AZ Dem Gov Ranks Among Least Popular in America as She Vetoes Record Number of Bills
New Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs ranks among the three least-popular governors in the United States as she set a record this week for vetoing the most bills in a legislative session.
A Morning Consult poll published Wednesday found 47 percent of Arizonans approve of her job performance while 36 percent disapprove.
The only two governors with lower approval numbers are Nebraska Republican Jim Pillen at 45 percent approval and Oregon Democrat Tina Kotek at 42 percent.
The three most popular governors in the country are all Republicans: Vermont’s Phil Scott at 78 percent approval, Wyoming’s Mark Gordon at 67 percent and New Hampshire’s Chris Sununu at 66 percent.
The survey was conducted from Jan. 1 to March 31 among registered voters in each state, including 5,589 in Arizona. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1 to 5 percentage points.
NEW: America’s Most Popular Governors:
Scott (R-VT): 78%
Gordon (R-WY): 67%
Sununu (R-NH): 66%
Justice (R-WV): 66%
Beshear (D-KY): 63%
Green (D-HI): 62%
Sanders (R-AR): 61%
Ivey (R-AL): 61%
Lamont (D-CT): 61%
Noem (R-SD): 61%
*Jan. 1-Mar. 31, 2023https://t.co/q8klQ5iTEK pic.twitter.com/OgAttICedd— Morning Consult (@MorningConsult) April 19, 2023
Hobbs took office in January after defeating Republican Kari Lake by less than 1 percent of the vote in November’s general election.
Polling heading into the contest consistently showed Lake in the lead, with the Real Clear Politics average giving her a 3.5 percent edge going into Election Day.
FOX 10 Insider poll now has Kari Lake up over opponent Katie Hobbs by 11 points in the Arizona gubernatorial race 👀 pic.twitter.com/Wog4WQgqbP
— Ben Kew 🏌️♂️ (@ben_kew) October 26, 2022
Lake has challenged the results in court, alleging Maricopa County, which includes the Phoenix metro area, did not follow state law, failing to properly verify voters for mail-in ballots and to keep a chain of custody for more than 35,000 Election Day ballots. Hobbs won the race by just over 17,000 votes of the approximately 2.5 million cast.
The case is still working its way through the state court system after the Arizona Supreme Court last month remanded a portion of it regarding signature verification for mail-in ballots back to the trial court.
KTAR-FM reported Tuesday that Hobbs has set the record for the most vetoes for a legislative session of any governor in Arizona history with 63 to date, surpassing Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano’s mark of 58 in 2006.
Republicans control the state House of Representatives and Senate.
Among the legislation that Hobbs vetoed that enjoyed strong bipartisan support was a bill classifying the manufacturing of fentanyl that causes injury to a minor as a class 2 felony.
Following her veto, GOP state Sen. Anthony Kern, the sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement, “We have been fighting the opioid epidemic not just in Arizona, but nationwide for decades.
“The least we can do is try to protect our children and future generations from exposure to a deadly drug often laced into opioids. This bill had the support of many Democrats, yet Governor Hobbs continues to show her priorities are out of line.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Governor Injudiciously Vetoes Bipartisan Bill Aimed at Protecting Children from Fentanyl @anthonykernAZ pic.twitter.com/HRAX2Byb1P
— AZSenateRepublicans (@AZSenateGOP) April 11, 2023
Other bills Hobbs has vetoed would have improved election integrity, barred homeless encampments in public areas, prohibited local grocery taxes, banned the teaching of critical race theory in public schools, provided medical care to babies who survive abortions and eliminated taxes for rent payments.
Katie Hobbs just vetoed my bill that would have affirmed that courts are to interpret election laws in the interests of transparency – insane! https://t.co/Bu1miVSiEN
— Rep. Alexander Kolodin (@realAlexKolodin) April 18, 2023
Hobbs said in a Tuesday tweet, after vetoing 11 more bills, that she was delivering “sanity” to state government.
“I promised to deliver sanity, not chaos in the governor’s office and I am delivering,” she wrote. “I will gladly work with anybody who will be a partner in addressing the real problems Arizonans face, but I refuse to play political games with our state government.”
“I’m proud of the bipartisan accomplishments we have achieved and encourage leaders in our legislature to continue to come together and pass real solutions that will grow jobs, build roads and bridges, invest in education, and deal with our water crisis,” Hobbs said.
I’m proud of the bipartisan accomplishments we have achieved and encourage leaders in our legislature to continue to come together and pass real solutions that will grow jobs, build roads and bridges, invest in education, and deal with our water crisis.
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) April 18, 2023
KTAR reported that the governor has signed more than 90 bills this session.
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