neither strengthens our democracy, nor ensures that Arizonans can better exercise their fundamental right to vote. I stand ready to receive bills that do.”
The bill sponsor, Borrelli, was outraged at the governor’s decision, issuing a press release to “call out Governor Hobbs for her continued blatant political games after she vetoed a bill that would have established oversight, security and transparency on electronic voting systems.”
Senator Borrelli stated: “In her veto letter, Governor Hobbs stated the election equipment required by the bill does not exist. This is in fact a lie. The equipment exists, but the components are made in the People’s Republic of China and other non-friendly countries. She’s pushing the idea that the United States of America could not onshore the manufacturing of tabulation equipment, which is absolutely absurd. There is nothing the American workforce cannot do given the right opportunities.”
He continued, saying, “Furthermore, Governor Hobbs falsely stated that this bill purports to solve a problem that does not exist. I beg to differ. Any electronic device can be manipulated to have a certain outcome. You need source codes to determine this, but they’re not being provided with the current system. You would think the former Secretary of State would know that in 2013, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated elections systems as critical infrastructure. This means these systems should be subjected to the same national security standards that the U.S. Department of Defense would apply to any critical infrastructure. Having a third-party vendor with total autonomy is not good for security, voter confidence, nor democracy. This bill would have taken the politics out of the voting process and created a neutral party that works for the Legislature. Fair and honest elections are a bi-partisan concern, albeit only when Democrats are the ones to benefit. Hobbs’ obstructive and cavalier attitude has been part of the destruction of transparency and oversight within our elections.”
SB 1074 originated in the Senate and was considered by the Elections Committee in February, where it passed by a vote of 5-3. The full Senate then approved of the measure in March, 16-13, with one member (Senator Gonzales) not voting. Borrelli’s proposal was then transmitted to the House and heard in the Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, where it received six Republican votes compared to four Democrat votes (with Representative Jacqueline Parker absent for that vote). The full House then gave the bill the green light with a 31-27 tally, with two Democrat members not voting, making it possible for the legislation to be sent to the Governor’s Office.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
