CEBV Weekly: October 2, 2023
Director Nominations, or "Fear and Loathing (and Dysfunction) at the Arizona Legislature"
Welcome to the October interim at your Arizona Legislature! We don’t normally write these updates out of session, but we couldn’t let this week pass: even out of session, our Republican-run state legislature is perhaps more dysfunctional this week than it's ever been (which is saying something).
Since January, Republicans in the Arizona Senate have been purposefully obstructing Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ agency nominees, starting with the unprecedented creation of a committee solely to vet them. That committee then systematically slow-walked, stonewalled and blackballed Hobbs’ appointees, chasing good talent out of state and sabotaging state governance until, finally, Gov. Hobbs was done tolerating their games. In a blistering letter to the Senate President, she withdrew her remaining nominees, citing his "political circus" as “not a process in which I or my nominees will continue to participate,” and naming them “interim deputy directors” instead.
As you might imagine, when confronted with their failings, Hobbs’ critics didn’t exactly apologize and correct course. Republican Senate President Warren Petersen dug in his heels and threatened to sue. Republican state senator TJ Shope, who sits on the nominations committee, attempted to blame Hobbs for a tragedy that took place during former Gov. Ducey’s administration. Republican state senator Jake Hoffman, who chairs the Nominations Committee, accused Hobbs of “petulant temper tantrums” and “childish games.” (Have you ever looked in a mirror, sir?) And perhaps most shockingly, Republican state treasurer Kimberly Yee barred Hobbs’ designees from attending a state meeting — then accused Hobbs of being the one who broke the law.
Qualified candidates for these positions are not easy to find. From child safety to public health, from veterans’ services to public safety, each agency director must possess very specialized skills and expertise in order to properly run their agency and serve the Arizona people. Purposeful sabotage driven by bitter partisanship only drives candidates away — a shortsighted error in judgment that hurts Arizonans instead of helping them. Even longtime Capitol insiders find it astonishing. Veteran journalist Howie Fischer, who has covered Arizona government since 1982 (!), said, "I mean, look, this is my 9th governor. I've seen fights before, but nothing to this level."
These mean-spirited saboteurs have lost sight of the very purpose of government, and of the roles they should endeavor to fill. Arizona has been moving for years toward pettiness in place of governance, but it’s gobsmacking and truly painful to see so many people calling themselves public servants who are willing to burn it all down instead of working for the public good.
Speaking of burning it down: one of Hobbs’ interim directors compared Yee to "an arsonist scolding others about the dangers of a fire." Spot on, sir.
Despite the hysterics from Hobbs’ Republican critics, governors have circumvented the Senate like this before. In 1991, Republican Gov. Fife Symington deputized his nominee for the Department of Administration in response to the Senate's refusal to confirm. Much more recently, in 2021, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey never formally nominated his acting ADHS director, bypassing the confirmation process entirely; that director served well over one year, the statutorily mandated limit before confirmation is required. Hobbs’ partisan critics are saying those occasions were different, but they aren't. The only difference is politics.
These antics are a gamble that appears to be backfiring. One Capitol insider called Treasurer Yee’s attack on Gov. Hobbs “expert-level trolling.” The most common responses to his quip were perceptiveness (“this is disingenuous, politically-driven and uncalled-for snark”), disgust (“We are paying her to be a professional. I’m so sick and tired of them”), and exasperation (“Yee is paid to be Treasurer, not Troll”).
Voters are fed up with politicians who’d rather break the government they’re charged with operating than run it properly — and they’re taking that sentiment to the ballot box. Since 2018, the Arizona GOP has lost control of two US Senate seats along with Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General. They’ve failed to make gains in legislative cycles that were widely believed to favor them. The state party has almost no cash in the bank and is lagging badly in fundraising.
And they show no sign of correcting course. Arizona Republicans are censuring and suing each other. Republican elected officials continue to turn off voters by running their mouths. Failed grifter / MAGA acolyte / perennial bad penny Kari Lake is poised to declare a bid for US Senate. And they’re still filing endless lawsuits, clogging our courts and wasting our money with their laughable fiction of “rigged” and “stolen” elections rather than doing the hard work of considering why exactly it is they’re losing.
Our state government has actual problems to solve, which means a course correction cannot come soon enough. It’s true that we Arizonans must first suffer through one more legislative session with the people we’ve got now. But don’t lose heart. To quote author and strategist Anand Giridharadas, “They are barnacles on the hull of our progress. They are not the ship. We have to remember that, and fight on.”
Sign a candidate petition. Log into the E-Qual system, identify one or more candidates in your area who are running for office, and help them qualify for the ballot with a simple click.
Volunteer for a campaign. Common-sense, reasonable candidates across Arizona are already knocking on voters’ doors, especially in places where control of the Legislature may depend on their efforts, such as LD2 (here and here), LD13 and LD17. They could use your help!
Practice changing the conversation. Our fate next November depends on our ability to put current events into terms our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers can understand. Watch our 1-hour conversation with political strategist Anand Giridharadas to gain invaluable insight on the messaging that’s key to winning over today's electorate. If you’re like us, you’ll come away energized, liberated, and motivated to put what you’ve learned into practice.
Choose one easy action. Initiate a conversation. Wear a candidate T-shirt in public. Knock a door. Make a phone call. But above all, do something visible: Action is the antidote to despair. You’ll feel better afterward, we promise.
Stay tuned. There are candidates to help and donations to make. Be sure you’re on our email list; we’ll pass along opportunities as we can. And take heart: above all, you are not alone.
Use our website. Civic Engagement Beyond Voting’s website features tons of resources, including a RTS training video that’s 5 minutes well spent.
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