Grand Canyon Times

After a legal dispute with the Arizona Senate, Governor Katie Hobbs has agreed to nominate new directors following a court ruling that confirmed she violated state law by bypassing the Senate confirmation process. This development comes after months of contention between Hobbs and the Senate.

Senate President Warren Petersen has been working to hold Governor Hobbs accountable since September 2023. The issue arose when a Senate committee recommended against confirming a nominee accused of plagiarism. In response, Hobbs informed Petersen of her intention to bypass the mandated confirmation process for agency directors. She withdrew 13 pending director nominations and reappointed them under the title "Executive Deputy Directors," claiming they had equivalent authority to Senate-confirmed directors. Her approach was later described as "strange" by her own attorney.

In June, a superior court judge ruled that state law requires nominees for these positions, rejecting Hobbs' strategy as it removed legislative oversight. The court stated that "the Governor willfully circumvented th[e] statutory process."

Arizona law mandates that agencies be led by Senate-confirmed directors according to A.R.S. § 38-211, which is intended to protect citizens' liberties and provide checks on executive power.

"We continue to see a disturbing trend unfolding, where Democrats are weaponizing the government in an attempt to force unlawful and extreme agendas upon our citizens," said President Petersen. He emphasized the importance of legislative oversight in holding executives accountable and expressed relief at returning to proper vetting processes for director nominations.

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus