Latest news with #Hobbs'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hobbs appointee caught between federal law and GOP opposition to diversity programs
Carlos Contreras, Gov. Katie Hobbs' pick to head the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity is grilled by Sen. Jake Hoffman during a Senate Director Nominations Committee meeting on May 28, 2025. Screenshot via The far-right Republican senator who already blocked several of Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs' picks to lead state agencies has accused another nominee of lying and violating the Arizona Constitution. The nominee's transgression? Adhering to grant requirements that were already baked into Arizona's federally required state workforce plans by Hobbs' Republican predecessor. Ignoring those federal requirements would put the grant money at risk. But that didn't stop Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, from grilling Carlos Contreras, Hobbs' nominee to head up the Office of Economic Opportunity, during a May 28 Director Nominations Committee hearing. When Contreras answered that he was following the rules stipulating the use of the federal grant money, Hoffman said that was not good enough. 'Hoffman is just trying to find excuses to villainize these highly qualified public servants,' Sen. Analise Ortiz, a Phoenix Democrat and member of the committee, told the Arizona Mirror. 'And, in this case, he was just flatly wrong, spewing misinformation and thinking that anything he says goes, when that is just not the case.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Hoffman, who leads the far-right Arizona Freedom Caucus, is the chairman of the Arizona Senate's Director Nominations Committee, which was created in 2023 specifically to scrutinize Hobbs' director nominees. It has held numerous contentious and combative nomination hearings since then, and its Republican members refused to confirm several of the governor's nominees. Some of the nominees backed out prior to a confirmation committee hearing that they knew wasn't going to go their way. State law requires the state Senate confirm a governor's agency directors, but before Hobbs took office in 2023, confirmations occurred with little fanfare following brief interviews with relevant legislative committees. After Hobbs struggled to get committee approval for many of her director nominees in 2023, she attempted to bypass the Senate by leaving director posts vacant and instead appointing deputy directors who essentially served as directors. Agency directors are subject to Senate approval, but deputy directors are not. But Senate Republicans sued and a judge ruled that the move violated state law, so Hobbs agreed to once again submit her director nominees for committee approval. Contreras, who spent 25 years working for Intel, including as its U.S. education manager, has headed the Office of Economic Opportunity since 2023. Part of the office's mission is to coordinate the state's workforce development strategy. During Contreras' May 28 Director Nominations Committee hearing, Hoffman repeatedly questioned the nominee about the scoring system used to award grants via the BuilditAZ apprenticeship program. The program helps to fund earn-while-you-learn apprenticeships in construction, an area with an increasing need for skilled workers. 'Why is your agency awarding higher scores for programs based on race, sex, or identity of their participants?' Hoffman asked. Led by President Donald Trump, Republicans both nationally and locally have been on a crusade to rid diversity, equity and inclusion requirements from government, education and the private sector. 'You don't have statutory authority to select based on race, sex or English language learner status, yet you did it anyway,' Hoffman said, accusing Contreras of violating the Arizona Constitution and state statute. Contreras initially answered that his office was following U.S. Department of Labor grant requirements, but Hoffman dismissed that explanation, arguing that the OEO doesn't have to participate in a grant program with what he called discriminatory requirements. Ortiz called the suggestion that the state forgo federal grants that have requirements that Hoffman disagrees with 'ridiculous.' 'We are in a situation as a state where we need to look for opportunities for funding anywhere that we can,' she said. 'The purpose of these federal grant programs is to provide that additional support for states in order to strengthen our economies, strengthen our workforce.' As Hoffman became increasingly hostile, Contreras struggled to answer the chairman's numerous versions of the same question about the grant scoring process, saying that the office did not select grant winners based solely on race. 'You're gonna struggle if you keep up obfuscating like this. OK?' Hoffman said. 'Your own documents say that you award greater points for those characteristics.' The scoring system for BuilditAZ grant proposals does give priority to 'certain demographic groups to ensure equitable access to workforce development programs and services.' But that's not an idea that Contreras came up with on his own: It's a requirement of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which funded the grants. One of the main goals of the WIOA is to help groups who face barriers to employment obtain high-quality jobs. The first several times Hoffman asked Contreras about the points system, the senator only mentioned the categories of race, sex and English language learners, but the list is much more extensive than that. It includes people with low incomes, those with disabilities, young people, displaced workers and military veterans. Hoffman's focus on race, sex and English proficiency, while leaving out so many other groups, was telling, Ortiz said. 'I think it makes it very clear that Chairman Hoffman believes that certain jobs should only be for certain people,' she said. 'And that is a racist and sexist viewpoint that does not make our workforce stronger. If we're leaving out crucial demographic groups and we are leaving out different perspectives, then we are going to be at a disadvantage as a state.' All of the groups mentioned in the BuilditAZ grant scoring rubric were outlined as priority groups in Arizona's Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act state plan for 2020-2023, which was created under the direction of then-Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican. Ortiz told the Mirror that the usage of the same language in plans created by a GOP governor showed that the criticism was not actually based on the grant language, but was just a way to go after the Democratic governor. 'That is just further evidence of this process being politicized in a way that it should not be,' Ortiz said. 'And who is paying for that? It is our hardworking public servants.' As Hoffman repeatedly told Contreras that his office had violated anti-discrimination laws in both the Arizona Constitution and state statute, Ortiz interjected to request input from one of the Senate's nonpartisan attorneys. Hoffman quickly cut her off, saying that she should have asked more hard-hitting questions when it was her turn. Ortiz told the Mirror that, as an elected Senator, she should have the same authority to call points of order and to request clarification as anyone else on the committee, but that has not been the case. '(Hoffman) has been so patronizing and has treated every member of that committee like we are children that I have to sit there and bite my tongue and not call points of orders when I know that he's wrong,' Ortiz said. Hoffman was adamant that federal law doesn't supersede state law in this case, and that it was not acceptable that the grant scoring rubric 'directly conflicts with provisions of the Arizona Constitution.' The Arizona Constitution states that the state 'shall not grant preferential treatment to or discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting.' However, just two lines down in the same section, the constitution stipulates that those rules do not 'Prohibit action that must be taken to establish or maintain eligibility for any federal program, if ineligibility would result in a loss of federal monies to this state.' The Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution says that, when they conflict, federal law generally supersedes state law. At the request of Sen. John Kavanagh, a Fountain Hills Republican and the vice chairman of the committee, Hoffman agreed to adjourn the meeting without making any recommendation on the nomination to give time for Contreras and members of the committee to consult with attorneys about the legality of the grant scoring system and what to do if state and federal law pertaining to it conflict. Legislative Council, the legislature's in-house division of attorneys, did not respond to the Mirror's request for clarification of the state and federal laws and how they intersect. Ortiz said that it was unfortunate that Hoffman 'unnecessarily' delayed Contreras' confirmation. 'I hope that Chairman Hoffman comes more prepared (to the next committee hearing), understanding the Supremacy Clause and understanding our state constitution before dragging all of us through this dog and pony show,' she said, 'because not only is it a waste of our time, it is a waste of precious state resources.' Hoffman suggested that all interested parties reach out to the U.S. Department of Labor for updated guidance on grant requirements since they have likely changed since Trump took office in January. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
28-05-2025
- Politics
Arizona's rural groundwater deal stalls as legislative session nears end
PHOENIX -- Arizona's governor and the GOP-controlled Legislature are at odds over regulating groundwater pumping in the state's rural areas — and time is running out. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs stood with local Republican leaders at the start of this year's session, optimistic that Republicans in the Legislature would embrace her proposal to create rural groundwater management areas. But almost four months later, talks have stalled and frustration has mounted as both sides try to find a solution to conserve water that's increasingly becoming more scarce amid a prolonged drought. Negotiators have not met since early April, Hobbs' office said. Around the same time, Republicans and some interest groups grew frustrated with a separate proposal by the Arizona Department of Water Resources to slash overdraft in the Willcox Basin by a percentage that is 'unattainable,' said Sen. Tim Dunn, one of the Republican negotiators. Overdraft refers to when groundwater extraction exceeds what is being replenished. Hobbs has said that if lawmakers adjourn — typically in the summer — with no deal, she will take matters into her own hands. Water basins in rural Arizona are largely unregulated, and Democrats and Republicans have different visions on how to slow depletion. Negotiators, including staff from the governor's office and bipartisan lawmakers, have clashed over proposed mandates for reducing groundwater pumping from aquifers. Republicans who introduced their own plan say the one from Democrats is too high. Democrats say the GOP proposal isn't high enough. Both sides also disagree on the makeup of local councils that would govern groundwater usage, the water basins that would be included and the pathway for future regulation. Meanwhile, underground water supplies continue to shrink to the point that some wells in rural areas have gone dry. Residents are faced with the choice of drilling deeper, hauling water or moving, said Sarah Porter, director of the Arizona State University Kyl Center for Water Policy. Managing the groundwater won't reverse the decline but can slow it, she said. Arizona's regulatory framework for managing groundwater was first enacted in 1980 and largely centers on the state's most populous areas, including Phoenix and Tucson. Porter said the active management areas were designed to apply to growing cities and are too burdensome to replicate in rural areas where agriculture is at the heart of local economies. The Arizona Department of Water Resources has proposed a separate reduction in overdraft in the Willcox Basin, which caused uneasiness among Republicans and others who say that could jeopardize businesses in rural Arizona. For years, legislators on both sides of the aisle have failed to get proposals to manage groundwater in rural Arizona to the governor's desk or signed into law. In 2022, voters approved a ballot measure to establish an active management area in Douglas, a rural city on Arizona's southeastern edge. In recent months, Hobbs used executive authority to create another in the Willcox Basin, another rural community north of Douglas. Bipartisan negotiators have not met in several weeks on a framework that would significantly broaden the scope of the Groundwater Management Act, according to multiple people. 'I think it's pretty clear that the rural groundwater negotiations are going nowhere,' said Democratic state Sen. Priya Sundareshan, one of the legislative negotiators. In a Tuesday statement, Hobbs accused GOP legislators of refusing to come to the negotiating table. Dunn said since the last negotiating meeting he's been meeting regularly with people on what language they might find agreeable despite sour moods over the water resources proposal for the Willcox Basin and the little time lawmakers have left to make a deal. He said he would like to call another meeting with Hobbs' office and Democratic legislators soon but said the water resource's proposal doesn't bode well for talks in the Legislature. 'If that's their end game, we can't get there,' Dunn said. Philip Bashaw, CEO of the Arizona Farm Bureau, which has been involved in crafting the GOP rural groundwater bills the past two years, said the water resources' proposal further frustrated negotiations on the bills and fueled anxiety. 'It definitely took a lot of the air out of the balloon, that's for sure,' Bashaw said.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Arizona's rural groundwater deal stalls as legislative session nears end
AP Image Arizona's governor and the GOP-controlled Legislature are at odds over regulating groundwater pumping in the state's rural areas - and time is running out. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs stood with local Republican leaders at the start of this year's session, optimistic that Republicans in the Legislature would embrace her proposal to create rural groundwater management areas. But almost four months later, talks have stalled and frustration has mounted as both sides try to find a solution to conserve water that's increasingly becoming more scarce amid a prolonged drought. Negotiators have not met since early April, Hobbs' office said. Around the same time, Republicans and some interest groups grew frustrated with a separate proposal by the Arizona Department of Water Resources to slash overdraft in the Willcox Basin by a percentage that is "unattainable," said Sen. Tim Dunn, one of the Republican negotiators. Overdraft refers to when groundwater extraction exceeds what is being replenished. Hobbs has said that if lawmakers adjourn - typically in the summer - with no deal, she will take matters into her own hands. Disagreements as water supplies dwindle Water basins in rural Arizona are largely unregulated, and Democrats and Republicans have different visions on how to slow depletion. Negotiators, including staff from the governor's office and bipartisan lawmakers, have clashed over proposed mandates for reducing groundwater pumping from aquifers. Republicans who introduced their own plan say the one from Democrats is too high. Democrats say the GOP proposal isn't high enough. Both sides also disagree on the makeup of local councils that would govern groundwater usage, the water basins that would be included and the pathway for future regulation. Meanwhile, underground water supplies continue to shrink to the point that some wells in rural areas have gone dry. Residents are faced with the choice of drilling deeper, hauling water or moving, said Sarah Porter, director of the Arizona State University Kyl Centre for Water Policy. Managing the groundwater won't reverse the decline but can slow it, she said. Arizona's regulatory framework for managing groundwater was first enacted in 1980 and largely centres on the state's most populous areas, including Phoenix and Tucson. Porter said the active management areas were designed to apply to growing cities and are too burdensome to replicate in rural areas where agriculture is at the heart of local economies. The Arizona Department of Water Resources has proposed a separate reduction in overdraft in the Willcox Basin, which caused uneasiness among Republicans and others who say that could jeopardize businesses in rural Arizona. For years, legislators on both sides of the aisle have failed to get proposals to manage groundwater in rural Arizona to the governor's desk or signed into law. In 2022, voters approved a ballot measure to establish an active management area in Douglas, a rural city on Arizona's south-eastern edge. In recent months, Hobbs used executive authority to create another in the Willcox Basin, another rural community north of Douglas. 'Negotiations are going nowhere' Bipartisan negotiators have not met in several weeks on a framework that would significantly broaden the scope of the Groundwater Management Act, according to multiple people. "I think it's pretty clear that the rural groundwater negotiations are going nowhere," said Democratic state Sen. Priya Sundareshan, one of the legislative negotiators. In a Tuesday statement, Hobbs accused GOP legislators of refusing to come to the negotiating table. Emails obtained by The Associated Press show frustration from Hobbs' office over what the deputy chief of staff, Jennifer Loredo, describes as a "unilateral" move by Republicans to decide who is invited to the negotiating table. "After zero response for a month, you have now proposed to significantly increase the number of stakeholders, and instead of reciprocating our request for input, you sent out a calendar invite to this group of external parties," Loredo said in an email addressing the GOP negotiators. Dunn said since the last negotiating meeting he's been meeting regularly with people on what language they might find agreeable despite sour moods over the water resources proposal for the Willcox Basin and the little time lawmakers have left to make a deal. He said he would like to call another meeting with Hobbs' office and Democratic legislators soon but said the water resource's proposal doesn't bode well for talks in the Legislature. "If that's their end game, we can't get there," Dunn said. Philip Bashaw, CEO of the Arizona Farm Bureau, which has been involved in crafting the GOP rural groundwater bills the past two years, said the water resources' proposal further frustrated negotiations on the bills and fuelled anxiety. "It definitely took a lot of the air out of the balloon, that's for sure," Bashaw said.
Hamilton Spectator
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Arizona's rural groundwater deal stalls as legislative session nears end
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona's governor and the GOP-controlled Legislature are at odds over regulating groundwater pumping in the state's rural areas — and time is running out. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs stood with local Republican leaders at the start of this year's session, optimistic that Republicans in the Legislature would embrace her proposal to create rural groundwater management areas. But almost four months later, talks have stalled and frustration has mounted as both sides try to find a solution to conserve water that's increasingly becoming more scarce amid a prolonged drought. Negotiators have not met since early April, Hobbs' office said. Around the same time, Republicans and some interest groups grew frustrated with a separate proposal by the Arizona Department of Water Resources to slash overdraft in the Willcox Basin by a percentage that is 'unattainable,' said Sen. Tim Dunn, one of the Republican negotiators. Overdraft refers to when groundwater extraction exceeds what is being replenished. Hobbs has said that if lawmakers adjourn — typically in the summer — with no deal, she will take matters into her own hands. Disagreements as water supplies dwindle Water basins in rural Arizona are largely unregulated, and Democrats and Republicans have different visions on how to slow depletion. Negotiators, including staff from the governor's office and bipartisan lawmakers, have clashed over proposed mandates for reducing groundwater pumping from aquifers. Republicans who introduced their own plan say the one from Democrats is too high. Democrats say the GOP proposal isn't high enough. Both sides also disagree on the makeup of local councils that would govern groundwater usage, the water basins that would be included and the pathway for future regulation. Meanwhile, underground water supplies continue to shrink to the point that some wells in rural areas have gone dry. Residents are faced with the choice of drilling deeper, hauling water or moving, said Sarah Porter, director of the Arizona State University Kyl Center for Water Policy. Managing the groundwater won't reverse the decline but can slow it, she said. Arizona's regulatory framework for managing groundwater was first enacted in 1980 and largely centers on the state's most populous areas, including Phoenix and Tucson. Porter said the active management areas were designed to apply to growing cities and are too burdensome to replicate in rural areas where agriculture is at the heart of local economies. The Arizona Department of Water Resources has proposed a separate reduction in overdraft in the Willcox Basin, which caused uneasiness among Republicans and others who say that could jeopardize businesses in rural Arizona. For years, legislators on both sides of the aisle have failed to get proposals to manage groundwater in rural Arizona to the governor's desk or signed into law. In 2022, voters approved a ballot measure to establish an active management area in Douglas, a rural city on Arizona's southeastern edge. In recent months, Hobbs used executive authority to create another in the Willcox Basin, another rural community north of Douglas. 'Negotiations are going nowhere' Bipartisan negotiators have not met in several weeks on a framework that would significantly broaden the scope of the Groundwater Management Act, according to multiple people. 'I think it's pretty clear that the rural groundwater negotiations are going nowhere,' said Democratic state Sen. Priya Sundareshan, one of the legislative negotiators. In a Tuesday statement, Hobbs accused GOP legislators of refusing to come to the negotiating table. Emails obtained by The Associated Press show frustration from Hobbs' office over what the deputy chief of staff, Jennifer Loredo, describes as a 'unilateral' move by Republicans to decide who is invited to the negotiating table. 'After zero response for a month, you have now proposed to significantly increase the number of stakeholders, and instead of reciprocating our request for input, you sent out a calendar invite to this group of external parties,' Loredo said in an email addressing the GOP negotiators. Dunn said since the last negotiating meeting he's been meeting regularly with people on what language they might find agreeable despite sour moods over the water resources proposal for the Willcox Basin and the little time lawmakers have left to make a deal. He said he would like to call another meeting with Hobbs' office and Democratic legislators soon but said the water resource's proposal doesn't bode well for talks in the Legislature. 'If that's their end game, we can't get there,' Dunn said. Philip Bashaw, CEO of the Arizona Farm Bureau, which has been involved in crafting the GOP rural groundwater bills the past two years, said the water resources' proposal further frustrated negotiations on the bills and fueled anxiety. 'It definitely took a lot of the air out of the balloon, that's for sure,' Bashaw said.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arizona's rural groundwater deal stalls as legislative session nears end
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona's governor and the GOP-controlled Legislature are at odds over regulating groundwater pumping in the state's rural areas — and time is running out. Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs stood with local Republican leaders at the start of this year's session, optimistic that Republicans in the Legislature would embrace her proposal to create rural groundwater management areas. But almost four months later, talks have stalled and frustration has mounted as both sides try to find a solution to conserve water that's increasingly becoming more scarce amid a prolonged drought. Negotiators have not met since early April, Hobbs' office said. Around the same time, Republicans and some interest groups grew frustrated with a separate proposal by the Arizona Department of Water Resources to slash overdraft in the Willcox Basin by a percentage that is 'unattainable,' said Sen. Tim Dunn, one of the Republican negotiators. Overdraft refers to when groundwater extraction exceeds what is being replenished. Hobbs has said that if lawmakers adjourn — typically in the summer — with no deal, she will take matters into her own hands. Disagreements as water supplies dwindle Water basins in rural Arizona are largely unregulated, and Democrats and Republicans have different visions on how to slow depletion. Negotiators, including staff from the governor's office and bipartisan lawmakers, have clashed over proposed mandates for reducing groundwater pumping from aquifers. Republicans who introduced their own plan say the one from Democrats is too high. Democrats say the GOP proposal isn't high enough. Both sides also disagree on the makeup of local councils that would govern groundwater usage, the water basins that would be included and the pathway for future regulation. Meanwhile, underground water supplies continue to shrink to the point that some wells in rural areas have gone dry. Residents are faced with the choice of drilling deeper, hauling water or moving, said Sarah Porter, director of the Arizona State University Kyl Center for Water Policy. Managing the groundwater won't reverse the decline but can slow it, she said. Arizona's regulatory framework for managing groundwater was first enacted in 1980 and largely centers on the state's most populous areas, including Phoenix and Tucson. Porter said the active management areas were designed to apply to growing cities and are too burdensome to replicate in rural areas where agriculture is at the heart of local economies. The Arizona Department of Water Resources has proposed a separate reduction in overdraft in the Willcox Basin, which caused uneasiness among Republicans and others who say that could jeopardize businesses in rural Arizona. For years, legislators on both sides of the aisle have failed to get proposals to manage groundwater in rural Arizona to the governor's desk or signed into law. In 2022, voters approved a ballot measure to establish an active management area in Douglas, a rural city on Arizona's southeastern edge. In recent months, Hobbs used executive authority to create another in the Willcox Basin, another rural community north of Douglas. 'Negotiations are going nowhere' Bipartisan negotiators have not met in several weeks on a framework that would significantly broaden the scope of the Groundwater Management Act, according to multiple people. 'I think it's pretty clear that the rural groundwater negotiations are going nowhere,' said Democratic state Sen. Priya Sundareshan, one of the legislative negotiators. In a Tuesday statement, Hobbs accused GOP legislators of refusing to come to the negotiating table. Emails obtained by The Associated Press show frustration from Hobbs' office over what the deputy chief of staff, Jennifer Loredo, describes as a 'unilateral' move by Republicans to decide who is invited to the negotiating table. 'After zero response for a month, you have now proposed to significantly increase the number of stakeholders, and instead of reciprocating our request for input, you sent out a calendar invite to this group of external parties," Loredo said in an email addressing the GOP negotiators. Dunn said since the last negotiating meeting he's been meeting regularly with people on what language they might find agreeable despite sour moods over the water resources proposal for the Willcox Basin and the little time lawmakers have left to make a deal. He said he would like to call another meeting with Hobbs' office and Democratic legislators soon but said the water resource's proposal doesn't bode well for talks in the Legislature. 'If that's their end game, we can't get there,' Dunn said. Philip Bashaw, CEO of the Arizona Farm Bureau, which has been involved in crafting the GOP rural groundwater bills the past two years, said the water resources' proposal further frustrated negotiations on the bills and fueled anxiety. 'It definitely took a lot of the air out of the balloon, that's for sure,' Bashaw said.
