Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a bill that would have banned K–12 schools in the state from teaching what’s referred to as critical race theory.
Under the legislation, schools could have faced a $5,000 fine per violation.
In a letter following the veto, Hobbs said bills like this “divide and antagonize” and thrust students and teachers into culture wars.
The governor urged the Legislature to instead work on issues like underfunded classrooms, educator retention and school building repair.
Republican backers of the bill frame critical race theory as a leftist worldview. But critics say the theory isn’t being taught in Arizona schools.