Arizona’s Republican-controlled legislature has moved to strip power from Secretary of State Katie Hobbs in election-related lawsuits, handing that power instead to the attorney general’s office.
The measure, which was contained within a budget reconciliation bill (pdf), seeks to stop Hobbs, a Democrat, from playing a role in lawsuits related to state election rules while giving the attorney general’s office “sole authority” to defend Arizona election laws. The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Doug Ducey, who hasn’t signaled opposition to it.
