ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs speaks on abortion, border, special sessions

Nov 24, 2022, 7:15 AM

(Facebook Photo/Katie Hobbs)...

(Facebook Photo/Katie Hobbs)

(Facebook Photo/Katie Hobbs)

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs is busy preparing to become the state’s 24th governor.

Hobbs has already outlined some initial priorities for when she takes over the office from Gov. Doug Ducey in January.

KTAR News spoke exclusively Wednesday with Hobbs, who dished on abortion, border issues and her plans to call special sessions:

Q: What will you do day one — or in the first month — on this abortion issue?

A: Well, I’m looking forward to working with Attorney General-elect [Kris] Mayes on restoring and protecting Arizonans’ access to safe legal abortion. And I’ve said on the campaign trail that I will call a special session on day one to repeal Arizona’s Civil War-era ban that fully criminalizes abortion.

I think that’s important to help restore certainty to the environment that we have right now in terms of what our access to safe legal abortion will look like in Arizona.

Q: How will a special session like that work?

A: Well, I don’t want to negotiate the terms publicly, I certainly think that any legislator in the state, whether they’re Republican or Democrat, wants to represent their constituents and would be amenable to this change.

The majority of Arizonans support access to safe, legal abortion. And so are our pre-existing law is in direct conflict with that.

Q: Do you think you’ll be able to get some Republicans to join Democrats and pass an abortion law in Arizona that is more in line with your thinking? Or do you think there’s going be a major compromise with the Republicans?

A: My focus right now is just going to be to repeal this law. That should be plain and simple. Again, in terms of representing the majority of Arizonans and being in line with what was a major issue in this election that we just got through, I would be hopeful that some Republicans would be willing to make that change.

Q: Are there other issues you feel you can work with the GOP legislative leaders to accomplish things for Arizona?

A: I hope so. You know, I think Arizona sent a very loud and clear message this election that they want leaders who are going to focus on the real issues we’re facing and focus on bringing Arizona together in a bipartisan way to tackle those issues.

When I was talking to Arizonans on the campaign trail about abortion access, about our state’s water crisis, about funding, public education affordability … these are not Democratic or Republican issues. They are Arizona issues and they need Arizona solutions and I’m hopeful that we can come together on those.

Q: I know you’ve recently said you want to have President Biden down to the border when you’re governor. Is that one of the first things you’re going to do is invite the president to come down to the border and tour it with you?

A: Yes, absolutely.

Q: And then what are the things you’d like to see the Biden administration do differently at the border now?

A: It is a federal issue. I think one of the big issues that we have right now is staffing up at the ports of entry to make commerce more efficient but also address the illegal substances that we know are being trafficked across the border.

And those are primarily coming in through ports of entry. We need more resources there to make sure we’re stopping that and just in general, more border security.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Animal shelters in Arizona are seeing a growing number of Huskies enter the shelter system....

Colton Krolak

Here’s why Maricopa County is seeing a rise in Huskies in shelters

Animal shelters in Arizona are seeing a growing number of Huskies enter the shelter system making them among the most common breeds in shelters.

3 hours ago

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced approximately $240 million in awards for the e...

Kevin Stone

Research and development hub based at ASU gets nearly $40M in funding from CHIPS Act

A regional innovation hub based at Arizona State University was awarded nearly $40 million in federal funding to promote technological advances.

3 hours ago

Four schools in Arizona were recently recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023 by the U....

SuElen Rivera

4 Arizona schools named as 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools

Four schools in Arizona were recently recognized as 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. 

3 hours ago

bowls of different ice cream dishes at Tom's Incredible Ice Cream...

KTAR.com

Tom’s Incredible Ice Cream serving free scoops during Scottsdale grand opening Friday

Tom's Incredible Ice Cream is set to debut this Friday near Old Town at Scottsdale Road and Second Street.

3 hours ago

Bobby Holmes...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert issued for woman last seen in Phoenix

A silver alert has been issued for a woman last seen Tuesday near 35th Street and Pinochet Avenue in Phoenix. 

10 hours ago

East Bowl Amphitheater  at Scottsdale Civic Center. (Civic Center Live Facebook page photos)...

KTAR.com

Scottsdale to unveil updated civic center after 2 years of renovations

The city of Scottsdale is preparing to officially unveil its new civic center remodel this fall.

11 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Home moving relocation in Arizona 2023...

BMS Moving

Tips for making your move in Arizona easier

If you're moving to a new home in Arizona, use this to-do list to alleviate some stress and ensure a smoother transition to your new home.

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs speaks on abortion, border, special sessions