Arizona Senate Republicans tweak Hobbs over food bill veto with tamale sale at Capitol

PHOENIX — Arizona Senate Republicans are hosting a tamale sale at the Capitol on Tuesday in a not-so-subtle rebuke of Gov. Katie Hobbs for vetoing a bill on home-cooked food sales.

Vendors will set up outside the Arizona Capitol Museum from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. as way to “show your support for HB2509 and for Arizona families making an honest living,” according to the Senate GOP caucus.

Sales will be cash only.

HB2509 would have exempted certain homemade “cottage foods” that require temperature control from sales restrictions.

Tamales became a symbol of the bill, which Hobbs vetoed on April 18 after it passed both chambers of the Legislature with widespread bipartisan support.

The Democratic governor said in her veto letter the legislation “would increase the risk of food-borne illness” and could make it harder for officials to investigate disease outbreaks linked to food.

The veto appeared to be in danger of an override, which would require at least 40 votes in the House and 20 in the Senate. The bill originally passed the House with 45 votes and the Senate with 26.

However, Democrat leaders from both chambers have said they won’t provide the votes needed to overturn Hobbs’ decision.

PRESS RELEASE: House Democratic Statement on Veto of HB2509 #azleg pic.twitter.com/K5GfWJvbBA

— Arizona House Democrats (@AZHouseDems) April 24, 2023

Press Release: Senate Democratic Leadership Respond to the Veto of HB2509 pic.twitter.com/N39FpKTvgc

— Arizona Senate Democrats (@AZSenateDems) April 21, 2023

At least one Democrat, Rep. Alma Hernandez, said she will join Republicans in voting to override the veto if it comes to a vote. And she hinted others might, too.

For the record, I will still vote for the override of the veto tomorrow with or without the support of my colleagues who had previously voted yes. I will not support some of the proposed changes that Gov Hobbs has suggested. I know I am not alone. I would rather be politically…

— (((Rep.Alma Hernandez))) (@almaforarizona) April 24, 2023

“I know I am not alone,” she tweeted Monday. “I would rather be politically dead than hypocritically immortalized.”

The Legislature hasn’t rejected a veto since 1981, when Democrat Bruce Babbitt was governor.

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