Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Nears Record for Annual Vetoes
Governor Katie Hobbs is on the brink of setting a new record for the most bills vetoed in a single year in Arizona. Despite this, the Democratic governor argues that her vetoes are not due to an inability to collaborate with Republican legislators.
Hobbs attributes the high number of vetoes partly to the content of the bills approved by the Republican-led legislature. She stated to Capitol Media Services, “I have made it clear that I’m not going to sign legislation that is solutions in search of a problem, that takes away people’s freedom.”
As lawmakers prepare to return from their break, it is expected that more GOP-driven legislation will be approved, potentially facing Hobbs’ veto pen. Current legislative priorities include changes to election laws, tax rate reductions, and modifications to groundwater regulations—topics likely to be at odds with the governor’s agenda.
Since January, Hobbs has vetoed 138 bills. This figure is rapidly approaching her previous record for a single session during her first year in office in 2003.
House Republicans have criticized Hobbs’ approach. Andrew Wilder, spokesman for House Speaker Steve Montenegro and the GOP caucus, commented, “Gov. Hobbs has made vetoing good policy her full-time job, rejecting bipartisan solutions supported by the elected representatives of the people of Arizona.” Wilder further accused Hobbs of focusing on the extreme fringe of her party.
Not all vetoes have been strictly partisan. Hobbs has rejected some bills that received support from Democrats. One such bill concerned parental access to a minor’s medical records, which Hobbs argued would create “legal ambiguity” for healthcare providers.
Another bipartisan proposal aimed to facilitate the development of “small modular nuclear reactors” in Arizona, which was also vetoed by Hobbs. However, the majority of vetoed legislation has come from Republican initiatives, ranging from significant policy issues to less consequential matters.
For instance, Hobbs vetoed a bill imposing mandatory work and training requirements for food stamp recipients, advocating instead for support of existing voluntary programs. She also rejected a measure requiring the state’s Medicaid program to link to adoption information, viewing it as an attempt to undermine reproductive rights.
Republicans have also proposed making school board elections partisan, a measure only supported by GOP members. Hobbs expressed confusion over Republican surprise at her vetoes, especially for recurring proposals. She pointed out, “Some of these vetoes are bills that have been sent to me multiple times, even in one session. It’s ridiculous, quite frankly.”
Among repeatedly vetoed bills was a proposal allowing permit holders to carry concealed weapons on college campuses, and another restricting the use of names and pronouns in schools according to gender assigned at birth.
Some bills seem to serve political purposes rather than practical ones, such as the proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” which Hobbs dismissed as a distraction from more urgent legislative priorities.
Hobbs has called on the legislature to focus on issues like cost reduction, housing, water security, and border safety. Republicans have advanced measures, like one by Senate President Warren Petersen, to ensure cooperation between state and federal immigration enforcement. Although voters recently approved a related measure via Proposition 314, Hobbs vetoed Petersen’s bill, citing ongoing federal cooperation efforts on border security.
Petersen criticized the veto, accusing Hobbs of ignoring Arizona’s border challenges. Nevertheless, Petersen, who is running for attorney general in 2026, refrained from commenting on Hobbs’ overall veto strategy.
Despite the high number of vetoes, Hobbs expressed willingness to work with the Republican majority, emphasizing her initial commitment to advancing opportunity, freedom, and security for Arizonans.
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