Despite strong support from the Arizona Legislature, Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed Senate Bills 1014, 1020, and 1143, each of which sought to protect and enhance the rights of gun owners in the Grand Canyon State.
Senate Bill 1014 amends Arizona’s definition of “Prohibited weapon” to no longer include suppressors. Current state law already exempts suppressors that are possessed, manufactured, or transported in compliance with federal law, which tightly regulates them.
Senate Bill 1020 aimed to protect the rights of lawfully armed citizens—particularly concealed carry permit holders—on college and university campuses. It would have prohibited governing boards of public institutions of higher education from enforcing policies that disarm lawful carriers or ban firearm transportation and storage in locked vehicles.
Senate Bill 1143 was designed to safeguard the privacy of firearm purchasers by prohibiting the use of firearm-specific merchant category codes (MCCs) by payment processors. The legislation would have prevented discrimination against gun owners and Second Amendment businesses by protecting their financial privacy.
Unfortunately, this string of vetoes follows the Governor’s earlier rejection of Senate Bill 1705, which sought to strengthen Arizona’s firearm preemption laws and hold local officials accountable for violations.
Stay tuned to the NRA-ILA website and your inbox for future updates on firearm-related legislation in Arizona and across the country.