This month, Republicans who control the Arizona fractious Legislature came together with Democrats in a moment of unusual bipartisan accord. They passed a bill that would let Arizona’s home cooks register with the state to legally sell perishable foods like salsas and tamales.
But Katie Hobbs, the state’s new Democratic governor, vetoed the measure last week, citing concerns about the potential for food-borne illnesses, as well as rats and insects in home kitchens. Her veto set off a ferocious culinary and cultural backlash from the Capitol to kitchens across Arizona, offering a political lesson for the new governor: Do not mess with the tamale makers. READ MORE AT THE NEW YORK TIMES
