Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.) is facing backlash after vetoing a bill on Monday that was intended to prevent China from purchasing land located near military bases and other strategic assets.
In a Monday letter to Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, Hobbs wrote, “Today, I vetoed Senate Bill 1109. Improvements to systems that protect our infrastructure are important. However, this legislation is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets. Additionally, it lacks clear implementation and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.”
The legislation vetoed by the Democrat governor, S.B 1109, would have prevented China from obtaining a 30% stake in the Arizona property. Fox News reported that the Arizona state legislature could still implement the bill if it votes to override the governor’s veto.
In a statement obtained by Arizona Daily Independent, Arizona Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp, a Republican, slammed Hobbs for blocking the bill with a “politically motivated veto,” which she said was “utterly insane.” Shamp added that Hobbs was acting as “an obstructionist against safeguarding our citizens from threats.”
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According to Fox News, Shamp previously warned that China had attempted to lease buildings located near Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.
State Armor Action CEO Michael Lucci also criticized the Democrat governor, saying, “Governor Hobbs’s veto of SB 1109 hangs an ‘Open for the CCP’ sign on Arizona’s front door, allowing Communist China to buy up American land near critical assets like Luke Air Force Base, Palo Verde nuclear power plant, and Taiwan Semiconductor’s growing fabrication footprint.”
Lucci argued that Hobbs was “substantively and completely wrong” for suggesting that S.B. 1109 was not effective at “counter-espionage” and would not directly protect U.S. military assets in Arizona. The State Armor Action CEO added that letting China purchase land near “critical assets” in Arizona presents a “national security risk.”
According to Committee of 100, a nonprofit organization of Chinese Americans, 27 states were considering 84 bills to place restrictions on foreign property ownership as of March 17. The nonprofit organization’s website shows that 22 states have already approved bills that place restrictions on foreign property ownership, with 17 of the bills being passed into law in 2024.
