Democrat Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bipartisan bill aimed at strengthening the rights of homeowners looking to evict squatters from their property. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
But Hobbs nixed the bill on Tuesday in a short letter to the president of the State Senate.
"Today I vetoed Senate Bill 1129," Hobbs wrote. "This bill fails to leverage existing legal mechanisms, respect the due process rights of lawful tenants, and minimize unintended consequences such as for victims of domestic violence."
She did not expand on her reasoning.
The bill was crafted by state Sen. Wendy Rogers who slammed Hobbs’ decision, the latest in a spate of vetoes issued by the governor.
"This bill has absolutely nothing to do with landlord-tenant law and has exemptions for family members and anyone with an agreement to cohabitate," Rogers said in a statement, questioning whether Hobbs had even read the text of the bill.
Rogers said that criminals are scheming to take over homes that aren't theirs, posing a threat to the safety of homeowners and infringing on their private property rights.
'COMMONSENSE' PROPOSAL WOULD STRENGTHEN HOMEOWNERS' ABILITY TO BOOT SQUATTERS: 'IT'S INSANITY'
Hobbs vetoed a Republican-sponsored bill last month that would have authorized police to arrest illegal immigrants, saying the legislation was anti-immigrant and likely to be unconstitutional. (YouTube)
Hobbs, who faced criticism for her handling of the 2022 midterms and the gubernatorial race in which she was running for governor, also vetoed two election-related bills. Hobbs took office in January 2023 after winning the gubernatorial election against Kari Lake, who never conceded her more than 17,000-vote defeat and repeatedly and unsuccessfully challenged the results in court.
She vetoed a bill that would have barred students from other states attending college in Arizona from voting in elections and a bill that would have given candidates for federal office the ability to send an observer to watch the ballot-counting process. That is now limited to those designated by political parties, according to Tucson.com.
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But Hobbs did sign 12 new measures, including allowing political signs to be erected 71 days before an election, up from 45 and permitting off-duty police officers who are working on private traffic control duty to have red and blue lights on a vehicle.
Last month, Hobbs vetoed a Republican-sponsored bill that would have authorized police to arrest illegal immigrants, saying the legislation was anti-immigrant and likely unconstitutional.
The bill, called the Arizona Border Invasion Act, would have made it a misdemeanor crime for anyone to illegally cross the border at any location other than a lawful port of entry.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
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