Democrat Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Ban China from Buying American Land
Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs just vetoed a bill that would have banned the Chinese government from buying land in Arizona. Senate Bill 1109 wasn’t some wild idea dreamed up in a back room. It passed the state House 41-17, with eight Democrats joining Republicans to support it. The bill simply said the Chinese government couldn’t own more than 30% of Arizona property.
In her veto letter on June 2, Gov. Katie Hobbs wrote that protecting infrastructure was important. “However, this legislation is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets,” she said in the letter. “Additionally, it lacks clear implementation criteria and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.”
Republican Senator Janae Shamp sponsored the bill for good reason. She pointed to attempts by the Chinese government to lease buildings near Luke Air Force Base. The bill aimed to protect Arizona’s military, business, and farm assets from foreign spying and attacks that could create national security threats.
This wasn’t Hobbs’ first time vetoing China-related security bills. In April, she also killed a bill that would have banned Chinese-made phone equipment in state offices. Her reason? It would cause “undue difficulty” for businesses and cost taxpayers money.
In her veto letter on June 2, Gov. Katie Hobbs wrote that protecting infrastructure was important. “However, this legislation is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets,” she said in the letter. “Additionally, it lacks clear implementation criteria and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.”
Republican Senator Janae Shamp sponsored the bill for good reason. She pointed to attempts by the Chinese government to lease buildings near Luke Air Force Base. The bill aimed to protect Arizona’s military, business, and farm assets from foreign spying and attacks that could create national security threats.
This wasn’t Hobbs’ first time vetoing China-related security bills. In April, she also killed a bill that would have banned Chinese-made phone equipment in state offices. Her reason? It would cause “undue difficulty” for businesses and cost taxpayers money.
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