7 things Governor Hobbs should do on Day 1

On January 2nd, 2023, Governor Katie Hobbs took the oath of office and was sworn in after being elected in November. She likely cannot do a ton of legislation, considering Republicans still have both chambers of the state legislature. However, she can make executive orders on several topics, such as national security, criminal justice, and more. Here are a few ideas:

1. Create a new state agency dedicated to fighting climate change. Governors can create new state agencies. Climate change is a severe problem, so Governor Hobbs should create a climate solutions agency to give recommendations to the legislature and find ways to fight climate change in Arizona.

2. Pardon all non-violent cannabis imprisonment for possession. In Arizona, voters passed Proposition 207 on a bipartisan to legalize marijuana, which would be a common-sense step to help reduce disparities in our criminal justice system.

3. Issue a moratorium on the death penalty in Arizona. This action will save taxpayers money and reduce racial disparities in our criminal justice system. Black Americans make up 42% of death row inmates despite only making up 38% of the u.s prison population. In 2014, a study at the University of Washington found that jurors in Washington State are three times as likely to sentence a black defendant to death compared to a white defendant for a similar crime.

4. Issue an abortion rights executive order. An Arizona court ruled abortion legal up to 15 weeks (LMP), so Governor Hobbs should sign an executive order to grant legal protections for out-of-state abortion patients and to deny any legal request from another state to prosecute out-of-state abortion recipients. This action will ensure women's privacy and peace of mind in the Grand Canyon State.

5. Allow all former felons convicted of crimes except for crimes involving rape and murder to register to vote. This action will enhance civil rights and improve voter turnout.

6. Create a state agency for addressing homelessness to help develop recommendations to the legislature to help solve the state's homelessness crisis and reduce poverty.

7. Ban TikTok on all state government devices. Tiktok is owned by the Chinese company Bytedance, meaning it gives data to the Chinese communist party (CCP). To protect the privacy and security of Arizonians, Governor Hobbs should issue an executive order to ban TikTok on all government-issued devices, similar to what was done by the federal government and 19 other states. This action is a common-sense move that will protect the privacy of Arizona residents.

These actions will not solve Arizona's problems overnight; however, they will help with the issues the state is facing and send a strong signal to the legislature and the voters about the governor's priorities.