Texting for lawmakers only in committee

The Senate Committee on Director Nominations banned texting for director nominees but not themselves.

During a committee hearing on February 20, the Director Nominations Committee voted along party lines to ban the use of electronic devices during a hearing, but the ban was for Gov. Katie Hobbs’ nominees and not for members.

The move, which many sources believed to be because Chairman Jake Hoffman, the Republican fake elector and former troll farm operator, thought Hobbs’ office was communicating with her nominees during the hearing where they –– in a lot of cases –– were dealing with harassing questions from Hoffman and other Republican legislators on committee.

Capitol Watchdogs @CapitolWatchdo2

Buckle up! Director Nominations Committee in session; first 3-2 vote on “Rule 10,” prohibiting nominees any access to electronic devices during hearing. Chair #hoffman says they were aware first nominee receiving text messages during hearing.

Hobbs’ office did text with nominees in the committee, but it wasn’t anything that could be considering coaching them through answers, records show.

I requested text records from the Ninth Floor between Hobbs, several top staffers and nominees Dr. Theresa Cullen as well as Angie Rodgers during the Feb 9 hearing.

• Rodgers passed in committee and Cullen withdrew her nomination as the full Senate was about to vote to reject her candidacy.

Arizona Department of Economic Security @ArizonaDES

DES is proud of Angie Rodgers’ accomplishment today before the Senate Committee on Director Nominations, which unanimously voted to recommend her to the full Senate for approval.

Governor Katie Hobbs @GovernorHobbs

I know Angie Rodgers has what it takes to be director of @ArizonaDES. She received unanimous support in committee for her confirmation – leaping across the first hurdle and now moving to a full Senate confirmation. https://t.co/OFrrXTe1Ig

The only text messages¹ that returned records was

1. A text from Hobbs’ COO Ben Henderson to Cullen

   

2. Messages between Deputy Director of Public Affairs & Legislative Director Rebecca Beebe and Rodgers

   

   “[Sen Sine] Kerr is grilling [Dr. Theresa Cullen] on Pima Covid response. Very disappointed in Kerr.” - Rebecca Beebe, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs & Legislative Director for Gov. Katie Hobbs in a text to DES director nominee Angie Rodgers   

Rodgers’ reaction to being grilled sums the committee proceedings perfectly.

“Thank you. Sigh,” she said.

The whole last minute rule change ordeal is pretty typical and hypocritical of the GOP legislators, too.

Typical because the Republicans since they had their majority trimmed to 31-29 and 16-14 a few years ago have grown into a habit of changing the legislative rules at the last second to benefit their own members and usually to silence the minority party. (Limiting the speaking time of members on controversial bills, for example.)

Hypocritical because they didn’t prevent themselves to not using cell phones during committee hearings which lawmakers do all. the. time.

I know this not just because it’s so visible during many legislative hearings, but I used to rely on texting certain lawmakers while at the Arizona Capitol Times and Yellow Sheet Report knowing that would be one of only times to get them to respond to questions and followups.

I requested records through the Senate to show they were also likely texting during their questioning only to have the request be denied for legislative privilege.

“There are zero nonprivileged records responsive to this request,” I was told.

1. I’ve always requested text communications while Governor Ducey was in office and don’t think a single text record was ever turned over to me. I’m glad that’s different so far.