(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . `Sanity vs. chaos': AZ's Gov. Katie Hobbs is on record-setting pace to veto GOP-backed bills [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.', 'Backgroundurl Avatar_Large', 'Nickname', 'Joined', 'Created_At', 'Story Count', 'N_Stories', 'Comment Count', 'N_Comments', 'Popular Tags'] Date: 2023-04-16 We’ve been deluged with stories about GOP governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis signing legislation that strips away people’s rights. So let’s give a shoutout to Arizona’s newly elected Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs who has already vetoed at least 48 bills passed by the Republican-majority state legislature. Fortunately the GOP lacks the votes to override Hobbs’ vetoes. The GOP only holds a 31-29 majority in the state House and a 16-14 majority in the Senate. At a Wednesday news conference marking her first 100 days in office, Hobbs declared: “You probably heard me say more than once on the campaign trail that this election isn’t about Democrats versus Republicans. It was about sanity versus chaos. You’re going to continue to hear me say it because I’ve carried that sentiment with me to the governor’s office every single day.” Team Chaos is led by Kari Lake, the Republican gubernatorial candidate who still has not conceded the race to Hobbs. Scary Kari is all in on Trump’s Big Lie and her own lie with baseless claims about fraudulent elections. Hobbs has declared her readiness to work with Republicans on legislation offering “common-sense, Arizona-first solutions.” So far she has signed 40 bills. But she has set clear limits. “I will support legislation regardless of where it comes from,” Hobbs said, in an interview with the Phoenix New Times. “But I will not sign into law any legislation that attacks people’s rights and doesn’t address serious issues. There is an appetite to send me things that don’t meet those criteria, but that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to work with folks to tackle the real issues.” Hobbs has wielded her veto pen to block extreme legislation that conservative Republicans have been pushing in states across the country where they control the executive and legislative branches. In her first 100 days, Hobbs has vetoed 48 measures passed by the legislature, more than any Arizona governor in their first legislative session. She is now just 10 vetoes short of matching the all-time record of 58 vetoes for a legislative session set in 2005 by the state’s last Democratic governor, Janet Napolitano. That record could soon be shattered because Hobbs is set to veto anti-LGBQT+ bills that Republicans in the legislature are pushing forward. These include bills that would: -- Make it illegal for teachers and other school personnel to respect the pronouns of a trans or non-binary student without written parental permission. __Leave schools open to threat of litigation for providing supportive and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ students. --Ban trans students and school personnel from using school restrooms that match their gender identity and allow people to sue schools if they share a restroom or similar school facility with a trans person. __ Prohibit state money from being used for drag shows designed as an all ages performance such as a drag story hour or a family friendly pride parade with a drag performer at a public university. Arizonans don’t have to worry about these bills becoming law. Napolitano , who left office in 2009 to become Secretary of Homeland Security in President Barack Obama’s administration, vetoed 202 bills over her four-year term. Two Arizona news outlets, KJZZ, and the Phoenix New Times, listed the vetoes issued by Hobbs in her first 100 days: — A partisan budget approved by Republican legislators which she called an “insult” to Arizonans who need leaders to address affordable housing, invest in public education and put money back in their pockets. — A bill that would force municipalities to hold gun shows, and another requiring banks to open accounts for gun manufacturers. — A bill that would have prohibited K-12 public schools from including race-related material in their curriculum. Her veto statement said, “It’s time to stop pushing students and teachers into culture wars rooted in fear-mongering and evidence-free accusation.” — A proposal to spell out what procedures medical personnel must follow when a bagy is born alive, even in situations where there is no chance of survival. She noted that the bill was opposed by the medical community and “interferes with the relationship between a patient and doctor.” — A bill that would have removed individuals from the permanent early voting list if they miss an election cycle. Hobbs said the bill would not make voting more accurate, accessible or secure. She vetoed another bill that would have required that vote tabulating machines must be manufactured in the U.S. — A bill that would have upgraded the punishment for tampering with a statue from a misdemeanor to a felony charge. made defacing statues and monuments a more serious crime — A bill that would have repealed a provision of Arizona law that prohibits the use of "silencers'' on weapons. In her veto letter, Hobbs said that would "make Arizonans less safe.'' At her Wednesday news conference, Hobbs said: “Part of my promise to bring sanity to our state government means stopping the conspiracy theories, the attacks on our freedoms and the out-of-touch legislation that frankly isn’t doing anything to address serious issues.” If Kari Lake hadn’t scared away thousands of moderate GOP voters — Arizona was the home state of Sen. John McCain, considered a RINO by MAGA Republicans — these bills and probably even worse ones would have been signed into law. Elections do matter. At her news conference, Hobbs said she was close to reaching a bipartisan budget compromise with Republican lawmakers. She also aid she wanted to focus on finding solutions regarding the most pressing issues facing Arizonans— education, order security, the opioid epidemic, reproductive freedom and the water shortage. Hobbs, who formerly served as Arizona’s Secretary of State, has had some stumbles during her first 100 days in office. Her press secretary, Josselyn Berry, was forced to resign after she tweeted an image of a gun-wielding woman with the caption, “Us when we see transphobes.” Guest speakers invited to her 100 Days news conference came from diverse backgrounds. Gila River Indian Community Lieutenant Governor Monica Antone called Hobbs “a true leader” in working with tribal leaders. Hobbs was the first Arizona governor to set up a missing and murdered indigenous women task force. “As tribal nations, we’re very honored to watch Gov. Hobbs in the first 100 days work at a fast pace for people — not just Indigenous people, but people of diverse communities,” Antone said. And Mesa’s Republican Mayor John Giles said Hobbs “is off to a very great start.” Giles endorsed Hobbs in the gubernatorial race, calling Lake “dangerous” for the state of Arizona and the Republican Party. Mesa was censured last year by the Arizona Republican Party. Giles told the news conference: “Katie Hobbs knows this is a marathon, not a sprint. She understands that the state needs to tackle our challenges with sustainable, long-term solutions for all Arizonans.” Here’s a look at her news conference marking 100 days in office: [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/16/2164230/--Sanity-vs-chaos-AZ-s-Gov-Katie-Hobbs-is-on-record-setting-pace-to-veto-GOP-backed-bills Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/