• Governor Katie Hobbs signed an order blocking county attorneys from prosecuting abortion-related cases.
• Mr. Hobbes has transferred authority over these cases to the office of the Arizona Attorney General.
• Local Republican prosecutors in the state have condemned the move, with some considering legal action.

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed an executive order Friday barring local prosecutors from prosecuting abortion-related crimes. It aims to strengthen abortion rights in politically competitive battleground states.

In the executive order, the Democratic governor stripped prosecutors of their powers, then transferred them to state attorney general Democrat Chris Mays. The governor’s office argues that centralizing prosecutorial authority with the Attorney General prevents the interpretation of the law from one jurisdiction that could differ materially from another.

“I signed an executive order protecting the reproductive freedoms of Arizona people,” Hobbes said. tweeted on friday. “I will not allow extreme and deviant politicians to interfere with the fundamental rights of Arizonans.”

“I have directed state officials not to cooperate with any investigation into the provision, assistance, search, or acquisition of reproductive health care that is legal in Arizona,” she continued. “Going forward, Arizona will reject extradition requests from other states seeking prosecution of individuals who have provided, assisted, sought, or received legal abortion services in Arizona.”

Hobbes’ move was praised by abortion rights activists and groups such as the Arizona Planned Family System.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling last June, the issue of abortion returned to states once again, with draconian rules and bans being introduced in a jumble of rules and bans in heavily Republican states. It was decided. Many Democratic-leaning states have enacted laws to maintain access to abortion services.

But several Republican prosecutors in Arizona have criticized the move while continuing to review the documents, with some suggesting they could file lawsuits to block the governor’s order.

“Is she going to say drug cases and murders can’t be prosecuted?” Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer told the New York Times. “It’s very problematic for the governor to take that power away from me and say, ‘Leave it to the big cities.'”

In an interview with The Times, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell called Hobbs’ move “outrageous.”

With the Arizona legislature still dominated by Republicans, Mr. Hobbs serves as a checkpoint for conservative bills that come to his desk. Hobbes pledged to defend his abortion rights during last year’s gubernatorial campaign, and given the state’s current political make-up, the order is one of the most realistic opportunities for him to follow through on that promise. .