Photo from Office of Governor Katie Hobbs
By Reagan Priest | State Affairs
With committee work finished, the pile of legislation on Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk is starting to grow.
As of Monday, 30 bills await the governor’s action, and dozens more are expected to reach her desk this week as lawmakers take final votes on the House and Senate floors.
Among the 30 bills, several are almost certain to be vetoed, including House Speaker Steve Montenegro’s proposal to prohibit the state from requiring that financial institutions use “social credit scores” and Rep. Justin Olson’s measure requiring school districts to provide more detailed information on override and bond elections. Both vetoed in previous sessions.
Hobbs is also expected to reject Rep. Nick Kupper’s HB 2008 (school libraries; professional associations; prohibitions), which would bar public schools from paying librarians’ membership dues to professional associations that promote or support libraries and information services. Democrats opposed the measure. Similarly, Rep. Rachel Keshel’s HB 2040 (public educational institutions; adoption information) – which requires schools to provide adoption information alongside materials on contraception or sexually transmitted diseases – appears destined for the governor’s veto stamp.
Several other bills awaiting action cleared the Legislature with bipartisan support, including Rep. Jeff Weninger’s bill expanding the number of years community college students can participate in the Arizona Teachers Academy.
