Many were shocked by the governor’s recent veto of SB1109. The bill aimed to place land ownership restrictions on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as a measure to prevent espionage and protect critical state infrastructure. 

Hobbs faced fierce backlash for downvoting the bill. AZ Senate leader Janae Shamp responded by calling Hobbs “a total disgrace.”

Her veto seemed to defy “common sense” amid the recently foiled domestic agroterrorism plot by two PRC-affiliated researchers.

However, Hobbs dropped a bombshell and proposed a stricter bill. The Blocking Adversarial Nations Act (BANA) seeks to extend land ownership to adversarial countries beyond China.

Even though 42% of Americans view China as an enemy of the United States, veto-stamping SB1109 might have helped Hobbs in the 2026 governor’s race. Why? Because it allowed her to correct ineffective legislation, look strong on national security, and pass the revised law closer to the election.

All the noise about Hobbs quashing SB1109 appears to be more political theater than concern over national security. Hobbs was right, the bill was toothless. 

SB1109 is too narrow to protect Arizona from foreign espionage. The revised bill sidesteps concerns of discrimination but only excludes the PRC. 

Hobbs’ broader proposal not only bars the PRC government and its proxies but also bans other adversarial nations, North Korea, Russia, etc. from owning land.

SB1109 doesn’t prevent the PRC from purchasing land. Per the language of the statute, the Chinese government can acquire land but must divest the property “within three years” of the acquisition. Any competent spy can gather a significant amount of intelligence within three years.

Hobbs dodged putting her name on a virtually pointless bill and came on top with her BANA amendments, much to the chagrin of her most vocal critics. 

Hobbs has reframed the debate and made Republicans look soft on national security. While the GOP’s platform has shifted away from neo-conservatism, Americans still trust Republicans more than Democrats to handle foreign threats.

The Republican-backed bill was a flimsy measure to counteract foreign interference. This blunder by the AZ Republicans enables a Democratic governor to shed the veneer of being weak on security concerns and outplay the GOP at their own game. 

In a state like Arizona, even a slight mistake can cost you an election, especially when a recent poll shows that Hobbs has a minor lead over the Republican hopefuls for the governor’s seat. The fact that 34% of registered Arizona voters are Independents makes the 2026 governor’s race all the more contentious.

In Arizona, pragmatism can carry more weight than party loyalty. It’s crucial to remember that many Republicans turned on Kari Lake due to her perceived incompetence. Plus, when Republicans need to sway solution-oriented Independents, they don’t have the luxury of supporting “window dressing” initiatives purely out of partisan loyalty. By supporting weak legislation riddled with holes, they gave a Democrat the opening to expose their attempt to secure Arizona from foreign threats as a hollow gesture.

For Hobbs, if Senate Republicans fail to override her veto and an amended foreign land ownership bill gets introduced early next year, this would be to her advantage. If Hobbs gets to greenlight a law that thoroughly restricts land ownership of hostile nations, it will be fresh in the minds of voters. 

If done early enough in the legislative session, she can rightfully campaign on having done more than right-wingers to ensure Arizona’s security and making the timing right for her to capitalize on the practical concerns of moderate and independent voters.

We need to consider that Hobbs vetoed the original incarnation of the “Tamale Bill” in 2023, only to pass it in 2024 with minor adjustments to the safety requirements. Passing an improved version of SB1109 next year could be another “Tamale Bill” moment for Hobbs. In a gubernatorial election year, no less!

With an election around the corner, Republicans should avoid proposing legislation resembling Swiss cheese. Otherwise, they might give Hobbs another term in office. Fumbling SB1109 allows Hobbs to improve her optics and strategically pass an improved bill during an election year. 

Peter Clark is an Arizona-based writer. His work has been published by AzCentral, AZ Capitol Times, FEE, AIER, Inside Sources, OC Register, Tobacco Reporter & RealClear Markets.