Gov. Hobbs Pauses All Legislation Until Crucial Disabilities Funding Bill is Approved

Governor Katie Hobbs is refusing to sign any legislation until a bipartisan emergency funding bill for the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) is advanced by the Legislature.

On April 17, Hobbs announced a moratorium on any bills transmitted to her after her announcement, demanding a revised version of House Bill 2945. This bill seeks to allocate $122 million in emergency funding for the DDD, which is critical to address the urgent needs of individuals reliant on these services.

“While they (Republicans) 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 stated in a press release. Her comments underline the urgency of the situation for nearly 60,000 Arizonans who depend on DDD for their independence and dignity.

In solidarity with Hobbs, House Democrats protested by voting against all bills presented in the House that same day. House Minority Leader Oscar De Los Santos expressed hope for a bipartisan compromise, stating, “I think there’s a path. I hope there’s a path, but we’re open to it. Democrats are fully open to it; it’s Republican leadership that’s blocking this.”

House Speaker Steve Montenegro criticized Hobbs’ moratorium as “political blackmail,” asserting that she exacerbated the crisis by expanding the DDD program without securing necessary legislative approval or funding. “Now she’s throwing a tantrum because the Legislature is doing the responsible thing,” he said.

House Republicans also denounced the Democrats’ protest. Rep. Lorena Austin remarked that disruption was a necessary strategy, as limited actions are available to the minority party. Rep. Nick Kupper noted, “If we are voting on one bill because of an unrelated bill, we’re failing our people.”