Some threats don’t announce themselves with sirens and flashing lights. They creep in quietly, buying land near our military bases and setting up shop right under our noses. While foreign adversaries circle American defense assets like bargain hunters at a yard sale, you’d think protecting our bases would be easy for any elected official.
You’d be wrong. At least in Arizona, where politics beats protection every single time.
Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs just vetoed a bill that would have banned the Chinese government from buying land in Arizona. Senate Bill 1109 wasn’t some wild idea dreamed up in a back room. It passed the state House 41-17, with eight Democrats joining Republicans to support it. The bill simply said the Chinese government couldn’t own more than 30% of Arizona property.
From Arizona Mirror:
In her veto letter on June 2, Gov. Katie Hobbs wrote that protecting infrastructure was important. “However, this legislation is ineffective at counter-espionage and does not directly protect our military assets,” she said in the letter. “Additionally, it lacks clear implementation criteria and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement.”
Republican Senator Janae Shamp sponsored the bill for good reason. She pointed to attempts by the Chinese government to lease buildings near Luke Air Force Base. The bill aimed to protect Arizona’s military, business, and farm assets from foreign spying and attacks that could create national security threats.
Shamp didn’t hold back about the governor’s choice. She called the veto “politically motivated” and warned that Arizona’s future would be “in jeopardy” if Hobbs kept blocking smart security measures.
“It is utterly insane that Arizona’s top elected official would rather block safety measures than sign legislation giving our state a fighting chance,” Shamp said.
This wasn’t Hobbs’ first time vetoing China-related security bills. In April, she also killed a bill that would have banned Chinese-made phone equipment in state offices. Her reason? It would cause “undue difficulty” for businesses and cost taxpayers money.
Shamp warned that China has been buying large pieces of land near important facilities across the country. These properties could be used for spying, gathering secrets, or even placing weapons like drone swarms for potential attacks on U.S. military bases.
While Arizona’s governor plays politics with national security, other states are taking action. Last year, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a law stopping agents of China and other enemy countries from buying farmland or land within 10 miles of military bases.
Arizona has plenty of military targets that need protection. The state hosts Fort Huachuca, home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center. It also has Yuma Proving Ground, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, and several Air Force bases.
When your state has that many military assets and your legislature sends you a bill with support from both parties to protect them, vetoing it looks like the wrong choice.
Sources: Arizona Mirror, NTD
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Author: adam
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