Gov. Katie Hobbs Vetoes Six GOP Bills, Including Library and School Education Measures

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs wielded her veto pen Tuesday, rejecting six bills that had passed the Republican-controlled Legislature, including measures that would have barred public school libraries from funding professional associations and required adoption information to be provided alongside sex education.

The vetoes marked Hobbs's continued pushback against what she called "partisan political theater," as she sent a total of six bills back to lawmakers on April 8, 2026.

The most contentious veto came on House Bill 2008, dubbed the "Library Freedom Act," which would have prohibited public school libraries from using public funds to pay for professional association memberships. The bill specifically targeted the American Library Association, which conservative lawmakers have criticized over its book selection guidance and its tracking of banned books across the country.

Alabama, Wyoming, Missouri, Texas and Florida have all cut ties with the group, according to Politico.

Knowledge is power, not a weapon, and at a time when literacy rates are on the decline nationwide, I will not support legislation that deprives our children of the resources they need to reach their full potential, Hobbs wrote in her veto letter.

The library bill passed the Arizona Senate along party lines on April 1, but Hobbs said she would not let it stand.

A shameful and misguided attack on public school librarians is what the governor called the measure in her announcement.

Hobbs also vetoed House Bill 2040, which would have required public educational institutions to provide adoption information alongside discussions of contraceptives and sexually transmitted infections.

The proposal came from Rep. Rachel Keshel (R-Tucson), who framed it as a reaction to Proposition 139, the 2024 measure that gave women a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability.

It seems to me to be more pro-abortion and not pro-choice, Keshel said of the initiative. And we don't talk enough about the other choices that people might have.

Keshel said she heard from a young woman who told the story of having an abortion at age 16 because she thought there was no other option. These young women don't even realize the potential for them to actually look into the option of adoption, she said.

But the measure drew a skeptical response from Rep. Nancy Gutierrez (D-Tucson). What this bill does is it talks about adoption as an alternative to contraception, she said, adding that it takes a flawed approach.

Consider, she said, a student going into a university health center looking for contraception, only to have to hear irrelevant information about adoption practices in the U.S., adoption-related resources and support in Arizona, in addition to a safe haven law that allows women to anonymously surrender a newborn at certain locations without facing criminal penalties.

That concept of adoption as an alternative to contraception also drew criticism from Jodi Liggett representing Reproductive Freedom for All's Arizona chapter. That strikes us as irresponsible, Liggett testified when the measure was heard in the House Education Committee.

What that also ignores, she said, is that contraceptives are not just to prevent pregnancy but also can be used for other purposes. Awareness of adoption law means nothing to a student who's trying to use medically accurate information about a sexually transmitted infection. And it's even less relevant during STI tests.

Hobbs mentioned none of that debate in her veto message.

We should focus on solutions that will actually lead to placing more children into safe and loving homes instead of placing onerous burdens on public education institutions that require adoption information to be provided in inappropriate settings, the governor wrote.

Hobbs also said she is fully supportive of efforts to bolster adoption rates, saying that is why she has increased financial support for foster care families and children.

The other four bills Hobbs vetoed included:

• House Bill 2903, a social credit score ban that would have barred the state from requiring banks to use such scores when evaluating loan applications. This was her third veto for this particular policy change.

• House Bill 2075, which would have required school districts to publish employment contracts

• House Bill 2289, which would have changed notice requirements for school district bond elections

• Senate Bill 1787, which addressed zoning appeals

The social credit score ban has gained traction in Republican-led state legislatures in recent years amid fears that environmental, social and governance metrics could be used to deny financial services based on political views, religious beliefs or gun ownership.

States like Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming all passed similar legislation, according to a research firm which tracks ESG policies.

Hobbs called the social credit score bill unnecessary and poorly constructed, noting it marked her third veto for this policy change.

The vetoes come during a contentious legislative session where both chambers of the Arizona Legislature are controlled by Republicans, creating more veto fodder for the governor.

Hobbs has vetoed 390 bills across her three years in office, breaking the all-time veto record previously held by Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano.

The Veto Queen is back, the Phoenix New Times wrote in its tracker of the bills she has rejected.

As lawmakers consider whether to override the vetoes, Hobbs remains committed to her positions on what she sees as necessary protections for Arizona families and communities.

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Sources:

• KTAR.com — Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoes string of GOP bills, calling one 'shameful and misguided'
• The Phoenix New Times — The Veto Queen is back: Every bill Gov. Katie Hobbs rejected in 2026
• KJZZ — Hobbs vetoes bill to mandate adoption education alongside STIs, contraceptives in schools