Arizona Gov. Vetoes More Than 30 Bills Including Some Related to Immigration, Gender Identity

Democrat Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs blocked the slate on a GOP-led bill, stimulating backlash from GOP lawmakers.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs rejected more than 30 Republican-sponsored bills on May 12, rejecting proposals for immigration enforcement, voting procedures and school policy laws related to gender identity.

The veto, part of the day’s drastic action, attracted insightful criticism from Republican state lawmakers who accused the Democrat governor of undermining public safety, custody and transparency.

Among the bills rejected was Senate Bill 1002. This would have required public school employees to use pronouns that match the student’s biological sex unless written parental consent was given. The bill would also have allowed educators to refuse to use alternative pronouns if they contradict religious or moral beliefs.

Hobbs said the bill would not increase “opportunity, security, or freedom” in Arizonan. But Republican Sen. John Cabana, who sponsored the bill, accused Hobbs of overseeing “Awakened Ideology” over parents’ rights.

“Parents need to decide which one is best for their children, not their school employees,” Kabana said. “When children are experiencing psychological confusion, parents deserve to know. Despite the harm done, there are public schools that continue to promote the use of gender pronouns, hide psychiatric issues from parents and enforce progressive political agendas about Arizona’s vulnerable youth population.”

He also criticized Hobbs for rejecting Senate Bill 1003.

“A 13-year-old woman should not be forced to stand next to a naked trans woman who is actually an 18-year-old biological man,” Kabana said.

Another denial measure, Senate Bill 1088, would have required state and local governments to cooperate fully with federal immigration enforcement agencies. The governor defended her decision by highlighting her own border security efforts, including Task Force Safe and Operation Desert Guardian, saying state officials should not be bound by federal orders.

State Sen. Jake Hoffman, sponsor of the bill and chairman of the Arizona Senate Government Committee, called the veto “irrational.”

“While there is no logical justification for Hobbs’ veto on this reasonable bill that will help to align local and federal officials with critical law enforcement obligations, she continues to be committed to the radical ideology of open boundaries and cartel reconciliation,” Hoffman said. “Arizonan will ultimately bear the brunt of Katie Hobbs’ left-wing partisan attitude.”

Hobbs also rejected Senate Bill 1268. This required hospitals to inquire about the immigration status of patients and submit reports on medical costs for illegal immigrants. The governor said immigration enforcement should not fall into a health care provider.

Sen. Wendy Rogers, chairman of the Arizona Senate Judiciary and Election Committee and sponsor of the bill, said veto is blocking transparency that requires it.

“Our hardworking, law-abiding citizens have the right to know how much they pay to pay for the health services of those who knowingly choose to break our laws by entering our country illegally,” Rogers said. “The state’s Medicaid program is intended to help vulnerable Americans, such as the elderly, the disabled community and poor children, receive the medical care they need when they need it.”

Laws targeting additional veto powers, including election procedures.

Senate Bill 1064 required voter counters to be released from internet access and mandated a detailed chain of documents for election equipment. Hobbs argued that such technical requirements should be part of a regularly updated manual of election procedures.

The governor also rejected Senate Bill 1052 and proposed a change to the voter registration rules that critics said could prevent military children born abroad from registering for the vote. Hobbes said he would not sign a law that “reduces the right of eligible citizens to register for the ballot.”

In another rejection message, Hobbs described Senate Bill 1098, a bill that requires identification when submitting an early vote on behalf of another person, as “harmful, effective, meaningless and undesirable.”

Hobbs also rejected Senate Bill 1586. This would have placed long-term responsibility on healthcare providers who provided transgender care to minors. The governor said existing fraud laws are already dealing with patient claims.

A state Senate Republican criticized Hobbs for blocking what they described as a law intended to expand civil liability for children in Arizona.

Republican-controlled Congress, but insufficient numbers (as it requires four-thirds) to override the veto, this session is unlikely to be revived. Hobbes has repeatedly said he opposes laws that he considers ideologically driven or harmful to Arizonans, but critics say the wider use of veto power undermines the will of elected lawmakers.