STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX –  House Speaker Steve Montenegro issued the following statement in response to Governor Katie Hobbs’ announcement that she will halt action on bills:

“Governor Hobbs’ decision to hold every bill hostage because she didn’t get her way on a blank check is not leadership—it’s political blackmail. She created this crisis by foolishly expanding the DDD program without legislative approval or funding in place, and now she’s throwing a tantrum because the Legislature is doing the responsible thing: funding services while putting guardrails in place to keep the program from collapsing.

“Let’s be clear: House Republicans are already advancing legislation to fully fund the DDD program. What the Governor demands is no oversight, no reforms, and no accountability for the financial mess she clearly made. That’s not a solution.

“If Governor Hobbs was serious about protecting families, she’d stop the partisan press releases, stop the threats, and finally come to the table. Until then, she’s the one playing political games—at the expense of every Arizonan waiting for her to do her job.”

Steve Montenegro is the Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and serves Legislative District 29 in the West Valley, Goodyear, and Surprise. Follow him on X at @SteveMontenegro.