Veto is Katie Hobbs' No-Signature Move

Imagine driving the speed limit on Interstate 10 through Phoenix—traffic is easy, nothing is in your way, you're going to arrive on time! But as you approach the Mini Stack Interchange near the Black Canyon Freeway, all the cars abruptly stop. It's a sea of red brake lights ahead. You should have hit the bathroom before you left because there is no telling how long traffic will be at a standstill.

This is what it feels like with Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) leading Arizona. Gridlock is Hobbs' hallmark. The Republican-led Arizona Legislature smoothly passes bills in the House and Senate, then Hobbs halts them with vetoes like a maddening traffic jam.

When it comes to stopping progress, Hobbs has been breaking records, serving the most vetoes of any governor in Arizona history. In 2023, her first year as governor, Hobbs vetoed a record 143 bills. In 2024, Hobbs vetoed 73 bills. Like anything, we get better with practice—Hobbs is perfecting gridlock. She vetoed 174 bills in 2025, and at least 45 so far in 2026, for a running career total of 435 vetoes.

Hobbs has destroyed the previous veto record belonging to former Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) with 181 bills vetoed over six years, so it is not exaggerating to say Hobbs has gone hog wild, abusing her veto power.

Now Hobbs has called for a "bill moratorium," saying she will veto everything Republicans put on her desk until she gets her way with budget negotiations.

Written Explanation 

The Arizona governor must send vetoed bills back to the legislature with a written objection, according to state law. The veto forces both chambers to reconsider it and hold another vote. The bill must pass a two-thirds roll-call in the House and the Senate in this second round to earn approval without the governor's signature.

The required written objections should offer insight into why the bill itself was rejected. But Hobbs is now killing bills over politics without considering the bill's content. Her written explanations offer no thoughtful analysis or compromise—just a boiler plate answer to all bills under the moratorium.

Hobbs vetoed HB2033 , for example, relating to statewide assessments of student mastery of reading and math. Her reason for the veto?

"Until the legislative majority shows us their plans for a balanced budget that works for middle class Arizonans, their bills will be dead on arrival," Hobbs wrote.

Even before the moratorium, her explanations have been short and politically motivated.

She killed HB2600, a law requiring schools to get written permission from parents before allowing their children to join a school club—a move that would encourage kids to communicate with parents and keep families informed about how their child is spending their time. Hobbs vetoed, saying the law creates barriers to participation.

Hobbs is not afraid to admit her vetoes are politically motivated—she believes she is protecting the public from the Legislature the public voted in to represent them.

"I also am not going to stand by while extremists in the Legislature try to attack people's ability to cast their ballot or attack their reproductive freedom or make them unsafe and those are the things that I've vetoed and I'll continue to," Hobbs told PBS KJZZ  last year.

When conflict arises, mentally healthy adults discuss differences and negotiate solutions. Hobbs won't negotiate or seek middle ground for the good of the state. She only stamps her foot and says, "No!" until she gets her way. This is not leadership—it is how toddlers resolve problems.

Vetoed Common Sense 

Hobbs has not let human decency or common sense get in the way of her far-left agenda. Here is a small sample of bills she has vetoed. 

SB1600 required health care workers to give life-saving care to babies born alive after an attempted abortion. "I promised to veto any bill that interferes with reproductive rights of Arizonans. As Governor, I intend to make good on that promise," Hobbs ghoulishly reasoned in her veto letter.  

SB1146 would have blocked taxpayer funds going to companies supporting abortion or sexually explicit material for minors. Hobbs' veto letter shows her disdain for children, "The state treasurer's responsibility is to protect the best interest of taxpayer dollars and the states strategic investments."

HB2427 would have increased penalties for domestic violence assaults against pregnant women to aggravated assault. But Hobbs avoids protecting unborn children in all circumstances. "As a social worker who spent years serving in Arizona's largest domestic violence shelter, I've seen first-hand the needs of victims seeking safety and stability," Hobbs wrote. "I encourage the legislature to focus on those needs including increased funding for services and economic support for victims."

HB 5868 would have banned DEI by refusing funds to state and local government agencies and universities with DEI departments and policies. Hobbs said the bill would harm Arizona's "workforce and economy."

SB1586 would have held doctors personally liable for the cost of detransitioning procedures for minors who tried to medically change their sex, regretted it, and wished to live the sex they were born.

Hobbs' veto letter never mentions how the bill could have financially crushed her husband Patrick Goodman, who was a counselor at Phoenix Children's Hospital's so-called Gender Support Program. This veto, and all of Hobbs' transgender advocacy is a conflict of interest. Surely her husband gains in the workplace when they notice how she protects them.

HB2438 is a similarly self-serving veto. This bill would have stopped people from lying and rewriting history. It bans changing the sex on an original birth certificate after "sex-change" surgery.

"This bill will not lower costs, will not increase opportunity, and will not enhance security or freedom for Arizonans," Hobbs explained while saying nothing of substance. She offered the same reason for HB2062, a bill that simply would have codified into state law that there are only two biological sexes, male and female.

SB1030, a bill aimed at drag shows for kids, would have required counties to regulate businesses hosting sexually explicit performances.

SB1026 prohibited the use of public funds or state facilities for drag shows targeting minors.

SB1698 would have made it a felony to bring a child into an adult-oriented business.

SB1028 would bar sexually explicit performances on public property where it could be viewed by a minor. Hobbs killed all four of these with one veto letter, calling the legislation intolerant attempts to "criminalize free expression and ostracize the LGBTQIA+ community."

HB2759 would have allowed victims of human trafficking to sue those that profit from the operation. Social worker Hobbs vetoed, saying sometimes victims are charged in trafficking crimes so the bill could further harm trafficking victims.

SB1277 would have criminalized drone photography where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy Hobbs vetoed, saying the rule would restrict "the important work of broadcasters, newspapers, telecommunication providers and insurance providers in Arizona."

SB1073 would have made it a felony for protestors to block roadways for more than 15 minutes after being ordered to leave. Hobbs vetoed, saying the bill, which did not ban protesting, infringes on constitutional rights. 

Arizona Deserves an Actual Leader

Katie Hobbs has staked her entire reputation on blocking common sense legislation and catering only to her radical far-left base, revealing her passive aggressive nature in the process. Is that really what Arizonans voted for?

MORE COVERAGE FROM RESTORATION NEWS

  Election Opacity: Arizona AG Kris Mayes Issues Felony Threats to County Recorders Over DOJ Election Probe

  Queen of the Vetoes: ARIZONA: Election Integrity Amendment Proposal Bypasses Katie Hobbs' Veto Legacy

  What Is Arizona Hiding? State Rep: $350 Million Disappeared from Arizona’s Budget under Gov. Katie Hobbs’ Watch

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