Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs continued to exercise her veto pen at record speed by tossing out two Republican-passed budgets on Wednesday, setting up a potential government shutdown.
“Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed partisan, sham budgets passed by House Republicans after the majority caucus wasted days bringing the State to the brink of a government shutdown,” a statement on her office website read.
“In her veto letters, she highlighted the shortfalls of their reckless and partisan budgets and called on the House Republicans to end the political games,” the statement added.
“The vetoes come after Governor Hobbs repeatedly made it clear she would not sign the sham budgets that shortchange public safety, childcare, and the state’s Veterans,” the statement said.
After Hobbs vetoed the 28 bills that made up the budget proposals, lawmakers now have only a few days left to pass a budget and avoid a shutdown, The Center Square reported.
She insisted the House consider a specific budget passed by the Senate that she prefers and offered no further compromise.
“For months, I worked with leaders of both parties, in both chambers, to craft a bipartisan, balanced, and fiscally responsible budget that the majority of Senate Republicans support,” she said in a statement.
“I have long made clear that both of the partisan and reckless House Republican budgets are unacceptable.”
Hobbs added, “It’s time for House Republican leadership to move past their political stunts and work productively with their colleagues before they force an unnecessary state government shutdown of their own creation.”
Her use of the terminology “political stunts” is ironic given how often she’s used her veto pen. A report by Restoration News in 2023 found that the George Soros-backed governor had “vetoed a record 140 bills” in her first six months in office.
By June of that year, her vetoes had shot up to a legislative session record of 142. Her decision to dismiss the Republican-led legislature weakened state election security, protected fentanyl abuse, bolstered critical race theory in schools, and declared war on parents.
Her veto pen also revealed her radical stances on abortion, illegal immigration, and the Second Amendment.
She broke the Arizona veto record again in 2025, sending 168 bills back to the state houses, according to KJZZ.
This is somewhat surprising given that she serves within a divided government of a historically red state. She also won her election against Kari Lake by a razor-thin margin of only 0.67 percent.
That’s not exactly a mandate. Yet President Donald Trump recently defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in Arizona by 5.5 percent. Hobbs is up for reelection in 2026 and this could come back to haunt her.
Arizona’s Republican House Speaker Steve Montenegro responded to her decision to kill the budgets, saying that the House “has done its job, twice.”
He added, “We passed a balanced budget that prioritized responsible spending and core needs. When that plan was rejected, we advanced a continuation budget to avoid disruption and allow time for further negotiations. Both were rejected.”
Despite having majorities in both the House and Senate, Republicans do not have enough lawmakers to override the vetoes from Hobbs.
The Arizona GOP must continue fighting to win statewide elections so they can either retake the governor’s mansion or expand their majority and begin enacting reforms that will turn the state around.
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