Arizona Governor Vetoes Highway Naming for Charlie Kirk

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill on Friday that sought to rename Phoenix’s State Route 202, or Loop 202, after conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hobbs called Kirk’s death “tragic and a horrifying act of violence,” but argued that political differences should be resolved at the ballot box. Kirk was killed in September at a rally held at Utah Valley University.

Hobbs stated that she would continue working toward solutions that bring people together, but that this bill fell short of that standard by inserting politics into a government function that should remain nonpartisan. She added that any renaming of a highway must follow the current process through the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic names and not be circumvented by the Legislature.

State Senate President Warren Petersen accused Hobbs of breaking with “a long-standing Arizona tradition of recognizing impact over politics.” He wrote that Arizona has never required political agreement to recognize someone’s contribution to public life. Petersen stated that impact, service, and people who have shaped conversations and encouraged others to participate have been recognized. He added that this veto makes it clear that standard has changed, indicating that recognition now depends on political alignment, not contribution, which is a disappointing shift for the state.

According to an analysis by The Associated Press using data from the bill-tracking website Plural, lawmakers in over 20 states have introduced over five dozen bills that honor Kirk. Most of the bills propose days of remembrance honoring Kirk or naming things after him. Reps. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) and August Pfluger (R-Texas) introduced legislation in the House weeks after Kirk’s death to put his likeness on no more than 400,000 coins. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Hobbs’ veto comes after the lawyers for the man charged in connection with Kirk’s death, Tyler Robinson, 22, suggested the bullet that killed Kirk did not match the rifle. They cited inconclusive results from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and two analyses still being conducted by the FBI. Robinson’s lawyers requested a six-month delay for a court hearing scheduled in May to review this and other evidence. The final report from the ATF may determine if the defense teams decides “to offer the testimony of the ATF firearm analyst as exculpatory evidence.”