Arizona Republican leader discusses approach to working with Democratic governor
Jan 13, 2025, 11:04 AM
PHOENIX – Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said both parties are entering the fresh legislative year with similar priorities.
“The difference, of course, is how we want to address those issues,” the Republican leader told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Monday morning, hours before Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs was scheduled to deliver her 2025 State of the State address.
(Programming note: Tune to KTAR News 92.3 FM or our app at 2 p.m. Monday to hear Hobbs’ speech.)
The yearslong Republican stranglehold on the Arizona lawmaking process came to an end when Hobbs was elected in 2022.
And while the GOP increased its majorities in both the House and Senate in last year’s election, Hobbs’ veto stamp remains an imposing barrier.
Arizona Senate president optimistic about bipartisan solutions
However, Petersen is hopeful that the parties can work together during the new session.
“I am optimistic, always, that we’ll find … enough consensus in each area to have a bipartisan solution, and, quite frankly, in some areas we don’t necessarily have to have a bipartisan solution because the majority can act on its own,” the Arizona Senate president said.
As an example of how both sides were working well together last year, Petersen mentioned legislation to address the issue of balancing housing demand with water security. He said the bill didn’t make it into law, but it could be revived.
“It kind of fell apart at the last minute because there was pressure from people who gained financially by keeping water scarce,” he said.
Petersen believes that the plan could still be implemented once the reasons it didn’t work out last year come to light.
“I think as those motives are exposed … there’s going to be pressure to force what’s best for Arizona to happen,” he said.
Petersen said that in addition to the water and housing issues, Republicans want to put more money into classrooms, support President-elect Donald Trump’s border security plans and speed up election results.
He said the best way for Republicans to make progress while a Democrat is governor is to spend their energy on issues where the caucus is unified.
“You have to be able to focus on the areas where you agree,” he said. “You’ve got to let go of the areas where you don’t. You build that consensus, and then you execute and move forward.”