Arizona Gov. Hobbs vetoes bill banning China from owning land in state

Arizona's Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill preventing Chinese ownership of land in the state

The Republican-backed legislation barred the Chinese government from holding a stake of 30 percent or more in any Arizona property

The sponsor of Senate Bill 1109, GOP State Senator Janae Champs said the measure was intended to protect U.S. military installations in Arizona from Chinese spying

She said the Chinese government is already engaging in espionage in Arizona

Chinese investors do own land near military bases, which has raised national security concerns

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2023 that the U.S. tracked roughly 100 cases involving Chinese nationals who attempted to access American military installations, sometimes posing as tourists

Democratic lawmakers in Arizona argued the original version of Shamp's bill was unconstitutional and discriminatory

It would have banned property ownership in Arizona by people and companies from any nation listed as an enemy of the U by the Director of National Intelligence It exempted small parcels of

residential land more than 50 miles from U.S. military sites. Eventually, a heavily amended bill

targeting only the Chinese government and its subsidiaries passed both the House and Senate

Hobbs defended her veto, saying SB 1109 is ineffective at counterespionage and does not

directly protect our military assets. Champ called the veto politically motivated and utterly insane

Hobbs also drew criticism from Michael Lucci, the CEO and founder of State Armor Action

a nonprofit that is pushing anti-China bills in legislatures across the country

Lucci accused Hobbs of opening the door to allow communist China near critical assets

like Luke Air Force Base. Champ could ask her legislative colleagues to override the veto, but that would require

a two-thirds vote by both the House and the Senate. For more on this story

download the Straight Arrow News app or visit san.com. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey