In a letter to the Democratic governor on Monday, three Republican members of the nominating committee for the director said they would, at least in part, ensure that the person the governor chooses to head state agencies follows laws set by Congress. said it was their role.

But Senators Jake Hoffman, Sain Kerr, and TJ Shop on Friday stripped the state’s 15 county attorneys of the power to prosecute abortion cases and empowered Attorney General Chris Mays, who supports abortion rights. Mr. Hobbes’ executive order to give said he would “give them immeasurable.” Concern that your firm may try to act outside its vested interests in the future. “

Senators of Queen Creek, Buckeye and Coolidge said respectively, “In light of your recent administrative actions, I am afraid that the instructions you intend to provide to your candidates will not allow them to meet this obligation. I have grave concerns,” he said.

They hope to meet with Mr. Hobbes, or at least with members of her administration, to “discuss further misconduct of the office that calls for the complicity of the Director General.”

The next public hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, June 27, but their decision to cancel will not have immediate impact.

Candidates for governor can serve up to one year without Senate confirmation. That way, citizens awaiting Senate action will be able to keep their jobs and run state agencies until 2024.

But if not resolved by then, the decision means that the people Mr Hobbes has picked since he took office in January will step down at the end of their terms. Hobbes would then make a new nomination, submit a name and, depending on the Senate, do it all over again.

In response, Hobbes’ press aide, Christian Slater, said the executive order and whether the governor had a legal right to tell 15 county attorneys that they no longer had the authority to prosecute medical professionals who perform abortions. I didn’t mention what. On the contrary, he lashed out at Hoffmann.

“Senator Hoffman has shown reckless disdain for small businesses, veterans, children, and ordinary people in Arizona by not considering candidates fairly and by holding state agencies hostage to a partisan political game. Slater said in a written statement. As far as Hobbs is concerned, this latest move by Hoffman isn’t much of a change from her previous stance on the candidate.

“At the current pace, Gov. Hobbs won’t be able to endorse every candidate until a second term,” Slater said.

The anger of the three senators wasn’t just directed at the governor.

In a letter to Mr. Hobbes, they accused her of “colluding” with Mr. Mays.

Mays, a Democrat, participated in the decision-making process that led Hobbes to conclude that Arizona law gives her the right to direct the Attorney General to handle all future abortion cases. was This effectively decriminalized abortion in Arizona. Ms Mays argues that the right to privacy built into the Arizona constitution puts women outside the power of the government to make the decision to have an abortion.

Mr. Hobbes said he was concerned that the ongoing legal battle in the Arizona Supreme Court could lead to conflicting conclusions among the 15 county attorneys as to which of the two state statutes is enforceable. He said he was. Another one he made legal is abortion up to the 15th week of pregnancy.

Mays’ aides acknowledged that Mays believes privacy rights also include so-called “late-stage” abortions, and even before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision last year, Arizona had not been implemented.

In a separate statement, Mr Hoffmann, chair of the nominating committee, said Mr Hobbes had left lawmakers no choice.

“We are now forced to shift our attention away from board approval and developing good policy for the people of Arizona, to considering the impact of Mr. Hobbes’ unconstitutional actions and the possible excesses of her powers in the future. It’s been done,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman also chairs the Arizona Liberal Caucus, a group of Republicans who support government and tax restrictions. The caucuses have become more vocal and militant this year, with a Twitter bio even stating that “Katie Hobbs’ democratic fascism won’t win under our watch.”

The animosity went both ways as Mr. Hobbs openly criticized Mr. Hoffman, saying hearings for Mr. Hoffman’s candidate were slow and stagnant.

“I don’t think fake elector Jake Hoffman has any interest in good government,” she said in February, criticizing the candidate selection and screening process.

This is because of Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona and electoral votes vowing to vote for Donald Trump after the 2020 election, despite being entitled to the state’s 11 electoral votes. Hoffman was one of the 11 names sent to Congress by the Arizona Republican Party.

“He’s interested in setting the stage for his own political theater,” Hobbes said.

He said what the Senate was doing “could put the government on hold.”

Earlier this year, the committee recommended to the Senate plenary not to approve Pima County Health Director Teresa Cullen as Arizona Health Services Director.

They questioned Pima County, which has the toughest public health rules during the COVID-19 pandemic, often at odds with former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. Hobbes withdrew his nomination, but the Senate plenary voted against Cullen, claiming it had not received the message.

Hobbes also rejected the nomination of former state senator Martin Quezada as contractor registrar after a Republican-dominated review panel voted 3-2 against him, in line with party policy. I had to withdraw. Republicans issued a press release shortly after the hearing, calling Quesada an “unqualified extremist.” Several trade groups representing contractors supported Quesada’s approval.