David Farnsworth

David Farnsworth is a current Arizona state senator. For our purposes, he serves as one of the best examples of what passes for advice and consent regarding veterinary board nominees.

Farnsworth stood out during the hearing for Brewer (and later Ducey) nominee Darren Wright's first term on the veterinary board. Beginning with some probing questions about how much the state board cost to operate, he inquired as to Wright's attitudes toward efficiency and spending government money on its operation. At one point he did a rough calculation determining how many cents per minute it cost to operate the veterinary board under the assumption of a 24-hour day.

Farnsworth also went to state that as he had been reading the Constitution lately, he had concerns about the board's possible infringements on veterinarians' right to practice their trade. In particular, he was concerned that veterinarians would be unduly disciplined for making "mistakes" as we all do. Wright assured Farnsworth that he viewed mistakes as a learning experience, going on to say that he only believed in rescinding licenses in the most extreme of circumstances.

In fairness, it's relatively uncommon in such hearings to see anyone on the senate side engaging with the nominees at all, certainly regarding anything other than polite pleasantries. If you're reading this site you likely disagree with his attitude on veterinary regulation. You may even wonder why he didn't open his own investigation of real problems with the state veterinary board instead of one rooting out make-believe pedophiles that led to a fellow Republican state senator getting contacted by antiterrorism police.

Farnsworth, of course, is a staunch pro-life Mormon and alleged constitutional conservative. Wright, on the other hand, is an out-and-proud veterinarian who once registered a nightclub known for drag shows out of his veterinary clinic, then went on to speak favorably regarding euthanasia not just in pets but people in a magazine article. Despite these apparently vast differences in life experiences and worldviews, Farnsworth and Wright were able to find common ground when it came to Arizona vets harming Arizona pets. Let it ride.

Farnsworth is still in the Arizona senate as of 2023.