On Thursday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed eight bills that were approved by members of the Arizona Legislature.
The bills, according to a brief statement from her office, addressed issues ranging from voting fraud and abortion policies to gun law regulations.
This brings the number of bills vetoed by Hobbs during her three months as Arizona governor to 37—one of the state’s highest veto counts by any governor.
The new Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs (R) pauses while taking the oath of office as she laughs with her mother (C) Linda Hobbs, as U.S. Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Roopali Desai (L) administers the oath at the state Capitol in Phoenix, on Jan. 2, 2023. Ross D. Franklin, Pool/AP Photo
One vetoed measure was Senate Bill 1428 (pdf), which would prohibit local governments from banning gun shows or “[enacting] or [enforcing] any ordinance, rule or policy that primarily affects gun shows.”
“This bill needlessly restricts the authority of cities and towns to make decisions about how to keep their communities safe,” Hobbs wrote in her veto letter (pdf). She advised that the legislators and local governments work together to provide safety for Arizona communities.
Arizona’s constitution states that a two-thirds vote is needed to overturn a veto.
The Arizona Republicans will unlikely have the votes to override Hobbs’s vetoes.
Arizona’s legislation comprises 60 members in the State House and 30 in the state Senate.
Republicans hold a majority in both the state House and Senate, but they do not have enough votes to overturn a veto and will need the support of Democrats to overturn the vetoes.
Abortion Protections
Regarding abortion SB1600 (pdf), the governor is firm on protecting infants born alive during an abortion and must be provided the proper medical treatment.
“This bill is uniformly opposed by the medical community and interferes with the relationship between a patient and doctor,” Hobbs wrote in her veto letter (pdf). She reiterated her promise as governor to protect the reproductive rights of Arizona women.
Hobbs also vetoed HB2427, which would’ve protected pregnant women attacked during pregnancy.
Democratic Sen. Anna Hernandez, a critic of the bill, applauded Hobbs’s move.
“This veto was crucial for protecting Arizonans from an underhanded attack on reproductive justice,” Hernandez said in a statement.“Representative Gress and the Joint Republicans Caucus’ continued assault on our rights to safe and accessible abortion indicates that their ‘pro-life’ stance has always been about control, not care. Our state deserves legitimate solutions that will uplift those experiencing domestic violence—but trying to disguise an attempt to codify fetal personhood as support is disgusting.”
Election Standards Remain the Same
A current verification process is already in place, and HB2322 (pdf) signature verification on early ballot envelopes isn’t necessary.
“The standards in the bill are already several years old and are more appropriately included as part of the Election Procedures Manual,” Hobbs wrote in her veto letter.
Republican state Rep. Cory McGarr called out Hobbs for going against her own recommendations.
“Example #1,000 Hobbs is a hyper-partisan who never meant it when she said she wanted to work with both sides … She vetoed her own recommendation for signature verification because a Republican proposed it,” McGarr said in a tweet.
State Rep. Alexander Kolodin, a sponsor of bill HB2322, also criticized Hobbs over her veto decisions.
“When Governor Katie Hobbs took office, she said that she’d ‘find common ground’ and work across party lines,” Kolodin said in a statement (pdf).
“Right now Arizona has no laws setting ANY signature verification rules for early ballots which help ensure only lawful early voters vote,’’ he said. Kolodin said Hobbs promised in her State of the State speech to “find common ground’’ and work across party lines.
“What ground could be more common (than) making her own rules the law?’’ he asked.
Elizabeth Dowell
Author
Elizabeth is a SoCal based reporter covering issues in Los Angeles and throughout the state for The Epoch Times. She is passionate about creating truthful and accurate stories for readers to connect with. When she’s not reporting, she enjoys writing poetry, playing basketball, embarking on new adventures and spending quality time with her family and friends.
