Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro criticized Governor Katie Hobbs’ decision to freeze bill signings after she left budget negotiations more than three weeks ago, according to a statement released by Montenegro. He said Hobbs walked away from the talks when it became clear her spending plan relied on revenue that did not exist and lacked a responsible path to a balanced budget.
“Governor Hobbs quit the budget talks more than three weeks ago after it became clear her numbers did not add up, and now she is trying to distract from that failure with a bill-signing freeze. That is political theater. Arizona needs a balanced budget built on honest numbers, not press stunts and invented revenue. House Republicans are at the Capitol, doing the work and ready to govern. The Governor can end her sideshow anytime by coming back to the table, doing her job and dealing with reality,” Montenegro said.
Montenegro serves as Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives for Legislative District 29 in the West Valley, Goodyear, and Surprise. He was elected to the Arizona State House in 2023 as a Republican representative for District 29, replacing previous state representative Richard Andrade, according to Ballotpedia.
The dispute centers around ongoing efforts to pass a balanced state budget amid disagreements over projected revenues and spending priorities. No further details were provided regarding next steps or potential resolutions.
More information can be found in the organization’s press release.
