PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs signed 44 bills into law on Friday. Here are three that stand out:
Homemade tamales legalized
Homemade tamales are back on the menu.
Hobbs on Friday signed a bill that legalizes the sale of perishable, homemade foods often sold on Valley streets or out of homes. The governor vetoed a similar piece of legislation last year.
A key difference in this year's bill was a redefinition of "home kitchen," to prevent commercial food preparers from dodging restaurant regulations. Home cooks are required to have a food handler certification.
Last year, lawmakers failed to override Hobbs' veto. The governor was concerned about the spread of foodborne illness.
A coalition of progressives and conservatives rallied around the slogan "Free the tamales." The legislation was viewed as a way to legalize an economic lifeline for many migrants.
Scottsdale mayor David Ortega had urged a veto: "The so called 'tamale bill' is a 'pizza, burger, lasagna, salads to go' free-for-all, which endangers public health and would bring a 'pizzeria or smoking bar-b-que' kitchen to your neighborhood. "
New state planet: Pluto
Arizona's newest state symbol is 3.3 billion miles away.
Pluto, discovered at the Lowell Observatory in 1930, is now the official state planet.
Hobbs signed into law Republican Rep. Justin Wilmeth's six-word bill - "PLUTO IS THE OFFICIAL STATE PLANET."
The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.
"A key part of what we do here as legislators preserving state history. And that's why I'm writing this bill today, because a major discovery was made in this state 94 years ago, when the state wasn't even 20 years old. I think that's pretty fantastic," Wilmeth of North Phoenix said when he introduced the bill in January.
Wilmeth said that Pluto was embedded in Arizona history and reflects the state's strong presence in astronomy.
Pluto was long considered the ninth planet but was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
In ancient mythology, Pluto was the god of the underworld. Mickey Mouse's pet Pluto debuted in 1930, the same year as the Flagstaff discovery.
But the British girl who gave the planet its name said she had Greek and Roman mythology in mind. Pluto was the god of the underworld.
Pluto is the 20th official symbol of Arizona. Among the others:
- State neckwear: Bola tie
- State drink: Lemonade
- State firearm: Colt single-action revolver
Racist deed restrictions
Decades-old restrictions that kept people of color from buying homes in the Phoenix area still exist on home deeds.
Hobbs signed legislation that will allow homeowners to erase this unenforceable relic of a racist past.
The legislation, which passed unanimously, will allow county recorders to remove unlawful deed restrictions at the property owner's request.
New laws take effect 90 days after the end of the legislative session.
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