Key Points:

• Gov. Hobbs signed more legislation this session than her previous two as governor

• Lawmakers introduced 1,724 bills in total, 439 made it to the governor

• Hobbs called the session successful despite breaking veto record

Gov. Katie Hobbs signed more bills this session than in either of the previous two sessions she has occupied the Ninth Floor. But she also broke the state veto record she set in 2023. 

The governor signed 265 bills this session, up from 259 in 2024 and 205 in 2023. That number could be due, in part, to the large number of bills introduced by lawmakers this session, though they didn’t break any records like Hobbs did.

Lawmakers introduced 1,724 bills this session and 439 of those made it out of both chambers and to the governor’s desk. That brought Hobbs’ veto total to 174 bills, blowing past her 2023 record of 143 bills. 

But Hobbs said she only broke the record with the help of Republicans, who sent her three separate budgets and several pieces of legislation she vetoed in previous sessions. 

“There was definitely an orchestrated attempt to run up the score on that veto record,” Hobbs said. 

Without counting the 28 budget bills, 14 for each of the two House budgets the governor vetoed, Hobbs still would have broken her own veto record by three bills. But, an analysis by the Arizona Capitol Times of legislation vetoed by the governor between 2023 and 2025 found at least 18 bills vetoed in 2025 which she had also vetoed in either 2023 or 2024.

All of those bills were reintroduced by Republicans — most without any significant changes. They cover a range of issues, including elections, firearms, LGBTQ+ rights and school boards. 

Despite that, almost all of the legislation Hobbs signed this session came from Republicans. Democrats only managed to get 10 bills out of the Legislature this year, seven of which came from the House and three from the Senate.

Excluding budget bills, Sen. Shawnna Bolick, R-Phoenix, takes home the title of most bills signed by a single lawmaker at 16. Republican Sens. J.D. Mesnard and David Gowan tied for second place, each with 15 bills signed. 

Bolick attributed her success this session to her own tenacity and the support of her constituents in Legislative District 2.

“I didn’t allow personalities to get in the way of being successful,” Bolick said in a written statement. “It also doesn’t hurt that I am not afraid to stand up for myself, or for the issue or the people that I am championing. Having coalitions of support to speak in favor of your bill is an absolute must.”

Bolick said she received an outpouring of encouragement for her bill, which expands the definition of animal cruelty and was signed by the governor in late June.

“My fellow dog lovers would stop and thank me when I would walk our own dogs each morning because they were receiving email alerts or reading the newspaper,” Bolick said. “A small gesture like a thank you is a big motivational factor when you must go to the Capitol for six months to try to force your bills to the board for a vote.” 

But in Arizona’s Republican Party, getting the most bills signed by the Democratic governor doesn’t necessarily spell success. According to conservative group Turning Point USA’s lawmaker scorecard, Bolick is “losing patriotism” and only scored 68.18 out of 100 on their ranking. 

“Most of the bills I have sponsored over the years received bipartisan support even under Governor Ducey because I have always represented a competitive legislative district,” Bolick said. “…I am all about getting things done, not attacking my fellow Republicans.” 

On the Democratic side, Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, had the most bills signed in her caucus at four. Six other Democrats each had one bill signed, including Sens. Catherine Miranda, Mitzi Epstein, Analise Ortiz and Reps. Consuelo Hernandez, Kevin Volk and Myron Tsosie.

Rep. Gail Griffin, R-Hereford, had the most bills vetoed by the governor for the second year in a row, at 18. In 2024, that number was just 12. 

The increase can be attributed to Griffin’s penchant for introducing rural groundwater legislation despite the governor’s promise to veto “bills that are just political cover for the Legislature’s inaction on water security.” Nearly every bill of Griffin’s that Hobbs vetoed was related to groundwater.

Griffin criticized Hobbs throughout the session for vetoing her groundwater legislation, saying in a March 18 statement, “It’s time to put politics aside and pass real solutions for rural Arizona.” 

Republican Sens. Jake Hoffman and Wendy Rogers tied for second-most vetoes with each reaching 12 rejected proposals for the session. Several of the veto letters attached to Hoffman’s bills featured a special message from the governor related to their spat over her director nominees. 

“This bill is Detrimental, Ineffective, Nonsensical, and Objectionable,” Hobbs wrote, in an apparent reference to Hoffman’s chairmanship of the Senate Director Nominations Committee, often called DINO. 

Despite breaking her own veto record and getting into spats with lawmakers, Hobbs said she feels the session was very successful and should be measured by the bipartisan legislation that passed, rather than the bills that ended up on the cutting room floor.