Arizona GOP senator spars with nominee to head Transportation, but panel eventually votes to recommend her.
PHOENIX — A Senate panel recommended confirmation of Gov. Katie Hobbs' pick to head the Transportation Department — but not before the chairman grilled her on personal beliefs and at one point suggested she was not being truthful.
"My job is to discharge the duties and the policies as set forth by the governor and the Legislature. And if the Legislature wants to adopt those policies, then I'll be willing to implement them,'' said Toth, who until now was director of the Maricopa County Transportation Department and the county engineer.
"I would question that you had not heard of transportation equity or mobility justice given that you've had an extensive career in the industry,'' Hoffman said. All that drew a verbal slap from Sen. Eva Burch, D-Mesa, who suggested Toth was being asked to answer questions about"contentious partisan semantics.''
Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, said the change was designed to ensure the qualifications for all nominees are thoroughly explored. Toth said she can't speak to what has happened elsewhere. But she said fatalities went up nationwide in 2021 as COVID emptied roads and those still on the highways were driving faster.She did say that ADOT has experimented with variable speed limits.
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