Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) announced Wednesday that she had made decisions regarding another batch of bills sent to her desk by the legislature.
Of these nine bills, Hobbs vetoed six, including bills on natural resource conservation, modified firearms, and the voting equipment used in state elections.
Regarding the election equipment, HB 2613, sponsored by State Representative Steve Montenegro (R-Goodyear), would have required all vote recording and tabulation machines used in Arizona elections to be 100 percent manufactured in the U.S. and have all parts sourced in the country. Starting in 2028, the Arizona Secretary of State would be prohibited from certifying any election results from a machine that did not comply with the law.
However, Hobbs wrote that this bill would ultimately have a “catastrophic” effect on Arizona by making it near impossible for the state to carry out elections.
Montenegro responded to the veto, calling it a loss for American manufacturing and election security.
“Katie Hobbs’ veto of my bill HB2613, ‘Made in America voting machines’, places election security in the hands of Beijing rather than Buckeye. Her veto is a NO to American workers. A NO to American manufacturing. A NO to greater transparency in our elections systems. And a needlessly partisan act when Arizonans of ALL parties are concerned about the security of their votes.” Montenegro said.
Katie Hobbs' veto of my bill HB2613, "Made in America voting machines", places election security in the hands of Beijing rather than Buckeye. Her veto is a NO to American workers.A NO to American manufacturing.A NO to greater transparency in our elections systems. @AZHouseGOP 1/2 pic.twitter.com/WrPh7WBAqa
— Steve Montenegro (@SteveMontenegro) May 18, 2023
Even outside the house, State Senator Anthony Kern (R-Glendale) expressed dissatisfaction with this veto.
“Veto Queen Hobbs strikes Arizona again. Hobbs vetoed HB2613 ( shock). In doing so, she turned her back on American manufacturing and election integrity,” Kern said.
As for firearms, State Representative Lupe Diaz (R-Benson) sponsored HB 2544. Under Arizona law, if a gun or accessory is manufactured entirely within the state and remains within state borders, it is not subject to any federal regulations relating to interstate commerce. Diaz’s bill would have expanded this law to include any personal firearms or accessories modified in Arizona and would stay within the state. However, that firearm would need to have “modified in Arizona” prominently displayed on it.
Moreover, State Representative Rachel Jones’s (R-Tucson) HB 2667 would have restricted a public university board’s ability to prohibit someone from having a concealed carry weapon on campus. Although, that person must have a valid license to do so.
However, Hobbs did not approve of either bill. Regarding HB 2544, Hobbs said the bill would restrict the federal government and regulations that “promote public safety,” which could lead to “ambiguity and confusion” between state and national law. As for Jones’s bill, Hobbs said allowing guns onto college campuses could lead to “greater anxiety among students, staff, and faculty.”
Another bill from Jones that Hobbs chopped was HB 2312, relating to men working in women’s shelters. Specifically, if one of these shelters does not allow male employees to be in the presence of women or minor children, that facility is not liable for gender discrimination.
Lastly, Hobbs vetoed HB 2444, sponsored by Representative Gail Griffin (R-Hereford), which would have established a Natural Resource Conservation District Commission (NRCDC). In Arizona, farmers and ranchers can establish a Natural Resource Conservation District (NRCD) to restore or protect land, water, and wildlife or improve soil conditions. The NRCDC would have provided grants to these NRCDs to help carry out their projects with help from the State Natural Resource Conservation Commissioner.
However, Hobbs said that while she believes NRCDs benefit the state, she argued that creating this new commission would burden the Arizona State Land Department financially but provided no funding to compensate the department.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Katie Hobbs” by Katie Hobbs.
