STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX –  Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB1300, which would have given residents of the San Simon Valley sub-basin in southeastern Arizona the opportunity to establish an “Irrigation Non-expansion Area” (INA) in the basin to protect local groundwater resources.

Had it been adopted, SB1300 would have allowed supervisors in Graham and Cochise counties to place the question on the ballot for the November 2026 general election, letting local voters decide whether to establish an INA—giving residents a direct voice in the decision.

In 2022, residents of the Willcox groundwater basin overwhelmingly rejected the establishment of an “Active Management Area” (AMA) in that basin, citing the fact that AMAs don’t work for rural areas.

In 2024, Representative Gail Griffin, Chair of the House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee, authored an op-ed asserting that Willcox qualified as an Irrigation Non-expansion Area instead of an AMA, explaining why an INA was more appropriate than an AMA for that basin.

When an INA is established, the expansion of agricultural land is prohibited—preserving groundwater and giving residents time to determine how best to manage existing pumping going forward.

Under SB1300, INA restrictions would have taken effect temporarily as soon as the board of supervisors voted to place the question on the ballot. This would have ensured that no new irrigation pumping occurred while residents awaited the 2026 election outcome.

If the INA were approved by voters, the temporary pause would become permanent.

“Whether voted up or down, either outcome would have resulted in at least a six-month pause on new agricultural expansion,” said Representative Griffin. “That alone would have provided a net benefit to the aquifer. But the Governor vetoed it—missing an opportunity to provide easy, commonsense groundwater savings without much political effort.”  

In December 2024, despite local opposition, and despite qualifying as an INA, Governor Hobbs directed the Arizona Department of Water Resources to unilaterally designate the Willcox basin as an AMA—demonstrating a willingness to override local voices with top-down mandates.

The effort to give San Simon Valley residents the opportunity to decide for themselves whether to control the expansion of new irrigation groundwater pumping was a part of a broader effort to increase local control over groundwater, but the Governor vetoed that effort as well, attempting to gain leverage for her own radical groundwater proposal. 

In 2025, the Governor released an 87-page piece of rural groundwater legislation that proposed to write the San Simon Valley sub-basin into law as a new “Rural Groundwater Management Area,” regardless of whether the local residents wanted it or not.

Under the Governor’s proposal, groundwater users in San Simon Valley would be subject to mandatory groundwater cuts of up to 40% over 40 years, devastating the local economy. Meanwhile, in Willcox, the Governor wants to impose “mandatory conservation requirements, including volumetric reductions“ to achieve a “50% reduction” in overdraft “by 2075.”

To date, House and Senate Republicans have not supported the Governor’s mandates.

“The Governor talks a big game about local control,” said Representative Griffin. “But so far she has vetoed every bill on local control for groundwater that has been sent to her.”

“What the Governor wants in rural Arizona is to adopt regulations that are more stringent than urban areas like Phoenix and Tucson, where over 80% of the population resides,” said Representative Griffin. “These extreme expectations are simply not achievable for rural Arizona, nor are they consistent with the local customs, culture, and traditions of the area. Our communities want to protect these values—yet the Governor is moving full steam ahead with her radical agenda.”

“Arizona Republicans are advancing solutions and additional tools to address rural groundwater, including tools to control the expansion of pumping, stabilize the aquifer, and put more water in the ground through groundwater conservation and stormwater recharge. We stand by our rural communities and the principles of local control, property rights, and strong local economies.”

“We will continue to meet with stakeholders to help resolve water issues and provide additional tools for rural Arizona.”

Gail Griffin is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 19, which includes areas of Greenlee, Graham, Cochise, and eastern Pima and Santa Cruz Counties. She also serves as Chairman of the House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee.