Katie Hobbs tells Univision viewers to have a “happy holidays” … “even if you didn’t vote for me”

PHOENIX — Chip on her shoulder, or just socially awkward? Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs told Univision’s audience to have a “happy holidays,” especially those who “didn’t vote for me.”

Hobbs said during a December 17 interview with Univision Arizona anchor León Felipe González that “Latino voters were critical” to her campaign victory and criticized her opponents for pursuing legal challenges related to the election, arguing that “these folks need to stop using our courts” in such a manner. (She told a separate television station ten days earlier that voters across the state “were disenfranchised by the Republican Party.”)

The Democrat laid out her legislative agenda for the coming year, like calling “a special session to repeal Arizona’s pre-Roe ban that criminalizes all abortion” and reversing some of Governor Doug Ducey’s border security initiatives. She said that border security is “a federal issue” and criticized the placement of shipping containers at the border — a stopgap measure in the face of federal inaction — as “a political stunt,” echoing her previous remarks on the topic.

Hobbs closed out the interview by wishing Univision viewers a “happy holidays,” inexplicably adding, “even if you didn’t vote for me.”

Her previous interview with Univision in October was similarly awkward, with Hobbs unable to answer a question about what she has “learned … from the Latino community.” She eventually resigned to a response about “practicing my español — un piquito.”

Christine Jones: Being governor “really tricky for somebody” like Katie Hobbs “who’s never been in charge”

PHOENIX — Business executive Christine Jones said Sunday that running state government will be “really tricky for somebody” like Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs who has “never been in charge.”

12 News anchor Brahm Resnik noted on this week’s “Sunday Square Off” that there has been “an open question” floating around the capitol “about Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs’s skills … as the state’s chief executive” and whether she can adequately perform the duties of the job.

Jones, the former general counsel and executive vice president at GoDaddy, said, “It’s really tricky for somebody who’s never been in charge or the CEO of this massive of an organization, so I think she really is going to have to rely on leadership in the house and the senate to come around her and support whatever policy agenda she has.”

Jones warned that “vetoing is not helpful” and that Hobbs should avoid becoming “known as the ‘no’ governor.”

However, the Democrat already has threatened to veto Republican bills and impose her policy agenda “without legislative approval.” One Arizona state senator, J.D. Mesnard, accused Hobbs earlier this month of “punching us in the face” ahead of the upcoming legislative session.

Katie Hobbs says shipping containers at border “a waste of Arizona taxpayer dollars”

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs reiterated Friday that she wants to see the shipping containers removed from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Hobbs said during an interview with 12 News anchor Tram Mai that the shipping containers — a stopgap measure led by Governor Doug Ducey in the face of federal inaction — are “a waste of Arizona taxpayer dollars” and that “they’re clearly not an effective barrier.” She has staked out this position since the November election, pledging to remove the containers in order to avoid litigation.

The Democrat acknowledged on television that the federal government “is failing” Arizona at the border and expressed concern about the influx of illegal immigrants “we’re going to face when Title 42 is lifted.” However, Hobbs failed to disclose to Mai that she repeatedly backed the lifting of Title 42. For example, she told 3TV in April that “Title 42 is not working” and argued on Telemundo in October that “Title 42 is not immigration policy” and “I am not sure what issue it’s trying to solve.”

Hobbs has acknowledged on a number of occasions that she intends to defund Arizona’s Border Strike Force despite her campaign pledge to the contrary, a reversal for which she has been criticized by lawmakers.

The governor-elect also told 12 News that “hiring is really critical” and “that is going to serve us well in the Governor’s Office.” One of Hobbs’s first hires on the Ninth Floor, announced earlier this month, is a Human Resources manager tasked with promoting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda throughout her administration.

Katie Hobbs looking to implement agenda “without legislative approval”

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs acknowledged Friday that she is seeking to implement her policy agenda “without legislative approval” upon taking office.

Hobbs told Jeremy Duda during an interview with Axios Phoenix that she is “looking at the limits of executive authority and what we can do with executive orders” in order to bypass the Republican-led state legislature, noting that “there’s lines in the sand that we won’t compromise on.”

The Democrat has staked out an antagonistic posture toward Arizona’s elected lawmakers since the November election, with members already accusing her of “punching us in the face” in order to “excite her base.” Hobbs also has threatened that she “won’t hesitate” to veto Republican bills ahead of the upcoming legislative session.

VIDEO: Katie Hobbs struck “deal” with teachers union “before we endorsed her”

PHOENIX — A lobbyist for the Arizona Education Association acknowledged Wednesday during a private event that Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs struck a “deal” with the teachers union during her gubernatorial race.

Marisol Garcia, who has been a registered lobbyist for the union since 2016, made the comments at a private “Legislative Preview” event last week, according to audio and video obtained by StopKatieHobbs.com.

Referring to Hobbs as the union’s “ally on the Ninth Floor,” the lobbyist acknowledged that she and her client spoke with the Democrat about their agenda “before we endorsed her” and that “so far she is living up to that deal.” Hobbs recently called for the permanent repeal of the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL) and said that funding for the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program would “bust our budget.”

“We have always, always been against any sort of vouchers — not just expansion, but vouchers in essence,” Garcia added during the event.

Other speakers included Democratic Senator Christine Marsh, who described control of the Governor’s Office as “a game-changer” for Democratic lawmakers, and AEA Legislative Liaison Isela Blanc, who said that “having Hobbs” is the “key” to the union’s agenda.

Hobbs herself filmed a special video for the event in which she thanked the union “for everything you did” to elect her. The Democrat named Garcia and Stephanie Parra, a former AEA lobbyist, to her transition team in November.

Katie Hobbs hires diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) director

PHOENIX — One of Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs’s first hires to the Ninth Floor will be tasked with promoting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda throughout her administration.

The Democrat named Ariel Morin as her DEI director during an announcement of “key senior hires” to the Governor’s Office, a position that previously did not exist. Morin, who has a DEI certification, currently works for Hobbs as Human Resources Manager in the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office, according to court records containing a scanned copy of her business card.

DEI is a controversial philosophical framework that has led to personnel practices that some have called discriminatory. Hobbs has been embroiled in a years-long discrimination lawsuit, with a jury ultimately awarding a $2.75 million judgment to Talonya Adams, a black woman who accused Hobbs of treating her differently because of her race and gender while serving as a legislative staffer.

The other “key senior hires” that Hobbs announced are: Murphy Hebert as director of communications; Sarah Brown as director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting; Tracy Lopes as director of policy; Will Gaona as director of public affairs; and Ben Henderson as director of operations.

Hobbs tapped Assistant Secretary of State Allie Bones as her incoming chief of staff last month.

Katie Hobbs backs Steve Gallardo for Arizona Democratic Party chair

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs announced her endorsement of Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo as the next chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party.

“I’m proud to support my friend, Supervisor Steve Gallardo for Arizona Democratic Party Chair,” Hobbs said. “Steve has already shown he will fight for our democracy and for Arizona – and he knows how to win.”

Gallardo, who backed Hobbs in the Democratic primary, was named to her transition team last month.

Katie Hobbs caught “sleeping” on stage at Western Governors’ Association annual conference

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs appeared to fall asleep during one of her first formal appearances following the November election.

Hobbs attended the Western Governors’ Association’s annual winter meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, last Wednesday. She posted a photograph from the conference online and claimed to have had a “great discussion” while “counting down the days til I head to the ninth floor.”

But, according to the Phoenix New Times, Hobbs “didn’t utter a single peep during her time on stage,” “was the only one to stay silent” among the attendees, and, in fact, “spent most of the time with her head bowed … appearing to be sleeping.” When asked by the outlet why she refused to participate, Hobbs responded, “Can you have my office schedule something? I’d rather do it that way.”

The communications director for the Western Governors’ Association added, “I don’t know why she didn’t participate.”

Katie Hobbs calls for AEL to be “permanently” repealed

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs called Wednesday for the permanent repeal of the Aggregate Expenditure Limit (AEL).

Hobbs said during an interview with Arizona PBS that addressing the upcoming AEL deadline is “the most pressing education issue right now.” The AEL is an overall spending threshold that Arizona voters approved via constitutional amendment in 1980 in order to bring more accountability to public district schools.

“If we don’t lift that, schools are going to be faced with having to close early, end the school year early, or lay off teachers, and so we’re not doing anything to address the problem if we don’t get rid of that limit,” the Democrat argued. “Suspend it now, but look at how we repeal it permanently.”

Hobbs also claimed during the interview that she supports “increasing teacher salary to the national average,” despite having voted against a 20 percent raise for Arizona’s teachers while serving in the state legislature.

The governor-elect — who recently named longtime teachers union lobbyists Marisol Garcia and Stephanie Parra to her transition team — is an outspoken opponent of school choice and claimed Wednesday that continuing to provide funding for the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program would “bust our budget.”

Katie Hobbs says repealing rental tax would “cripple cities”

PHOENIX — Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs acknowledged during a Wednesday interview that she will oppose legislative efforts to prohibit local jurisdictions from levying rental taxes.

Asked about Republican lawmakers who want to “get rid of the rental tax,” the governor-elect expressed concern that such a proposal would reduce the government’s revenue.

“It’s something to talk about, but it was a core part of my former opponent’s plan and it’s something that would really cripple cities in terms of their ability to provide public safety for their residents and not something that would provide significant relief for those renters,” Hobbs said on Arizona PBS.

She appeared more open to a follow-up question about “a complete ban of the food tax,” stating that “I’m not going to say no to anything if there’s a way to provide relief for Arizonans.” The Democrat added that the Arizona Commerce Authority “has done a lot to attract business” through “tax incentives” but that the state should not be “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

Hobbs pledged to taxpayers during her campaign victory speech in November that she would “put more money back in your pockets” as governor.