PHOENIX – Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said Thursday she won’t sign any new bills until the Republican-controlled Legislature passes an acceptable bipartisan bill to fund services for people with disabilities.
The bill moratorium applies to legislation that hasn’t yet reached the Democratic governor’s desk. She plans to act on bills already transmitted in the coming days.
Hobbs accused GOP Reps. David Livingston and Matt Gress of orchestrating “manufactured chaos” related to the funding issue.
“While they leverage a crisis of their own creation to engage in political warfare, Arizonans with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other disabilities are the ones harmed by their partisan attacks,” Hobbs said in a press release. “That’s unacceptable to me, and after meeting with families dependent on these critical services, I know it’s unacceptable to the nearly 60,000 Arizonans who rely on the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) to live their lives with independence and dignity.”
Bill moratorium is governor’s answer to ‘unserious’ bill
Livingston introduced a supplemental spending bill to fund the DDD earlier this month. HB2945 advanced through the House appropriations and rules committees this week.
“What we’re doing today is stepping up with a responsible, fully funded solution that protects families, restores order and keeps this from happening again,” House Speaker Steve Montenegro said in a statement after the bill was introduced on April 7. “We’re bringing compassion and common sense back into the process. Families deserve stability — not budget chaos and political excuses.”
Hobbs, who set an Arizona veto record in 2023, said she heard from affected families and organizations who expressed concerns about the plan.
“It reduces services for disabled Arizonans, adds red tape and paves the way to ending the Parents as Paid Caregivers program altogether,” the governor said in an April 9 press release. “It slashes funding for down payment assistance for middle class families. And this reckless Republican proposal will enable attacks on other critical Medicaid programs in the immediate future.”
It’s shameful that a few, extreme Republican legislators are holding funding for Arizonans with disabilities hostage to their political theater.
Business as usual cannot continue until Arizonans with developmental disabilities and their caregivers have the certainty they need.
— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) April 17, 2025
While announcing her bill moratorium Thursday, Hobbs called the GOP proposal “unserious and a complete nonstarter.”
“I am ready to negotiate with anybody who is willing to discuss a serious supplemental funding bill,” the governor said. “In the coming days, I will continue working toward real solutions, starting with the serious proposals already put forward.”
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