Legislative exits, vetoes, water: The most important Arizona politics stories so far in 2023

Summer is here. The temperature is consistently in the triple digits, and the state Legislature is out on break. The first six months of the year are nearly in the books. While it may seem like the pages of the calendar flipped a little too quickly, Arizona was awash with political news in the first half of the year. A new Democratic governor was sworn in. Bills were passed, but a record number of bills were vetoed. Candidates announced their campaigns for 2024. And water became the hottest topic.  This week on The Gaggle, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl are joined by Arizona Republic reporters covering some of the most pressing topics in Arizona politics. Ray Stern analyzes the number of departures in the state Legislature. Stacey Barchenger talks about Gov. Katie Hobbs' struggle to fill her cabinet. Taylor Seely discusses the confluence of development and water in Maricopa County. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices