Key Points: 

• Gov. Hobbs has rejected 87 measures sent to her by state lawmakers

• One now dead proposal would have limited the amount of time people could receive unemployment benefits

• Another would have mandated a link to adoption services on the websites of abortion providers 

Arizonans who are laid off won’t have to worry about their unemployment benefits being cut off sooner.

And the state won’t add additional requirements for those who get food stamps.

Republican-sponsored bills with those mandates were among 12 vetoed late May 6 by Gov. Katie Hobbs. That means she has now rejected 87 measures sent to her by state lawmakers.

The common thread? Almost all of the vetoed bills proposed alterations to benefits and access to state aid.

Under Arizona law, those who lose a job through no fault of their own are entitled to payments from a special account financed by a tax on employers.

The benefit is supposed to equal half of what the person was making, but Arizona law limits the payments to $320 a week, regardless of the person’s prior salary, one of the lowest caps in the nation.

Those payments now can last for up to 24 weeks — 26 weeks if the state jobless rate exceeds 5%. During that time, recipients have to be available for work and seek employment.

The proposal by House Majority Leader Michael Carbone, R-Buckeye, sought to cut off benefits after 12 weeks during periods where the unemployment rate is below 5%. That includes now, where the statewide rate is just 4.1%.

And the jobless rate would have to hit 8% for the full 26 weeks of benefits.

The measure drew scrutiny amid concerns that it can take more than 12 weeks to find suitable employment.

It was also noted that the jobless rate the legislation would use to compute maximum weeks is pulled from the average unemployment across the state, and does not reflect individual counties. For example, the current unemployment rate for Yuma County is 11.2%

“Cutting unemployment insurance will not connect Arizona workers to jobs that match their skills more quickly,” Hobbs wrote in her veto message. “If anything, it will send them and their families into needless financial hardship.”

The governor had similar reasons for rejecting another measure aimed at the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — more informally known as food stamps.

These programs already have 30 hour-per-week work requirements unless someone fits an exception. Those exceptions range from being a caregiver to a young child or incapacitated person, being a student in a recognized school or training program, or participation in drug or alcohol treatment and rehabilitation programs.

Rep. Julie Willoughby, R-Chandler, sought to add a mandate that those who do not meet any of the exceptions must participate in an employment and training program.

“Putting up additional barriers for families already struggling to put food on the table is not the way to expand opportunity, security and freedom for Arizonans,” Hobbs wrote in her veto.

The governor also questioned the effectiveness of what Willoughby had proposed. Hobbs said a better idea would be for lawmakers to expand the existing SNAP Career Advancement Network which already provides, on a voluntary basis, opportunities for food stamp recipients to get employment and job training.

Hobbs also vetoed a proposal by Rep. Rachel Keshel to require the state’s Medicaid program to provide a conspicuous link on its website to direct individuals to where they can find more information on adoption and support for pregnant women.

Hobbs, however, said she saw the proposal by the Tucson Republican as one-sided, particularly in the wake of the repeal last year of the state’s territorial-era law outlawing most abortions — a vote that she noted occurred over the objection of most Republicans.

“Unfortunately, that same legislative majority continues to send me bills that limit access to abortion and information on the full spectrum of reproductive health choices available to Arizona women,” the governor wrote.

And Hobbs rejected another Keshel bill, one that would have barred the attorney general from bringing criminal charges or filing a civil lawsuit against any county supervisor who refused to certify election results.

That measure followed the indictment of two Republican members of the Cochise County Board of Supervisors on charges of interfering with an election after they had initially refused to perform the formal canvass following the 2022 general election, claiming they had questions about the equipment.

Peggy Judd eventually pleaded guilty to a single count of failing to perform her duties and was placed on probation for 90 days. Tom Crosby continues to battle the charges.

“My priority lies with protecting the voice of every eligible Arizona voter, not protecting politicians,” wrote Hobbs, who had been secretary of state at the time of the election.

Other vetoed bills include:

– Requiring all election equipment used by 2029 to be built in this country using only domestic parts. Hobbs said the legislation “is predicated on conspiracy theories rather than fact.”

– Outlawing voting centers where anyone in the county can cast a ballot and instead requiring voters to show up at their local precincts. The governor said she will not sign anything “that makes it harder for eligible Arizonans to exercise their constitutional right to vote.”

– Requiring separate hand-count audits for early and Election Day ballots, something Hobbs called “inefficient and cumbersome.”