Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a large portion of the bills sent to her this session by the Republican dominated Arizona Legislature. So far this year, she vetoed 52 and signed 70 into law. The bills she signed were mostly mundane, with bipartisan support. She signed the controversial Axon bill, which carved out a zoning exception for the Taser company to build high-density apartments in Scottsdale. Representative Joseph Chaplik (R-Scottsdale) said several lawmakers told him the company promised to fund their reelection campaigns if they voted for the bill, which is a Class 4 felony for bribery if true.
Garret Lewis, host of The Afternoon Addiction on various radio stations in Arizona, posted after Hobbs signed the Axon bill, “@GovernorHobbs signed the Axon bill taking away Scottsdale residents (and sets a precedent for any other AZ city/town residents) ability to have a referendum on Axon building apartments. Katie is on record supporting voter suppression.”
Hobbs already has the record for the most vetoes of an Arizona governor. She vetoed 216 her first two years: 143 in 2023 and 73 in 2024. The previous record was held by Democrat Janet Napolitano, who vetoed 181 bills from 2003-09.
She vetoed six major election integrity bills. HB 2060 would have asserted Arizona’s authority over federal elections in the state in the same manner as it has authority over state and local elections, allowing the state to require documented proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. SB 1123 would have required ballots to have three of 10 security measures, including watermarked paper, holographic foils, or advanced printing technology. HB 2007 would have banned payments for collecting new voter registrations.
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