Judge rules governor’s ‘de facto directors’ violate Arizona law [Video]

PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs’ decision to bypass the Republican-controlled Legislature by appointing deputy directors to run state agencies was a violation of Arizona law, a judge ruled this week. 

An ongoing political dispute over how the governor can appoint directors to oversee housing, veteran services and child safety has now resulted in a state judge ruling in favor of Republican lawmakers.

Senate President Warren Petersen sued Hobbs last year after the Democratic governor withdrew her unconfirmed director nominees to run Arizona’s many state agencies.

Since Republicans hold a majority in the Legislature, they have enough votes to reject the governor’s director nominees. Lawmakers created the nominations committee last year, which replaced the former process of nominees getting vetted by the subject-matter committee in the Senate. 

The governor said the Senate’s nominations committee had imposed an “impossible standard” after the committee rejected some of …