Governor Hobbs Names Key Staff and Is Inaugurated
Today at the Arizona Capitol, inauguration festivities are underway for Governor Katie Hobbs and other statewide elected leaders, who were officially sworn in on Monday, January 2. Hobbs is the state’s 24th Governor and the fifth female chief executive.
Over the past week, Governor Hobbs has announced a number of appointments for her administration.
Karen Peters will be nominated to serve as the next Director of the Department of Environmental Quality. She is an environmental attorney with 30 years of experience and has most recently served as the City of Phoenix deputy manager.
Tom Butchatzke will be retained as the Director of the Department of Water Resources. Ben Henry will be nominated as the Director of the Department of Liquor License and Control.
Tracy Lopes will be the Governor’s Director of Policy and Will Gaona will be the Director of Public Affairs. Allie Bones will transition with Governor Hobbs from the Secretary of State’s office and will be the Governor’s Chief of Staff. View staff bios and other appointments here.
Next week, the legislative session begins, kicking off a term of divided government that the state has not seen for almost 20 years.
City of Tempe Proposed Ordinance to Prohibit Sales of ALL Flavored Tobacco Products
Over the past year, the City of Tempe has been considering a proposed ordinance to raise the minimum age of purchase to 21 for tobacco and vapor products and to require licensing of retailers with penalties for underage sales including suspension or termination of the license. In December, the Council’s Human Services and Community Safety Committee recommended expanding the ordinance to include a prohibition on the sale of all flavored tobacco and vapor products.
At a Council Work Study session on December 8, the Council postponed discussion of the proposed ordinance until January 12. This week Council staff again announced a postponement of the ordinance by the Mayor and Council.
Stay tuned for updates when additional stakeholder engagement and Council discussion opportunities are announced. These will be posted on tempe.gov/vaping
State and Industry News
• Governor’s Regulatory Review Council Approves WMSD Rules Package – Rules take effect on March 5, 2023 – Action Report viewable here
• Public Education and Housing Issues Top Hobbs’ Priorities for First Session (AZ Capitol Times)
• US Retail Gasoline Prices Rose in Summer but Ended 2022 Lower than the Start of 2022 (Energy Information Administration)
• Ducey’s Eight Years of Accomplishments Hailed (Chamber Business News)
• Another Successful Year of Training in Arizona (UST Training)
• Vehicle Cost Is Leading Deterrent to EV Adoption (NACS)
• CNN Highlights Utility Interference in EV Charging Marketplace (Charge Ahead Partnership)
• US House Speakership Remains in Limbo as Arizona GOP Members Oppose Kevin McCarthy (AZ Central)
• Offen Petroleum Acquires Gas Depot (NACS)