SE Valley Times

Steve Montenegro, Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, said that Governor Katie Hobbs and Democratic legislators "continue to block reforms" aimed at achieving transparent election results. He made this statement in a February 18 post on X, responding to a post from Governor Hobbs.

"Governor Hobbs and Democrat legislators continue to block reforms aimed at ensuring timely and transparent election results," said Montenegro. "If they won't act, we will—letting Arizona voters have the final say."

According to the Arizona Legislature site, Arizona House Bill 2703 (HB2703) was a legislative proposal designed to expedite the state's ballot-counting process. The bill proposed measures such as setting a firm deadline for early ballot returns and allowing on-site tabulation during early voting.

Screenshot of X Post | X

On February 18, 2025, Governor Hobbs vetoed the bill. In a news release, she said, "After adding partisan policies that do nothing to speed up election results and refusing to compromise to protect voting access, it’s clear to me the focus of this bill is disenfranchising voters for partisan gain, not speeding up election results."

Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap criticized Governor Hobbs' veto of HB2703. Heap argued that the bill had near-unanimous support from Arizona election officials and was crucial for securing accurate and timely election results. "HB2703 was essential to ensure that AZ’s elections results are reported in a secure, accurate & TIMELY manner. HB2703 was wildly popular across the political spectrum," he said in a post on X.

Montenegro has served as Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives since January 2025, representing the 29th legislative district according to AZleg.gov.