Latest news with #Hobbs
3 hours ago
- Business
Arizona governor approves up to $500M in taxpayer funds to upgrade home of Diamondbacks
PHOENIX -- Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed legislation Friday that funds up to $500 million in renovations to Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The bill, which won bipartisan support in both of the state's GOP-controlled chambers, will use sales tax revenue from the stadium and nearby buildings for infrastructure upgrades over the next 30 years, including improvements to air conditioning systems and the stadium's retractable roof. The team said it will also contribute $250 million for the renovations at the stadium, which is located in downtown Phoenix and is surrounded by small businesses and restaurants that see a boost of activity during the baseball season. The legislation is one of a handful of bipartisan deals that Hobbs, a Democrat, prioritized negotiating during the session. She says the funding is a responsible use of taxpayer dollars, will provide good-paying jobs and ensure the Diamondbacks do not leave Phoenix. Attendance at games has increased since the team's 2023 run to the World Series, where the Diamondbacks lost to the Texas Rangers. This season they are averaging 31,420 fans per game — the highest in two decades. 'I'm not going to let Arizona lose the Diamondbacks,' Hobbs said Friday on the social platform X. Derrick Hall, president and CEO of the Diamondbacks, praised the governor and said the team will now turn its attention to extending its lease with Maricopa County. The bill cleared the Legislature June 23 after months of debate that included the question of whether the Diamondbacks could potentially leave unless a public funding deal was reached. Other MLB teams have threatened to leave host cities if they did not get public financing. The Oakland A's, for example, complained for years about the Oakland Coliseum and an inability to gain government assistance for a new ballpark. Now the team is bound for Las Vegas, where a groundbreaking ceremony was held this month for a $1.75 billion ballpark that is expected to be completed in time for the 2028 season. Nevada and Clark County approved up to $380 million in public funds for the project. And last year voters in Jackson County, Missouri, rejected an attempt to extend a sales tax that would have helped fund a ballpark for the Kansas City Royals and stadium renovations for the Kansas City Chiefs. Lawmakers in Kansas are trying to lure the teams with government subsidies, and Missouri is trying to keep them with its own financial incentives. The Diamondbacks have spent nearly three decades in their downtown ballpark, which is owned by the Maricopa County Stadium District. In 2017, the team sued the district over funding for repairs and sought to remove a contractual clause preventing the team from looking into other stadium options. A perennial problem has been the park's air conditioning system and its ability to keep it cool in triple-digit summer heat, Hall said. Fans of country music star Morgan Wallen bemoaned the heat at a concert there last July, despite the retractable roof being closed. Concession stands ran out of water, and some people simply left. Chase Field was one of the first MLB stadiums to have a retractable roof. Now seven out of the 30 teams play under one, including the Brewers, Blue Jays, Rangers, Marlins, Astros and Mariners. Chase Field also has a small swimming pool in right field, one of its most recognizable features. The funding from the Legislature will not mean upgrades to the pool or to stadium suites, the latter of which was a sticking point for Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. She got on board after the bill was updated to prevent funds from being used for suites and a cap was placed on how much money the city would contribute for a land deal should the Diamondbacks break from the Stadium District, according to Gallego chief of staff Seth Scott. Hobbs is running for reelection, and while it's too early to say whether the Diamondbacks funding will be part of her campaign messaging, it's another bipartisan win, her communications director Michael Beyer said. Democratic state Sen. Mitzi Epstein, who voted against the funding, said Hobbs' support for the bill was wrong and hurtful for Arizonans. She said she was disappointed that amendments to create public benefits such as free streaming of games failed.
5 hours ago
- Business
Arizona governor caps off quarrelsome legislative session with budget approval
PHOENIX -- Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed on Friday a bipartisan budget that boosts pay for first responders and increases spending on social services, capping a quarrelsome session of the Republican-led Legislature that brought the state to the brink of a government shutdown. The first-term Democrat broke her veto record, sparred with Republicans over agency leadership nominations and got on board with bipartisan proposals that ruffled the feathers of some members of her party. The session unfolded while Hobbs' 2026 bid to hold the reins of the battleground state loomed large. Hobbs began the session with an uphill climb, confronting expanded Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Arizona is one of eight states where the governor's office and legislature are controlled by opposing parties. Hobbs' office chose to negotiate on just a handful of issues this session, including water policy, funding for some of Arizona's most vulnerable residents and renovations to a stadium used by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Legislature sent the governor a $17.6 billion budget after GOP lawmakers traded barbs with each other and Hobbs' office. The Senate approved one version, but it lacked votes in the House, leaving lawmakers in that chamber to introduce a measure meant to keep state operations running while negotiations continued. On Wednesday, Hobbs vetoed the proposal favored by House Republicans and the continuation measure, calling them partisan and reckless. House Speaker Steve Montenegro introduced amendments to the budget proposal Thursday, and the chamber passed it that night, clearing the way for the Senate to sign off. 'Our principles haven't changed. We've led responsibly in a divided government, fought to preserve conservative priorities, and made this budget better than it would have been without us,' Montenegro said in a statement Friday. Hobbs indicated last fall that she was willing to work with President Donald Trump's administration on border security issues like stopping fentanyl trafficking and followed up in January calling the Laken Riley Act 'an important step forward" in a post on the social platform X. The act requires detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crime. Hobbs' stance drew praise from GOP Senate President Warren Petersen, while members of her own party criticized the measure. She signed an executive order in February to create a task force that would oversee expanded operations at the border, but she later vetoed a measure that would have required local and state officials to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan, a Democrat, said her caucus pushed Hobbs to limit spending on border support, saying it had 'drawn a hard line' and planned to withhold votes on the state budget until the border funding was reduced. Democratic Senate Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Catherine Miranda, who voted against the budget, said last week that she could not support a budget that has language that opens the door to immigration enforcement. 'And while I know that Gov. Hobbs has promised she will not use the Local Border Support Fund to enforce immigrant laws, the language included in a bill has as much impact as the actual policy implementation,' Miranda said. Progressive lobbyist Marilyn Rodriguez said she would have liked to see Hobbs take a less hawkish posture on border security. Despite some frustrations, House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos said the budget delivers on priorities that include public education, Medicaid and expanded health care for certain patients. 'We also make big investments to bring down the cost of childcare and make college tuition free for Arizona's students from working families,' he said in a statement. Hobbs is no stranger to the veto pen, which she has wielded to knock down what she considers proposals that are out of touch with the state's purple electorate. This year, she vetoed about 170 bills, including an attempt to speed up the counting of ballots. She's repeatedly accused state Sen. Jake Hoffman, who chairs the Legislature's Freedom Caucus, for politicizing the confirmations of her agency head nominees. Her fight with Republicans over funding for a state agency that provides services for some of Arizona's most vulnerable residents led to a moratorium on bill signing, and she has criticized Republicans for hitting the breaks on a proposal that could have led to increased regulation of groundwater pumping in rural areas of the drought-stricken state. Hobbs has said she'd take action on the water front in the absence of a legislative deal, which could set up another round of sparring with Republican lawmakers as she prepares to seek another term. endorsed by the president.
San Francisco Chronicle
7 hours ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Arizona governor caps off quarrelsome legislative session with budget approval
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed on Friday a bipartisan budget that boosts pay for first responders and increases spending on social services, capping a quarrelsome session of the Republican-led Legislature that brought the state to the brink of a government shutdown. The first-term Democrat broke her veto record, sparred with Republicans over agency leadership nominations and got on board with bipartisan proposals that ruffled the feathers of some members of her party. The session unfolded while Hobbs' 2026 bid to hold the reins of the battleground state loomed large. Hobbs began the session with an uphill climb, confronting expanded Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Arizona is one of eight states where the governor's office and legislature are controlled by opposing parties. Hobbs' office chose to negotiate on just a handful of issues this session, including water policy, funding for some of Arizona's most vulnerable residents and renovations to a stadium used by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Budget barbs The Legislature sent the governor a $17.6 billion budget after GOP lawmakers traded barbs with each other and Hobbs' office. The Senate approved one version, but it lacked votes in the House, leaving lawmakers in that chamber to introduce a measure meant to keep state operations running while negotiations continued. On Wednesday, Hobbs vetoed the proposal favored by House Republicans and the continuation measure, calling them partisan and reckless. House Speaker Steve Montenegro introduced amendments to the budget proposal Thursday, and the chamber passed it that night, clearing the way for the Senate to sign off. Border security Hobbs indicated last fall that she was willing to work with the Trump administration on border security issues like stopping fentanyl trafficking and followed up in January calling the Laken Riley Act 'an important step forward" in a post on the social platform X. The act requires detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crime. Hobbs' stance drew praise from GOP Senate President Warren Petersen, while members of her own party criticized the measure. She signed an executive order in February to create a task force that would oversee expanded operations at the border, but she later vetoed a measure that would have required local and state officials to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan, a Democrat, said her caucus pushed Hobbs to limit spending on border support, saying it had 'drawn a hard line' and planned to withhold votes on the state budget until the border funding was reduced. Senate Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Catherine Miranda, who voted against the budget, said last week that she could not support a budget that has language that opens the door to immigration enforcement. 'And while I know that Gov. Hobbs has promised she will not use the Local Border Support Fund to enforce immigrant laws, the language included in a bill has as much impact as the actual policy implementation,' Miranda said. Progressive lobbyist Marilyn Rodriguez said she would have liked to see Hobbs take a less hawkish posture on border security. Despite some frustrations, House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos said the budget delivers on priorities that include public education, Medicaid and expanded health care for certain patients. 'We also make big investments to bring down the cost of childcare and make college tuition free for Arizona's students from working families,' he said in a statement. Hardball with Republicans Hobbs is no stranger to the veto pen, which she has wielded to knock down what she considers proposals that are out of touch with the state's purple electorate. This year, she vetoed about 170 bills, including an attempt to speed up the counting of ballots. She's repeatedly accused state Sen. Jake Hoffman, who chairs the Legislature's Freedom Caucus, for politicizing the confirmations of her agency head nominees. Her fight with Republicans over funding for a state agency that provides services for some of Arizona's most vulnerable residents led to a moratorium on bill signing, and she has criticized Republicans for hitting the breaks on a proposal that could have led to increased regulation of groundwater pumping in rural areas of the drought-stricken state. Hobbs has said she'd take action on the water front in the absence of a legislative deal, which could set up another round of sparring with Republican lawmakers as she prepares to seek another term. ___
Hamilton Spectator
7 hours ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Arizona governor caps off quarrelsome legislative session with budget approval
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed on Friday a bipartisan budget that boosts pay for first responders and increases spending on social services, capping a quarrelsome session of the Republican-led Legislature that brought the state to the brink of a government shutdown. The first-term Democrat broke her veto record, sparred with Republicans over agency leadership nominations and got on board with bipartisan proposals that ruffled the feathers of some members of her party. The session unfolded while Hobbs' 2026 bid to hold the reins of the battleground state loomed large. Hobbs began the session with an uphill climb , confronting expanded Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Arizona is one of eight states where the governor's office and legislature are controlled by opposing parties. Hobbs' office chose to negotiate on just a handful of issues this session, including water policy , funding for some of Arizona's most vulnerable residents and renovations to a stadium used by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Budget barbs The Legislature sent the governor a $17.6 billion budget after GOP lawmakers traded barbs with each other and Hobbs' office. The Senate approved one version, but it lacked votes in the House, leaving lawmakers in that chamber to introduce a measure meant to keep state operations running while negotiations continued. On Wednesday, Hobbs vetoed the proposal favored by House Republicans and the continuation measure, calling them partisan and reckless. House Speaker Steve Montenegro introduced amendments to the budget proposal Thursday, and the chamber passed it that night, clearing the way for the Senate to sign off. Border security Hobbs indicated last fall that she was willing to work with the Trump administration on border security issues like stopping fentanyl trafficking and followed up in January calling the Laken Riley Act 'an important step forward' in a post on the social platform X. The act requires detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crime. Hobbs' stance drew praise from GOP Senate President Warren Petersen, while members of her own party criticized the measure. She signed an executive order in February to create a task force that would oversee expanded operations at the border, but she later vetoed a measure that would have required local and state officials to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan, a Democrat, said her caucus pushed Hobbs to limit spending on border support, saying it had 'drawn a hard line' and planned to withhold votes on the state budget until the border funding was reduced. Senate Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Catherine Miranda, who voted against the budget, said last week that she could not support a budget that has language that opens the door to immigration enforcement. 'And while I know that Gov. Hobbs has promised she will not use the Local Border Support Fund to enforce immigrant laws, the language included in a bill has as much impact as the actual policy implementation,' Miranda said. Progressive lobbyist Marilyn Rodriguez said she would have liked to see Hobbs take a less hawkish posture on border security. Despite some frustrations, House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos said the budget delivers on priorities that include public education, Medicaid and expanded health care for certain patients. 'We also make big investments to bring down the cost of childcare and make college tuition free for Arizona's students from working families,' he said in a statement. Hardball with Republicans Hobbs is no stranger to the veto pen, which she has wielded to knock down what she considers proposals that are out of touch with the state's purple electorate. This year, she vetoed about 170 bills, including an attempt to speed up the counting of ballots . She's repeatedly accused state Sen. Jake Hoffman, who chairs the Legislature's Freedom Caucus, for politicizing the confirmations of her agency head nominees. Her fight with Republicans over funding for a state agency that provides services for some of Arizona's most vulnerable residents led to a moratorium on bill signing, and she has criticized Republicans for hitting the breaks on a proposal that could have led to increased regulation of groundwater pumping in rural areas of the drought-stricken state. Hobbs has said she'd take action on the water front in the absence of a legislative deal, which could set up another round of sparring with Republican lawmakers as she prepares to seek another term. With no Democratic challenger, Hobbs is expected to face either Karrin Taylor Robson or U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who are both endorsed by the president . ___ The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures . AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Arizona governor caps off quarrelsome legislative session with budget approval
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs signed on Friday a bipartisan budget that boosts pay for first responders and increases spending on social services, capping a quarrelsome session of the Republican-led Legislature that brought the state to the brink of a government shutdown. The first-term Democrat broke her veto record, sparred with Republicans over agency leadership nominations and got on board with bipartisan proposals that ruffled the feathers of some members of her party. The session unfolded while Hobbs' 2026 bid to hold the reins of the battleground state loomed large. Hobbs began the session with an uphill climb, confronting expanded Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Arizona is one of eight states where the governor's office and legislature are controlled by opposing parties. Hobbs' office chose to negotiate on just a handful of issues this session, including water policy, funding for some of Arizona's most vulnerable residents and renovations to a stadium used by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Budget barbs The Legislature sent the governor a $17.6 billion budget after GOP lawmakers traded barbs with each other and Hobbs' office. The Senate approved one version, but it lacked votes in the House, leaving lawmakers in that chamber to introduce a measure meant to keep state operations running while negotiations continued. On Wednesday, Hobbs vetoed the proposal favored by House Republicans and the continuation measure, calling them partisan and reckless. House Speaker Steve Montenegro introduced amendments to the budget proposal Thursday, and the chamber passed it that night, clearing the way for the Senate to sign off. Border security Hobbs indicated last fall that she was willing to work with the Trump administration on border security issues like stopping fentanyl trafficking and followed up in January calling the Laken Riley Act 'an important step forward' in a post on the social platform X. The act requires detention of unauthorized immigrants accused of theft and violent crime. Hobbs' stance drew praise from GOP Senate President Warren Petersen, while members of her own party criticized the measure. She signed an executive order in February to create a task force that would oversee expanded operations at the border, but she later vetoed a measure that would have required local and state officials to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Senate Minority Leader Priya Sundareshan, a Democrat, said her caucus pushed Hobbs to limit spending on border support, saying it had 'drawn a hard line' and planned to withhold votes on the state budget until the border funding was reduced. Senate Assistant Minority Leader Sen. Catherine Miranda, who voted against the budget, said last week that she could not support a budget that has language that opens the door to immigration enforcement. 'And while I know that Gov. Hobbs has promised she will not use the Local Border Support Fund to enforce immigrant laws, the language included in a bill has as much impact as the actual policy implementation,' Miranda said. Progressive lobbyist Marilyn Rodriguez said she would have liked to see Hobbs take a less hawkish posture on border security. Despite some frustrations, House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos said the budget delivers on priorities that include public education, Medicaid and expanded health care for certain patients. 'We also make big investments to bring down the cost of childcare and make college tuition free for Arizona's students from working families,' he said in a statement. Hardball with Republicans Hobbs is no stranger to the veto pen, which she has wielded to knock down what she considers proposals that are out of touch with the state's purple electorate. This year, she vetoed about 170 bills, including an attempt to speed up the counting of ballots. She's repeatedly accused state Sen. Jake Hoffman, who chairs the Legislature's Freedom Caucus, for politicizing the confirmations of her agency head nominees. Her fight with Republicans over funding for a state agency that provides services for some of Arizona's most vulnerable residents led to a moratorium on bill signing, and she has criticized Republicans for hitting the breaks on a proposal that could have led to increased regulation of groundwater pumping in rural areas of the drought-stricken state. Hobbs has said she'd take action on the water front in the absence of a legislative deal, which could set up another round of sparring with Republican lawmakers as she prepares to seek another term. With no Democratic challenger, Hobbs is expected to face either Karrin Taylor Robson or U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who are both endorsed by the president. ___ The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
