Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) vetoed a bipartisan bill to protect property rights by taking a stronger approach to squatters. The issue of squatting has become a part of the national conversation on crime and property rights. Florida and Georgia have already passed laws addressing the matter.
The Arizona bill, SB 1129, would have empowered property owners to contact the police to remove a squatter from their property. Currently, law enforcement cannot remove people who illegally reside in someone else’s home.
But Hobbs vetoed the bill, claiming in a letter that it “fails to leverage existing legal mechanisms, respect the due process rights of lawful tenants, and minimize unintended consequences such as for victims of domestic violence.”
However, sponsor state Sen. Wendy Rogers said the bill had exemptions for family members, those who agreed to cohabitate and didn’t interfere…
