Gov. Doug Ducey greets lawmakers and guests shortly before beginning his State of the State speech on Jan. 13, 2020. /Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy / Arizona Mirror
By Jeremy Duda | Arizona Mirror
Gov. Doug Ducey won’t repeat last year’s virtual State of the State despite rising COVID-19 numbers and will instead give his final address in-person at the Arizona House of Representatives.
C.J. Karamargin, a spokesman for the governor, said it’s important for Ducey to give his 2022 State of the State in person, given the speech’s historical significance. It’s not only the governor’s final address — as well as the last time House Speaker Rusty Bowers and Senate President Karen Fann will preside over their chambers for the speech — but he will become the first governor since Bruce Babbitt, who served from 1978-1987, to give an eighth State of the State.
Last year, with Arizona going through a winter surge in COVID cases, Ducey gave a virtual State of the State address from the governor’s office. COVID cases are again on the rise, in Arizona and across the country, a surge fueled in part by the recently discovered Omicron variant of the virus.
Nonetheless, Karamargin said it’s important that the governor give his annual speech in person.
“Our plan is to move forward with State of the State as it’s been done every year of this administration and virtually every year of every other administration, and that is in-person,” he said.
