Hobbs breaks Arizona veto record with vetoes on school safety, religious vaccine exemptions

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(The Center Square) – Gov. Katie Hobbs set a record for most vetos by an Arizona governor in a year on Tuesday with 11 vetoes in one day.

The Democrat has shot down 63 bills in total from the Republican majority Legislature, which has led lawmakers to dub her as overtly partisan. She bested former Democrat Gov. Janet Napolitano’s record of 58 bills in 2005, according to The Arizona Republic.

“Vetoing is a tool that weak leaders will use in an effort to control legislative priorities, and we’re witnessing this tactic front and center from Katie Hobbs,” Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope said in a statement Tuesday.

“Instead of demonstrating diplomacy and bipartisanship, the Governor is showcasing her failure to work across the aisle. Instead of accomplishing the priorities of our citizens and strengthening our communities, she’s done little outside of hosting press gaggles and photo ops with activist groups and Democrats alike. Republican lawmakers will continue to fight for legislation expected from the voters who elected us into office, and we’ll leave the political games, subsequent chaos and insanity to Governor Hobbs,” Shope continued.

The vetoes have been on a wide range of issues, such as scrapping municipal food and rent taxes, school safety measures related to firearms, and religious vaccine exemptions.

Despite the criticism, Hobbs has maintained that she is acting as a blockade against the Republican agenda.

“I promised to deliver sanity, not chaos in the governor’s office and I am delivering. I will gladly work with anybody who will be a partner in addressing the real problems Arizonans face, but I refuse to play political games with our state government,” Hobbs tweeted Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m proud of the bipartisan accomplishments we have achieved and encourage leaders in our legislature to continue to come together and pass real solutions that will grow jobs, build roads and bridges, invest in education, and deal with our water crisis,” she added.

The true test of her collaboration with Republicans will be on the budget proposal, with a deadline of July 1.