Republicans move to limit power of Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs

The move comes during the Republican-backed audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County.
Arizona voters
By Nicholas Sherman

Republican lawmakers in Arizona moved to limit the powers of Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs amid the GOP-led state Senate audit of the 2020 election.

The Arizona House and Senate appropriations committees narrowly passed a bill Tuesday that would strip Hobbs of her ability to defend election lawsuits, giving that power to Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

The bill would make clear Brnovich has "sole authority" to defend Arizona election laws, procedures and lawsuits. 

Hobbs called the bill "partisan politics" and an "attempt to prevent me from doing the job Arizona voters elected me to do," according to The Epoch Times.

The bill still needs to pass the full legislature and be signed by GOP Gov. Doug Ducey to become law.