Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs defended a bill she signed last year that greenlit a corporate campus in Scottsdale at the expense of a public vote on the project, though minutes earlier she cautioned about eroding voters' power to put questions on the ballot.
Hobbs' remarks came Aug. 20 after an unrelated press conference. Hobbs was asked about critics' concerns that the citizen initiative — when voters and special interests gather signatures to put questions on the ballot — has been eroded, a concern that was inflamed by the Arizona Supreme Court's decision days ago that kept a school voucher reform measure off the November ballot.
Hobbs said as a state lawmaker she opposed efforts to curb initiative power. But her record as governor includes signing
the 2025 bill to allow Taser-maker Axon's headquarters in Scottsdale that nullified a voter-driven measure that was headed for the ballot. That law is tied up in courts and the development is on hold.
She also noted a bill she vetoed in June that, had it passed, would have made it harder for opponents of a data center project in Marana to get their opposition on the ballot. Hobbs vetoed that bill based on grounds it would "introduce uncertainty and confusion" to a legal challenge over the project.
Hobbs did not directly answer questions from The Arizona Republic about what interests she weighs when deciding to use her power to override the citizen initiative process.
Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hobbs warns about threats to voter power but defends Axon exception
