AZ Political Podcast: Can Gov. Hobbs retake her ‘Veto Queen’ title? Local reporter gives the skinny

Want to know what crazy-sounding bills have been introduced in this legislative session?

Ask Howie.

Want to know the veto that Gov. Katie Hobbs delivered that has the most potential to give the appearance of impropriety on the part of the governor?

Ask Howie.

And, if you want to know if Hobbs’ and the Legislature’s inability to work together may mean you have to do extra work and file your taxes twice — ask Howie.

Howie Fischer, chief correspondent for Arizona’s Capitol Media Service — my guest on this week’s Arizona Political Podcast — is the guy to ask if you’d like to know about anything that’s happened at the state Capitol for more than 40 years. Because that’s how long it has been Howie’s beat.

Howie Fisher joins AZ Political Podcast to share his unique perspective

Despite covering nine governors and dozens of legislative sessions, these last few years brought some things Howie’s never seen before:

• The most bills ever vetoed by an Arizona governor in a single year (Hobbs with 172 in 2024)
• The most bills vetoed by an Arizona governor in a single term (again, Hobbs — who had vetoed almost 400 bills by the end of last year — with several months left in 2026 to add to that total)
• And, this year, Howie witnessed a record number of bills being introduced (more than 2,100 between the House and Senate).

But sadly, what may be the biggest change Howie’s seen politically at the state level is something most of us have seen at the national level: an escalation of nastiness in politics and among politicians.

It kind of makes me wish Howie could answer this question: How do we build a time machine?

The AZ Political Podcast is available at KTAR.com, the KTAR News app and everywhere you get your podcasts.

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