03-06-2025
Hobbs vetoes bill banning China from owning land in Arizona
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Arizona's Democratic governor has vetoed legislation that would have barred the Chinese government from owning land in the state.
The GOP-backed measure banned the People's Republic of China — including enterprises that are totally owned by the Chinese government and subdivisions of the Chinese government — from having a substantial interest in Arizona property. The bill defines a substantial interest as a stake of 30% or more.
Sen. Janae Shamp, the Republican sponsor of Senate Bill 1109, said during a debate of the bill on Feb. 26 that it was aimed at protecting U.S. military bases from spying, and she alleged that has already happened in Arizona.
'The actual Chinese government, our enemy, was trying to lease buildings near the (Luke Air Force) base,' Shamp said. '(N)ot making sure that we are protecting our national security or our men and women on the ground here in Arizona is ludicrous to me.'
Reports about the Chinese government purchasing land near military bases in the U.S. has, in many cases, been misleading.
Democrats in the state House of Representatives and Senate shared concerns that the original version of Shamp's proposal was unconstitutional and that it would lead to discrimination in land sales.
A substantial amendment to the bill, passed through the House on May 6, allayed some of those concerns. The initial version of the bill banned certain people and businesses from countries designated as enemies of the United States by the director of national intelligence from owning land in Arizona. There were exceptions for small plots of residential land more than 50 miles away from a U.S. military installation. The amended version narrowed the ban to only the Chinese government and its subsidiaries.
The Arizona House of Representatives approved the amended bill on May 7 by a vote of 41-17, with eight Democrats voting in favor alongside Republicans. The Arizona Senate gave its final approval of the bill by a vote of 17-11 along party lines on May 28.
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.'
In the language of the bill, Shamp claimed that its 'protection of this state's military, commercial and agricultural assets from foreign espionage and sabotage will place this state in a significantly stronger position to withstand national security threats.'
Far-right Republican Sen. Wendy Rogers, of Flagstaff, on May 28 said that she had sponsored a similar bill a few years ago and was perplexed when it was voted down on the Senate floor. (Rogers sponsored her legislation in 2022 and 2023. Neither bill received a vote by the full Senate.)
'I hope it's not too late,' Rogers said, before voting for Senate Bill 1109.
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