Gov. Katie Hobbs looks back at accomplishments made during 2025

PHOENIX — Although Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs holds the state’s record for the most bills vetoed in a legislative session, she said what was most meaningful to her in 2025 was the legislation she passed.

“I came into office saying I’m going to be the backstop when I need to and I’m going to protect Arizona’s rights,” Hobbs told KTAR News 92.3FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on Thursday. “But I’m also really proud of the fact that I’ve signed a lot more bills into law than I vetoed and that I worked really hard across the aisle to get some really big things done.”

She added that the bills are often harder fights than the vetoes, which not only makes them more meaningful but also more impactful.

What accomplishments from 2025 did Gov. Katie Hobbs highlight?

The governor highlighted the 2025 legislative session as a productive one where a lot of progress was made.

“I think especially when you look at the expectations going into session, there were more Republicans (than Democrats) and we worked together and got a lot of things done,” Hobbs said.

She highlighted the Ag-to-Urban Bill, which allows farmers to sell their groundwater rights to housing developers, as the most significant groundwater legislation since the Groundwater Management Act of 1980. The governor noted that it will allow the state to build more housing and save a significant amount of water.

Hobbs also listed Senate Bill 1543, known as the Axon Bill, as a significant achievement due to it keeping the company and it’s more than 5,000 jobs in the Grand Canyon State.

“We just announced new job numbers for the state,” Hobbs added. “We are eighth in the nation for private sector job growth. That is huge. We are one of a few states that is expanding right now given the uncertainties of the economy.”

The specific areas where Arizona is seeing the most job growth are mining and health care, according to Hobbs.

The final bill that the governor called attention to was House Bill 2704, which she signed into law in June. The legislation will allocate up to $500 million in public funding for Chase Field renovations over the next 30 years. As part of the deal, the Diamondbacks committed another $250 million for upgrades to the 27-year-old stadium.

Besides the legislation and jobs, Hobbs emphasized the fact that “Arizona’s inflation is less than half of the country’s as a whole.” However, she admitted that it might not feel that way for Arizonans and their wallets.

Hobbs looks beyond accomplishments at areas that still need help

Despite all of the accomplishments made in 2025, Hobbs stated that there’s still work to be done.

Specifically, the governor emphasized that she is going to fight to pass the Middle Class Tax Cuts Package.

“(I’m going) to work across the aisle to lower costs and continue to create jobs and grow the economy,” Hobbs said.

Others areas she identified that still need help were rural groundwater and housing.

“We’ve made progress. There’s more to do,” Hobbs said.

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