GOP lawmakers have grown impatient with Gov. Katie Hobbs’ 2023 “pause” on new subdivisions in areas of metro Phoenix that rely on groundwater.

And they’re not at all happy with the governor’s vetoes on efforts to get that growth moving again.

It’s a good bet that if the House and Senate remain in Republican control next year, they’ll be back with even more legislation to ditch the governor’s pause.

And if past is prologue, they’ll look for ways to get it into law, without the governor’s approval.

But this fight doesn’t just have political implications.

Metro Phoenix needs homes. And while single-family home construction has increased markedly since the beginning of the year, some of the most affordable areas remain off-limits because of the pause.

That’s a problem because growth in those areas isn’t stopping.

Build-to-rent homes and industrial projects — which, unlike subdivisions, are not required to prove they have enough water for the long haul before building in certain areas — are simply taking their place.

Without those protections, it’s just a matter of time before trouble arises with these uses and another round of “Phoenix is running out of water” stories hit the........

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