Key Points:

• Hobbs broke her own veto record on June 25

• The new record is 169 bills in one session

• Veto number could climb amid ongoing budget negotiations

Gov. Katie Hobbs set a new veto record June 25 with the help of House Republicans’ budget bills and some repeat offender bills.

After vetoing 28 budget bills, Hobbs’ 2025 veto record shot from 140 to 168. She also vetoed one other piece of legislation after the budget bills, bringing the grand total to 169 and beating her own record of 143 bills vetoed in a single session.

Hobbs blamed House Republicans for the vetoes after repeatedly promising to veto both budget packages because they did not align with the bipartisan deal her office worked out with the Senate.

“It’s now time for House Republican leadership to set the political games to the side and work with their colleagues in a productive fashion to deliver a bipartisan solution for the people of our state,” Hobbs wrote in a veto letter. 

Republican Rep. David Livingston sponsored the 28 budget bills, 14 of which consisted of House Republicans’ preferred budget and another 14 of which made up the “skinny” continuation budget. He celebrated setting a different kind of veto record in a post on social media.

“I set the State of Arizona record for most bills vetoed in a single day!” Livingston wrote on X. “28 budget bills vetoed by Governor Hobbs today.” 

And though Hobbs broke her own record, she did not veto 169 unique pieces of legislation this session. According to an Arizona Capitol Times analysis of bills Hobbs has vetoed during her three years in office, at least 18 were also vetoed in 2023 or 2024.

Those bills were all introduced by Republicans and cover a range of issues from elections and firearms to LGBTQ+ rights and school boards. Some of the bills received slight tweaks after meeting the veto stamp, but others were reintroduced without any changes at all. 

The governor previously told reporters that she believes Republicans are hoping to portray her as “obstructionist” by pushing legislation she has already vetoed or has stated she would not support. Hobbs’ spokesman, Christian Slater, defended her use of vetoes in a statement.

“The governor didn’t get elected to veto bills, and she has a long record of bipartisan accomplishments,” Slater said. “But she won’t hesitate to stand up to extreme and partisan legislation that attacks everyday Arizonans. That’s exactly what she has done throughout her term and that’s what she will continue to do so long as she’s governor.”

Republican Sen. John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills is one of the more prolific sponsors of previously vetoed bills. He has reintroduced the same three bills related to LGBTQ+ students, pronouns and restroom use every year of Hobbs’ tenure. 

Many bills vetoed in 2023 were reintroduced in 2024 as ballot measures, only to be rejected by voters in November. Other 2023 vetoes were reintroduced in 2024, but failed to make it to the governor’s desk. 

And Sen. Wendy Rogers’ infamous bill banning red light cameras is currently awaiting action from the governor thanks to a late night vote in the House on June 24. It is almost certainly headed for a veto after receiving one in 2023 and failing to make it to Hobbs’ desk or the ballot in 2024. 

Excluding budget bills, Rep. Gail Griffin is currently leading Republicans in the most bills vetoed by the governor at 17. Griffin also took home that trophy in 2024 due to her introduction of groundwater legislation that Hobbs pledged to veto during both sessions. 

As of publication, Hobbs has signed 225 bills this session. That’s more bills than the 205 she signed in 2023, and fewer than she signed in 2024 – 259. 

Republican Sen. J.D. Mesnard currently has the most legislation signed by Hobbs in 2025, with 15 of his bills making it across the finish line so far. Democratic Rep. Alma Hernandez leads her caucus in the number of bills signed, with four under her belt this session. 

Lawmakers are still sending legislation to Hobbs’ desk — including the Senate’s budget proposal — so the numbers are not yet set in stone. As of the afternoon of June 26, 14 bills are awaiting the governor’s action.