by Cole Lauterbach
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is cleaning up old executive orders from the COVID-19 pandemic under former Gov. Doug Ducey.
The governor announced Tuesday afternoon that she’d rescinded 14 orders that were largely moot because of subsequent legislation or measures her administration had taken.
One of the Ducey-era orders Hobbs rescinded gained notoriety in 2021, as it classified any vaccine requirement by a county, city or other political subdivision as a Class 3 misdemeanor. Hobbs’ announcement described the order as “unnecessarily restrictive.”
Another formally terminated a program that provided pre-and-post-released convicts addicted to opioids with drug counseling and medication-assisted treatment. The pilot program ran its course.
Another rescinded order allowed cosmetologists and dine-in restaurants to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Programs that Hobbs renewed were the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, the Arizona Juvenile Justice Commission and the Governor’s Council on Child Safety and Family Empowerment.
“Arizonans are hard at work on behalf of our state and local communities,” Hobbs said. “I’m happy to continue their ongoing efforts that will encourage continued community service, support our children, and make lives better for Arizona’s families. Working together, I know we can make important progress toward stronger and more resilient communities.”
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Cole Lauterbach is a managing editor for The Center Square covering the western United States. For more than a decade, Cole has produced award-winning content on both radio and television.
