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Governor Hobbs Vetoes Crucial Gun Protection Legislation for Third Year Running
For the third consecutive year, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed legislation aimed at strengthening the state’s firearm preemption laws, dealing another blow to Second Amendment advocates and the gun industry in Arizona.
The Republican-led legislature passed Senate Bill 1705, which would have bolstered Arizona’s existing preemption law by allowing courts to impose a $5,000 civil penalty on government officials who knowingly violate state firearm regulations. The bill sought to limit what cities, counties, and other local governments in Arizona can do regarding gun and ammunition regulations, reserving that authority exclusively for the state legislature.
Governor Hobbs justified her veto by stating, “There are existing mechanisms to challenge city ordinances,” according to an official statement from her office. However, supporters of the legislation argue that these existing mechanisms lack the necessary teeth to prevent local officials from enacting restrictive ordinances that conflict with state law.
This marks the third time since taking office in 2023 that Governor Hobbs has rejected similar legislation designed to protect Arizona’s uniform approach to firearm regulations. In 2023 and 2024, she vetoed measures that would have specifically prevented local governments from prohibiting gun shows in their jurisdictions.
“The governor’s continued obstruction of common-sense firearm preemption legislation undermines Arizona’s ability to maintain consistent gun laws across the state,” said a spokesperson for the bill’s supporters. “This veto puts the interests of anti-gun activists ahead of the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners and businesses.”
The vetoed bill sought to address concerns that local officials might enact restrictive gun ordinances in defiance of state law, forcing citizens and businesses to navigate a complex patchwork of regulations that vary by location. Supporters argue that uniform statewide regulations create clarity for gun owners and prevent overreach by local governments with more restrictive views on firearms.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) had urged Governor Hobbs to sign SB 1705 and other pro-gun bills that recently passed the legislature. The organization expressed disappointment with the governor’s decision, noting that it continues a pattern of opposition to Second Amendment protections.
Meanwhile, gun control advocacy groups such as Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action celebrated the veto, with Carmen Rojas of Students Demand Action calling the Republican-backed legislation “reckless.”
Despite the veto of SB 1705, the legislature has advanced several other measures this session to strengthen gun rights in Arizona, including bills that would permit concealed carry on college campuses (SB 1020), incentivize schools to authorize employees to carry firearms on school grounds (HB 2022), and roll back regulations on suppressors (SB 1014). These bills now face uncertain futures on the governor’s desk.
Arizona currently ranks as having the 8th least restrictive gun laws in the nation, according to Everytown for Gun Safety’s analysis, a statistic that Second Amendment supporters view with pride while gun control advocates see as problematic.
The continued standoff between the Republican-led legislature and Democratic Governor Hobbs over gun legislation highlights the deep political divisions on firearm policy in Arizona, with little sign of compromise on the horizon as the 2025 legislative session continues.
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