JUST IN: Lawless Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Vetoes Bipartisan Bill to Combat Squatting in Arizona – Hobbs Has Broken Record for Vetoes in a Single Term in Just 15 Months
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs continued her streak of vetoing a record number of bills on Tuesday by shooting down SB 1129, sponsored by Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers, which would have allowed Arizona homeowners to remove an unlawful occupant or a “squatter” from their property.
The bill would have also deemed that “a person who fails or refuses to surrender possession of the property as directed by a law enforcement officer is committing trespass.”
Hobbs vetoed the legislation, stating in a letter, “This bill fails to leverage existing legal mechanisms, respect the due process rights of lawful tenants, and minimize unintended consequences such as for victims of domestic violence.”
It can be recalled that during Katie Hobbs’ first legislative session last year, after she stole the midterm election from conservative firebrand Kari Lake, Hobbs broke the record for the number of bills vetoed in a single legislative session, and she did it during her first 100 days in office. As The Gateway Pundit reported, Hobbs was also ranked as the third most unpopular Governor in America, with an approval rating of just 47%.
Last session, Hobbs vetoes included the elimination of the food tax, increasing penalties for fentanyl distributors who harm children, requiring medical care for infants who survive abortion, protecting school children from convicted sex offenders, and a mail-in ballot signature verification law adding the minimum standards that she wrote herself as Secretary of State.
Per Axios, Hobbs vetoed a total of 143 bills last year and, in total, has vetoed over 185 bills since taking office last January. This shatters Democrat Janet Napolitano’s record of 181 vetoes during an entire four-year term.
One of the bills Hobbs vetoed this year would have allowed police to arrest illegal border crossers.
Squatting is a symptom of the lawlessness that has gripped the country in recent years. To make matters worse, squatters’ rights and adverse possession laws can sometimes grant legal ownership of the occupied property to squatters in some states.
As The Gateway Pundit reported in February, squatters had taken over 1,200 homes in Atlanta, Georgia.
More recently, in March, Adele Andaloro, the owner of a million-dollar home in Flushing, Queens, found herself handcuffed and arrested following a standoff with individuals who illegally occupied her family residence.
It seems that Katie Hobbs wants the same fate for homeowners in Arizona who are also bearing the burden of Biden’s open border crisis and the threat of millions of illegal immigrants looking for a place to live.
Hobbs VETOED my Squatter Bill. INTENTIONAL.
Easy for her w/ security. Hard on us peasants.
SQUATTERS RIGHTS will NOT prevail.
— Wendy Rogers (@WendyRogersAZ) April 24, 2024
Arizona Senate Republicans issued the following statement on Tuesday:
Katie Hobbs Irresponsibly Vetoes Bipartisan Bill to
Strengthen Homeowner Property Rights and Combat Squatting
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— The issue of squatters taking over people’s homes is growing exponentially across the nation, including here in Arizona, yet Governor Katie Hobbs is refusing to address the problem. Senator Wendy Rogers worked to combat these crimes with a bipartisan measure Hobbs vetoed today that would have expedited the removal of these criminals and strengthened homeowner property rights.
If a stranger invades a home and unlawfully claims a right to live there, SB 1129 would have allowed the homeowner to request law enforcement immediately remove that person from the property. Refusal to leave would have been treated as trespassing, under Arizona laws.
“Criminals are scheming to take over homes that aren’t theirs, posing a threat to the safety of homeowners and infringing on their private property rights,” said Senator Rogers. “Although we have trespassing laws, it’s often difficult to prove a person is unlawfully occupying a home and can result in a lengthy legal battle. Homeowners testified in committee hearings about their property being severely damaged, the subsequent astronomical costs from these criminals, and consequently, they felt incredibly violated. We should not further victimize homeowners with a time-consuming, cumbersome, and costly removal process. In her veto letter, Katie Hobbs claims this bill fails to protect the rights of lawful tenants and minimize unintended consequences for victims of domestic violence. Did she read the bill? It addresses illegal occupants, not lawful tenants. That’s precisely the point. This bill has absolutely NOTHING to do with landlord-tenant law and has exemptions for family members and anyone with an agreement to cohabitate.”
“As a Realtor, I’ve personally encountered a squatter occupying a home I was showing to a client,” said Senator Justine Wadsack. “It was a terrifying threat to my safety, the safety of my clients, as well as to the homeowners. When I called the police, I was told there’s not much they could do. Nobody should ever be allowed to live in and occupy another person’s home without their permission, yet I continue to have constituents reach out to me with these types of stories. I’m proud of the swift and unified response Republican lawmakers made to fight this issue, it’s a shame Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed yet another piece of commonsense bipartisan legislation.”
The post JUST IN: Lawless Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Vetoes Bipartisan Bill to Combat Squatting in Arizona – Hobbs Has Broken Record for Vetoes in a Single Term in Just 15 Months appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.