Jennie Cunico, who has worked for DHS for nine years, will now run the agency that oversees everything from public health to the licensing and oversight of nursing homes and child care centers to the operation of the Arizona State Hospital.
It took six months, but Gov. Katie Hobbs has a new nominee to run the Department of Health Services.
Laurie Roberts
Arizona Republic
After a six-month search, Gov. Katie Hobbs has finally found someone willing to run the Arizona Department of Health Services.
If you’re thinking this should be a plum job that would attract the best of the best of public health officials, you’re right.
In fact, it already did.
Senate wants to sabotage Hobbs’ picks
But Hobbs’ first pick for the job, Dr. Theresa Cullen, was rejected by Sen. Jake Hoffman and his not-so-merry band of inquisitors, AKA the Senate Committee on Director Nominations.
They seem to think the job is less about confirming that a nominee is qualified than it is about sticking it to the Democratic governor they despise.
This year, the Senate consented to just six of Hobbs’ two dozen nominees, leaving the rest to twist in the wind and serve out their year and then … well … who knows?
One thing is clear. The Senate, under the direction of Hoffman, is all about sabotage, and that is a heck of a thing when you realize the focus of their sabotage is the state of Arizona.
In previous (Republican) administrations, gubernatorial nominees have generally floated through the confirmation process, asked a few rudimentary questions by whatever standing committee had expertise in the subject matter.
