Legislative Wrap-up:
Described variously as a train wreck, dumpster fire, topsy-turvy, and quarrelsome (Governor description), the 2025 legislative session of the Fifty-seventh Legislature's First Regular Session concluded on June 27 with a bipartisan budget signed just in time to keep the government functioning. Gov. Hobbs broke her own veto record, vetoing 174 bills (many of which were voter suppression bills that the league opposed), compared with 143 in 2023, her first year in office.
Although there were some bipartisan wins, the consideration of voting rights and election security bills was contentious and partisan. Many of these are expected to return next session, possibly as legislative referrals. Unlike bills that must pass through the governor's office to be approved or vetoed, legislative referrals (Senate or House Concurrent Resolutions) to amend the law or the Arizona Constitution are sent to the Arizona Secretary of State to be placed on the ballot. Legislative referrals serve as an end-run around the governor and put often publicly unpopular measures on the ballot.
Click here to see the complete summary and LWVAZ Legislative activity.