On Monday morning, Katie Hobbs was sworn into office along with Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, Attorney General Kris Mayes, State Treasurer Kimberly Yee, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, and State Mine Inspector Paul Marsh. The Hobbs Administration banned members of the press and general public, except for one single reporter. Others were required to view the ceremony via live stream from the Ninth Floor of the Capitol Executive Tower.
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Democrat @KatieHobbs was unable to take the oath of office this morning without stammering and laughing through it. She also banned reporters from attending. #AZGov
MORE ➡️ https://t.co/bPGxYMFoKI pic.twitter.com/6bTCZ9KQ70
— Brian Anderson (@AZBrianAnderson) January 2, 2023
As noted by popular political blogger, Brain Anderson, “Democrat @KatieHobbs was unable to take the oath of office this morning without stammering and laughing through it. She also banned reporters from attending.”
Hobbs becomes Arizona’s fifth female governor, and the first Democrat elected in sixteen years.
“Today marks a new chapter for Arizona. As we look forward to a brighter future, I pledge that the needs of Arizonans – not partisan politics – will always come first,” said Hobbs in a press release. “I will work with Republicans, Democrats, and Independents to tackle our state’s biggest challenges – fully funding our public schools, securing our state’s water future, ensuring reproductive freedom, making Arizona more affordable, and so much more.”
Hobbs has already come under fire by the very pundits who put her in office. Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts wasted no time spewing her bile towards Hobbs, which Republicans say is well-deserved due to the new governor’s tendency to withhold information to which the public is entitled.
A private inauguration ceremony? No reporters allowed? I know today is a state holiday but this is not an auspicious start for Katie Hobbs, who vowed transparency in her dealings as governor. https://t.co/9OyWTKG1vR via @azcentral
— Laurie Roberts (@LaurieRoberts) January 2, 2023
While Hobbs may be unable to keep a grip on her emotions, she has been known to keep a tight grip on communications. During the race for governor, Hobbs refused to debate either her Democratic primary challenger or her general election Republican opponent. Earlier this month, it was discovered that Hobbs dictated Twitter’s content moderation while serving as Secretary of State.
According to the emails disclosed in court filings, Hobbs’ office asked the Center for Information Security (CIS) to review two tweets posted by an account with 21 followers. Within 30 minutes, CIS tapped Twitter to handle the issue, who promised to “escalate.” Twitter resolved the issue several hours later by removing both tweets in clear violation of First Amendment prohibitions against government silencing speech.
Perhaps the most egregious action taken to control information is playing out in Arizona courts this week. Hobbs is accused of blocking the release of the results of a mandatory recount of the attorney general’s race. The judge presiding over Abe Hamadeh’s election challenge dismissed the case Dec. 23 without knowing that Pinal County would admit a few days later to mishandling hundreds of ballots that led to the disenfranchisement of hundreds of voters.