Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has signed an executive order that prevents county attorney generals from prosecuting abortion cases, giving centralized authority to the state's Democratic attorney general, Kris Mayes. The order sends a message that Arizona will not stand for attacks on reproductive freedom and will ensure that no county attorney can be used to restrict access to abortion care. The executive order has been praised by reproductive rights advocates, who say it will help protect access to abortion in the state.
Posts tagged as “Hobbe”
Lake's legal challenge to the 2020 Arizona gubernatorial election has been dismissed by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge, affirming the election of Democrat Katie Hobbs. Lake, a Republican, had made the centerpiece of her campaign the former President Donald Trump's election lies and has since built a loyal following among Trump supporters. Hobbs, who was sworn in as governor in January, said she was pleased with the court's decision and that her focus remains on the people of Arizona.
The Arizona Supreme Court has fined attorneys for Kari Lake, the 2022 Republican candidate for governor, for making false claims about the November election. The court ordered the attorneys to pay $2,000 for repeating "unequivocally false" statements in court, which Chief Justice Robert Brutinel said undermined the integrity of the electoral process. Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) welcomed the ruling as a reminder that false claims about elections will not be tolerated.
On Thursday, authorities released 911 recordings from the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, capturing the terror inside the school as callers pleaded for help. The shooter, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, was fatally shot by responding police officers, and the motive remains under investigation. In response to a tweet about the shooter being transphobic, the press secretary to Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs resigned.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs' press secretary, Josselyn Berry, has resigned after posting a meme on Twitter that some interpreted as advocating for violence against transphobes. This has sparked a debate about the use of social media by public officials, with some arguing for a higher standard and others advocating for free expression. Berry has not commented publicly on her resignation and it is unclear who will replace her.
Mark Finchem, a Donald Trump-backed election denier, has been sanctioned by a judge in Maricopa County, Arizona for filing a lawsuit challenging the state's secretary of state race results without substantial justification. The lawsuit, which was dismissed in December, alleged misconduct by then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and claimed illegal votes were cast due to errors in the laboratory testing of voting machines and voting software issues. The judge's decision to sanction Finchem and his attorney is seen as a victory for those who believe in the integrity of the election process.