Governor Katie Hobbs on new budget, bills and more

Governor Katie Hobbs joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the new budget, bills that were passed and other key topics impacting the state.

In August, there was a threat of an Arizona government shutdown if a new budget was not passed.

“We had been engaging with both chambers and both caucuses in the chambers, and we were very close to a deal, but for whatever reason, the Republicans threatened to shut down,” Governor Hobbs said.

Eventually, a finalized deal was reached that was acceptable across the aisle.

“We have really developed a good working relationship, and we hope that that will continue for the good of Arizonans,” Governor Hobbs said.

Governor Hobbs has also vetoed over 170 bills this year, and when she was asked about this, the Governor said, “I didn’t come to the Governor’s office to break veto records!” She went on to say that she is instead vetoing essentially what she called the same bills over and over again.

Governor Hobbs has signed over 700 bills this year. One of those bills is the water bill, which would essentially allow for the replacement of some farmland with residential developments. When asked about the environmental impact of replacing agricultural land with residential land, Governor Hobbs replied, “Agricultural use is much higher than residential so this will save water.”

Governor Hobbs then spoke about why she thinks voters don’t trust Democrats.

“I think we weren’t talking enough about what people needed to hear. Arizona’s economy is growing yet people aren’t feeling that. They’re struggling; gas is still expensive, groceries aren’t going down, and we have a president that ran on these issues,” Governor Hobbs said.

When asked about the Grand Canyon fire, Governor Hobbs said she would like “an independent review that looks at the way this fire was initially managed, and we are very much intent on how we recover and rebuild. We lost the iconic Grand Canyon Lodge, and small businesses will be struggling for the rest of the season.”