More bills signed by governor, fewer vetoes

Nearly 250 bills received a signature from the governor this legislative session, while others bypassed her desk entirely as Republicansattempted to avoid her veto stamp.

Last year Gov. Katie Hobbs was given the nickname “veto queen” for her record-breaking 143 rejections. This session, Hobbs only wielded the stamp half as many times, vetoing 73 bills.

This can partly be attributed to Republicans using ballot referrals to send controversial bills to the voters instead of Hobbs. Republicans sent seven referrals to the ballot this session, covering issues like illegal immigration, child sex trafficking and wages for tipped workers.

House Speaker Rep. Ben Toma, R-Peoria, said the decreased number of vetoes can also be attributed to Republicans learning from last session.

“I think the reason there were less vetoes really had to do more with the fact that Republicans in general didn't feel like throwing up bills that were just gonna get vetoed,” Toma said.

He said Republicans began to adjust to “the new normal” under Hobbs and stopped trying to push issues that wouldn’t make it past her desk.

Hobbs told the Arizona Capitol Times that the lower number of vetoes can also be attributed to learning done by her office. She said she has an entirely new legislative team this year that communicated early in the session with lawmakers to make bills “workable”

“I’ve heard feedback across the board from members of both parties that they’ve just really appreciated that ability to work with our legislative team,” Hobbs said.

So, it seems there’s a new veto queen in town. With 12 bills vetoed, Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, had the most bills rejected by Hobbs. Last year, that achievement went to Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills.

All of the 73 bills vetoed by Hobbs came from Republicans.

But, some Republicans were successful at enacting laws with Hobbs’ support. Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, had 21 bills signed by the governor the most of any lawmaker this session.

Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, and Sen. David Gowan, R-Sierra Vista, tied for second most bills signed with 12 each.

Cook said he found it easier to pass bills when focusing on broad, “common ground” topics that impacted all Arizonans, like his famous “Taylor Swift Act.”

“By focusing on a lot of that, that’s where I found my success rate, not to be off on an island somewhere,” Cook said.

He said oftentimes hurdles to passing bills don’t come from the Democratic governor, but from his fellow Republicans who control what bills move through the Legislature.

“I drive on the right side of the road,” Cook said. “The problem is, I don't drive in the ditch clipping the telephone poles and the fence line.”

Getting a bill out of the Legislature can be even more difficult than getting a signature. Only 17% of the bills introduced this year made it to Hobbs’ desk, compared to 20% last year.

A majority of the bills signed by Hobbs came from Republicans, with only 12 coming from Democrats. But that’s an increase from last year when Democrats were only able to get eight bills to the governor.

Sen. Catherine Miranda, D-Laveen, led the Democratic caucus in bills passed, with three of hers getting a signature from Hobbs. Only seven Democrats managed to get bills out of the Legislature and onto the governor’s desk.

Forty-eight of the 90 lawmakers in the Legislature had at least one bill signed this session.

Excluding budget legislation, a total of 243 bills were signed by Hobbs this session, up from 205 last year. Lawmakers also put forward more legislation this session, sponsoring 1,814 bills compared to 1,675 in 2023.

Arizonans can expect those 243 bills to become law in September, closing the chapter on this year’s legislative session.

“Every session has its own personality and character and this one was no different,” Hobbs said.

 

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