Republicans in the Arizona State Senate on Wednesday had submitted three bills ahead of the upcoming legislative session that they acknowledge are tougher versions of legislation previously vetoed by Governor Katie Hobbs earlier this year in remarks published less than one month after Senate Pro Tem T.J. Shope (R-Coolidge) suggested lawmakers could allow voters the final say on anything she rejects.
The bills include SB 1001 by Senator J.D. Mesnard (R-Chandler), which would require voters using mail-in ballots to present their identification if submitting their ballots on the Friday before Election Day.
Senator John Kavanaugh (R-Maricopa) additionally introduced SB 1002, which would prohibit Arizona schools from referring to a student using pronouns that do not match the child’s biological gender without a parent’s permission, which would also be required for teachers and administrators to refer to a student using a new name.
The lawmaker also submitted SB 1003, which would require schools to provide accommodations to students who do not want to share locker rooms or bathrooms with transgender students who do not share their biological gender.
Kavanaugh acknowledged to the Arizona Capitol Times on Wednesday that both of his bills are tougher versions of legislation Hobbs vetoed earlier this year, stating, “I’m hoping that the governor and some of the Democrats have now learned their lesson from this election where, amongst other things, their uber wokeness was rebutted.”
He reportedly told the outlet the earlier version of SB 1003 was more lenient, specifically, because it only included locker rooms, while the 2025 legislation also applies to bathrooms.
When Arizona Republicans both expanded their majorities in both bodies of the Arizona Legislature last month, they also successfully passed the Secure the Border Act through a referendum, enabling state law enforcement to verify and enforce federal immigration laws.
Shope said last month that lawmakers could allow voters to decide the final fate of more legislation if Hobbs seeks to repeat her first year in office, when she was dubbed the “veto queen” after vetoing 143 bills.
Referring to the Republican caucus, Shope told The Arizona Mirror, “I think that we have, as a unit, done a much better job of making sure that the bills that we send up can get signed. And if they aren’t signed, the governor will regret not signing them.”
Political lobbyist Scott Smith noted to the outlet that such a vote would occur in 2026, when Hobbs will be up for reelection, and predicted Republicans will place legislation on the ballot in order to “position a Republican agenda versus the executive as it relates to positioning for the 2026 gubernatorial sequel.”
The suggestion that Republicans will use referendums as an opportunity for voters to pass a Republican agenda in defiance of Hobbs comes as the first-term governor may face a primary opponent for the Democratic nomination in 2026, as Secretary of State Adrian Fontes recently confirmed rumors he is considering a challenge.
Republicans, meanwhile, have reportedly floated former gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson, Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee, and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk as candidates to oppose Hobbs.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
