Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs continues her record number of vetoes, vetoing SB 1109, which would have prohibited China from buying up land next to military bases and other strategic assets. Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp (R-Surprise), the bill stated that China “may not purchase, own, acquire by grant or devise or have a substantial interest in real property in this state.”
In a letter to the Arizona Legislature, Hobbs claimed the bill was “ineffective at counter-espionage” and did not directly protect military assets. “Additionally, it lacks clear implementation criteria and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement,” she said.
State Representative Alex Kolodin (R-Scottsdale), an attorney who added an amendment to the bill, told KJZZ that he disagreed with Hobbs’ reason for the veto. “How does it lack clear implementation?” he asked. “If the People’s Republic of China owns property in Arizona, they can’t,” he said. “The PRC can’t buy land in Arizona. They can’t own land in Arizona. If the PRC is on the title to the land then it violates the law. And if the PRC isn’t on the title to the land, then it doesn’t violate the law. It couldn’t be clearer.”
Shamp, who said the bill was proposed in response to an attempt by China to lease property near Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, responded to the veto on X, “Governor Katie Hobbs continues to violate her oath of office by endangering the lives and livelihoods of all Arizonans. Luke Air Force Base recently faced this very real danger. It is utterly insane that Arizona’s top elected official would rather be an obstructionist!!!”
Shamp said in another post on X, “How many instances do we need before the woke figure out that the CCP is an enemy of the United States?!” She added in another post, “Protecting our national security is non-negotiable, and this decision undermines that. We must stand firm.”
Arizona Senate Republicans issued a press release after the veto, explaining why the bill was so important. “In recent years, China has acquired large tracts of land and other property near essential installations, including military bases, critical infrastructure, and sensitive corporate areas, with a goal of conducting surveillance and collecting data on important U.S. assets, as well as to monitor the leaders and workers who manage those assets,” the senators said. “By having access to this land, China can also position autonomous arsenal, such as drone swarms, and would have the ability to launch an attack on military bases or other sensitive areas considered critical to national security in the event of a conflict.”
Shamp said in the press release, “Hobbs is a total disgrace. I pray Arizonans are paying attention to her self-serving, hyper-partisan track record because the future of our state is in jeopardy so long as she continues on this trajectory.”
The Senate Republicans noted that Hobbs vetoed other “significant public safety legislation” this year. One bill, “SB 1027, the Secure Telecommunications Act of 2025, would have banned any critical telecommunications infrastructure within the State of Arizona from using equipment manufactured by a foreign adversary. SB 1066 would have prohibited land in Arizona from being conveyed to a hostile foreign entity.”
The Kari Lake War Room account on X piled on. “Communist China already thinks America is for sale. It seems like Crooked @katiehobbs is open to hearing offers.” The account quoted Lake, “Take every square inch of U.S. farmland back from China. Do not leave them with a single blade of grass.”
Communist China already thinks America is for sale.
It seems like Crooked @katiehobbs is open to hearing offers.
Meanwhile, here’s what @KariLake said on the subject: https://t.co/WR0LPMVDaH pic.twitter.com/BdDQJqWXfC
— Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) June 4, 2025
While the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), part of the U.S. Treasury Department, can block such purchases, Shamp said her bill was necessary to close any loopholes.
Senate President Warren Petersen (R-Mesa) posted on X that he would be putting the veto up for an override later this month, and State Representative John Gillette (R-Kingman) posted that he would introduce a similar motion in the State House.
According to the Committee of 100, which covers China, 27 states are currently considering 84 bills aimed at restricting foreign property ownership. So far, 22 states have already passed such laws.
Hobbs has vetoed 138 bills so far this year, almost as many as her record number of 143 in 2023. In just her second year, the media-dubbed “Veto Queen” surpassed the record number of vetoes for an Arizona governor. Governor Janet Napolitano vetoed 181 bills over her 6-year tenure.
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Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter / X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Gov Katie Hobbs” by Gov Katie Hobbs.
