Sen. John Kavanagh scaled back his bill to handle the visible effects of homelessness before it was able to win legislative approval, but this week Gov. Katie Hobbs rejected it, saying the proposal did not deal with the real problem.

"Rather than solving these issues in a meaningful way, this bill only makes them less visible,” the governor said when she vetoed the measure.

The bill sponsored by Kavanagh, a Fountain Hills Republican whose district includes Scottsdale, would have made it illegal to erect or maintain any sort of housing enclosure on any public street, highway, alley, lane, parkway, sidewalk or other right of way. And that was defined to include a tent, tarp, box or similar object.

Kavanagh had proposed a much broader measure, one that would have kept anyone from lying, sleeping or sitting on a sidewalk or other right of way unless the person is experiencing a physical emergency or if there is some sort of permit for a fair, parade, concert, fireworks display or similar event.

But Kavanagh said other lawmakers said that was overly broad.

He also agreed to drop his original proposal to make it a crime, instead settling for a civil violation which would be subject to a fine.

Hobbs said the measure had no merit.

"We need to address Arizona's housing and homelessness crisis in a comprehensive manner,” she wrote in her veto message.

"Now, more than ever, it's important that we are clear-eyed about the challenges we face and the urgency required to overcome them.''